Chapter Twenty-Seven
But Beth has forgotten someone. Navarre, the antiques dealer, comes into the room just in time to spot Kara, a sword in each hand that she has torn from the wall. With the best of intentions, he rushes over, tries to blunt the attack but with unfortunate consequences to himself.
"You've killed him, Majesty! My wonderful father. Just as your son Lance killed my ancestor, Marie, you royals have just taken as your due another of us. May you rot in hell!" With that screech, Kara David, now fully aware of herself again and in grief, lunges at the two who look at each other as non-plussed as royals cum vampires can get, especially ones about to be decapitated.
As always with vampires, everything happens so fast it becomes a blur. Navarre lies on the floor stunned by some unseen force that has caused his collapse.
It is Hepshepsut. "Kara," Sophie has jumped up, ready to intervene, assisted by the Queen. "Kara, don't. It's suicide. No one wins against a vamp."
"Stop." And the entire room freezes as in a tableau as the reincarnated Queen of the Upper and Lower Nile speaks.
"It is obvious that the St. John girl is not human enough and besides quite unwilling to become renewed as my Goddess. But I see a warrior in my servant Sophie's daughter and thus I will take her to bring about my Goddess, Bast. The Lioness shall live again."
And just like that, with whatever magic she possesses, the Queen whisks away her loyal people to another room in the Palais where the reawakening will be performed. She releases the spell with the following admonition. "You that are alive and those undead, do not follow us. We will leave alone. As they say in this country, Adieu."
As if still in a trance, all left in the room remain as they were.
"Well," says Josef Kostan upon entering the entirely quiet room, "I guess we've missed all the fun again, Spike."