Page 1 of Rise of the Queen

Chapter One

Sephie

As Adrik and Ivan werewalking away from the kitchen, I asked everyone’s input on the type of cookie I should be making. I had no idea they would all have such strong feelings on the kind of cookie they needed, but it turned into quite a spirited debate.

“I just feel like regular chocolate chip cookies are classic. Timeless, really,” Misha said. “Like me.”

“But they’re boring. And overdone. And sometimes you get one that makes you wish you hadn’t taken a bite of cookie,” Stephen said, which made Viktor laugh. His deep belly laugh filled the kitchen.

“Shortbread is the way to go. It might seem plain, but nothing made with that much butter can ever be bad,” Andrei said. “And you can also put frosting on them. Win-win.”

“I don’t know, I agree with both of you, but I feel like Andrei makes a very valid argument with the frosting,” I said, laughing at Misha’s indignant expression when he found out I agreed more with Andrei.

“You can put frosting on chocolate chip cookies too,” he said.

“Feels like overkill that way,” Viktor said.

“I agree with Viktor,” I said, walking to the pantry for something. “What about you, Papa Bear? I feel like you’re a peanut butter guy. Simple, hardy, dependable, goes well with milk.” I could hear his deep laugh as I walked into the pantry.

“You’re right. It is my favorite. My wife used to make peanut butter cookies that she would dip in chocolate. It’s a miracle I didn’t gain fifty pounds the first year we were married. I think I talked her into making those cookies at least once a week,” Viktor said. He was smiling as he fondly remembered that period of his life.

“That sounds amazing, if I’m being honest,” I said, measuring out ingredients for the still-to-be-determined cookies.

“They were. I don’t think there was anything special about them. It was just a peanut butter cookie, dipped in chocolate, but I couldn’t get enough of them,” he said.

“I’ll see if I can recreate them, if you like. But it might not be the same. The chef is always the secret ingredient,” I said.

Viktor smiled his sweet smile at me. “I will never turn down anything you make for me, sestrichka.”

I winked at Viktor, then turned to Stephen. I studied him for a minute, then said, “Shit, yours is a chocolate cookie, isn’t it?”

He laughed. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“Because they’re actually the hardest to master. It sounds so simple, but you can fuck up a chocolate cookie faster than anything else. Of course that would be your favorite. They’re so deceptively complicated, but when it’s right, it’s divine. Not unlike you,” I said.

“I never would have guessed that talking about our favorite types of cookie would leave me so vulnerably diagnosed, but here we are,” Stephen said, laughing.

“What about you, spider monkey?” Andrei asked.

“Guess.”

Andrei thought for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he tried to analyze me. “Sugar cookie?” he asked like he wasn’t sure.

“You’re not wrong, but you’re not completely right either. Keep going, Bubba,” I said.

He thought for a minute more, then I saw him get the answer. “Lemon sugar cookie,” he said, his wide smile stretching across his face.

I nodded, unable to hide my amusement at his boyishly handsome smile. “But why, though?” I asked. I didn’t think I would stump him with my question, but I did. It was actually Stephen who answered.

“Because it’s simple, sweet, with a hint of tangy. Not unlike you,” he said, smiling at me.

“Yoden for the win,” I said.

“I had the simple part, but it would’ve taken me longer to get the rest,” Andrei said, laughing. “Stephen might be as good as me at reading minds.”

“What about Ivan? What are your best guesses for his favorite?” Misha asked.

Stephen and I both looked at each other, grinning. “Biscotti,” we both said at the same time.