Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

~ Princess Blake ~

“ I t’s not much, but it’ll have to do. With our sudden increase in numbers, housing is limited,” Eliza says to us as she opens a door and leads us into a small room. It’s one of the spaces we’d seen along the cavern wall, and at the other end of the room, there’s a gaping hole that provides a view of the city. “I’ll give you time to rest and collect yourselves, and I’ll be back when Mason wants to discuss with you further.” At that, she disappears from the room, and I glimpse Waylen taking up a guarding position outside before the door closes.

“Well, this is pretty nice,” Shade says, flying around the space. “It’s, uh…”

“Cozy?” I suggest.

Shade perches on the back of a wooden chair. “Yeah, that.”

I take in the couch and two armchairs, small table with four more wooden chairs, and two large beds that sit the closest to the gaping hole. Lines of knotted rope stretch across the bottom of the hole, the only barrier to prevent someone from falling to the rebel camp below. Well, that seems like a poor design choice.

A pile of clothes is neatly folded on the table, accompanied by two jugs of water, some loaves of buttered bread, and a bowl of fruit. Prince Callan and the others stride further into the room, not hesitating to grab a pair of clothes and slide them on.

“Not bad,” Nate says, admiring his new shirt and pants, then he flops down onto the closest armchair.

Alaric scrutinizes every part of the room like he’s searching for hidden traps, and Prince Callan plucks an apple from the fruit bowl and sinks his teeth into it. Dante smooths back his hair and doesn’t move from my side.

I remove my robe and start dressing into the smaller shirt and pants that has been left for me, not caring that I’m naked. I’m still wound up tight after our encounter in the prison, and I feel like adding some layers might help. The moment the robe is off, four pairs of eyes find me, and their heated gazes make my temperature rise a few more degrees. Even Prince Callan and Alaric don’t hide their attention.

Shade ruffles her feathers. “Well, is it just me or did it get hotter in here? I’d offer to wait outside, but that just seems a little unfair. For me, that is.”

“You are such a perv,” I tell her.

“I’m kidding,” she defends. “…Maybe. I mean, look at these guys.”

She doesn’t need to tell me to look at them. I’m all too aware of how ridiculously attractive my mates are.

Nate grins mischievously. “So, now that we’re back together and not stuck in prison, I vote we make the most of our situation.” He pats his muscular thigh in invitation for me to sit down, and I struggle to focus as I pull on my clothes. Thankfully, the shirt I’ve been given has slits for my wings, and it’s surprisingly comfortable. The others all watch like they’re waiting to see how I’ll respond to Nate, and I can’t tell if they’re hoping I’ll climb onto the shifter’s lap or not.

“I think we need to discuss a few things,” I say slowly, trying not to think about Nate’s predatory gaze.

No one speaks for a long moment, and then Prince Callan swallows his mouthful. “I agree, we need a plan to remove these cuffs and find a way back to the surface.” But even as he says it, his eyes linger on me, like he’s afraid that if he looks away I’ll disappear.

“Oh, I thought she was referrin’ to the bed situation. I’m thinkin’ Blake and I can have that one, and the rest of you can take the other bed.” Nate winks at me, and I have to force myself not to grin because his damn attitude is infectious.

Prince Callan glares at him, and Dante moves closer, sliding his arms around me. “If anyone’s sharing a bed, it’ll be me and Blake.”

I step away from my demon, because if I don’t get some space, I’m going to go right back to trying to bone all of them, and as good as that sounds, we have bigger problems right now. “Where we sleep doesn’t matter,” I say. “Being kidnapped by the Perstalians wasn’t exactly part of our plans. We need to discuss?—”

“Fine,” Nate muses thoughtfully, cutting me off. “Dante, Blake, and I can share that bed, while Alaric and Callan can have the other one.”

Alaric and Prince Callan scowl, looking annoyed, though I’m not sure why they care.

“Why not just push them together!” Shade chirps sounding strangely eager. “Then there’s only one bed! Gosh, I love the one bed trope!”

“The what?” I ask, because I have no idea what she’s talking about.

“You know, where the boy and girl are reluctant but there’s only one bed, and they have to share, and the tension…”

“Can we please focus,” I say aloud, mostly to Shade because she’s starting to sound way too enthusiastic, and I don’t have the energy to work out her rambling. There are moments when I wonder just what happened to her in the human realm, and right now is one of those times.

“We should start by discussing what we’ve each learned about King Celzar,” I say to the others.

“Agreed,” says Prince Callan, and I gape at him because I’m not sure when the two of us started seeing eye to eye.

Prince Callan smirks and goes on to explain everything Mason told them while they were in the prison. I do the same with the information I’ve learned, and when I get to the part about the witches, they all curse, and Alaric starts pacing the room.

“So, it was King Celzar’s fault the witches attacked Perstalia?” Dante repeats for the second time like he can’t wrap his head around this bit of news.

“Apparently,” I say, still hardly believing it myself.

“Then we force the king to give the power back to the witches,” Nate suggests. “If they’re startin’ to resurface, it might stop any future conflict.”

“Too much blood has been spilled,” Alaric growls, his eyes darkening. “They’re just as likely to use that power against all of the united realms.”

“King Celzar can’t simply return the power anyway,” I say. “From what I gather, over time the king’s power has depleted. It’s not self-sustaining for him. It’s like a weapon he’s stolen, and without the witches’ connection to the ancients, that power is being used up. It’s why he’s started taking power from his brides.”

“Yeah, what’s with that?” Nate says, lifting a finger. “He could just take what he needs from all of his citizens. He has everyone under his control, no one is going to say anythin’.”

My lips thin as I go on to explain how the king murdered his lover.

Nate frowns. “So, he’s playin’ out the memory, as a form of what? Punishment?”

I shrug. “Maybe it’s his therapy? I don’t know. But part of the reason he let me try to bond with you guys is because I promised him he’d finally get a different ending with me.” I wince. “That I could be strong enough to be his…queen.” I don’t know why I care what my mates think. It’s not like they’re all on board with being my mates anyway, but I still feel a little guilty when all four of my guys don’t look happy with this bit of news.

“Wowee, Blake. Way to turn the mood in the room,” Shade comments.

“There’s no point in sugarcoating it,” I reply.

I sit on one of the wooden chairs at the table, and we spend the next while theorizing how we can get out of this place. When my stomach growls for the third time, I reach over to grab a strange pink fruit, but Alaric immediately snatches it before I can. He sniffs the fruit before taking a small bite, his face scrunched with concentration as he chews and then finally swallows.

“Hey!” I protest. “If you wanted one, you could have just grabbed your own.”

The assassin gives me a funny look, then he holds the fruit out to me. “Here.”

I stare at his bite mark on the pink flesh. “You’re kidding, right?”

Shade hops onto her other leg. “Whoa, did he just check that for poison?”

I blink in surprise. It hadn’t even occurred to me that’s what he was doing. He’s still holding out the fruit, but suddenly, the assassin looks as shocked as I feel. Like he can’t believe what he’s doing, either. Great, so this is weird for both of us.

“So, does this mean you’re not trying to kill me anymore?” I ask, utterly confused.

His face twists into a deep scowl, and when he doesn’t reply, I grin. Taking the fruit, I sink my teeth into it, almost moaning when the tangy juice slides down my throat. It’s so good that I devour the entire thing in no time and it’s not until I’m licking my fingers that I realize all four of my mates are staring at me intensely.

“What?” I ask. “They’re amazing.”

A smile teases Dante’s lips and Nate looks just as amused, but Alaric stares at me with irritation. “Like I said earlier, if you want one, you can just grab your own,” I tell him, and this makes Nate outright snort with laughter.

Dante cracks his knuckles. “All right, I think it’s about time we get some rest. None of us know when Mason will call on us, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could use some down time.”

I sigh, knowing he’s right. I haven’t slept since we arrived in this place, and I get the feeling they haven’t either. Standing, I walk over to the beds, and my mates follow me. I stop a few feet away from the closest mattress, hesitating.

“Now, this is why I tried to get us to sort this out earlier,” Nate comments, indicating to the two beds.

“We could push them together,” Dante suggests, and Shade squawks in my head. “That’s what I said!”

I’m considering it when Prince Callan strides past the rest of us and moves to the farthest bed. Without a word, he drops down fully clothed, and he closes his eyes as he rests his head on his hands.

“Or not,” Shade says, disappointed. “It seems our grumpy angel still isn’t keen on the whole having a mate thing.”

I don’t reply, and I try not to think about the sinking feeling in my chest.

“I’ll keep watch,” Alaric growls, going over and positioning himself in the armchair that’s closest to the door.

I want to argue, but something tells me he won’t listen anyway, so I don’t bother.

Dante gives me a seductive smile. “I don’t mind sharing with the shifter.”

I’m sure he means he doesn’t mind sharing me with Nate, but his comment reminds me of all the other females he’s bedded in Seral, and I jab him hard in the side and move to the bed where Prince Callan is. “Guess it’s settled then,” I say, and Dante and Nate groan. As tempted as I am to squeeze between the shifter and demon, now that I’m level-headed again, I keep reminding myself about Kai and the risk I take every time I’m with them. I’d rather not accidentally kill them when I’ve only just gotten them back.

Prince Callan tenses when I move onto the mattress beside him, but he doesn’t open his eyes.

“Well, that’s fucked,” Nate grumbles, and I swear I see the hint of a smile form on Prince Callan’s face.

Dante’s eyes are bright as he moves to the other bed with Nate, and I close my eyes.

I can’t sleep. No surprise there. Prince Callan’s scent of crisp green apples and bergamot is so good that twice I doze off, only to jolt awake shortly after and find myself drooling. Yep, that’s right, actual spit is soaked into my pillow. I wipe my mouth with my hand and peer over at where Dante, Nate, and Prince Callan appear to be having no trouble sleeping. They lie still, their breathing steady, and I finally give up on the idea of rest.

Standing, I slide from the bed and move to where Alaric is still sitting in the armchair with his back to us. His gaze is fixed on the door with an intense focus like he believes we might be attacked at any moment. Which is possible, but if the rebels wanted to kill us, surely they would have tried to pick us off during the escape.

“Your turn,” I say, stopping beside the armchair. “I’m not sleeping anyway.”

When he doesn’t immediately respond, I lean down, wondering whether the male is sleeping with his eyes open. Well, that’s super creepy. I go to wave my hand in front of his face, and the next thing I know, he has grabbed me and I’m on his lap with his large arms around me. His gray gaze fixes on my face, and he looks as shocked as I feel. I fully expect the giant to throw me off now that he realizes what he’s done, but then his lips crash to mine and his massive hands roam over my body. The kiss is hard and frantic, and it swallows me, sending warmth burning between my thighs. The tension that has built up since the encounter in the prison pours out of me, and I can’t get enough of my assassin mate.

His hands press into the curve of my back, pulling me harder against him, and my knees slide further in, tucking into the sides of the chair. Reaching forward, my hands dive into his long hair, his silky strands sliding past my fingers as my nails run down his scalp. He lets out a tortured sound and breaks the kiss.

“What’s the matter, assassin?” I tease, breathless. “Surprised that you don’t want to kill me anymore?”

Like my words have broken whatever spell was over him, he growls and stands, intending to make me slide off, but I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist. My lips find his neck, and he groans, the rumbling sound vibrating between my legs. Stepping to the side, he pivots, one hand sliding under my ass as he slams my back against the nearby wall and presses up against me, showing me just how badly he wants me. My lips part, and I look over to see Shade and the others are still sleeping.

“Enchantress,” Alaric hisses through gritted teeth, and my heart races at the mixture of hate and affection in his tone. “Why is it that when you’re around, you are the only thing I can think about.” His nostrils flare. “But when you’re not around…” He trails off, and his expression darkens as his whole body starts to shake with anger. His words are so deathly calm, I stop breathing for a second.

“When I’m not around?” I squeeze out, not sure why my throat is so tight.

“When you’re not around,” he rumbles, “it makes me want to destroy everyone and everything until you are.”

The lump that forms in my throat is so sore I can’t speak, and then his lips are on mine again, hot and sweet with the taste of chocolate and mint. His tongue sweeps over mine, and I moan, grinding against him, desperate for more. More from my mate. My giant.

“Birds are snacks that can fly into your mouth!”

Birds? I jolt, my head jerking to the side in a panic. It’s only when I see Shade is still sleeping soundly perched on the back of a chair that my chest eases.

“Bony, but fuckin’ delicious,” Nate mumbles in his sleep, and rolls over, draping his arm over Dante in the process. I gape at him and make a mental note not to freak Shade out by telling her what I’ve heard. Also, I’m going to have to keep an eye on Nate when she’s around. I’m still feeling a little unsettled when I turn my attention back to Alaric. His eyes are hooded, his cheeks flushed, but the moment is broken and before I can protest, he sets me back on my feet.

“Wake me if anyone enters,” he mutters, and he’s rigid as he walks away, settling next to Prince Callan on the bed.

What. The. Fuck? I fume as I stare after him, and it takes a good moment before I can breathe evenly again. Even if he can feel me staring, the asshole doesn’t say anything more, and soon his breathing grows steady like the others. Either he’s asleep or he’s a pro at pretending. I curse internally. Great, so it’s only me with a current bout of insomnia.

Settling in the armchair, I glare at the door feeling even more agitated than when I rose from the bed. Rationally, I know I would have stopped things with Alaric anyway, but I’m still annoyed. I sit like that for what feels like an hour before I decide I can’t stay there any longer. Standing, I peer at my sleeping mates before creeping toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Shade’s drowsy voice fills my head, and I turn back to see her staring at me with beady eyes.

“I need to get out of here for a little while. Just to clear my head.” I know it’s probably a bad idea to venture out on my own, but right now I can’t seem to care.

“What you need is sleeping on those beds over there. Just squeeze in there and take what’s yours,” Shade counters.

I shake my head. “It’s not that easy.”

“Isn’t it? You didn’t see how stressed they were when they were in the prison without you. Even if you don’t bond, you could have some fun. They’re your mates, Blake, no matter how reluctant some of them are.”

“I can’t. Not until I know they’re not going to end up like Kai,” I tell her. “It’s too risky. Besides, they seem fine now.”

She sighs heavily in my mind. “At some point, you’re just going to have to trust Lady Fate.” She spreads her wings as if she’s about to fly over to me, but I hold up a hand to stop her. “You stay here and let me know if they wake up. The last thing I need is my mates making enemies with the rebels because they think I’ve been taken.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“You know I am,” I reply, opening the door.

“You’d better not get into trouble.”

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I reassure her, and walk through, closing the door behind me.

Waylen and another guard are waiting outside the room, and they stand straighter when I step between them.

“So, who’s coming exploring with me?” I ask before either of them can speak.

Waylen’s brow scrunches with confusion. “Exploring?”

I smile. “Yes. I’m either going with one of you or I’ll be going on my own. So, what’ll it be?”

The guards share a look.

“You’re meant to remain here,” Waylen starts, but I don’t wait for him to finish the rest. Striding forward, I start down the tunnel.

The guard quickly falls into step beside me. “We’re under strict orders to keep you under watch.”

“Then keep watching,” I reply dryly. “I’m not hiding. I’m exploring. And your guard friend is still back at the room to report on the others.” I’m not sure if it’s because of my no-fucks-given expression, but after that he walks with me in blissful silence as we traverse the tunnels and make our way to the main cavern.

When we reach the rebel city, I don’t stop but walk straight into the crowd. Cursing, Waylen charges after me, determined not to lose me in the throng of rebels.