The Forsaken King

“I’ll drop you off at the house. My mother will want to speak with me once she knows I’ve arrived—which will be shortly.”

“Will you tell her about us?”

His breath escaped as vapor because it was a cold morning, colder than it had been when we left. “No.”

“Why?”

“Because she’ll probably kill you to stop it.”

“I’m so excited for her to be my mother-in-law…”

He ignored my jab.

We made it through the city and to the two-story home behind the iron gate. I’d only spent a short amount of time there, but the sight of it tugged at my heart because it already felt like home. That first cabin we’d had felt like home too. I guess anywhere with Huntley felt that way…

We made it inside and up the stairs, and I dropped all the weapons he’d given me, the weapons I didn’t have to use. I instantly felt twenty pounds lighter, and my spine straightened without the weight.

“I don’t know if I want to sleep or bathe first. They both sound amazing.”

Huntley dropped his heavy jacket and the rest of his gear, getting down to his naked skin.

“Or we can do that too…”

He cracked a slight smile as he opened his closet and pulled out his black garb, the royal clothing that indicated his status to the queen.

“You’re leaving?”

“She’ll want to speak with me immediately.”

I was already half naked, so I dropped the rest of my clothing and sat on the bed. “Can you go afterward?”

He faced me, his fingers buttoning the front of his shirt, that smile gone and the intensity back. The last button was secured, but he continued his deep stare, seriously tempted. “We have the rest of the day when I return.”

“Well…it’s been three days.”

Now he grinned, a full smile that was handsome and flirtatious. “It’s been three days for me too, baby.”

TWENTY-FOUR

Huntley

I entered the castle grounds, watched the guards part to make way for my progress, and took the grand staircase to the next floor, where I would wait for my mother to join me. Asher, Servant to the Queen, was there, sitting at the table with a pile of scrolls in front of him.

He looked up slightly at my entry. “How were your travels, Huntley?”

“Shitty, like always.”

“Hope something good came from it.”

“Yes.”

He left the table and departed the room, in a black outfit similar to mine, and disappeared from view.

I took a seat and waited.

When he returned, she joined him, but she wasn’t in her royal garb. She was in a long-sleeved dress, comfortable as if she expected no visitors that day. She came straight to me, embracing me as a mother instead of a queen. Her arms wrapped around me, and she held me close, making me feel loved without saying a single word.

It made me feel like shit for what I was about to do.

She pulled away and squeezed my arms. “You’re unhurt.”

“Always.”

“Good.” She withdrew, and within a second, her eyes changed, turning cold and hard. “Have you secured the dragons?”

“No.”

Asher stood behind her, his arms at his back. “You said you had good news.”

“I do.” I kept my eyes on my mother. “I can get the dragons. But Ivory needs information from Delacroix first.”

Queen Rolfe could express so much with so little, just by the subtle change of her eyes. She went from calm to furious in a single blink. “She needs information? She’s a healer. She needs nothing but her skills.”

“She said she can heal injuries and broken bones, but she can’t regrow tissue. It’s something she’s never done, and she needs access to the library to figure out how to do that.”

“She insults me, thinking I’m that stupid.”

“I thought the same.”

“Now that she’s officially useless, we should hand her over to the Teeth. She can be their dinner.”

My stomach tightened at the thought. “I rejected the idea immediately, but after seeing her reaction to the dragons, I know she genuinely wants to help. Her tears were real. Her heartbreak was too moving to be false.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t fall for her ploy, Huntley.”

“It’s not a ploy. This is what she does—heals animals. Obviously, she’s passionate about it. She thought dragons were a myth, monsters in stories, and to see them inches from her face was an incredible experience.”

I could tell that didn’t mean a damn thing to her. “I’m not letting her return to Delacroix. The decision is final.”

“She won’t betray us—at least until after the dragons are healed.”

“No.” She turned away. “The discussion is over.”

Asher barred my way so I couldn’t get to her.

Mother moved to the table and took a seat, at her usual place at the head of the table. “The effort will take a day or so to organize. You can enjoy your whore in the meantime.”

The second I walked through the bedroom door, she took all my stress away. The fire was strong in the hearth, and she was naked in my bed, her brown hair across the pillow, the sheets pulled to her chest so her arms and shoulders were visible. Her hair was washed and clean, and her eyes were soft because she was comfortable in my home.