A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

He gritted his teeth, and a blast of explosive power rocked into me.

“We can’t have you getting poisoned,” he said. “I’ll be changing the way we do things. Your poison trunk will need to be fully stocked at all times, and it will be with you whenever there is food or drink consumption. Someone will taste everything meant for you, and we’ll wait to make sure it is safe before it gets to you.”

“You can’t have someone do that! What if it is a slow-acting poison? What if it is an immediate poison?”

“If it is slow acting, then by the time it affects them, you will know how to administer it yourself. If immediate…well, maybe we need to have one of the locals be your food taster. They will need to make sure it isn’t poisoned before it touches your lips.”

“Random germs from strangers, goodie. That’s not gross or anything.”

“Better to be grossed out and alive than dead.”

I shook my head and looked away from him. “This is ridiculous.”

“The reason you’re not fighting me harder is because you know it is necessary.”

“I’m not fighting you harder because I am trying to pick my battles.”

“And this is a battle you would not win.”

I narrowed my eyes, fuming. He was right…about everything. I absolutely would’ve died. I hadn’t even been sure Calia would make it. Dealing with crowded everlass required a lot of guts and a lot of knowledge. There was no “perfect situation” when it came to using crowded everlass. Arleth wouldn’t have been able to smell the difference in its potency. She wouldn’t have changed the dosage, and that alone likely would’ve killed me. No one else had grown up using all their senses to familiarize themselves with plants. They hadn’t needed to, since they’d had actual training. My expertise was unique, and it had shown in the way I handled the situation with Calia.

“I’ll need to train someone in poisons,” I murmured, pushing away from him a little. I hated losing arguments, no matter how mild. “We need to have someone specific on staff that is an expert on how to diagnose and then cure them.”

“Agreed.” He tried to pull me closer, but I didn’t feel like budging just yet. “Many kings have one. I was shortsighted in letting you take full responsibility.”

He leaned forward, since I wouldn’t lean back, pulling my slip at my neck and exposing my shoulder. He ran his lips against my suddenly heated flesh, getting to his mark and sucking. I groaned. I couldn’t help it.

“Starvos asked me how we’d managed to get two marks each,” he murmured. “He mentioned he hadn’t seen that before.”

I tilted my head to give him more access. If he wanted to ease the sting of winning the argument by giving me pleasure, I was inclined to let him.

“I told him it was rare. Only true mates may mark each other twice.” He ran his tongue along the shell of my ear before sucking in my earlobe. “He complimented me on finding such a great beauty. You would’ve hated it.” He laughed as one of his hands touched down on my bare knee. He moved his palm along the inside of my thigh. “I doubt that’s all he sees now. Not after you showed your power this evening. Your power and your exceptional ability to handle dire situations.”

His hungry mouth was back on my neck, sucking and licking to my throat. His hand kept traveling up my inner thigh, faster now, heading for his target.

“Urien, Leala,” Nyfain barked, his power blistering across me, his lips still against my skin. “That will be all. Take the rest of the night off. We’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, sire,” they said in unison, bowing and curtsying. They dropped what they were doing and showed themselves out.

“I’ve wanted to taste you all day,” he growled, his hand still climbing. The other hand gripped the back of my neck and pulled me back a little so he could suck along the vulnerable spot in the middle of my throat. He ran his teeth across it, making me shiver. “To lick up your slick folds and suck down your sweet nectar.”

I moaned as his hand reached my upper thigh and stalled. My legs spread of their own volition, needing his touch. His mouth trailed fire down to the top of my chest, where he met fabric.

“Or maybe you’d rather have me tease my cock against your needy cunt until you beg me to fuck you?”

His thumb trailed a light touch along the very edge of my pussy. My breathing sped up as all my focus narrowed on that light, teasing touch.

“Take off that slip, Finley,” he said in a low, rough voice.

I hurried to pull it up from under my butt and over my head. He dipped his head immediately, licking across the hard peak of my breast before sucking my nipple in, hard. His thumb traced another line, just barely nudging my clit.