A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

I beamed at him, I couldn’t help it, and slipped my arm around his waist so I could lean into him. He enclosed me in his arms.

“I’d be satisfied with harvesting some leaves. Just that, and I’m all yours.”

He glanced out at the field.

“No,” I said. “Not from there. From the one near my village. The one I helped create.”

His expression fell.

Before he could say no, I said, “We can take the horses. Those aren’t strenuous. Or…your dragon can carry me in his mouth.” His eyebrows pinched together. “Piggyback?”

He huffed and looked away. “Damn you, Finley. Why can’t you ever make my job easy? I’m supposed to be protecting you, but I can’t seem to protect you from yourself.”

“I know. What a shit job. But seriously, baby, it’ll be worth it. You’ll see. I know how to fix your scales and get your wings back. I know I do!”

He claimed my lips in a rush, running his teeth over my bottom lip before sucking it in.

“I should say no,” he said. “I’m not worth your discomfort.”

I pulled back and gave him a skeptical look. “Who are you kidding right now?”

“Never mind—”

“Walking to an everlass field in the middle of the day, when I hardly feel my wound, is not worth my discomfort when—”

“I said never mind—”

“—I’ve been tortured—who the fuck are you kidding right now?”

He captured my lips again, and I could feel his smile as he moved his lips against mine. I tried very hard to keep from turning to liquid against him—and failed. He groaned softly as he chased my tongue, devouring my mouth, spreading his hands across my back and holding me tightly. His hard length pressed against my belly, begging to be taken out and sucked. Or sat on.

“Okay,” he said, pulling back just enough so he could speak. “You win. Let’s go get your leaves. But promise me that we can go somewhere we can be alone after that.”

“Our nook in the library,” I whispered, eyes closed, not wanting to move away. I ran my hands up over his impossibly broad shoulders and then lightly traced the mark I’d given him. He shivered. “I feel like reading a dirty book.”

“How about I read the dirty book to you?”

My smile curled my lips. “Sounds like a dream.”

I forced myself to break away from him, my body humming as much as my mind. Wanting him but also wanting to find a cure. I wanted both equally. Thank you, goddess, for giving me a man who would let me do both.

“I just need to get—”

“Here we go.” Arleth exited the everlass shed with Hannon in tow, my brother carrying two cedar trays. She motioned off toward the grounds. “Maybe you can have…one of your trusted advisors alert the castle that we’ll need horses and a cart to go to the field? Delaney and I can fly there with the large dragon in the colorful jacket. That’ll save some horses—I confess, I haven’t checked what the stables look like.” She put a finger to her lip. “Do we have a cart for the everlass leaves?”

I blinked dumbly at her and blurted the first thing that came to mind. “You’re coming?”

She gave me a condescending look. “Of course I am coming. You mean to harvest. We will help.”

Delaney stood in the everlass field, arms at her sides, watching us. She clearly wondered what was going on but didn’t want to walk all the way over to find out.

“Maybe your sister would like to come?” Arleth asked pleasantly before giving Hadriel a stern look.

“Finley, darling, I’m getting nasty looks.” Hadriel slouched where he stood, and a large grin worked up Vemar’s face. “Should I heed her passive-aggressive orders? It might save us all a lot of trouble.”

Arleth waited patiently for me. I could feel Nyfain’s humor weaving through the bond.

“Yeah, sure, why not. Vemar, go grab my sister, will you? She’s probably in the castle somewhere. She’s intent on learning every inch of it. Ask the staff. They can’t keep track of Dash, but they always seem to know where she is.”

“Sure thing, Strange Lady.” He took off at a jog.

“Hadriel, do as the queen has passively commanded and see to the horses and a cart,” I said, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

“Thank the goddess for the ability to sin,” Hadriel muttered as he sprinted away.

“He never would’ve lasted under the last king,” Arleth said, watching him go.

I held up my finger for Nyfain. “I’m not allowed to fly, right?”

“No,” he said, scooping me up into his arms. “Nor walk. You should rest.”

I looped my arm around his neck and snuggled in close. “I should be embarrassed about this.”

“Why?”

“Your inability to see the problem is worrying. It means you’ll never stop.”

“Do you want me to?”

I tucked my lips together to keep from answering because I wouldn’t be able to help myself from being honest, and I really shouldn’t let my mate carry me everywhere like I was a child. It wasn’t a good look regardless of how it felt.