She spewed a laugh of disgust. “Evil runs in their blood. Power that seeks to destroy. Malice toward those uncorrupted.” Before I could blink, she sprinted for a meat cleaver that hung off the wall. With a war cry, she raised it above her head.
Odion’s training sparked to life, and I swiftly dodged her attack in the confined space. My shoulder bumped against a hanging pig, causing it to spin in place.Gross.
Before she could recover from her wild swing, I came up from behind her. The slash was swift, precise.
Her hands flew to her throat, clutching through her gasping and gurgling sounds of spilling liquid. I leaned in close to say, “It’s your blood that has been corrupted with malice. Not theirs.”
She crumpled to the ground, one hand attempting to seal her fatal wound, the other desperately dragging away her lurching body. I stood tall, her blood dripping from my dagger onto the floor at my side.
“I’ll let you know this in your dying moments, Caroline. I vow to you there will be peace. I’m sorry you won’t be here to see it.” My boots clunked against the wood as I turned my back and left. Addressing Commander Francesca, I told her to wait until the woman passed and then to bury her.
Six others were in custody, already on route back to the prison. There, they would be tried for their crimes. Any conspirators who participated in assassination attempts would be put to death. The others who simply knew of the group but failed to reveal it to the crown would remain imprisoned.
I strode to the carriage, unbothered by any passersby on the street under the midday sunshine. The coachman closed the door behind me, and I exhaled deeply. Trapped in this tiny cabin with my thoughts, I mulled over where things stood with Melody.
Nick and I had departed swiftly upon my return from visiting Tryssa. Leaving my sister hadn’t been the plan because I wanted to convince her to stay. But if she was set on returning to Rahana to aid their recovery, what could I do? Place a lock on her bedroom door to keep her from leaving? I would never do that, no matter how stupidly stubborn she was being, no matter the danger she went to put herself in.
Because in the end, she’d been right.
I’d carved my own path, made decisions that put me in dangerous situations when I ought not have. Melody owned the largest part of my heart, aside from Nick now. As much as I wanted to protect her, I had to let her live. To make mistakes that might be just that, mistakes. I shook my head, reprimanding myself.
Melody had proven herself time and time again. First, fighting to escape that ship. Second, the battle in the market against Druller and his men. Third, she’d fought at the literal front of an invasion.
I worked down the guilty knot in my throat when I realized she was more capable than I was, yet I’d been protecting her like some innocent flower. But even sending her with two battalions of Highcrest’s army wouldn’t be enough assurance for me. My worry for her would sit in my chest like a rotting log.
After about twenty minutes, I arrived back in Solei. The carriage door swung open from my husband, almost ripping right off its hinges. His stunning ocean eyes simmered with ferocious ire, his chest heaving, jaw set.
I slumped back in my seat, crossing my arms. “I’m not apologizing. I took Francesca with me,” I said in consolation.
The carriage rocked when he stormed in, slamming the door behind him. He caged me with his arms, pressing into my space. My core heated at the raw, feral expression he wore. I squirmed in my seat, unable to stop from adding some sort of friction there. His mouth hovered over mine, his lip curled in a snarl.
“You shouldn’t have gone without me. If anything happened to you, I—” He tensed as if I’d struck him. Pain bloomed across his handsome, chiseled face. My heart cracked. I raised my palms to cup his cheeks.
“I’m here.” I kissed him with force, evidence of that truth.
His hands worked their way into my hair, angling me in a way that he could control. “I think even queens need punishment sometimes.” The low rumble of his voice had breath fleeing my lungs.
With pure male strength, he gripped my hips and hauled me to the side. A searing sting radiated over my ass, and I barked out a cry. His hand remained firm on the area he’d struck, mitigating the after shock. He hauled my hips back into his, his stomachcurling over my back. I pushed my ass into him, his length hardening.
“You won’t sneak away from me again,” he growled into my ear.
I may have been hot and aching for him, but I would never surrender. I thrust off the carriage seat, sending us both flying across the small cabin to the other side. He landed with a thud on the bench, and I whirled around, striking him across the cheek before gripping his chin and forcing him to look at me.
I bit his bottom lip, pulling it gently until I let go. His throat bobbed, desire glistening in his eyes. We’d learned the dynamics each other enjoyed in the bedroom. He liked when I got a little rough.
“Your queen does what she wants,” I crooned. My fingers made quick work of the laces at the front of his pants, and he sprung free. I kept my eyes on his, batting my lashes as I lowered to my knees.
His breath shuddered as he watched with pure lust and admiration. I took the tip of him into my mouth. He combed his fingers through his luxurious blond hair, breathing out in a manner that let me know just how affected by me he was. Wetness gathered between my thighs at the power I held over him. He licked the spot on his lip that’d swelled from my slap, and his cock throbbed in my hand. My tongue ran over the slit where a slick bead already welled.
“I’m sorry to have worried you,” I whispered, dropping to the base of his shaft and running my tongue along the length.
He strained to speak over his ragged breathing. “I would have slaughtered the entire town if anything happened to you.”
I sucked him into my mouth, hollowing my cheeks as I slowly pulled back. “I know,” I said.
“Get on me,” he rasped, lunging forward to hoist me up. We worked in tandem to remove my pants, tossing them on thefloor. I straddled over top, and he teased me by sliding his cock up and down my wet core.
I moaned when he prodded against my throbbing clit. He smiled, all charm and seduction, pride raging on his upturned lips. His teasing strokes continued, my hips working in tandem until I threatened to come undone.
