“You know, you could use your own two feet.”
“What fun would that be?” She pressed her forehead to his.
He carried her through the door to the office, his hands gripping her ass, and pressed her back against the wall. Fuck, he was hard. Now that he had leverage, she could feel every inch of him. She squeezed her legs and ground against him.
“Fifteen minutes isn’t going to be long enough unless you get in me right now.” She nibbled on his mouth. “Is that blood?” She spotted a drop of red on the neck of his tunic.
“It’s not mine.”
“Oh? Whose is it?”
“I have something to show you.”
Reluctantly she slid off him onto her own two feet. He reached inside his jacket. She cursed the space between them but smiled curiously as he handed her a bit of parchment. She unfolded it.
“You made champion level?” She squealed.
He stroked a hand down his chest. “Faced off against Dax.”
“Dax? Your trial was against Dax? Mountain, you’re lucky to be alive.”
He frowned.
“No! Not like that. I have faith in your abilities, but he’s a slab of stone, Marius.”
That quirky smile flashed again. “And now he’s cut down to size.”
She grabbed him and kissed him firmly. “I’m so proud of you. You’re going to win, you know. I’m going to be mated to the next champion.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
She reached for his breeches and started unfastening the ties. “You’re right. Let’s celebrate the old-fashioned way.” She worked her hands inside his pants and fisted his cock. Velvet over steel. She stroked down to his balls.
His mouth met hers, and he started pulling up her skirt. She almost cried when three firm knocks came on the door, interrupting them.
Marius growled.
“Marius, we’ve received a falcon from the queen.” Roosevelt’s voice held a note of panic as it came through the door. “She says it’s an emergency. She must see you right away.”
“Tell her I’m on my way.” He dropped her skirt and started adjusting his breeches.
“She wants you to bring Harlow. Normally I’d make her finish her shift, but it says it’s urgent. Royal business…”
Marius straightened his tunic and slanted a serious look in her direction.
“Of course I’ll come. Do you think she’s found a way to help us?”
He flipped a hand toward the door and gestured with his chin. “Let’s hope.”
Paragon’s two suns were bright red on the horizon and had painted the sky violet and azure behind the sacred mountain when they arrived at the palace. The Master of the Guard himself, Colin, met them at the door, looking shaken as he grasped Marius’s shoulder. “You both need to come with me right away.”
Harlow tensed. Colin had led the resistance. He’d seen death and destruction and endured having the flesh of his arm burned away when he grabbed an enchanted orb from the bottom of a pool of the goddess’s tears. Nothing shook this man. Her hopes that they’d been called here on good news melted away.
Briefly her mind went to the flyer she’d taken from the Silver Sunset and the strange man she’d encountered. Was this about her? Did they think she was part of the New Order? No, if that were the case, she’d probably be in cuffs right now. This was something else. Something worse.
They were led into the king and queen’s quarters, foreboding prickling her skin as they navigated to a room in the back. The door opened, and they were surrounded by white marble and shelves of magical accoutrements. At the center of the round room was a symbol, above which floated a model of the universe sliced into fourteen sections. The queen was on her knees in front of the symbol, eyes red and her face carved with tears. The king crouched beside her, a hand on her shoulder.
The palace magician, Nathaniel, turned when they entered the room. He was dressed in an unusual costume with a pipe smoldering in one hand. Harlow had a bad feeling about this. “Thank the Mountain. They’re here.”
