“And I will win.” King Athon’s smile was small—and deadly. “There’s no reason for any more bloodshed today. Everyone should just accept the inevitable. Unless someone wants to fight… Then I’ll play along.”
I lifted my head and crossed my eyes at my father.
King Traevon shook his head, chuckling. “Let us go inside. The night is getting chilly.”
“Thank the Fae,” I grumbled.
“Prepare yourselves. From what I’ve seen so far, this hostel…is in need of assistance.” Queen Mikko turned and walked in front of us. “Keep your heads down and stay close behind me.” She led everyone inside through the front door.
I flinched, the noise suddenly blasting my eardrums.
“Are these the balls off that raccoon I saw you bring in earlier?” a caster shouted to my right. He sat at a table, holding up a plate to a barkeep standing next to him. “Because it sure as Fairy looks like it. I’m not eating this Fae shit.”
Another caster shoved against my left shoulder, knocking me into my king as he stormed out of the hostel—gripping the hand of another caster that had blood all over his face.
The Fae awful singing came from a woman caster, drunk off her ass and standing on top of the bar, swaying—not in rhythm—to her horrid tune.
I turned my head away, keeping my eyes down.
“I swear to you, this brew works,” another nearby whispered as we passed him. He leaned over his table, staring into the eyes of his companion. “I’ve made it perfect this time. It will have no adverse effects. The caster queen herself approved it.”
The plate of balls suddenly flew in front of my face and shattered all over the wall next to me, glass shards pelting my cloak. I froze in place, watching the balls…and yes, they looked like what I imagined raccoon balls looked like…fall off the wall andsplatonto the ground in front of my muddy boots.
I gagged hard in the back of my throat.
“I said I want my coin back!” the angry customer shouted.
King Athon placed his hand against my back, soundlessly prodding me forward, his heat like a refuge in this dump.
I stepped over the mess, and hurried to catch up to the caster queen—but not so quickly that I slipped away from my soul mate’s warmth. The stairs we climbed were extremely small and nearly straight up, the walls so close together we had to turn sideways when our group passed a whispering caster sitting on the stairs, a stone statue in his hands that he continued to spell into different birds. I rubbed at my forehead in disbelief when we landed on the upper level, coming to an abrupt stop. Two casters were fucking up against a wall—the woman’s legs wrapped around her partner’s waist, both casterscompletelynude.
“Harder, please!” The woman choked on air…as he fucked her harder. “Yes.”
I looked around the floor.
Where in the Fairy did their clothes go?
Did they chant them away?
Hmm. Therewasa spell for that.
Queen Mikko shook her head and sighed. She quickly maneuvered around the bucking duo, hastening down the thin hallway.
Father turned and yanked my hood down lower—as if he were trying to cover my eyes. Then he muttered a quiet curse and gave up, and squeezed past the fuckers.
King Elon rapidly followed behind him.
The King of Shifters simply leapt over them, somersaulting on the ground and standing up easily.
I wrinkled my nose and moved quickly. But I got stuck when the woman’s feet shot out in ecstasy, trapping me between the wall and her partner’s naked back. I slapped my hand over my mouth, shoving my back against the wall when her man started pumping harder,reallyworking his hips.
I slowly lowered myself, staying as straight as I could as I squatted low. I waddled to the left, a thrusting ass in my face, and moved under the woman’s trembling leg. I used my hands to crawl out the other side faster, shooting up to my feet when I was free of them and quickly hurried away toward the rulers.
The four royals stood at the end of the hallway, all staring back at me with varying expressions on their faces.
Father sharply pointed at me, his face as red as our chief gardener’s prized tomatoes. He hissed, “You willnevertell your mother about this.”
I couldn’t even speak to answer him, utterly horrified—my cheeks as rosy as his.
