“Remove your hand,” Maddox growled, tugging me closer to his side, “before I remove it for you.”
Reign’s eyes crinkled as the smile beneath his mask, undoubtedly, widened, and he put both hands up, taking a small step back. “He’s just as delicious as I remember. I’d be a fool not to take advantage of the moment.”
“Do so again, and it’ll be your head, spy.”
“Both of you stop,” I grumbled. “This isn’t the time or place.”
Their attention moved to something behind me. Didn’t even have to look to know what had drawn their gaze. Onyx’s presence was palpable. The current in the air changed, causing hot tingles in my bloodstream.
“I must agree with the captain,” Onyx said in a silky tone, not far from my ear. The threatening undertone was unmistakable. “Touch him again and you’ll lose that hand.”
Holy crap. Possessive Onyx was as frightening as he was sexy. It also thrilled me that he was clearly okay with my men touching me, just not anyone else. Like maybe he felt the bond that connected him to them as well.
Who knew the thing to make him and Maddox agree on something would be their mutual dislike for Reign?
“Apologies, milord,” Reign said, still with a cocky set to his shoulders. “I was unaware he’d been claimed by you.”
“He has,” Onyx spat, then his eyes widened a fraction. He clearly hadn’t meant to say it. Regaining his composure, he tipped his chin. “You’re the one who can detect mana, yes?”
Reign nodded. “It’s how I found the entrance to your realm. I located the point where the particles were strongest.”
“Interesting.” Onyx turned and walked back toward his throne. “I suppose you aren’t entirely useless. For a lech.”
Draven looked at Reign, one brow lifting. There was a touch of humor in his blue eyes. “Perhaps I should do the speaking from now on.”
Reign sighed and gave an accepting nod. Poor guy. He was a total flirt but hadn’t meant any harm. It was just his personality. Now, he’d gotten himself placed on the demon lord’s shit list.
Rowan coughed from his place against the wall. The flirtatious spy shot him an eye roll. I wondered if they’d discussed hislecherousbehavior before and warned it would get him in trouble one day.
Maddox led me back over to the others, and we sat. And then we waited.
Armed warriors stood guard at the entrance and along the walls. I recognized some of them now, unlike the last time I’d been in the throne room. The one with dark spiky hair had sparred with Callum. The two of them exchanged a nod.
“State your business here,” Onyx said, retaking his seat on the throne.
The spies stepped forward, stopping a short distance from the bottom step. Their main weapons had been taken, though I knew Draven kept several blades in his boot and strapped to his chest armor.
“First, allow me to say our loyalty lies with Bremloc,” Draven said, his Russian-like accent thick and pleasing to the ears. Even if his wordsweren’tso pleasing. I worried Onyx would take it as an insult. “We’re here because of the boy. He’s the one we answer to.”
Answer to? I sat up straighter in my chair, confused.
“Of course,” Onyx said. “He is your prince. Now. Get on with it.”
Prince. Right.I often forgot I was a royal. Third in line to the throne. Which was… well, insanity. I couldn’t walk withouttripping. How could I rule a kingdom? The same could be said for my destiny as the Hallowed Saint too.
Hero, I was not.
Draven turned to me. “King Eidolon is dead.”
Shock flared in my chest.
“How?” Briar shifted forward in his seat. “When I tended to him the night of the ball, the poison had greatly weakened him but not to the point of death. He would’ve recovered with time.”
“Precisely why Prince Cedric arranged to have him executed in his sick bed,” Reign said. “He only had so much power while his father lived, even in his sickly state.”
Conflicting emotions surged in my heart. King Eidolon had betrayed my dad, but he’d always been kind to me. And while I had barely known him, he was still my uncle.
Maddox cupped my head and brought me to his chest, kissing the top of my hair. His touch helped soothe the ache in my heart and prevent the stinging in my eyes from progressing to full-blown tears.
