A second explosion goes off.
“Wait! Where are you going?” Arienna scrambles to get down, bucking against me and pulling at my hands.
Squeezing her tight, I lock her to me. My guards clear a path through the air, shoving through anyone in our way.
“They need help! We have to –” Her gasp shatters on a cry as her head swivels left and right, her eyes taking in all the chaos. The fire is raging along the branch, forcing our witches to stay out of the fight. The people who’ve attacked the market are ganging up on my guards. It’s a small force, but they’re moving quickly, having no doubt fought together before. My women are good, but they can’t fight five against one, and they have the disadvantage of not knowing who’s an enemy until they get attacked – the bombers are dressed like everyone else.
Cupping the back of her head, I press her face into my shoulder. “Close your eyes.”
She shakes her head, but I hold her down, and soon she’s still beneath my palm, nothing but broken laughter moving her. Knives are flung in our direction, but a shimmery light-blue shield is erected around us. The blades bounce off and fall to the ground.
As we near the castle, my eyes find Marrabel. Saragese is one of the women who got left behind. I watched her get cut down right before I launched into the air. And yet, here Marrabel is, bound by duty while her little sister lies heavily wounded, maybe even dying.
Her face a mask of professionalism, her gold eyes hard and serious, Marrabel nods at me. We enter the castle, going through the balcony on the Royal Floor. We don’t set down until we make it to the Queen’s Chambers.
Arienna stumbles, her legs shaking, when I lower her to the floor. So I pull her flush against me again, half-holding her up as I follow Jace inside. Marrabel and Irin, Saragese’s replacement, enter after us. The rest of the six guards stand sentry outside the door.
When Jace clears the bedroom, I usher Arienna to the bed and force her onto it despite her protests. “Stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“No.” Her broken laughter sounds too full of pain. “Wait.” She reaches for me, but I dodge her hand. Turning on my heels, I head for the door.
“You’re staying,” I say to Jace when he makes to follow me.
“Richard, you know you’re the target. She’s not even crowned yet.”
Stopping, I glare at him. “You leave her side, and I will kill you myself.”
He stops under the archway of the room, his jaw tight. “Irin –”
“No,” I cut in, wanting my three best guards with my wife. “I’ll take those in the hall.”
Jace shakes his head on a curse, but he doesn’t fight me.
Stepping out of the Queen’s Chambers, I glance at Claris, a green-haired guard. “Find Fabia and bring her here. She’ll be at the training field.”
As she runs off, I stride towards the balcony. The rest of the guards flank me. Megan and Raychel move to the front; the three others stay at my back. Looking at one of the three when we reach the balcony, I order, “Find your queen some food. Prepare it yourself.”
She nods and dives straight down, heading for the floor with the staff kitchens while the rest of us fly back to the market.
Smoke lingers in the air, but the flames are gone. As are the shrieks and shouts of fear. Now they’ve been replaced by roars of rage.
The two bombs came from Vylian stalls.
My people are out for blood.
Seven
It is a queen’s duty to carry out public executions.
I will not let this life destroy her.
- King Richard
Landing behind a Razian fairy, Raychel grabs her by her ponytail. Wrenching her back, she yanks the heavy dragon dildo out of her hand, then smacks her in the face with it. As the woman staggers in a daze, she whacks her in the stomach, dropping her to her knees.
My other guards spread out to stop the rest of the people from killing each other. With weapons banned from the market, they’ve found whatever they could to fight with – most of which are sex toys.
Having decided that the monster dildo actually makes for a pretty good baton, Raychel uses it mercilessly on her foes. Megan robs a woman of a set of chained nipple clamps that they were using to strangle someone with. Attaching them to butt plugs, she uses them like nunchucks.
