Page 15 of Madness of Her Mages

What the hell was that about?I projected to Nikkos as I sat back down beside him.

Court protocol,he answered with a wink while squeezing my hand.

My parents had never taught me anything about court protocol. We’d never had to get up from our chairs when my mom excused herself from the table. I had a lot to learn, and I feared I wouldn’t be up to the task. How would my aunt have reacted if Nikkos hadn’t pulled me to my feet?

I stiffened when my aunt stopped between Nikkos and me.

“You’ve hardly touched your food, Niece.”

It took all my effort not to flinch when she touched my cheek, her fingers unusually warm. I tensed when she leaned over me.

“I sense no malice in you,” she whispered in my ear.

I didn’t know if I should’ve felt panic or relief. “There is none,” I whispered back.

“Good, because you know what I do to family who betray me,” she hissed, the words like flaming arrows between us. She kissed my cheek, her cold lips a stark contrast to her searing touch. “Goodnight, Niece.”

“Goodnight, Aunt,” I rasped, shocked I was able to find any words, much less voice them.

She released me and stood, nodding toward Drae and then Blaze and Nikkos. “Lord Inferni, young lords.”

“Goodnight, Your Majesty,” they said in unison, their voices sounding so polished, so at ease, a stark contrast to the spinning vortex of emotions inside me.

She stood at the threshold, holding out both hands behind her. Heat flushed my face when two beefy fire mages flanked her, the one with the russet hair and another with hair as black as a raven’s wing, taking her hands. Though Fae-kind could live hundreds of years and aged slower than humans, these two mages looked particularly young. They both had soft faces like Nikkos. She giggled like a child when the mage with russet hair swept her into his arms and flew her to the upper levels, the other mage following closely behind.

Her lovers?I projected to my mates.

Her current lovers,Drae emphasized.She only keeps them a few months at a time.

She rotates them with each new season,Blaze said.

And she doesn’t favor one over the other?I asked.She hasn’t found one to marry?

She rotated Mantus every few years, but otherwise, no.Nikkos grimaced.

Mantus. I remembered my mates telling me my sister had killed him. One more strike against Tari. As if Malvolia needed any more reasons to hate her.

Queen Malvolia has declared she’ll never marry,Drae added.

Why?I pressed while pushing food around on my plate.

We suspect she doesn’t want a husband trying to take the throne from her,Nikkos answered.

I worried my lip, my gut twisting too much for me to enjoy the platter of food before me.My aunt has trust issues.

Blaze’s laughter echoed in my head.You’re just now figuring it out?

AFTER SUPPER, DRAEushered us into his bedchamber, locking the doors behind him. My mouth watered and my stomach grumbled when I saw servants had left a tray of drinks and sweet biscuits, even colorful tarts. I’d been too nervous to eat supper, and now my hunger was catching up with me.

Blaze paced in front of the hearth, tension lines framing his eyes. “Fuck. Who sent for her?”

“Romulus,” Drae said as he crossed over to the server, uncorking a jug of wine and pouring it into a goblet. “He didn’t agree with my decision not to alert her about the giants.”

When he held the goblet out to me, I shook my head. “None for me.” I sat at the table and poured a cup of frothy milk. “My head’s still swimming from the wine at supper.”

Nikkos sat opposite me and piled two trays with biscuits and tarts, handing one to me. I thanked him with a kiss.

“What are you going to do?” Blaze pressed while resuming his pacing.

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