Page 27 of Madness of Her Mages

“Not again,” Aurora whined, giving me a pleading look.

I tenderly stroked her cheek. “It’s okay,” I mouthed to her.

Aurora will not go through that again,I projected to my mates.I’ve caved enough to Malvolia. I will not budge on this.

Agreed,Drae said, which surprised me.

Much to my relief, Nikkos and Blaze voiced their agreement.

“You’ve used a tau stone on her before?” Malvolia asked.

I nodded. “My mother sewed it into her arm.”

“How painful.” My aunt clucked her tongue. “No, I was talking about having her swallow it.”

I cringed at the thought. “That’s okay, Aunt. She knows not to teleport without permission.” Besides, what if Malvolia turned on us and we needed Aurora to teleport us out of her court?

Malvolia shook her head. “Aurora is too young to have such power. A tau stone would—”

“Keep the girls from escaping if they are in danger,” Drae interrupted.

I gave him an appreciative look. It was about time he came to my defense.

She looked at him as if he’d kicked a puppy. “They won’t be in danger while they’re with me, unless you thinkI’mthe danger.”

“I want to trust you, Aunt,” I interjected, “but after my parents have broken my trust, you must understand why I’m cautious.”

“I do,” she said, her gaze softening, “and I hope in time I can become someone you can trust.”

“Me, too,” I answered truthfully.

She smiled again, though the mirth didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Are we ready to go?”

“As ready as can be.”

“Good. Lord Inferni,” she said to Drae, “you and your brothers will fly beside me.” She went to her horse and rubbed his pointy snout. “Shirina, you will fly with me.”

I nodded toward the frightening horse. “On...on that?”

She stroked the animal’s flank. “This is my horse, Mortimus.”

“Mortimus?” I whispered, looking to my mates as if they could intervene, but none of them seemed alarmed.

“It means Death Bringer in the old tongue,” Malvolia answered too casually.

Fear raced up my spine as a drop of blood fell from his maw to the stones beneath. “His mouth is bleeding.”

She shrugged while brushing his mane. “He just ate breakfast.”

My hand flew to my throat, shock and fear numbing my veins. “He eats flesh?”

“And hay,” she said with a smile.

The girls trembled against me.

“Elements,” I breathed.

“He won’t bite unless I tell him to.” She patted the wide saddle on the horse’s back. “You said you wanted to trust me, didn’t you?”

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