Page 51 of Madness of Her Mages

“No,” I answered. “The girls saw him at our home when they escaped the giants. He was asking about my mother, but the girls said the house was empty and my parents were gone.” I took a small sip of soup and resisted the urge to moan. It was so buttery and tasted like peppered asparagus. How I wished I could devour my bowl.

Malvolia dropped her spoon with aclank.Everyone else at the table followed. I stared longingly at my soup, my nostrils flaring as the smell of the warm rolls assailed my senses.

“My sister is probably in Peloponese by now,” the queen drawled while reaching for her wine, “trying to persuade Fachnan to go to war against me. And where she goes the mind spinner will follow. He always had a tender affection for Flora.”

“An affection or an obsession?” I asked, for if he truly had an affection for my mother, why would he have so thoroughly destroyed her life?

Her smile looked like it pained her. “Both.”

My heart faltered and then set off at a race. What if Thorin and my sister went to Peloponese? Would he use his mind control to force her to fight my aunt?

Malvolia looked at me as if she could hear my heart racing. “What I wouldn’t give to know what you’re thinking, Niece.”

“I’m thinking that many of our problems would be solved if we killed Thorin.”

She tipped her goblet to me before downing the rest of her wine. After she slammed the empty goblet on the table, she motioned toward a servant to refill it. “I think you’re right.”

I COULDN’T GET OUTof my corset fast enough, sucking in a huge gulp of air after Daminica unfastened the laces. Removing every undergarment, the pins from my hair, and all the frivolous pieces of silk took longer than I’d anticipated. Daminica then sat me at a dresser and brushed out my hair until it gleamed. I admired my reflection in the mirror, noting how my ribs protruded less and my arms weren’t quite as bony after almost two weeks with my mates. They’d taken such good care of me and the girls. I would forever be grateful to them and to the elements for sending them to me.

After I emerged from my changing room donning a beautiful pearl-colored robe and matching nightdress, I walked into thebedchamber, the silk of my gown swirling around my legs like seafoam. Though Daminica wanted to tie up my hair, I opted to let it fall around my shoulders in chestnut waves, for no other reason than vanity and the desire to have my mates run their fingers through it.

The balcony doors were propped open, cool wind blowing into the room and bringing with it the pungent scents of the ocean. My mates were crowded around a small table by the hearth, drinking wine and eating from a variety of trays. They stopped eating when I came into the room, looking at me like three hungry wolves.

Drae flew from the table and reached me in a few quick strides, his wings beating behind him. He looked absolutely delicious, wearing nothing but loose-fitting trousers. He smelled of fresh sage and a tempting spice I couldn’t name, his dark hair slicked back, his damp, sun-kissed skin gleaming beneath the overhead candlelight. I wanted to lick every errant drop of moisture off him. He was mine. All mine. Nobody was going to collect any of his feathers again.

You look good enough to eat,he said through thought while waggling his brows. When he looked over my shoulder, his eyes narrowing, I turned to see Daminica standing there.

“Thank you, Daminica, you’re dismissed,” I said to her. Though I appreciated having her to help me out of my corsets and braid my hair, I wasn’t used to having a servant follow me everywhere, and I didn’t think I could ever adjust to the invasion of privacy.

She curtsied and quickly left. Only when I heard the sitting room door click shut behind her did I breathe a sigh of relief.

Drae took my arm and led me to Blaze and Nikkos.

Blaze jumped up from his seat and pulled out a chair for me.You’re beautiful.His thought projected into my head.

Thank you.I couldn’t hide my smile as I sat down, my hungry gaze sweeping over his bare, muscular torso, which also gleamed from his bath. I suspected my mates had all bathed for me in anticipation of a night of passion. At least, I hoped so. I didn’t think I could ever get enough of them.

We piled our plates with a repast of meats, cheeses, fruit, and bread. The cold meal was far less enticing than the delicious warm meal at supper, but it made no difference to my rumbling stomach. I couldn’t believe how much food was wasted tonight, especially after my father had told us of entire Caldarian villages plagued by famine. Perhaps Delfi had an overflow of agriculture. Or at the very least I hoped tonight’s leftover supper was eaten by the castle servants. I thought of all the nights my sister and I had fallen asleep with hungry bellies, and I couldn’t help resenting my aunt for driving us into hiding.

“Well, how did it go?” Nikkos asked before biting into a slice of bread slathered in butter and honey.

“Our mate was magnificent, as always.” Blaze gave me an appreciative smile and then shoved a handful of grapes into his mouth.

“How were the girls?” I grasped Nikkos’s hand, his long legs pressing into mine underneath the crowded table. Not that I minded having him so close to me.

“Sugared up on tarts.” He pulled my hand to his lips, brushing a kiss across my knuckles. That’s when I noticed the fatigue that glazed his eyes. No doubt from the long flight and then babysitting duty. “They begged to teleport to Abyssus to say goodnight to Mrs. Euphemia. I told them they’d have to wait for your permission. We played hide-and-seek until they were too tired to find me.”

I bit my lip, a shudder coursing through me when he tickled my palm with the pad of his thumb “Thank you, darling. I think it’s best we wait to teleport unless it’s an emergency.” I tooka bite of bread slathered in butter. It was slightly spongy and mildly sweet, and it tasted better accompanied by a slice of ham.

“Agreed,” Drae said as he reached across me and snatched a roll from the basket, the feel of his arm brushing across mine like a match to tinder, igniting the fire in my veins. “It’s not safe for them to leave the castle with demons trying to infiltrate Malvolia’s court.”

My shoulders sagged as the weight of his words pressed down on me, and the bread in my mouth turned to ash. Battling the sycophants in Malvolia’s court would be trying enough without having to worry about demons.

“Thank you for watching them,” I said to Nikkos while nodding toward the sitting room where my nieces were asleep on the sofas. “I know they can be a handful.”

“They’re worth it,” he said with a wink, making my heart flutter like a swarm of butterflies were trying to beat out of my chest. “So are you.”

I kissed him on the cheek, laughing when he turned his head and snatched a kiss on the lips. He tasted of fruity wine, and it took all my willpower not to ask him to fly us up to that bed hanging from the rafters.

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