Page 54 of Madness of Her Mages

Is it like having four arms?

No.He adjusted his wings, ruffling the pillows behind him.It’s like having an extra set of muscles.

I smiled against his chest. My father had always said it was like having four arms, but I had suspected he’d been teasing. My heart unexpectedly twisted as I did my best to push thoughts of my parents from my mind. The sting from their betrayal was too raw, even if my foolish heart missed them. I heaved a weary sigh.I wonder why Ravini women don’t have wings.

Drae chuckled, his deep laughter rattling my insides and warming my bones.You don’t need them when you have us to carry you.

I sat up, frowning, very aware that he was still impaling me while we were having a somewhat serious conversation.Maybe I want to carry myself.

He tickled my back with his feathers, his cockhead twitching inside me.Don’t you like being in my arms?

I bit my lip, my desire stirring to life once more.I love it.

Shiri, you have the power to bring an army to their knees.He rubbed warmth into my arms, his soft smile not quite reaching his eyes.If it wasn’t for our wings, I don’t think you’d need us.

That’s not true. I need you for more than your wings. I need your love.

I thought you’d never ask.He chuckled, trailing hot kisses down my neck and grinding into me.

“Mm.” I moaned aloud when Drae’s feathers tickled my back.Should I pluck some of your feathers now? Use them to make a crown?I added through thought, regretting the jealousy that rang in my words.

He sat up on his elbow, his wingtip stroking the side of my face.You’re the only woman I desire, Shiri. She knows that,he said,which is why she was trying to get under your skin.

I knew the ‘she’ he was referring to was Lady Veronica Franco, though I appreciated that he didn’t say her name in our bed.

He reached behind him and plucked a feather from his wings, handing it to me with a grin.

Averting my gaze, I twirled the feather between my fingertips.Well, it worked.

Put her out of your mind.He tenderly cupped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.We have enough enemies here to worry about.

How do you know she won’t be one of them?I asked, pressing my palms against his hard chest.

He had the nerve to laugh, his cock twitching inside me.She’s harmless.

My skin prickled, and not in a good way. I pulled off him and rolled onto my side.How quick you are to defend her.I didn’t bother hiding the accusation in my tone.

Shiri, you’re not being fair.He traced my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.Do I need to make love to you again to prove how much I want you and only you?

The breath expelled from my lungs when I saw desire swirling in his eyes. I bit my lip, heat flushing my skin.Maybe.

He rolled on top of me, his hard length pressing against my dripping sex, which was already swollen and ready for his entrance, and he proceeded to show me how much he desired me. Then his brothers joined us, proving their love to me again.

FLORA? FLORA?

I sat up with a gasp, clutching my throat as a strange man’s mournful whisper echoed in my head. Had I been dreaming? Or worse, was I developing spirit talking abilities?

Flora, is that you?His voice rang clearer around me. It’s so dark, I cannot see you, but I swear I can feel your presence. I can scent you and Derrick. Or maybe I’ve finally succumbed to madness.

Then his voice went silent, and I wondered if I’d heard my father Marius’s spirit. Or maybe I, too, had succumbed to madness.

Chapter Twelve

We broke our fast with buttery eggs, fresh fruit, and warm bread. Of course, we also had to drink tea from special herbs that Nikkos had brought from Abyssus. The tea had an odd taste, though it wasn’t bad with honey. The tea, he’d said, was supposed to help with memory. Not that I had any memory problems, but he wanted to test his theory that the tea would help ward against Thorin’s magic should we encounter him. So we finished the tea, promising him we’d drink it every morning. Nikkos also added other herbs to my tea that he said would prevent pregnancy. I certainly hoped so. Though I would love to have children with my mates, now wasn’t the right time.

The girls sat in the chairs beside me, their legs dangling, their stockings hanging partly off their toes, and their eyes thick with fatigue after Nikkos had flown them into the garden to see the fountain this morning and had let them run up the stairs and through the halls back to our room. I fussed over them too much, wiping jam off their faces and combing out their hair with my fingers. After our encounter with those demons, I needed to feel that the girls were unharmed. When I wasn’t worrying over Malvolia’s mercurial moods, I was fretting about keeping Ember and Aurora safe.

After we finished our breakfast, I denied the servants’ assistance and took the girls into the bathing room, giving them sponge baths and tidying up their hair. I helped them into two beautiful dresses with satin sashes the servants had said were picked by the queen herself. Before putting on the dresses, I helped them into voluminous ruffled skirts with delicate whitelace. The girls twirled in front of the mirror in their new dresses, their smiles nearly stretching ear to ear. Ember’s dress was a pale lavender while Aurora’s dress was the brightest blue.

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