Page 87 of Madness of Her Mages

You okay?

I looked over at Drae, who was intently staring at me, his feathers tickling my chest. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.I don’t know if I’m hearing voices or dreaming,I projected back to him.

He twirled a strand of my hair around his finger.Dreaming what?

I slowly sat up on my elbows, a shudder coursing through me when his feathers tickled my nipples.I keep hearing a man call for my mother and father. He sounds like my father, but Derrick’s not here.

His brow furrowed as he sat up, hugging me to him.The ghost of your other father?

I hope not.I splayed a hand across his warm chest.I don’t want spirit-talking powers.

Come.He held his arms out to me, his dark eyes swirling with concern. Let’s go below.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he went to the edge of the bed and jumped, soaring across the bedchamber’s lofty ceiling until we floated to the ground. He gently set me down and handed me my robe. I slid into my robe while admiring his muscular backside and buttocks as he slipped into a pair of loose-fitting trousers.

We sat on the balcony, sipping coffee while admiring the sun rising over the horizon like a titan emerging from the sea, its rays spilling over the seawall, the violent sound of crashing waves resonating from the other side. Even though there was a walled garden, a set of stables, dunes, and a vast sandy beach between us and the wall, the monolith still loomed as tall as a giant from where we sat. Blaze, Nikkos, and the girls were still asleep, giving me much needed time alone with Drae. As much as I loved my three mates together, I cherished my one-on-one time with each of them. He lit a fire pit similar to the one in Felicity’s garden. The flames warmed my legs, and his arm and wing around my shoulders heated the rest of me.

I set my coffee down on a nearby table and rested my head on his shoulder. I gasped when a rough wave crashed into the seawall, spraying water high into the air like a steaming geyser. “How does that wall hold back an entire sea?”

“Some say it’s fortified by magic,” he answered, his breath a warm tickle in my ear, “created before Maiadra’s time.”

I gaped at the wall as another wave smacked it and sprayed the sky. “It must be very strong magic.”

Drae set his coffee down before clearing his throat. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, about me second guessing you.”

I inwardly cringed when I remembered scolding him yesternight. I’d been so tense at Malvolia’s court and lost my temper. I turned in his embrace, looking up at him. “Drae, I’m sorry.”

“Why?” he asked, gently stroking my cheek. “You’re right. I’m the one who should be sorry. I’ve been so focused on surviving Malvolia’s court that I lost focus on your happiness and the fact that you’re an amazing witch.”

A shiver stole down my spine as he continued stroking my face. I kissed his cheek. “Thank you, but I know you’re only trying to keep us safe.”

“You’re a clever Fae.” He smiled down at me, his eyes shining with pride. “I should trust you know what you’re doing.”

I shook my head. “You have more experience in Malvolia’s court than I do. I should trust that you understand her better than I.”

He frowned, his gaze wandering toward the seawall. “I do, unfortunately.”

“I wonder something, though,” I said as an odd thought occurred to me.

“What?” he asked.

“Why weren’t you and your brothers ever her lovers?” An odd question, I knew it. It’s not that I didn’t believe them when they told me they’d never slept with her, but considering Malvolia’s appetite for handsome mages, I wondered why she would’ve passed up my mates. Perhaps I was biased, but I considered them the most handsome males I’d ever known.

He arched a brow. “Besides the fact that I considered her like a mother?”

“Yeah.” I laughed. It was odd considering Malvolia as anyone’s mother figure. She didn’t exactly exude maternal kindness.

“Malvolia doesn’t pick powerful Fae,” he answered. “Her lovers are usually second- and third-born sons from smaller estates.”

“Why?”

“My guess is so none of them can try to claim her throne. Abyssus is the largest estate in Delfi, and with my magical powers, I could make a strong claim for her hand...and her throne.” He grimaced. “Especially if I impregnated her.”

“That makes sense. My aunt is doomed to mistrust everyone.” I clutched my chest, trying not to feel overwhelmed by the monumental task of persuading my aunt she killed thousands of Fae for no reason.

Drae scrunched his eyes, his gaze focused on the seawall as more waves sprayed over the side. “At least until we can figure out how to break the mind spinner’s spell.”

I knew what to do. The question was how? “Kill the mage and break the spell.”

---