Page 150 of Merciless Is My Crown

“Yes. You are.” The words ripped out of me, a demand, a plea, an order from a queen to her warrior, and then he was inside me. One strong thrust that sent my head whipping back against the pillows, my hands and feet writhing against the shadowy bonds.

This was too much.

The not being able to move part of it, and the onslaught of heat and fire roaring through me with every stroke of his cock, his lips on the side of my throat, fingers tangled in my hair, gripping me so desperately.

I tumbled over fast and hard, faster than I’d ever gone over before, Raziel roaring in my ears. I strained against the bonds, this body that was too confining, too small.

“I love you.” For a single second we hung there together, suspended, hearts pounding together like they were one, and then plunged into a deep, silky darkness as I hoarsely chanted his name, over and over.

61

ANARIA

Two days later and Blackcastle was still a fucking nightmare.

There were ten thousand soldiers camped outside the city’s front gates with no food or shelter, clogging the streets and demanding to be fed and housed. Raziel and Lyrae had taken charge, but the situation was slipping into chaos.

Southwell had blocked off access to anyone but shop owners, claiming they were protecting their interests, but Torin had gotten word Trubahn was organizing a revolt.

Magic was everywhere.

And not just any magic. Raw, wild magic that mutated common types of magic into something more exotic. Something dangerous.

We had dream weavers now, haunting everyone’s sleep, golems wandered the confines of Blackcastle’s alleys, and a group of necromancers were caught out on the battlefield trying to bring some soldiers back to life.

All of which would have been wonderous, except none of these people knew how to control their powers or the damage they could cause.

A fire wielder burned down two houses and the stables that very first day, a young girl accidently conjured a nest of basilisks in the town market, and the already overtaxed healers spent a full day administering antivenom to those bitten.

Zephryn had transformed and perched for an entire day on the ramparts, roaring out his rage over all of Blackcastle, and after that the magical accidents had diminished considerably.

“We must take back full control of the military,” Cosimo told Zor for the hundredth time. “Your soldiers are wreaking havoc on Blackcastle. If they remain, the streets won’t be safe for anyone.”

“Disband them,” Tavion suggested. “Let them go back to their families. We don’t need an army.” His lips quirked as he threw his feet up on the table. “We have Anaria.”

“Some of these men don’t have families. The army is all they know. They existed within that structure their whole lives, and now that it’s gone they don’t know what to do.”

I rubbed my aching brow, a wicked headache already brewing. “What about the barracks behind the Keep?”

“Not enough room and it will take us months to build more. Wood is in short supply since we’re forbidden from cutting down the forest.”

“Because it’s sentient,” I pointed out, tired of sounding like a broken record.

“And rations are running low. Another few days and we’ll be out. Not so much as a loaf of bread in the entire city.”

“So we freed this realm from a tyrant, only for our citizens to starve to death.” I sighed. “Unfortunate that a monster took better care of his people than us.”

“That’s not a fair comparison.” Zorander bristled on my behalf. “We are waiting for the supply wagons to arrive from the Havens. There is enough food in those fields and orchards to feed this city ten times over. Those wagons have to get here.”

“On the road that no longer exists because there’s a forest there now? Across a river with no bridge?” I shook my head. “That’s not happening in a few days. Suggestions?”

“Raziel and I could use our magic to transport supplies back and forth. We can set up a staging area where the old market used to be.”

“You can’t carry enough to feed this city plus the army,” Cosimo pointed out evenly. “Even if you make fifty trips a day. We need that road opened back up. Today.”

He drummed his fingers on the table. “Then again, if we could get Southwell to fucking cooperate, there are mages who could conjure up a building with a wave of their hand. Your housing problem would be solved.” The astrologer had attended every single meeting, and so far, his counsel was invaluable. Cosimo knew more about strategy and city planning than we did, and he was right. We were dead unless we had a lifeline to those fields.

“Okay.” I shoved to my feet, exhaustion threatening to drag me right back down.

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