Page 91 of Merciless Is My Crown

I dipped my head to show her I’d heard, and then, despite my anger, slipped my hand into Tavion’s. “This totally doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you for being a pompous, overbearing control freak,” I warned him.

“Of course not.” His lips quirked before we both got scolded all over again.

“Torin said thank you,” Raziel murmured when I crawled into bed. “For healing Zephryn.”

“I didn’t heal anyone.” I sank into the pillows, softer and fluffier than I remembered them being the last time I’d actually slept, whenever that was. Raz curled beside me, his hand on my stomach. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was feeding a constant stream of magic into me.

“You arranged things, Anaria,” he said softly. “I told Torin you were grateful you could help.”

“Such a diplomat. Maybe you should rule Solarys after the Shadow King’s gone.”

Raz snorted. “That will be the fucking day.”

“Well, everyone’s awfully eager to toss me up on the throne. Maybe we should take turns.” I poked Raz in the side. “Even you, smartass.”

“This is the last time we’ll be sleeping in a real bed for a long time.” Raziel tugged me closer, working his knee between my legs, and the feel of his hard, muscled thigh against my already wet pussy had my body aching for more. “We should really make the most of tonight.”

I cupped his jaw, rubbing my thumbs over his unshaven cheeks, whiskers rough and scratchy. “Except I’m so tired all I can do is lie here.” Only half a lie since every single nerve ending was sensitive and alive.

“And why is that a problem?” Raz dragged his lips up the side of my throat and my toes curled against the cool sheets when his hand dipped between my legs, fingers sliding through my soaked folds. “You could let me do all the work.”

“I could, but…” I glanced to the fireplace.

Tavion was out cold, sprawled in a chair by the embers, covered in layers of blankets. He’d sleep, Bella claimed, for twelve hours at least, his body recovering from the healing and the sheer amounts of magic they’d fed into him.

Tristan was still sick in the next bedroom over, retching up his guts from the sounds of it.

“Not the most romantic setting, I’ll admit.” Raziel’s smile was wicked enough to send a shiver of anticipation through me. “But trust me, I’ll make do.”

Zorander slipped through the door, his exhaustion turning into a slow smile as he surveyed me, Raziel and the hastily pulled up covers. “More trouble?” I asked softly.

“Not trouble. A…tough decision.” His stomach flexed when he pulled his shirt over his head, one long, lean whip of muscle and graceful power.

“Torin spent the past few hours begging me to go after their friend Cosimo instead of the Shadow King like we planned. I can’t say I blame her, but she admitted she hasn’t seen that pendant for months and has no idea where it might be. For all she knows the astrologer is dead.”

“Cosimo was an astrologer?”

“The Fae King’s official astrologer, apparently. He marked the stars’ patterns, possessed a variety of magical abilities, and could read and decipher every language ever spoken in the history of this world. But choosing the fate of one person over the fate of tens of thousands…”

Zor shook his head, kicking his boots off as he crossed the room, but clearly, he was done talking about tomorrow. “I told her we were going to Solarys. End of story.”

I must have made a noise because Raziel nuzzled my throat. “It’s the right choice, Anaria. We’ve planned out how to infiltrate the Keep; we know the layout and patrol schedules. We can’t afford another wild goose chase, not when your mother wasted so much time already.”

“And nearly got you killed,” Zor growled, shedding his trousers followed by the heavy thump of a fully loaded weapons belt.

For a second all my thoughts disappeared into the fuzzy arousal of having Raz nibbling at my throat. I gently pushed him away with a hand pressed to his chest. “But what if…”

Zor slid into bed behind me, calloused palms dragging down my sides, my hips, and moving my hair so he could fasten his mouth on the base of my neck and sink his teeth in the barest pinch. Gods, when he did that…I ached for him to be inside me.

“Solarys. In the morning. And I’m done talking about this.” Zor’s rough voice turned impatient, his hands gripping my hips, erection poking between my arse cheeks. “I’m starving for you, princess, like I’ve never starved before, and I intend to give you as much pleasure as I take.”

“Zor’s lonely,” Raziel murmured, his eyes dancing as he slowly wound my loose braid around his hand and pulled me closer. “You’re all he talked about when we were gone.”

“Like you talked about anything else, arsehole.” Zor went back to suckling my neck and cupping my breasts, rolling my pebbled nipples between his thumb and forefinger while Raziel’s eyes gleamed, tongue darting out over his lips.

“Did you really?” I searched his beautiful face, lines harshly etched in the light and shadow. “Miss me?”

“Every fucking second, princess.” And it wasn’t Raz’s words, at least, not only the words that sent a hungry ache threading through my heart. All that undiluted longing and weeks of yearning exploded.

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