Page 96 of Vicious Is My Throne

Tavion shouted my name along with a garbled rush of curses as he spilled into me, Raziel capturing my mouth and drinking down my own moans like they were the sweetest things he’d ever tasted.

Raz’s shadows unfurled, skating over my body like phantom fingers. My quaking body fell sideways into Tavion’s strong arms, and he lowered me onto the bed, my eyes already slipping closed, and the world disappeared.

40

RAZIEL

Ibraced my palm flat against the small of Anaria’s back while we descended the curving staircase the next morning, her muscles shifting against my skin. I couldn’t stop my eyes from drifting down to her arse, that leather clinging to her curves like paint.

I sent another trickle of magic flowing into her when what I really wanted was to drag her back to bed.

Keep her there for a day. A year. Forever.

Last night, we’d pushed her too hard.

Taken too much.

My princess was exhausted, and if we weren’t careful, she’d burn out. Not her magic, which seemed to have no bottom these days, but her flesh.

“I’m sorry about last night,” I told her, smoothing my hand down her arm. “We were greedy, and we should have let you sleep.”

Her lips lifted in a tired smile. “Don’t you dare apologize for one of the best nights of my life. The only way it could have been better was if Zorander was here. I hope he’s alright, Raz.”

“He’s smart, Anaria,” I said, knowing better than to tell her he was fine and making promises I couldn’t keep. “If I know Zor at all, he headed straight to Blackcastle.”

I skimmed my hand down her spine again, stopping before I cupped her arse because I was a godsdamned gentleman. “Still, we should have showed some restraint last night.”

She needed rest. Anaria was perfectly willing to carry the world on her shoulders, but I saw her weariness. We all did.

Shadows beneath her eyes, dark enough to be bruises. Her muted scent, the bright floral fragrance of jasmine a hushed memory. Her stomach was so hollowed out, I’d counted every rib last night while she slept.

“What’s wrong, Raz?” She caught my hand halfway down the main hall. “Stop for a moment. What’s gotten into you?”

“You…” I paused, staring down into those eyes that never shone with wonder anymore. Anaria put on a brave front, would sacrifice herself for the rest of us, but she was exhausted.

Someone had to take care of her.

I brushed my lips against her ear and was rewarded by a beautiful blush of pink creeping up her throat. “Do you remember when I told you about those islands? The ones with the white sand and the clear blue waters?”

“The ones we’ll visit once this is all over with?” Her voice took on that breathless quality I loved. “I’ve dreamed about them,” she admitted. “Dreamed of having nothing to do for days on end, no wars to fight, no gods to kill.”

“When we go”—I twined my blunt, calloused fingers through her small, fragile ones—“we can get up late and laze around in the sun. We’ll eat when we want and sleep all day and not have a worry in the world.”

Her smile was like the sun on a cloudy day, stripping away the shadows with beautiful clear light, and a burst of fragrance wound around me, jasmine and amber, and I closed my eyes, tugging her tight against me.

“When we start our new life, you will be our princess. Our queen. You will want for nothing, and we will love you, Anaria, the way you were always meant to be loved.” I brushed her hair back and surveyed the tears lining her eyes.

“You will have our hearts, our loyalty, our bodies, and our souls.” My heart thundered, echoing hers here in this awful, dismal place, so full of terrible memories. I wanted to burn this castle down to a pile of blackened ashes.

“We will worship you, Anaria. You are as perfect a soul as I have ever met.” I watched the tears slide down her face. “Every single part of you is perfection, from your heart to your temper to your determination. And I would have endured everything a hundred times over to stand here with you like this and see you look at me like this.”

“Like what, Raz?”

“Like I matter. Like you might choose me all over again, too, if you had the chance.”

Then I tipped up her chin and kissed her trembling lips. Kissed her until we were both breathless, until her eyes were alight with happiness. “That’s better,” I murmured, brushing my lips across the tip of her upturned nose.

I gripped her arms. “This fucking place…if I could wipe every awful recollection of this castle from your memories, I would, Anaria. When we are done here, I will burn Ravenshade to the ground if you would like. Turn this cesspool into a pit of ashes.”

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