Page 4 of The Sweetest Lies
“Of course, my queen.” The strong and unyielding warrior of the High Hell bows low to her, but she snatches up his arm and sways along with him in tow.
She holds on to him like he steadies her.
I don’t know why that punches through my gut hard enough to steal my breath away.
And I don’t know why I can’t look away from them as they leave.
* * *
Only when I’m safely back in my bedroom do I dare consider any of tonight. Avian and Roman shed their clothes and don’t seem at all fazed by any of it. They’re content with their life, it seems.
They don’t seem alarmed by their queen’s unstable mentality at all.
“Who was that girl? The one who called Creatchin mother.” I pace the floors while Roman literally flops into bed. He’s all but checked out.
“Vanitee. Creatchin’s daughter,” Avian answers as he pulls back the blankets on the opposite side of the bed and slides in.
“Was she Ravar’s daughter?” I tilt my head, but neither of them is up for chatting. They’re simply tolerating me at the moment.
“No,” Roman grumbles.
“Creatchin doesn’t act like she’s any relation to her at all...” My fingers twirl through my hair, and I can’t let any of that go. We shouldn’t be letting this go! “What was Creatchin whispering to Goddess Moon about? About finding someone?”
Both men sigh, Roman twisting around to lie on his back and finally face me.
“Blow out the candle, and I’ll tell you a bedtime story, beautiful,” he says on a delicious rumble that strums all through me.
Damn. Who knew words could induce orgasms.
“O—okay.” I huff a breath and blow out the two candles on the table near the settee. It’s so dark, I stumble against the smooth hardwood floor before a calloused hand guides me to the edge of the bed. A warm body meets me and presses nicely against me as Roman pulls me down beneath the warm blankets.
My head never hits that soft pillow, though. Instead, he wraps me in his arms, and I’m surrounded by that hard and comforting strength of his body. The gentle weight of his head skims against my hair, and his breath fans my locks as he seems to breathe me in.
It feels good to be held by him and just have that sense that nothing will ever touch me inside the warmth of his arms.
“Once upon a time,” he says on a soothing tone. I can’t help but smile. He’s never this sweet. I don’t understand it for a second.
But I love it. So fucking much it shivers emotions all through my chest.
“Once upon a time, the most powerful supernaturals in all the realms were offered the crown of Hell in exchange for their fearless protection of our people. Our people are hated, misunderstood, murdered just for what we are. And for a long while, that stopped. We were safe because of that exchange that was made centuries ago. Until the marriage between a rare dragon shifter and the queen of Hell was poisoned. The queen became hell-bent on the power her realm possessed. And she took a lover who craved her affection as much as she craved power.”
“Ravar,” I whisper.
His smooth arms wrap tighter around me, his fingers skimming over my stomach for a single second before he halts and simply holds me... like a lover.
“Yes. Ravar loved the queen. And her love destroyed him. He hunted those supernaturals, spread rumors of the terror they would bring our realm, just as they did the others. He killed many of them. His army killed even more. And with time... he slaughtered the queen’s husband. The husband who she loved because of his power. And that ruined what Ravar and his Queen had between them. Because he was wrong to think she loved him. She loved power. It was always about power.”
It’s hard to hear the hint of sadness in his tone. He’s more gentle with me since the death of his brother. It’s like he’s finally able to lower his guard just a little. Deep down, he’s loving.
I never knew this beautifully broken man knew anything about love.
Maybe, just maybe, he does.
“After Ravar realized he’d ruined their love, he exiled the queen. TheNight Witchhe deemed her. And accepted the love of his people. His cruelty never ceased. Her hunger for power never stopped—even today. All that came of their toxic love was the destruction of an entire race of supernaturals.”
My brows pull together hard...
“Dragons?”
