by Tiya Rayne
I’m pretty sure this will end with me and my friends walking back out that door, but I stay and wait for King Bartus’ ruling.
Bartus’ eyebrow quirks up as he stares at me. “If I say no, you would truly leave?” he asks.
“Absolutely.” I answer with no hesitation. I would rather sit in my room with friends than stay at a party where they aren’t wanted.
“As would I.” Rykan says stepping away from Sarafine and closer to me.
I gaze up at him in shock. I’m honored that he would do that for me.
“So will I.” Rykan’s mother adds.
The room is filled with gasp and I’m waiting for Bartus to toss us out when he throws his head back in a loud laugh.
He grabs me in for a strong hug. “This is the type of woman that will carry my grandsons.” He shouts to the crowd. “Strong and brave. To Lilly and my grandsons!” Bartus raises his cup and the crowd shouts cheers before drinking. The music begins again and the talking starts back up just as simply as someone might have flipped a switch. I exhale the breath I was holding. This went better than I had planned. I had no problem with being tossed out on our bottoms, but I had a major problem with being tossed into prison or some place. Bartus grabs his wife’s hand and walks off talking about my courage.
“I’m proud of you.” Rykan says, grabbing both my hands and turning towards me. He places a kiss on my cheek so close to my lips I can smell the wine on his breath. “And might I add, you look ravishing in that red. It reminds me of the night we met.” His words are whispered in my ear. My body immediately softens at the reminder of Rykan and my passion filled night. That night I wore a red Bra and Panty set. Rykan steps away with a smirk and disappears into the crowd with Sarafine on his heels.
“Well done.” Augustus says. “Now if we could just get through the rest of this party without pissing anyone off.”
*******
Turns out that wasn’t so hard to do, because nobody spoke to me. Not one person paid me any attention. I am just as invisible as the people serving the food. If it weren’t for the friends that I invited I would have been bored out of my mind. I don’t know who the party planner to this event is, but it is not my type of party. Everyone is just standing around talking about what they had and how their relationship to the king is superior to others. The best thing about this party is the food. It is so much food. There are two large boars and three of those large bird things. Towers of bread and sweets that has to be constantly restacked. Shahina is so transfixed by the food she hasn’t left the table.
I watch the doors all night waiting for Assassin to enter, but he has yet to show. I try not to think too hard about where he could be spending his time tonight. Ever since the mention of his other women and his supposed relationship with Avalia, I keep thinking about the type of woman that could find herself lying underneath the assassin. That thought plagues me as I watch Hyland sweep Miriam across the dance floor. I watch the bliss in my friend’s eyes as she stares back at Hyland. Their attraction to each other is so apparent. It is beautiful to watch.
“What has you smiling?” Augustus asks as he stands beside me. He, Bilal, and Himrol have been circling the room on a loop the entire night. Augustus says he doesn’t trust any of these people. Bilal told him that none of them would go against the King and harm me, but he too has been on high alert.
“They look so happy.” I nod towards Miriam and Hyland.
Augustus watches them for a moment before turning to me and saying, “Love tends to make one happy.”
I shrug. “I wouldn’t know.”
“You will soon.” His reply is so sure that I have to look at him and see if he maybe knew something I didn’t.
“May I have this dance?” I turn towards Rykan’s voice.
The fact that he is approaching me has me lost for words. Usually at these events he stays far away from me. Now, he is standing behind me with his hand out stretched to me and he is wearing that mischievous smile that I thought was so handsome once. Admittedly, I still do.
“Are you afraid of a little dancing, Lady Lilly?” he teases.
My chin lifts and a smile touches the corners of my lips. “NO.”
I place my hand in his, then turn to tell Augustus I will be back, but he is already gone. I allow Rykan to pull me into his hard chest. My breasts are pushed against his chest and his hand is heavy against my lower back. Immediately my mind is filled with the memory of his demanding kisses and the way his hard body invaded mine with long and fast thrusts. My body tightens like over-tuned guitar strings. It weeps at the memory and its tears run down my thighs. Damn these over active pregnancy hormones.
Rykan sweeps me around the floor fluidly. He is an exceptional dancer. All eyes are on us as we dance together.
“Ignore them.” Rykan whispers.
“I don’t want to be the cause of any more trouble with you and your fiancée.” My words causes Rykan to tense.
“I meant what I said, Lilly. You and my sons are my first priority.”
His words soothe my troubled mind. They shouldn’t, because let’s face it, I may be his first priority, but it doesn’t make him mine. But for this dance I want to forget my worries and just live in the moment. It feels good to be in some ones arms again. Well, someone that you know desires you. It felt amazing in Assassin’s arms, but that is never going anywhere.
I lay my head on Rykan’s shoulders as we continue to sweep across the floor. I wrap myself in the smell of Rykan and its familiarity.
“I owe you an apology.” He says. I look up at those dark brown eyes. They still have the same effect on me.
“About what?” I ask, distracting myself from the thoughts running through my mind.
“I should have responded differently about the kid. He did not deserve that punishment.”
“I understand that you have to be hard on criminals. I won’t pretend my realm is any better when it comes to the justice system. I just think you should at least hear people out before you sentence them.”
“I agree. That is why I brought that to the council’s attention today. Along with a few other things.” I lean back to get a better look at him. I need to see his eyes to know if he is honest about this.
“Being around you has made me look at things differently. Your kindness and attention to others are infectious. You make me want to be better than just a king. I want to make changes in my kingdom. Starting with giving all my people a voice.”
I couldn’t contain my excitement. “Rykan that’s wonderful.” Then, I did the stupidest thing I could have ever done. I reach up on my toes and place a kiss on his lips. His sudden gasp reminds me that I’m not supposed to do that. Somewhere in this crowded room is his fiancée. However, the look in Rykan’s eyes are more of a caution than a reprimand. They warn that if I did that again I was going to find myself somewhere private and possibly beneath him.
“I did not make this change to get that reward, but had I known the outcome I would have done it sooner.” He says with a cunning smile.
I laugh as the tension eases between us.
“What can I say, I have a soft spot for charity work.”
His smile slips suddenly. “As much as I want to make a difference, I know it won’t happen quickly. I got the council to start listening to the commoners, but what next? They face so many challenges.”
He is right about that. Even in my realm it is difficult to make a significant enough change to make a difference. Poverty and hunger is still an issue to many people despite the many years of others attempting to help. As I think about this issue I watch a skinny male servant bring out another batch of bread and place it onto the tower of breads.
“What happens to all the food that is leftover after tonight?” The party is already starting to come to an end, yet there is still so much food left. One whole pig is still untouched and the other is barely cleaned. Neither of the birds have been touched and the breads are still piling up.
Rykan turns to t
he direction of the food. “The servants will eat, but most of it will go to the animals in the morning.”
My eyes snap up to him. “All of that food?”
“Yes. In the morning the cooks will prepare us a fresh meal. We have no need for it. All of the extra food that has been cooked today will go out to the animals when the sun rises.”
And that is when inspiration hits.
Chapter Seven.
“Were you able to find out anything?” Avalia asks as soon as I appear in her throne room. It was obvious she had been pacing this entire time.
“The story the woman spoke checks out. The Dark King is creating creatures with Dark Magic.”
Avalia slams her hands down on the nearby table. Her eyes glowing with her power and rage. To most, the sight of the Elvin queen this angry would spark bone rattling fear in them, though I had no doubt Avalia could kill me if she wanted, I do not fear her.
“His power is growing.”
“It is.” I reply solemnly. There really isn’t anything I can do to stop the Dark King’s power. Nothing more than kill him, which I plan to do as soon as possible.
The moment the boy’s mother relayed the information to me I fed it to Avalia who was just as disgusted as I was. The only chance we had against the Dark King was because he had not yet fully learned the potential of his magic. His father, a powerful witch, bred him to be the most powerful witch in the Locke. He was only turned away from that plan when the Dark King was born with the imperfection of his eyes. His father thought it meant the Dark King was flawed, so to keep him under control he cursed him to never breed and submerged his powers deep inside him. I guess the Dark King is slowly finding them.
“There is more.” I say hesitantly.
When I first left Lilly in the hands of Augustus, I came to Avalia to tell her about the creatures the Dark King is creating. I knew I needed to verify that information as soon as possible. Not only did I get a few eye witnesses to relay the story to me, but I captured a soldier from the Dark King’s army and after some very long “persuasion”, I was able to get the man to explain the entire set up. Apparently the Dark King takes only strong able men and seclude them away for 13 days in some hidden lair where he performs painful dark magic. I am just returning from my outing. I missed the party that was held in Lilly’s honor, but I trusted Augustus to handle her. Last time I heard from him, she was inviting the others to the royal party. I can only imagine how that turned out.
“By the gods, what could be more than that?” Avalia asks as she pours herself a drink of black grape wine.
“Lilly is a pure.”
Immediately the cup that had just brushed her lips slips from her hands and clatters to the floor.
“What?”
“I’ll show you.”
I link my mind with Avalia’s and show her what happened in the woods yesterday. I show her how the unicorn responded to Lilly and I then show her how the others joined them. Avalia gasps when she sees the other Unicorns join Lilly. When I clear the memory from her mind, the fear is evident on Avalia’s face.
“My gods!” One hand covers her chest while the other clutches her mouth. “This explains my faulty visions.” She says placing her hands on her hips. “Fuck! Do you know what will happen if anyone finds out about this?”
Unfortunately. “Yes.” Which is why my skin is itching to get back to her. Though I trust Augustus with Lilly’s life, I hate not being there to make sure of her safety.
“Where is she now?”
“The last time I tuned into the necklace she was asleep in her bed.” Alone. I did not like the way Rykan has been trying to weasel his way back in with her. All of that damn touching yesterday had me ready to remove the boy’s arms. He was closer to death yesterday than he had ever been when he mentioned my bevy of other women in front of Lilly. I was moments away from saying ‘fuck it’ and driving my sword through his belly, when he called me a servant. His little remark about being thrown in his dungeon meant nothing to me, the only thing that kept me from driving my blade through that bastard’s chest was the thought that I could not trace Lilly away without harming her. Everything I do is for Lilly.
“It was very smart of you to give her that talisman when she was a child.” Avalia says, bringing me out of my thoughts of murdering the young prince.
When I first gave Lilly the butterfly charm in those woods, it was just so that if I wanted to check in on her occasionally I would be able to find her. Now it is my life line to her. As long as she is wearing that charm I can locate her anywhere in any realm.
“Indeed.”
Avalia sighs loudly. “Right now, Lilly’s pure status is unknown. Our immediate threat is finding these creatures. I will figure out how to handle that later and what it means for our future. I need to catch one alive to see what magic the Dark King has used. If the strength and power those people describe are true this new creature will slaughter us in battle. I need to find a way to reverse the magic or at least destroy it.”
“What do you need from me?” Though I already knew the answer to this question.
“I need you to bring me one of these creatures.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Avalia, I am already stretched too thin. It will take me time to hunt those things. I cannot sacrifice time away from Lilly.”
“I know this, Assassin.” Her arms drop abruptly to her sides. “What else am I to do? Time is running out, and with all the new developments it seems I am drowning in more problems than resolutions. If we have no way in stopping these creatures then what will an army of Men do against the Dark King? He will kill us and take Lilly. And no matter what, my only goal is to keep him from taking her. Especially now since we know she is a known pure. The results of the Dark King getting his hands on her now would be detrimental.”
My anger and frustration at the situation has me tossing a chair across the room and shattering it against the wall. Avalia doesn’t flinch at my outburst.
I do not want to give up any of my time with Lilly. The time I shared alone with her yesterday has me craving more. It has me burning for that future I saw with her. I will claim Lilly as mine and when I do she will never have a reason to look at another man for anything. Although I’m not complaining, I want to see more than just lust on her face when I touch her. I want her to love me. That thought gives me pause. I never thought I would say that. I never even considered that as an option. Me, being in love, sounded preposterous. But now, it is all I can think of.
After only a moment of silent consideration, I sigh. “I’ll bring you one of the creatures.” As bad as I want to claim Lilly, it seems I want her safe more. “This may keep me away from Lilly at night, but I can trust Augustus to stand in my stead.”
Avalia nods. “I will do all that I can to make this turn out for the better. Please, keep faith in me Assassin.”
“Always, my queen.”
I trace away from the glass castle, allowing the magic in the butterfly charm to lead me to Lilly. I wasn’t entirely shocked to fine Lilly out of bed this early in the morning. I was, however, shocked at why she was out of bed.
“Might I ask what you are doing?” I question from behind her. To my surprise she does not startle at my sudden approach, it’s as if she knew I was there.
“It’s called a soup kitchen or a food bank.” She says, only glancing over her shoulder briefly as she places two loaves of bread into a basket.
I step closer to her and place a possessive hand on her hip as I pretend to peer over her shoulder. Immediately her body relaxes at my touch and the sweet smell of her arousal greets me. That smell is the best fucking thing in the world.
“Explain this to me.” I softly demand.
She swallows and runs her tongue over her bottom lip before speaking. “Well it’s simple, really. All the food from the castle gets thrown out at the start of each day. It’s tons of food that is still really good. So, I gathered up all the discarded food and separated it into care packages depend
ing on the size of each house hold. Each care package is large enough to feed a family for at least a day or two. One person from each family will come up and collect a care package for their home.”
“She’s brilliant, Assassin.” Bilal says from beside Lilly. He’s beaming with pride as he hands her another basket.
Lilly’s cheeks turns crimson at Bilal’s declaration and it’s the most beautiful thing to see her blush.
“That she is.” My agreement has her looking away from me. “What can I do?” Her eyes shoot back up to mine with a bright smile that has her dimples deepening her cheeks. Before she can answer he calls out to her.
“Lilly!” She turns to watch Rykan approach. My hand on her hip tightens and I make sure to press my chest closer to her back. It is best I let the boy prince know to fuck off now, lest he wants to die young. Quickly, Rykan’s eyes drops to my hand on Lilly then back up to her face. The annoyance in his face is obvious.
“I have good news for you.” Rykan announces. “I have convinced other families to donate their wasted food.”
“Oh my goodness, Rykan that’s amazing.” Lilly leaps to the boy and wraps her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. What in the gods name? Did I miss something last night? Rykan peers at me over Lilly’s shoulder. The smug look he gives me causes me to take a step towards him.
Lilly pulls back from the hug and ask, “Are they going to bring the food?”
I hate the smile that he has placed on her beautiful face. Even though I love to see her smile I hate that he is the cause of this smile.
“Actually, I already have it. I have a wagon full of it just over there.” Rykan points to a three wheel wagon with bags stacked haphazardly on top of one another.
“Matthias!” Lilly calls out, and the little lad from yesterday appears in front of her. The love-struck look in his eyes as he gazes up at her is obvious. I owe the boy. Yesterday when he took Rykan’s seat at the table I wanted to give the lad all the coins in my pocket. Though he and Rykan are damn near the same age in my eyes, the boy is harmless to me. It’s the taller boy that still has his arm around Lilly’s waist that I have a problem with.
