Three Kings

by Nikki Jefford

  Hensley would be happy to know that her mate wasn’t eye-humping another female. I, for one, was certainly relieved, but I doubted Jhaeros would be.

  A young maid with a blonde braid carrying a mop and bucket rounded the corner and stopped short when she saw Liri. She gave him a hard stare as though unsure whether to bow or continue on her way.

  “Go to bed,” Liri commanded, “and tell no one that you saw me.”

  The maid gave a slight curtsy before turning the way she’d come. We waited in silence for her to disappear around the corner.

  “You decided to return after all.” I drew back my shoulders, keeping my distance now that Liri had appeared in the flesh.

  He lifted his nose high into the air. “Only for a moment to personally remind you that I am ruler of Dahlquist. You agreed to help me, so help.”

  “What do you think I’ve been doing?” I asked, standing on my toes to make myself taller. “Since you left, Ryo nearly got killed. My sister came close to becoming elf kindling. And ogres attacked Pinemist. Five elves died because of your hateful cousins. For all we know, Albedo has already taken over Teryani’s kingdom.”

  Liri pursed his lips. “I cannot believe she would be foolish enough to leave her castle at a time like this.”

  “Really?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

  Liri squinted at me, clearly missing the irony.

  I tapped my foot.

  With a heavy sigh, he ran his hand through his short hair. I would never admit it out loud, but he looked good with it short.

  “You know why I had to go,” he said.

  “Yes, and now I need you to come back. You said Hensley has her memories again. I’m sure she’ll understand a temporary separation while you hunt down the sorceress.”

  Liri shook his head. “I won’t leave her unprotected. She means everything to me.”

  I might have found his sentiment romantic if it hadn’t turned him into a stubborn mule in the process. “More than a kingdom and a crown?” I challenged, folding my arms beneath my bosom.

  Liri locked me in his gaze. “More than anything.” Each word was deliberate.

  We stared one another down, neither of us looking away or blinking.

  Liri straightened his spine, keeping me in his sight. His voice turned arrogant when he spoke next. “I do apologize for the inconvenience, Sister. Your service to my family and our kingdom is greatly appreciated. I will check in again soon.”

  A portal opened at his back, appearing like a long oval mirror that swirled and crackled with blue wisps around its frame. Never taking his eyes off me, Liri took a step backward into the portal. It began to shrivel the moment he disappeared.

  There were no guards in sight, which made me wonder if Galather had forgotten to mention this entry point or if it was one Liri had kept secret from even his most loyal guards.

  “Pit head!” I yelled into the shrinking oval before it closed up permanently.

  I hoped Liri heard me all the way in the mortal realm. I threw in a rude gesture even though it was certain he’d never see it.

  A male cleared his throat behind me. I turned to find Galather and Folas at my back. I raised my brows, but they said nothing, waiting faithfully for my orders.

  “Liri had his chance,” I announced. “He was warned. I’m handing the crown over to whichever of our three contenders returns first.”

  The twins looked at one another and frowned.

  Folas took a step forward. “Queen Aerith, if I may be so bold as to express my doubts concerning Lyklor. I share the opinion of Queen Teryani that he is untrustworthy and unfit to rule Dahlquist.”

  “And what of Ryo?” I asked.

  “He is still young and untrained, but he is a far better option to serve as regent if you will not stay.”

  I looked from Folas to Galather and asked, “Do you share your brother’s opinion?”

  Galather looked straight at me and nodded. “Ryo grew up at Dahlquist. He will have a deeper connection to his home and knows the workings of the castle.”

  “Hmm.” I pursed my lips in thought. “A fair point. I am already inclined to favor him. He didn’t hesitate to defend Pinemist in our hour of need. He’s proven himself capable of leadership and trust. I know nothing of Lyklor.” I took a deep breath and relaxed my jaw, looking from Galather to Folas. “Your judgment matters to me. Ryo it is.”

  I should have kept him at the castle rather than send him off, though I suppose there was no better training than real life. Hopefully, he and Mel returned soon. I worried my lip as I headed back to the royal wing with Folas in tow, insisting he escort me.

  As I rounded the corner, I tripped over a wooden bucket. Strong hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back. My heart beat erratically, and I breathed rapidly as though I’d run laps through the castle.

  “Thank you, Folas,” I said in a whispery voice.

  We both frowned at the upended bucket.

  “Who was foolish enough to leave that out?” Folas snarled.

  A swift chill up the back of my neck caused me to shudder.

  It wasn’t so much the bucket that bothered me, but the fact that it was empty, as though it had been used as a prop. I described the maid with the blonde braid to Folas.

  “I will search for her after I walk you to your door,” he said.

  “Perhaps seeing Liri startled her so much she set the bucket down unintentionally and forgot about it.” My tone didn’t sound convincing.

  “I’ll find her and question her. She won’t be able to lie.” Folas kicked the bucket aside.

  I nodded. Perhaps we needed to question the entire castle staff and guards in case Albedo had managed to plant spies among our ranks.

  We had enough trouble with the screaming mob outside. We didn’t need dissension within the castle walls.

  Back at my chamber, I found the room dark. Jhaeros had snuffed out every flicker of light with the exception of one single tallow candle left burning from its brass holder beside the bed. I could just make out the dark outline of his body beneath the covers. With each step closer, I kept expecting him to sit up and ask me for an update, but he made no movement.

  I reached the edge of the bed and stood silent, staring at his back. He lay on his side, blanket pulled to the base of his head.

  Heart sinking, I took off my kimono and hung it on the hook, then pulled the tiara off my head before blowing out the candle and slipping gently into bed. I took care not to disturb my beloved as he slept.

  I lay on my side, back to back with Jhaeros, resisting the urge to curl into a fetal position. I was the mama, not the baby. Loneliness filled my soul with a feeling both heavy and empty. Ruling over a kingdom had sounded like the biggest challenge I’d face, but keeping my relationship flourishing was far more complex.

  I kept telling myself that once we were back in Pinemist, things would return to normal. But I’d also told myself that same statement about the attack back home—once the ogres were stopped, I would be able to relax more. I didn’t want to wait. I wanted every moment with Jhaeros to count, no matter what happened in the worlds around us.

  I rolled over, facing Jhaeros, and scooted until my belly and breasts were plastered against the nightshirt covering his back. I wrapped my arms around his torso and nuzzled his neck.

  Jhaeros’s response was immediate, making me realize he’d never been asleep.

  He turned and captured my lips with his, cradling my face in his hands while he devoured me with feverish kisses that continued until I gasped for breath. Still his mouth consumed mine. He propped himself up on one elbow and leaned closer, his tongue darting between my swollen lips. Warm fingers caressed my neck, slipping to my collarbone, ripping lace to free my breasts and stroke my nipples into hard peaks.

  I settled onto my back, pressing my head into the pillow, lashes fluttering as pleasure flooded my body.

  Jhaeros sat up and pulled his nightshirt over his head. He tossed the wadded fabric aside, his gaze
intent on me, brown eyes gleaming in the dark. He reached under my chemise and slid my thong off, freeing it from my ankles before chucking it over his shoulder.

  When I turned toward him, he turned me away, onto my side, lifting my chemise before positioning himself at my back.

  His entry was so smooth I almost thought I’d imagined it. Then he rocked his hips, replacing the emptiness inside me with euphoric bliss. My eyes rolled into the back of my head. With every pulse, my body responded. Electric shock waves buzzed from my pelvis to my breasts and straight down to the tips of my toes. My throat vibrated as I hummed with pleasure, taking Jhaeros all in and blissing out in the process.

  He kept a steady rhythm, placing me under a trance. I could barely move or think as ripples of pleasure continued coursing through me in endless, intoxicating waves. I wasn’t sure if I was floating in them or being pulled under into oblivion.

  Jhaeros’s hips rocked against my backside while he deepened his penetration. Back and forth he slid, transporting me to a fourth realm made up of glittering stars and sunbeams that warmed and shimmered all over my body.

  I gave up trying to push against him. I surrendered my body to him completely.

  Jhaeros kept at his steady rocking as though he meant to make love to me the rest of the night. But a tempest built between my thighs. I tightened around him, arching my back as I moaned.

  Jhaeros thrust into me with three quick pumps before taking his release.

  After he pulled out, we both rolled to our backs and sagged into the bed sheets, regaining control of our breathing.

  Staring at the dark ceiling, it was my turn to say, “Oh my sky.”

  Chapter Four

  Melarue

  Lyklor paced outside Teryani’s walk-in closet, wringing his hands while I selected a new gown—a queenly blue frock that would go nicely with the silver-and-sapphire crown balanced on my head.

  I brought it out and held it in front of me for Lyklor to see, only to find him missing. My mouth opened just as the door flew open and Albedo stormed inside. He entered alone, but I could make out the heads of several guards waiting in the hallway. My heart sped up.

  “Ever hear of knocking?” I demanded.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded right back, staring at the gown hanging from my fists. His gaze flicked up to my face, and his eyes narrowed on the crown atop my head.

  Albedo stomped up to me, tore the dress from my fingers, and threw it aside.

  “Hey!” I yelped.

  He grabbed me by the shoulders and grasped me in a painful grip. “Why are you wearing a crown, Sarfina? Do you think you can take the castle from me?”

  When he shook me, the crown toppled off my head. His own crown stayed in place despite the violent jerks of his head, as though it had been stapled to his scalp. Black, stringy hair lurched over his narrow shoulders with his movements.

  “Stop it,” I said, stomping on his foot.

  Albedo’s upper lip lifted over his teeth, stretching toward his pointy nose. He hadn’t released me. If anything, his grip had tightened. I wrinkled my nose at his hot breath on my face.

  “I’m just playing dress up. Wow. You really need to chill. Try being the king of cool.”

  Albedo’s fingers dug into me harder. I could feel bruises taking shape beneath my skin.

  “Did Aerith send you here?” Albedo demanded.

  “No. How many times do I have to tell you? She threw me in the dungeon. I escaped. I arrived seeking asylum.”

  “What else do you want?” His fingertips jabbed into my clavicle bones.

  “Ouch!” I yelped.

  Albedo released me but didn’t move an inch. When I took a step back, he followed me, remaining inches from my face. “I have to make sure you haven’t been turned. Whose side are you on, Sarfina?”

  “I’m beginning to rethink that,” I spat at him.

  “Whose. Side?”

  “Yours!” I screamed in anger.

  “What do you want?” he asked again.

  I am Sarfina, I yelled at myself before yelling at him. “To be treated with the respect I deserve, not thrown in a dungeon or treated like—this!” I stepped away from him and waved my arms frantically by my sides. It wasn’t difficult to get myself worked up when my heart was ping-ponging inside my chest.

  Albedo gazed off thoughtfully. It seemed like a relief not to have his beady eyes drilling into mine until I noticed his eyebrows slashing across his forehead and jaw tightening.

  “Where did those swords come from?”

  Pitberries!

  He might as well have stabbed me in the gut—that’s how ghastly his discovery made me feel.

  I turned and cast a forlorn look over the lovely pile of blades beside the bed. “Those? I found them while looking through Teryani’s things. I gathered them into a pile to have removed.” I whipped my ponytail over my shoulder. “I prefer jewelry over swords. Besides, weapons don’t belong in a bedroom.”

  Oh, how it killed me to say those words.

  Albedo cast a considering look at the beautiful blue gown and crown on the floor. At least he’d stormed in at a moment when I looked like a female playing dress up with her older sister’s clothes and jewels.

  Albedo nodded then called out, “Guards.”

  Four Fae males with close-cropped hair marched in, all muscle and grit. They didn’t look like any of the long-haired beauties I’d seen around the palace on my last trip. These guards were broad shouldered and buff. They had the pleasing kind of bulk going on beneath their maroon tunics that only strength training could achieve.

  Albedo pointed at the swords.

  “My cousin found these stashed inside Teryani’s chambers. Take the swords to the armory. Ekon, stay behind. You will spend the night with Sarfina. See to it that she is satisfied.”

  As Albedo took his first step toward the door, I wasn’t sure if the next thump I heard was his boot or my jaw hitting the floor.

  “Excuse me, what?” I screeched.

  Albedo pursed his lips. “Perhaps you prefer Temmad,” he said, flicking his wrist at a dark-skinned Fae making his way to the swords.

  Temmad stopped in his tracks and straightened up. Then he turned slowly in a full circle for me to inspect, flexing his arms as he did. When he’d completed his spin, he lifted his brows and smiled at me close-lipped.

  I stared at him, stunned. I mean, he was certainly built and had a devouring gaze that had me leaning forward rather than away, but what the actual freak berries?

  “Uh,” I said, swallowing to add moisture to my parched throat. “I’m actually really tired tonight.”

  “Too tired for Temmad?” Albedo questioned me, frowning.

  Pit! What would Sarfina do? Climb him like a walnut tree and go after his nuts?

  “It was a really, really long walk from Dahlquist. Maybe tomorrow, after I’ve gotten some rest and a bath.” I glanced sideways at Temmad and attempted to giggle. It came out as more of a nervous chuckle.

  “As you wish, Cousin,” Albedo said. He strode out, soon followed by his four guards after they’d collected all the weapons.

  Pit on a stem! Bye-bye to all my pointy friends—the whole damn pile.

  I crossed my arms, walked up to the chamber’s open door, and peered out. A skinny guard with long copper hair stared back at me. There were more like him standing along the hall. Albedo believed me for now, but clearly he didn’t trust me.

  I slammed the door shut, spun around, rushed over to the sapphire crown, and kicked it into the wall.

  Lyklor’s blond head popped up from the far side of the bed, causing my heart to jolt. He stood and twisted his lips to one side, glowering at the chamber door.

  “He took all the swords,” I said with a pout.

  “No surprise,” Lyklor said. His thick light blond hair covered his eyebrows, the tips practically touching the bright blues of his eyes. He was tan skinned with light hair, whereas his cousin was pale and dark. But his lips were molded into
a frown that reminded me of Albedo’s. Lyklor didn’t look like he smiled much either, which wasn’t a huge surprise given the company he was forced to keep.

  “How did you know he was coming?” I asked.

  “Years of intuition.” Lyklor answered, coming around the bed to the foot of the mattress. He pressed one leg against the silky white coverlet and stared at me, his expression unchanging.

  I stared back, waiting for him to say something more. The longer I looked into his brilliant blue eyes, the drier my throat became.

  Finally, his lips moved. “You didn’t want to make a night of it with Ekon and Temmad?” There was amusement in his tone even though he wasn’t smiling.

  “Ew, no,” I said, wrinkling my nose.

  “Ew?” Lyklor folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at me like I’d just personally offended him.

  “Well, not ew, but no,” I hemmed, pressing my toe into the rug.

  “Not up to your standards?”

  “What? No. I mean, sure, they’re all muscley and stuff, but no, I’m not interested.” Ugh, why was he making me feel all flustered? I blamed Albedo for taking my swords and offering to replace them with, well—

  “Is it because they’re Fae?” Lyklor pressed.

  “Of course not. I happen to have a boyfriend.” I pursed my lips. “Well, sort of. I guess we’re on a break, but I don’t think it’s permanent. We’re on good terms.”

  “Good terms,” Lyklor repeated with a smirk. “And where is this male now?”

  “Pinemist”—I lifted my chin—“helping rebuild our town after the damage your cousins caused with their ogres.”

  “Ah. So he’s an elf.” Lyklor said, as though it explained everything to him. Naturally, he ignored the part about his cousins and ogres.

  “Yes, he’s an elf—a badass one,” I said, not meaning to sound defensive.

  “From your hometown,” Lyklor added.

  “Yeah, what of it?” I put my hands on my hips.

  Lyklor loosened his arms and shrugged. “Nothing.” He moved away from the bed, grabbing a throw pillow and blanket off an armchair. “Since we’re both stuck in here for the night, I’ll sleep in the closet,” he announced.