by R. Scarlett
Silence, and then Molly felt Tensley’s hand stroke her cheek and into her hair, brushing it to the side. “She does.”
“Sleep, Tensley,” Daphne said and shut the door.
Tensley continued to stroke her hair and she almost fell back asleep until his husky voice roused her. “You are my court,” he whispered. His thumb pressed to her bottom lip and tugged. “You are my crown.” His thumb stroked circles into her lips and then he leaned forward, pressing his own brutal lips to hers. “You are my queen.”
Molly blinked back tears and tightened her grasp on her son, glancing up at him.
She sat up and kissed him, once, twice, and lost count.
“What if we name him Illya?” she asked against his mouth.
He paused and she sat back, trying to read his expression. “Illya?”
She rubbed his chest and smiled. “Yes. Illya Salvatore Knight.”
His lips tugged into a ghost of a smile and he kissed Illya’s nose. “My warrior.”
DAYS PASSED AND baby Illya grew, faster than the doctor expected, but he was healthy. As Molly tucked him into his cradle, she couldn’t look away. Every night she slept between them, but Daphne suggested they try the cradle.
Thankfully, Tensley hadn’t left and had been dealing with both Scorpios and High Court as much as he could.
When he wasn’t dealing with that, he was with her. She never would have imagined him being so involved with the baby—changing diapers, rocking him to sleep, bathing him, holding him. All he wanted was to be with them.
“Dolcezza,” Tensley whispered into her ear and spread his large hands across her stomach. It was still flabby, but everyone told her breastfeeding would help lose the weight. Tensley would kiss her cheek and tell her just how beautiful she was constantly. “Come to bed.”
“I will,” she whispered back.
“I’ll watch him,” he told her as he took her hand, guiding her back to bed.
She frowned at him and forced him to lie down. “You need to sleep, too.” She combed his hair back and he grinned at her. “What?”
“Are you going to be a bossy mother?”
She tried to frown, but the smile won and she smacked his arm. “You like me bossy.”
“I do in certain places,” he muttered and kissed her, his hand holding her thigh and moving her closer. “I received a letter.”
“Hmm?”
“From High Court,” he told her and she sat up.
“What did it say?” Her heart was in her throat.
Those dark eyes stared up at her. “The court knows the baby was born and they say he must be presented to the court, as per tradition.”
THOSE VIVID EYES flashed—an angry, vicious tornado twisting within them.
“Tensley,” she gasped.
“Don’t worry, I’m not letting them near either of you,” he told her, stroking her hair behind her ear.
She frowned at him. “They won’t rest until they see him, Tensley. Simply telling them no will create more issues.”
His jaw set. He knew she was right. The tension between him and the court, especially now between Lilith and him was not good.
Had she told them about the curse?
About his heart?
Would they try to kill him upon arrival?
She had sent letters upon letters to him saying he either returned to High Court with the baby at once, or she would send someone for him.
He knew if they returned to court he’d be in danger.
And so would be Molly and the baby.
He didn’t trust a single soul there.
“It’s a custom for the child of the king to be blessed in front of the court, with the king and the queen present as well,” he told her. “But fuck their rules and customs, I’m king now and this court doesn’t rule me. I’m not risking taking both of you with me there. It’s too dangerous.”
“Tensley, I’m not letting you go there alone. If you go, then I go too. Especially now more than ever with your heart and the beast forming one because of the curse. I didn’t know, I’m — I’m sorry Tensley… had I known…” she shook her head, a deep frown etched between her beautifully sculpted brows, and he reached for her, smoothing it out gently. “You’re at risk now that Lilith knows. And she could be telling the whole damn court as we speak. But I’m… I’m stronger than ever. With my powers at their full capacity, I’m a true threat to them. But they don’t know this yet, I can let them think I’m weak, let them think they can control me, so they won’t suspect me to be any sort of threat. If they were to hurt you, Tensley… I—” she shook her head again, chasing away the words. “We can protect each other together. We’re stronger together.”
He stared at the rare woman in front of him, so tender, but so much venom in her bones and blood. She was what the gods would have fought for, would have waged wars and conquered cities just to glimpse at that tender venom.
And it was his.
He wanted to please her, he wanted to provide and protect her, and if she wanted to attend court with the snakes, he’d stand beside her.
His fingertips traced the edge of her face, sweeping into her golden curls and fisting them gently. “You’re the tamer of beasts. Your command is final,” he whispered, his gaze lingering on those rosebud lips. “But we have to be very, very careful, Molly. I have no doubt Lilith wants me dead. And I wouldn’t put it past her for you to be the next on her list. She’s tired of us. She’ll make a move, somehow. So we must be ready, we must be careful. I don’t want you out of my sight,” he said as his thumb came up to caress her bottom lip, dragging it out.
A glint of desire flashed in her eyes and she too looked at his lips. “I only tamed one beast. My beast,” she said and placed her hand on his chest. He let her feel the roar of his forbidden heart.
He leaned forward, his lips skimming hers with a touch that just stirred his beast. He fisted his hands. He needed to be gentle with her and he would. He enjoyed watching her fuss over their baby, watching her brow furrowed when she was concerned she did something wrong with him. It had been like a rebirth of their love.
“We go tomorrow,” he told her, resting his forehead against hers and he pulled her closer onto his chest. “I’ll find a way to be here. As much as possible, dolcezza. I’m not sacrificing anymore time away from you. A court of snakes would never be more important than you are. But my only way out of this crown is death, and I’m not quite ready to leave my wife alone,” he said with a wry, seductive smile. “I enjoy her a bit too much still. So we fight back, and we make that court kneel once and for all.”
She squeezed those vivid eyes shut and a single painful breath passed through her lips. He gently stroked her jaw line, soothing her to open her eyes again.
When she did, they were wet and bloodshot and her bottom lip quivered, but she smiled up at him. “I love you. I don’t care if it’s forbidden, I don’t care if it’s a curse against you. I don’t care. I love you so much,” she gasped and big pearly tears rolled down her rosy cheeks.
He kissed her wet cheeks and licked away the tears. He smiled at her. “Curse me again, dolcezza. Curse me every day for the rest of my life.”
He brushed his lips against her and they fell down onto the bed together. He held her, running his fingers through her hair and listening to her breathing, slow and deep.
Tomorrow, they were going back to hell.
Tomorrow, he was taking the two most precious things in his dark existence to the darkest realm.
Tomorrow, he would kill a queen if it meant saving them.
TENSLEY EYED THE crowd of worn men and women in front of him. He needed to speak to them. He needed to lift their spirits before he and Molly went to High Court.
He needed to be the leader he hadn’t been for them in longer than he dared think about.
The boardroom was silent, all eyes on him as he stood, clearing his throat. His dolcezza had taken the reins while he was away, but this was his duty. His people to look after a
nd he would never abandon them.
He nodded at his brother, Beau, who was standing a few feet away. Upon signal, Beau growled lowly, ever the beast, and the room shushed, all heads turning toward Tensley, waiting.
“Demons, members of Scorpios, I, Dux of Scorpios, stand before you today because we have all suffered greatly. Scorpios has been going through dark times, difficult times. We’ve been threatened with war and have fought against enemies, and in doing so, we’ve lost some strong, courageous soldiers from our family. We have also lost innocents. Friends, daughters, sons, husbands, wives, mothers… and like some of you, I share the loss of a father,” he began, straightening, his eyes scanning the crowded room.
“Ares succeeded in poisoning some of us from the inside, of forcing some of us to turn on our own, but we fought back. We didn’t back down. We, Scorpios, are born with brutal scars marring our skin and we grow up learning to embrace them. Because our scars are what make us stronger, they’re what makes us more vicious to our opponents. Defeats and losses are not to be forgotten, buried in shame. They are to be embraced too, just like our scars, so that as a family, we can learn from them, so that together we can learn from them and continue to grow stronger and thrive.
“I may wear the title of king, but I will always be first and foremost a Scorpios. There is no royal blood running through my veins, but there is Scorpios blood running through them, and one can’t forget their own blood. It lives within me, feeds my soul and fills the air that I breathe. They can break my bones, bleed me to death, it wouldn’t change a thing. I am a Scorpios. I am one of you. No one, no king, no gods, can take what we are away from us. Even in death.
“The men we lost through this war, should be remembered with respect, and honor. We are brothers, we are one, and no grave in hell will change that. We strike, unprovoked!” he roared their motto, and the men and women in the crowed joined in with the same tone.
Tensley paused, rolling his hands into fists beside him. “But with each death comes a birth. A few days ago, we were blessed with one. With a child of Scorpios blood, running deep within him. My son, Illya Salvatore Knight, was born on Friday, February 3rd 2017, only hours after the bloodshed we went through as a family.”
The crowd stirred at that, but quieted down.
“He has a heart, a human heart. One that beats and might beat out of love. But he’s still a Scorpios. He still possesses our poison, our ruthless blood inside of him and he will be raised beside us. He will be raised like one of us, raised to be the heir. We will grow, we will rebuild, and we will rise like our forefathers. No other group will rival us. No court will rule us, but ourselves.”
The men cheered at that and Tensley turned, leaving the room.
A hand locked on his shoulder and he looked back to see Illya there.
Illya’s bloodshot eyes pierced his own.
He didn’t need to say a word and pulled him into an embrace.
An embrace of brothers, an embrace speaking so much more than words ever could.
He had given his best friend’s name to their son, and Tensley would never regret his decision.
Illya was a warrior. He had gone through so much, had lost so much, but he had come out a survivor, always.
And Tensley would make sure his son grew to admire the man.
He’d grow to be a warrior too.
MOLLY FIXED HER hood again and held baby Illya closer to her chest as they entered the palace.
Tensley stood to her side, his arm brushing against her own. Every so often, he turned to look at her and she knew he was worried. The entire morning he paced, silent, deep in his own thoughts and she hadn’t pried. They were going back into the heart of the beast.
The last place she wanted to be, but she’d do this. She’d please the court so they could leave them alone.
But what would happen after? Would they want more from them? Their son was technically the new prince. Would they want him present in court?
She scowled at that.
No, her son would stay with her. Away from the court of filthy snakes and wolves that wanted to feast on their young and dethrone their king.
She shivered at the thought and tightened her grip on Illya who cooed softly, his tiny fists curled to his chest.
Tensley’s fingertips stroked the back of her hand and she glanced up at him. He stared, his features drawn into a blank expression, but it was his touch that told her he was there. They were together and he wouldn’t let anything happen to them.
She smiled faintly back at him.
As they neared the throne room, Molly heard the court’s voices—raised, powerful—and she remembered the day they banished her. She would walk in those doors next to her husband, their king, and her newborn son in her arms.
They had tried to damn her, destroy what little relationship she had left with Tensley, but she had risen and now she stood above them.
Seto stood at the double doors, his hands clenched behind his back and his head bowed as they approached.
His stern expression softened at the sound of the baby cooing, his arms waving slightly and Molly smiled at Seto.
She stopped in front of him and pushed back the white blanket wrapped around Illya, showing him the sleepy baby.
Seto didn’t touch him, but he stared, slowly taking him in. “He’s a fighter.”
Illya grunted back and searched for her breast, growing irritated. Molly stroked his chubby cheeks.
When she stole a look at Seto, she saw the desire for the same thing. He wanted a child; he wanted to have a family with Prim. After everything they had been though, she hoped they would. They deserved to finally be happy.
“How’s Prim,” she asked with a worried frown.
Seto’s eyes turned sad, heavy. “She… she’s doing a bit better. Slowly, we are… we are getting there.”
The court roared behind the doors and Molly scowled. “The beasts are restless, aren’t they?”
Tensley placed a hand on the small of her back and glared at the doors. “They want to see him. Once they do, hopefully they will settle down.”
Molly’s lips thinned. She doubted that, but she figured Tensley was saying that to comfort her.
“Let’s go,” she told him, as she was now the restless one. She wanted this over with so they could go back home. She stole one last precious look at her baby and kissed his cheeks. It was terrifying how much influence, how much power this baby had over a court of thirsty demons.
“If…” Seto said, sounding hurried. “If anything was to happen. If any of you was to be in danger, I wanted you to know that you can count on me. To help you, to protect you.”
Tensley nodded, his eyes saying the words he didn’t.
He was grateful. Molly knew deep down that Tensley, no matter how strong he was, would take any help he could get to protect them, to protect his family.
Seto nodded back, then his eyes shifted to the guards on either side of the doors and they moved, pushing the heavy iron doors open.
The court hushed.
Molly stared at the throne room, glistening in gold touches and white marble slabs, eyeing the demons that lined each side of the aisle, leading down to the thrones.
She eyed Lilith and the prince at the end, standing opposite to Tensley and her.
Molly breathed out deeply, straightening her back in front of the court.
She wasn’t afraid of them anymore.
She was the daemon and she would bow to no one.
Especially Lilith.
Tensley’s hand, still warm on her back stroked once and then he moved them forward.
Together, with their infant son, the two of them, side by side, walked with ease and grace down the aisle.
Every single demon watched them in silence. No one cheered, no one spoke as they moved, her gown whispering across the marble floor.
Illya snuggled against her breast; completely unaware of the danger he was surrounded by.
As they neared the two golden thro
nes, Tensley’s fingers tightened against her. She eyed Lilith, her gaze unwavering and Lilith didn’t look away.
The prince stood further to the side, one gloved hand gripping the handle of his sword, an indifferent expression across his features. Tensley had brought a babe to court, his son, a future heir, and the prince was forced to stay on the sidelines, waiting yet again for his chance at the throne.
She wondered if the prince still held true to his promise. If once she returned the beasts’ heart, he would receive the throne.
But if Tensley gave up the throne now how would they protect themselves from the court? He seemed to believe his only way out was through death. But Tensley had the power to bend rules, rules including his own heart, now beating against her back like a constant reminder he was there.
“My king,” Lilith said, her eyes shifting to Tensley and she curtsied, lowering, but her head never bowing, her gaze never parting from his.
Slowly, she raised, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. “We are pleased of your return.”
Tensley simply stayed silent, his jaw locked tight and his hand massaging Molly’s back. She wondered if touching her was more to calm him.
Illya cooed and Molly looked down at him, cooing back, swaying him a few times to calm him also.
When she realized how silent the court was she looked up to find Lilith staring at the child with a frown.
“Is that the child?” Lilith asked, turning her attention to Tensley.
“Our son,” he told her with a bite to his words. “You wish to anoint and present him to the court.”
She nodded once, her eyes returning to the baby in Molly’s arms. She stared far longer than Molly was comfortable with and a flash of something dark glinted in her eyes.
A look Molly did not trust.
LILITH SNAPPED HER fingers; startling Molly and a man came forward, carrying a bowl of holy water.
The man bowed in front of the two of them, his hands quivering as the porcelain white bowl shook, the water splashing.
Lilith hissed at him as she took the bowl and he bowed again, stepping away.
