Knightfall (Tangled Crowns Book 1)

by Ann Denton

  Like that?

  Love it.

  I stroked the edge of his ear again as our tongues danced and his fingers wandered down my spine to grab my ass. He pulled me even tighter against him.

  Just then, the bedroom door swung open and Ryan entered with a carafe of wine and two glasses in his hands. “I hope you’re ready for—what the hell?”

  Quinn and I broke apart. I tried to climb out of his lap, but he wouldn’t let me. He held onto my hips. He let me turn enough that I could see Ryan, who had stopped in the doorway and was glaring down at us.

  Quinn stood, dragging me behind him. I tried to wipe the tears off my face, but I was sure it was still blotchy.

  I wasn’t sure what Quinn thought at Ryan, but Ryan exploded.

  “What the sard are you talking about? This was my night. We’d agreed. I just went out for a second to get some goddamned wine so I didn’t shoot my load in two seconds!”

  Quinn must have said something then.

  “—I wouldn’t do that!” Ryan leaned around Quinn, making eye contact with me. “I didn’t leave you here to teach you a lesson, Blossie,” he whispered gently. “The burgmaster wanted a word, and then one of my fathers, and my uncle—”

  My face flushed. Shite. I was so stupid. What an idiot. Of course. His family rarely saw him. And it was a party out there. Of course. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I thought—”

  “I know.” Ryan set the wine and glasses down on the dresser with the basin and rag. “Come here.” He held his arms out for me.

  I walked around Quinn toward Ryan. The tears started up without my permission. “I would have deserved it, if you had left,” I said, as he wrapped me up in his arms.

  “No, you wouldn’t have,” Ryan grunted. “You didn’t leave out of spite or anger. You left because of whatever stupid spell is on you.” He crushed me into a hug.

  “I did,” I muttered into his neck. “I really did.”

  Ryan latched onto the back of my thighs and lifted my legs so that they surrounded his waist. He hugged me closer, kissing the top of my head. “Little Dearling. I’m not gonna hurt you. Okay? I won’t ever hurt you.”

  My tears turned to sobs. I couldn’t help it. I ugly-cried as he held me.

  When I opened my eyes to wipe them for what must have been the fifth time, I saw two little raccoons perched on the ground on their hind legs, staring at me. As soon as they realized I was looking, one of them started doing somersaults. The other held out its hands, like it wanted to hug me.

  I choked. “Dammit Quinn!”

  “What’s he doing now?” Ryan growled, hugging me tighter.

  “Making me laugh.”

  One of the raccoons ran to Ryan’s foot and started pulling on his pant leg, as if he were trying to drag the half-giant away.

  I swiped my arm across my face one last time. “Alright. I’m done crying. Okay?”

  The raccoon who’d been somersaulting stopped and ran back to me, chattering happily.

  I tapped Ryan on the shoulder. “You can put me down now.”

  “What if I don’t want to?”

  I rubbed his shoulder, sliding his shirt aside, the sculpted muscle gliding beneath my palm. “I need a drink.” I did. My throat was scratchy.

  Ryan sighed. “Fine. But don’t judge me for the hard on.”

  “I won’t if you don’t look at my ruined face.”

  “Deal.”

  He let me slide down slowly. His erection was incredibly evident. Almost intimidating. Half-giant meant half-giant everywhere.

  “You like crying?” I hoped not. That was a little too much kink for me.

  “No. I haven’t had a naked woman pressed up against me in six years, Bloss.”

  “Got it,” I nodded.

  Quinn handed me a glass of wine, which I drained as if it were whiskey. “Oh, I needed that.”

  “Now, that, I liked,” Ryan said as I handed the glass back to Quinn. “A princess who can drink like a sailor.”

  “And curse like one too,” I gave a wink, but my eyelashes were still crusted together from the tears, so I don’t think it looked sassy as I’d intended.

  Quinn handed me a refilled glass. Then he handed one to Ryan. He picked up the carafe and held it in his own hand.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  Now we drink. And see if we can convince you to take us both on at once.

  Quinn must have muttered the same in Ryan’s head, because Ryan lifted his glass with a, “Hell, yes!” He downed it in one.

  I smiled and shook my head but downed the second glass of wine at their urging. A minute later, the alcohol hit. “So, question. Four years together. No other women. You guys ever help each other out?” I looked from one to the other. The idea was kind of hot.

  “She’s officially drunk,” Ryan grinned.

  I looked at Quinn’s grey eyes. “Come on. You didn’t ever send them dirty images like you sent me?”

  I don’t kiss and tell, Dove, he winked.

  “Bullshite! You told them everything you’d done to me.”

  Ah, well. Now, everyone benefits from that.

  Across the room, a wavering voice said, “Everyone would benefit knowing they can come from just your magic, Peace.”

  I turned. Declan was peering at us with bleary eyes. “Are you naked, wife?” he asked, squinting.

  “Yes.”

  “Sard it. Get over here so I can see.”

  I laughed and walked over. When I bent to check on him, Ryan groaned.

  “That ass!”

  “Get over here and spank it, why don’t you?” I winked back at him.

  At that, they all moaned.

  I rolled my eyes and leaned forward to feel Declan’s forehead. “Are you feeling okay? Need anything?”

  “Yes. Come closer,” Declan breathed.

  I leaned down. And that’s when Declan’s arms scooped me up. His hands wrapped around my back and he rolled me so I was flat on the floor. He mounted me and pinned me down. Then he slid down my body until he laid spread out across my lower body, his head resting on one of my thighs. He locked his arms around one of my legs, his legs around the other. “Now, don’t move,” he ordered.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m a human chase titty … a human chassity … you know what I mean—belt.”

  Declan swallowed, and made a huge effort to speak slowly and clearly. His eyes bugged out as he said, “No way I’m gonna let these sarding beardsplitters in there when I can’t. Ughh … my stomach did not like that move.”

  “Declan!” Shock and awe rocked me to the core. Sweet Declan had gone insane. And dirty. Was he into the group thing? I didn’t even know if I was into the group thing.

  “Sard off, Dec!” Ryan came over and gave him a tap with his foot.

  “No,” Declan snuggled in stronger. “She can get you off with her power like she did me. That’s it. Then, we’re getting married. And we’re doing it all together. Fair and square.”

  “Married?” My heart dropped. He couldn’t mean that. I mean, yes, everyone else thought we were married. But he couldn’t actually want to marry me. No. It was drunk talk. Nothing more. “He’s crazy.”

  I left my inner monologue to find two very intense pairs of eyes staring down at me. One set chocolate, the other grey.

  “What does he mean, you made him come with your power?” Ryan asked.

  “I didn’t mean to. I was just demonstrating control today—”

  “It was awesome. Best orgasm I’ve had in years,” Declan yawned. “Give it to them, Bloss. So I can go back to sleep.”

  Yes, give it to me, Dove, Quinn’s eyes bore into mine.

  I bit my lip. Seeing the two of them looming over me, desperate and hard, it took my breath away. But if I couldn’t touch them, at least I deserved a sarding show out of this. “Strip,” I ordered.

  Two seconds later, a pile of clothes landed on Declan’s face.

  “I know what you’re doing,”
he muttered, through the cotton. “Not letting go. And if you get cum on me, I’m killing you. Tomorrow,” he yawned again.

  Ryan stood on one side of me, a muscled warrior who was so tall and stacked he had to duck and turn sideways to fit through most doors. His body was ripple after ripple of muscle lit by candlelight.

  Quinn stood on my other side. He was fair-skinned and compared to Ryan, he looked slender. But he still had defined shoulders and pecs. A tattoo of a ship ran across his abs. And the contrast of his black happy trail against his white stomach left me aching.

  Both men proudly stroked their erections. Ryan’s was thick, like him. The thought of him spreading me open had me quivering in fear and excited anticipation. Quinn’s was long, and the head of his dick had a huge mushroom tip. The kind the women at the whorehouse always gushed about, saying it could rub some spot inside them and make them come apart at the seams.

  Sard.

  I grew slick against Declan. I wiggled, trying to get free.

  “No,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss against my hip. “Help them, Bloss.”

  I reached out my hands.

  “What do we do?” Ryan asked.

  “Keep stroking.” I breathed, breasts heaving with desire.

  I tried to push my power at them. But I couldn’t. I tried again. It was there, tingling beneath the surface of my skin. But it wouldn’t release. It was trapped. I looked up at them. Their eyes were fixed on me. If they watched, they’d see the price of my power. Sard. The geas wouldn’t let that happen.

  “Close your eyes,” I ordered.

  I grabbed their shirts from Declan’s face, and pulled them over my wrists, hoping the fabric would hide enough. I’d have to be exact, only use a bit of power.

  Declan was facing away from me, so as long as he didn’t move, that wouldn’t be an issue.

  I stared up at Ryan and Quinn, their faces contorted as they both stroked their lengths. And I let a tendril of peace unfurl from each hand. A green arrow of light shot toward each of the men. I hit them each on the head of their dicks. I focused, making the power swirl down their shafts, constricting and releasing, and constricting again. I reached their balls, ran my power smoothly like a snake across the surface and to the skin behind their sacs. Then I sent that little pulse of peace up into them from that sensitive spot, right to that little gland that made men roar.

  Ryan bellowed as I watched as a fountain of cum erupted from him.

  Quinn came shortly after, his spray jetting out, his eyes flying open and finding mine.

  I released the tendrils of peace, sure to keep my throbbing wrists hidden. I ignored the pain there, because the throbbing between my thighs was so intense.

  “Please, Declan,” I begged, grinding my hips up toward him so that there was no doubt what I was begging him for.

  Declan reached between my thighs, stroking softly.

  I groaned in frustration. “Declan, you put your mouth on me right now!”

  He complied. His tongue flicked over my opening, stroking from top to bottom.

  “Yes, again!” I ordered. As his tongue slid down, I arched up. The pleasure warmed my entire body. By the third stroke of his tongue, I was nearly mindless. My legs were thrashing.

  A set of lips closed around my nipple.

  My eyes flew open to see Quinn, suckling my right breast.

  Ryan knelt on my other side. He slid my arm over, to give himself more room.

  “WHAT THE SARD!”

  Everyone stopped. And my orgasm, my beautiful orgasm, popped like a bubble. It disappeared into thin air as Declan and Quinn stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to stare at Ryan.

  Ryan lifted my bleeding wrist. His eyes turned on me accusingly. “What is this, Bloss?”

  Declan sat up. He grabbed my wrist and blinked a few times. “Her arm is full of scars.”

  Quinn uncovered my other hand, and the matching wound.

  I held my breath. I was caught, like a deer.

  The men exchanged glances.

  Finally, Declan’s eyes settled on mine. “Humans and half-humans have to pay a price for their magic, since humans aren’t naturally magical creatures. Bloss, is the price of peace magic … your blood?”

  I couldn’t answer, only widen my eyes.

  “It is, isn’t it?” Declan continued, not at all discouraged by my lack of response.

  “What the sarding hell does that mean?” Ryan asked.

  Declan stroked my wrist gently and said, “It means … if she uses too much power, she dies.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Sard that!” Ryan grabbed me and pulled me away from the others, into his lap. “Don’t you dare use that sarding magic ever again, Bloss.” He cradled me and used his magic to pulse gently over each of the wounds in my skin, closing them. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his rage after.

  Quinn stared at me, tears forming in his eyes, until I felt compelled to reach out and take his hand in mine.

  I tried to send a little hopping bunny through my thoughts, but he shook his head and kissed my knuckles.

  Declan bent his leg and leaned on it, contemplative. “That’s why you’ve always worn long sleeves. Huh. I just thought you were cold.”

  I bit my lip and shook my head. I still wasn’t sure how much of the geas was active. I decided to test it. “Padded sleeves.” So, it was loosened. I could say a little.

  Ryan turned my head toward him. “But when I was still a guard … we’d have combat practice … your mother would always make you come down and stop us.”

  I nodded.

  “Bitch,” he tucked me further into him, my face nestled against his rippling pecs.

  “That’s why you left,” Declan mused. “Before we married.”

  I nodded.

  Both Quinn and Ryan looked to him for an explanation.

  “If the Queen dies, her knights go with her.”

  Ryan squeezed me even harder.

  Quinn sent me a mental image of a red ribbon flying through the air, surrounding the two of us until we were pressed together. The ribbon wrapped around us tighter and tighter, sealing us together until we were unable to move.

  “I didn’t want that for any of you,” I muttered. “You all deserve a queen that actually has a chance.”

  Quinn snorted.

  I turned and looked at him. “All it will take is one war. If it gets bad enough, I can’t help it.”

  Ryan looked down at me, “In the weapons room?”

  I shook my head. The geas let me say, “No control. It was instinct.”

  “Then we’ll just make sure there are no wars,” Declan declared.

  I laughed, somewhat bitterly. “The seven kingdoms of Kenmare haven’t been able to go without war for more than a decade. There are centuries of history betting against you.”

  “Well, maybe all those other rulers didn’t have the same motivation we have,” Ryan growled.

  “And what’s that?”

  His hand slipped down and stroked my inner thigh. “We’ve been waiting years to get between these legs. No way I’m letting some war mongering assholes mess that up.”

  Ryan’s declaration broke the tension. And we all laughed.

  We returned to the palace in the dead of night. For once, I didn’t check on Avia. Instead, I went to my old room, and all three men followed. They slumped onto my bed surrounding me, each one slinging an arm across my body. Declan ended up at my feet, grumbling, but I promised him we’d rotate the following day.

  I woke up with a crick in my neck, to find Connor staring down at all of us, his lips curled in disgust.

  “Orgies, Bloss? I suppose enough time in a whorehouse—”

  I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes before glaring at Connor.

  He deserved to be told off, but I didn’t bother to defend myself. It would only make things worse. And a queen who can’t hold her tongue isn’t much of a queen.

  Declan popped up at my feet. “Did you know Bloss ble
eds—” the geas cut him off. He ran a hand through his blond hair. He opened his mouth several more times, but anything he wanted to say must have been prohibited. My mother had set up the spell so the geas applied to anyone who knew about my power. Now Declan, Quinn, and Ryan were bound.

  “Frustrating, isn’t it?” I told him.

  “What’s going on, Declan?” Connor ignored me.

  Quinn sat up. He focused on Connor, but frowned. Eventually, he turned to me.

  I can’t tell him anything.

  Thank my mother’s geas. Can’t reveal my weakness to the world. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before someone finds out …

  Declan clapped his hands and said, “Alright, let’s get a move on.” He pointed at Connor, “You need to spend the day with Bloss checking Lady Agatha’s livestock issue. We have planning to do. Prince Abbas coming to court Avia is only increasing the tension with Sedara. Macedon has also submitted a request to have their princes visit. And I need to unravel that with Quinn and Ryan,” Declan turned brisk and business-like, even bossy.

  “What?” I gaped.

  “What?” Connor gaped. “Foreign diplomacy is my arena. You go check on Lady Agatha’s cows!”

  “We don’t think this is diplomacy. We believe these are the first moves of war. Macedon and Cheryn have been itching to take on Sedara since the end of the last Fire War. Ryan needs strategic help getting Evaness set up to defend itself. I don’t trust either of these visits are purely about finding a wife. I’ll need to move our supplies around to support Ryan. Quinn will need to piece together what his associates can find out. Once we’ve determined a plan, then you and your official policies will be decided. But, get the hell out so we can do our jobs!” Declan stood from the bed and stretched, as if he had not just commanded every eye in the room.

  I stared at him, open-mouthed. I hardly noticed when he offered me a hand to help me down from the bed. My stomach was in knots, but my core was on fire. Declan being all scholar-in-charge was … I had trouble controlling my breathing.

  Declan noticed and smiled, pulling me closer.

  I leaned up to whisper in his ear, “Are you still drunk? Or what the hell was that?”