Page 8 of Tortured Royals

The rest of us turn to Theon expectantly, and he gives us a nervous smile. “Excuse me for the moment. I will gather some supplies and return shortly.”

The healer hurries out of sight, and the rest of us stand around idly. I move to the shade of one of the nearby buildings, and Nate, Dante, and Alaric follow me, leaning on the white stone. Mason takes a step toward us, but then he stops abruptly, his gaze fixed to something on the ground.

I notice the severed finger in the dirt, not far from his position. Going by the dark ink patterned onto the wrinkled skin, and the ruby ring that’s still attached, I’m guessing it’s from one of the witches. Mason reaches down, and I wince, already knowing where this is going.

“When will they learn that severed limbs aren’t my favorite?”I mumble to Shade.

The crow laughs in my head.“Well, you are a demon. I can see why they’re confused.”

Nate shoots me a grin, and it’s obvious he’s eager to see how this plays out.

I open my mouth, about to explain to Mason the same thing I had to explain to Prince Callan and Nate when they’d brought me severed heads as gifts, but my eyes widen when my mate turns and there’s a single flower in his grasp. It’s a wildflower that has been growing between the flat stones of the street, a small golden flower with six delicate petals and a splash of violet in its center. Somehow, it was completely spared from the violence, and there’s not a single drop of blood on it.

“For you, my mate,” Mason says as he moves in front of me. “Because at all times we must treasure those most precious to us.” He leans over, tucking it above my ear, and my skin flushes with heat.

“Swooooon,”Shade gushes, gazing appreciatively at Mason.

Nate blows out a breath and runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck me, he’s good,” he grumbles.

I smile, completely ignoring Nate’s defeated expression, and the way Alaric is glowering as if my centaur mate has personally offended him. Dante merely looks amused, and entirely ready to join in on the action at a moment’s notice.

“Mason is definitely my current favorite,”Shade muses, and my smile grows bigger, because right now, I have to agree.

Chapter

Four

~ Princess Blake ~

Theon leads us through the dead forest until the ashen trees abruptly end, and the forest is teeming with life again in the span of a single step. The trees are lush with heart-shaped golden leaves that glisten in the sun, and bees and other insects fly through the air, visiting the flowers nestled amongst the weeds and grasses.

It feels like not much time has passed when we reach a small valley filled with thousands of golden and violet wildflowers that scent the air with a rich, sweet aroma. We climb down a slope, and nestled in the middle of the valley, we find three large pools of water. Steam rises in wispy curls from the water’s surface, making the air thick and humid, and magic makes my skin prickle with awareness. Carefully, I assess my surroundings.

“Whoa, so I guess these are the hot springs,”Shade comments, perking up on my shoulder.“Have you ever seen water so blue?”

“Only once when I visited Norso,”I reply, eyeing the crystal water and recalling a time when I’d had to attend a royal celebration in the realm of the water monsters. It had been a strange event that involved a lot of nudity from the citizens, but the water surrounding the island we were on had been an incredible vibrant blue that glittered like sapphires, sparkles dancing on the water like we were staring at an ocean filled with glitter.

Theon places down the large golden basket he’s been carrying this entire time, and he walks over to the closest pool. Crouching, he dips one of his hands into the water, and he closes his eyes as he scoops water onto his head. Droplets trail down his face, clinging to his lashes, and he smiles as he lets out a long breath. It’s a wide, relaxed, unnatural smile, and I watch the male suspiciously as he opens his eyes and stands, still beaming like he’s just heard the best news of his entire life. He looks nothing like the solemn archangel who’d been leading us through the forest not long ago.

“Okay, I don’t know what just happened, but I’ll have whatever he’s had,”Shade comments, hopping excitedly on my shoulder.

Frowning, I study the archangel’s face and watch him for any more strange behavior.

“What is this place?” Alaric growls, clearly having picked up on Theon’s odd change in mood as well. I can still feel the foreign magic in the air, and though my senses aren’t telling me it’s dangerous, I remain wary.

Theon’s eyes sparkle, and he indicates to the three pools with his hand. “These waters have unique properties. Angels come here when they need a little…reminder of how life is to be cherished. Individuals are affected in different ways, but the result is always the same.”

“Unique properties?”I repeat to Shade.

“I knew it! He totally just got high off that stuff.”She opens her wings like she’s about to fly into one of the pools, but I lift my hand, stroking her feathers as I try to calm her.

“We don’t even know what it does, let alone how it will affect a bird,”I try to rationalize with her.

“True,”she admits.“But he said the result is always the same, and if that result is a buzz that lasts as long as their eternal summer, I’m down.”

I shake my head, and I keep stroking her, mostly to make sure she doesn’t dive into the pool. Not until we have more information.

“What unique properties?” Dante asks, looking just as eager as Shade to go for a dip.

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