Page 18 of Tortured Royals

The archangel guards stationed outside the room, march inside, standing on either side of the open door.

I let out a noise of frustration. “With all due respect, you’re not seeing sense, your highness. Nowisthe time to call for aid. You need to think of the lives at stake.”

Queen Vespera’s lips thin. “And you would do well to remember your place, half-breed.”

The slur stings, but I’m careful not to let any emotion show on my face. My mates shift around me, tension emanating from them, but I shake my head subtly. The last thing I want is for my mates to start a war simply because the angel queen stated the truth.

“The demon princess is right to be concerned,” Prince Callan says, his eyes shining with hate as he stares at his mother. “It can’t be a coincidence that the witches are targeting Toralyn after all this time.”

Queen Vespera’s gaze drifts from me, settling briefly on my other mates before finally landing on her son. Her lips twist into a humorless smile. “And you, turning up here with these…” She wrinkles her nose. “Visitors. You never were any good at following our laws.” Her dark gaze goes to Nate, lingering on my shifter mate. I step to the side, shielding him, and drawing her attention back to me.

The queen opens her mouth to say more, but she presses her lips together when moaning fills the air. The sound is quiet at first, but it grows louder, and there’s a slight static buzz as if we’re listening to a recording.

“Oh, my magnificent Kalea,”a masculine voice groans, blaring out across the room, the male sounding as if he’s in the throes of passion.“Now the two become one. Yes, let me bury inside you and feel your soft walls.”There’s grunting, and then that voice again,“I love it when you milk my cock like that. Mmm, just like that my precious.”

This is followed by feminine whimpers and pants, and a female cries out in an overly exaggerated voice.“Uriel, faster. Faster!”

“Oh gods, it’s like listening to the worst porno ever! Crap! How do I turn this thing off? Please. Please!”

All of our gazes dart around the room, and as the dialogue keeps going, I spot Shade perched on one of the lower shelves,standing right next to a dark cloud. She’s hidden by Alaric’s leg, but it won’t be long before the queen spots her.

“What did you do?”I hiss at her.

She frantically pecks at the cloud puff like a possessed bird.“Ohhhh,it’s like I’m living every bookworm’s nightmare, except the book porn isn’t even good!”she wails.

“Shade!”I hiss again as Queen Vespera steps to the side, and her gaze locks onto my crow.“We don’t have time for your rambling right now!”

“I didn’t mean to, I swear,”she replies, panicked.“How was I supposed to know the queen has porn recordings on display, and all you have to do is brush by them to turn them on?”

“Porn recordings?”I frown, not sure why the queen would have them either. Then I remember Prince Callan’s warning not to touch anything.Great. So much for that.

“Yes, let me fill you with my seed, my precious flower,”the masculine voice goes on, and there’s a noise as if an animal is dying.

“Guess he just found his release,”I say to Shade, wincing at the sound.

She makes a gagging noise in my head, and behind me, Nate and Dante struggle to hold back their laughter. Prince Callan’s face is pale, as if he’s going to be sick, and the queen’s temples pulse, fury burning in her gaze.

For a while there’s only heavy breathing until the male speaks up again.

“If I could but stay here with you always,”the male replies.

“What’s stopping you?”the female says softly.“Help me keep my bed warm.”

There’s more heavy breathing.“You know I would love that my precious, but I can’t. Not tonight.”

“And what could be so important that you need to leave right now?”the female asks, her tone a little too interested.

“This isn’t porn,”I tell Shade.“I’m guessing we’re about to hear a confession.”

Just as the male starts speaking again, the cloud flies across the room, stopping above Queen Vespera’s outstretched hand. The instant she closes her fist, the recording cuts off and silence fills the room.

Shade squawks in surprise, and she flaps her wings, flying to my shoulder.

Queen Vespera lets a slow, sinister smile spread across her face. “I’ll tell you what,” she says to me, moving her fingers like she’s stroking the gray cloud above her hand. “I can tell that the matter with the witches is of great importance to you, and if the rumors are correct, it’s said that my son is one of your fated mates.”

Prince Callan’s jaw tenses, but he doesn’t deny the claim.

“So why don’t you all stay and join us for a little party to celebrate the victory in Sailyn and the discovery of your mates. Once the celebration is over, I promise to check on the other battles around Toralyn. If it so happens that the witches are not yet defeated, I will call for aid from the allied realms.” Her gaze stays on me, like the question is mine to answer.

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