Page 3 of Tortured Royals

Theon’s lips thin. “But when King Dalton arrived in Toralyn not too long after, I had to know why. I followed him to the palace, and through the whispers of servants, I discovered that you and your new mate never made it to the demon realm.The demon king also warned Queen Vespera that the witches planned to attack the angels.”

“So, King Dalton saw the queen,” I say, thinking of my mother in the royal palace.

“Oh yes, he saw her,” Theon confirms, his words labored. “Though, from what I hear she had little interest in listening to him. Not even after the witches attacked Toralyn, appearing in multiple locations at once. Your brothers are already fighting witch assaults at the other cities around the realm.”

I peer at the half-destroyed town not far from us. “And I imagine, this township isn’t high up on the queen’s list of places to protect and preserve.” The queen has never cared much for the township of Sailyn. To the angels it’s a sacred place of rejuvenation and tranquility. Built beside the golden forest, it’s a favored spot angels visit when they wish to escape the city and find peace. The soil in this area is said to contain unique properties that helps cleanse the mind, and angels will come here simply to spend days tending to the land before they return home. Of course, the queen never saw the value in a place like this. Not when the angels could be more useful elsewhere.

“Queen Vespera dismissed the king,” Theon goes on. “She refused his offer of help and declared that it’s an angel matter. When he left the palace, I followed the demon king’s entourage. After Princess Blake helped to free me from the creature in the Perstalian ruins, I felt I owed it to her to see that he left our realm safely.”

“You’re a good archangel, Theon,” I tell him.

Theon shakes his head. “But the demon king didn’t leave. While he was in the city, he encountered an angel from this township. They spoke of witches, and the king made this his next destination. I continued to follow him, and by the time we arrived, the township was already under attack. I sent word to the queen, but no help has come. Either she didn’t send anysoldiers or the forces she sent never made it past the cloaking magic before turning back.”

I lean closer to Theon, my mind fixating on something he’s just said. “Wait. You’re telling me, King Dalton is still here?”

“Yes,” Theon replies, and he lifts his hand, pointing weakly to the outskirts on the right side of the town. There, far in the distance, the demon king and a contingent of his guards stand back-to-back. A circle of witches surrounds them, the hooded figures chanting and swaying as power flows from them, encasing the demons. I mutter a curse, thinking of how angry my demon mate will be when she discovers this.

“Stay here,” I order Theon. Standing, I ready myself to launch into the air when a blur of yellow and black bolts past me. Nate growls and hisses, his powerful paws kicking up ash and dirt as he sprints toward the closest witches. Moments later, he’s pouncing, his powerful muscles rippling as he tears into a witch. The jaguar is onto his third witch when Princess Blake, Mason, and Shade fly overhead. The sound of fluttering fills my ears, and hundreds of white doves soar up behind Princess Blake, following her toward the town.

Alaric and Dante are just behind them on the ground. The males sprint past me, wielding their weapons as their boots kick up the dust.

“Looks like your friends are here,” Theon comments with a wry smile.

Without replying, I start forward, catching up with Dante and Alaric. “What are you doing?” I bark out.

Alaric only grunts in response, but Dante’s lips curl upward, his pace not slowing. “Killing the witches, of course,” he answers like I’ve asked a ridiculous question. Then he disappears from sight, using his invisibility power.

Chapter

Two

~ Princess Blake ~

“Is it just me, or do they look like toasted marshmallows?”Shade asks as we fly toward the battle.

“Are you seriously comparing the burning homes of angels to sweet treats right now?”

“I’m just saying,”she defends.“I mean, they’re small white domes with charring on top. Don’t tell me you don’t see it.”

Of course I do, but I shake my head and instead focus on the images being sent to me by the hundreds of birds I’ve called from the surrounding forest. While the trees around the portal are completely dead, it seems that death didn’t spread too far. When I’d reached out with my magic, I’d sensed a large flock of the small white birds not too far away. Like the Pecos birds in The Haven, the creatures responded when I called, and now they fly up behind me filling the air around us like a giant white cloud.

“Oh, there he is! And that healer guy is there, too,”Shade’s voice intrudes in my mind.

“Who?”

“Prince Callan is below us and he’s with Theon, the archangel we met in the Perstalian ruins. Yeesh, he doesn’t look too good right now, though, buuut I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Frowning, I peer down only to find Theon now left behind, propped against a rock, and Prince Callan running with Alaric and Dante. The archangel looks annoyed as he stares up at me, and I grin and give him a little wave. He might not realize it yet, but we’re about to save this situation.

My attention goes to Nate as the giant cat leaps into the air, pouncing on another witch. His powerful jaws clamp onto the witch’s head and tear it off before tossing it away. My lips thin. Truthfully, now that I know the history of King Celzar stealing from the witches, it’s hard to look at them in the same way. For a brief moment, I wonder if I should call my shifter mate off. If we could declare a ceasefire, maybe I could talk with the witches. Maybe we could find a way to come to some sort of an agreement. But just as I think about yelling out to Nate, I spot Dad on the opposite side of the town.

The demon king stands with at least a dozen demon guards, the group of them enclosed by a circle of witches who are chanting, their hands outstretched before them. Whatever they’re doing, it can’t be good, because the king and the soldiers look like they’re in pain. Dad tips his head back bellowing in agony as he falls to his knees, and my heart stutters.

“No!” Snarling, I point in the direction of the witches.

Following my internal command, the doves shoot past me, dropping into a dive and streaming through the town houses, attacking the witches.

Before, I had wondered if I should spare the witches, but now all I can think about is spilling their blood and stopping this. When Sebastian had talked about Dad leading the demons to defeat the witches in Perstalia, I’d imagined him as he alwayswas—strong, powerful, and a force to be reckoned with. But now, surrounded by the witches, the demon king looks…weak.

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