Page 85 of Tortured Royals

Twenty-Eight

~ Nate ~

“We need to know what’s in there,”Blake says, her words a frustrated hiss as she spars with Mason, her sword clanging as it collides with his.

After the war council, the generals disbanded, each leaving to organize their soldiers. King Dalton dismissed Blake along with the generals, and she took us to one of the training rooms near the barracks within the castle walls.

I study the weaponry in the space, intrigued by the sheer amount of forged steel that’s been strapped to the walls. I have to admit, King Dalton is quite the decorator. A sword with demon horns carved into the hilt and a single crimson jewel, remains on the wall in front of me. Before I’d met the princess, takin’ that sword off the king’s hands would have been a top priority. Now, I have no desire to steal it. For my entire life it was as if I’d been chasin’ something. Always trying to find the most precious artifacts, the most coveted possessions. Now, I wonder if whatI’d been searchin’ for all along wasn’t a ‘thing.’ It had always been…her.

I turn as Blake ducks and spins, sweeping Mason’s legs out from under him, and maneuvering quickly until the tip of her blade is at his throat.

Mason grins. “Well done, my mate.”

“I was hardly even using my power,” She huffs. “You let me have that one.”

The centaur’s smile grows. “Let’s save our strength for the battle.”

My mate frowns, returning her sword to the rack against the wall. “I hate sitting here idly. At least, the generals are busy getting their soldiers in line.”

“No one knows when the witches will attack,” Dante says smoothly. “It could be days or weeks, yet.”

“Or never, if they know what’s good for them,” Alaric growls.

Blake lets out a heavy sigh. “I just don’t understand why Dad won’t tell us what’s in the vault. It’s what the witches want. He expects us to blindly defend something when we don’t even know what’s in there.”

“Could you not take us to the vault yourself, my mate?” Mason asks.

She shakes her head. “The vault has extra security. Only the king has access.”

A cold knot forms in my stomach. I think of when I’d first visited the castle and attended the royal ball. I was only there for one reason, and that was the treasure in the vault. I don’t let myself second-guess the next words out of my mouth.

“Years ago, I heard a rumor in Kanzepes,” I say, my gaze colliding with Blake’s.

Her body tenses as she takes in the expression on my face.

“It came from an intoxicated shifter I’d spoken to during one of my trips to the Bunny Burrows.”

“Ah geez, do you have to remind her that you loved that place? Not smooth dude. Not smooth,”Shade chirps, and I flinch at the hard look in Blake’s eyes.

“I stayed at the Bunny Burrows,” I hastily explain. “Not as a patron, but?—”

“Wait, are you about to tell us you were a worker bunny?”Shade squawks interrupting me.

I shoot the bird an annoyed look. “Notas a worker bunny, or uh, worker jaguar, but it was a place to stay. Secretive. When you have as many enemies as I do, finding secure lodging starts to get tricky.”

“All right,” my mate says.

“That shifter,” I go on. “He talked about knowing the demon king had a treasure in his possession. Something he took from the witches during the war. A power so great, the demon king himself is afraid to use it.”

“Well, that makes sense. We already know it must be powerful,”Shade comments.“Blake could feel it.”

“Information you still could have told us earlier,” Dante points out dryly. “So why are you telling us this now, shifter?”

Their gazes bore into me, heat pounding against my skin.

“You were going to steal it, weren’t you?” Blake says, reading my face. “Let me guess, it’s why you were here for the ball?”

When I don’t answer, the others curse.

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