Page 5 of Ruthless Royals

I shut my eyes, wanting to believe his words. But everywhere I looked, I was looking for them, as if they might lurk in the shadows, waiting to drag me back to the nightmare I’d lived for weeks. Memories flooded my mind, of being bound naked to a chair, forced to watch mortals being eaten, and having to kill one myself.

Sweat beaded on my forehead, my palms clammy as Sebastian released the hold and I nodded, trying to show him I was okay. But I wasn’t.

Astor—a living, breathing reminder of what happened—was still locked in our basement while we decided what to do with him.

If he evenwasAstor.

TWO

Sebastian

Iopenedmyeyesto the dark room, my eyes adjusting to the shadowy edges of the furniture around our bed. Olivia shuffled as I turned onto my side, her fingers stroking the tip of my wing in her sleep.

Slipping my fingers under a lock of her hair which had fallen over one of her eyes, I moved back the strands, tucking them behind her ear. My heart ballooned as a small smile curled her lips, a feeling of love gushing through our bond as I realized she was having a dream—a nice one. Nightmares had plagued her for too long, and she needed that peace. Even if it was just for one night. I wanted to shield her from this place, to keep her from Salenia and anyone else who wanted to cause her harm. The walls closed in as I thought about them taking her again, where the aniccipere had stolen her innocence. She was not a murderer at heart, yet was plagued by guilt from the boy she was forced to kill.

Forced.

Even now, amongst dreams of a better place, I could still sense the regret through our bond. I recalled the panic she’d felt yesterday, when she thought she’d spotted an aniccipere. The way she clung to me; it made me want to tear the entire kingdom apart for doing this to her.

Mostly, I hated myself for letting it happen.

I should have hidden her in the beginning and never taken her to the castle. Fuck being mortal again and anything else. She didn’t deserve any of this. I would have hated her mom for it all too, if she wasn’t already dead. That grief was numbed. She’d barely spoken about Ravena since she found out. I awaited the day when it really hit her and hoped I could do enough to keep her from falling apart. But Olivia was different now. Ever since the torture, she was quieter, colder even. The compassion still shone through, but I couldn’t blame her for distancing herself emotionally from everything. I was surprised she didn’t do it sooner.

Careful not to wake her, I pulled my arm out from under her, muscles tingling as the blood came rushing back. I pressed a kiss against her hand, then lowered it onto the blankets. I was the luckiest man in the world to have her as my wife.

My wife.

I still hadn’t gotten used to saying it. We had such little time after we were married to enjoy it. But even thinking the words made me smile at myself, as if I was a teenager again.

I covered her with the blankets, tucking them around her, and gazed at her for a moment longer before looking out the window. I stared out at the black, inky canvass. Thin, wispy clouds faded into the darkness, like splotches of gray over the glittering stars. A lone lamppost remained lit, glowing a faint orange as silhouettes of people hurried down the narrow street below. Their long coats and dresses billowed out as they moved with an ethereal grace.

Behind them, a mortal woman trudged, her steps timid compared to their longer strides. Her tired eyes looked around, her shoulders slumped as she wore several bite marks and bruises. The man who held her captive glanced at the window, his penetrating eyes looking right through me as a sinister smile unfurled on his lips. My muscles tensed, glaring back in warning, and he continued to walk in the direction of the shadow market, which would open soon.

The street emptied, their forms fading away into the night as the sky pinched into indigo. I ran my fingers through my unkempt hair, then closed the drapes, submitting the room to total darkness.

I headed for the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind me before finding the mirror and flicking on the lamp. My chest tightened, my heart racing as I glared down at the basin, finally turning on the tap and splashing my face with cold water. I had to keep her safe. She needed me, and everywhere I looked there were threats. Thousands would try to kill her if they found out about the prophecy, a few who would come for her should they find out she was alive. Then there was the aniccipere, the prophecy… thatprophecy.

My reflection stared back at me in the mirror above the vanity, my features warped with hatred as Azia’s face—who was peacefully sleeping in a room on the second floor—floated into my mind.

I shouldn’t have blamed him. He was just the messenger from the gods who’d chosen her to fulfill the task. Yet, whenever I thought about him or the gods, a profound wrath ignited from a spot I kept concealed, the fury like flames caressing through my body.

Fuck the gods.

If they wanted Salenia gone, then they could come down and do it themselves. Why my wife? Because she was in the royal bloodline they picked?

She didn’t ask for this. None of us did. If I could take her place, I would. I’d already interrogated Azia over it, squeezing every piece of information I could about the events that would transpire. He said timelines can always change, so I planned on doing just that. I had to get her away from here, even if it meant unwillingly. She would throw herself between an age-old goddess and thousands of vampires, submitting herself to a life on a throne she never wanted, so she could saveus.

No.

As much as I loved Erianna and Zach, I wouldn’t have Olivia put herself in danger again over some notion of saving our souls. I didn’t care if I was destined for the underworld. It would be worth it, if I got to spend lifetimes of happiness with her, somewhere safe and away from here—maybe even as far as Asland.

After pulling on a shirt and rolling up my sleeves, I headed out of the bedroom, glancing over my shoulder at Olivia, who remained asleep, hugging the pillow.

I stood in the hallway, an icy chill washing over me as I hurried toward the stairs, past two spiderwebs dangling from an old wall lamp. The ivory walls stretched down the long corridor, intricate designs and ornate patterns covering the wallpaper. My feet tapped against the polished, wood boards as I reached the staircase.

Zach had gotten us a beautiful home, although it was only temporary. I was grateful he had such strong connections in the city. It was probably one of the older buildings in these parts, but then again, everything here was ancient.

I hurried down, listening as the walls groaned from the howling winds outside hammering against the bricks. Portraits adjourned the walls of vampires who’d lived here centuries before. My eyes fixed on one of showing a man, a woman in a green dress, and what looked like their son. I shuddered on thinking about the few children who were turned into vampires, their parents unable to leave them behind. Their eyes followed me down the stairs, and I grabbed a carving of a gargoyle at the end of the banister, the mahogany smooth under my palm.

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