Page 112 of Rage of Her Ravens

Fire flashed in her eyes, and she reminded me of a cornered, wounded animal. “But what you failed to tell me is that she’ll come to me.”

“Shiri,” Nikkos said as he scooted on his knees closer to her, his wings dragging behind him. “There is no place where Malvolia can’t find you.”

I nodded my agreement. “She has spies everywhere. This was our best option.”

She crossed her arms, looking from Nikkos to me. “Answer me truthfully. Did you know I’d end up serving her when you found me?”

“Shiri,” I said through a sigh, dragging a hand through my hair, “when we found you, I won’t deny I thought about it. I knew Malvolia would love to have you in her army.”

She glared at Nikkos. “You, too?”

He shook his head.

“He was angry with me for suggesting it,” I said in his defense. If she was going to be angry, let it be me. I deserved her scorn, not Nikkos. He’d been loyal to her from the first day.

She visibly swallowed, her eyes welling up with tears. “And what about when you made love to me?”

I felt as if my chest had been split open by a mallet when her eyes flashed with mistrust. “The first time we made love, all I could think about was what heaven it was to hold you in my arms.” I offered her a weak smile, not surprised when she didn’t return it. “I didn’t think about you serving Malvolia then. After we made love, all I thought about was keeping you and the girls safe, and, yes, Malvolia came to mind. How could she not?” I gritted my teeth as the realization of what was to come twisted my stomach in a knot. “War is inevitable whether we like it or not, and I fear we’ll be forced to pick a side. Do we serve your aunt?” I paused, giving her a long look. “Or do we serve Fachnan who will try to kill the girls when he discovers who their fathers are?”

Her eyes widened, then narrowed. “And Malvolia won’t try to kill us?”

“I don’t think she will, not after we tell her what your parents tried to do to you, and when she realizes how much you can benefit her army.”

“As long as she believes you aren’t here to kill her,” Nikkos added.

“I’m not here to kill anyone. I just want to keep the girls safe.” She chewed her bottom lip, her gaze darting between us. “But what if she killed your parents?”

I shook my head. “There’s no way of knowing.”

“There could be,” she said softly while peering at me from beneath long lashes. “Ember has made some spirit friends here.”

I froze, gaping at her, feeling as if all air had been sucked from the room. “Our-our parents?” I stammered.

“I don’t know yet,” she said while twisting her fingers in her lap. “I’m trying not to pressure her for information. The spirits warned her not to let the nurses treat Nikkos. They said the nurses had a darkness surrounding them.”

I gaped at Nikkos then back at her. This was huge. Too huge. These ghosts could possibly know who killed our parents. Though I wondered if we would end up digging up ghosts that were better left buried. If Malvolia had killed them, that meant we would be at war against Fachnan and Malvolia, against the whole world.

I swallowed back my fear. “What else did they tell her?” And did I want to know?

“That’s it for now,” she said, smiling at Nikkos when he grasped her hand. At least she wasn’t angry with him. “I’ll keep trying to pry information out of Ember, but you know how touchy she can be.”

“What do we do if Malvolia killed our parents?” Nikkos asked, his wing draped protectively around our mate.

Fire raced through my veins. “We turn her to ash.”

Nikkos’s eyes bulged. “Her mages will kill us before we can get to her.” He visibly swallowed. “Or she will.”

“No, they won’t.” Shiri turned up her chin, defiance flashing in her eyes. “I won’t let them.”

My gaze tunneled on her, and I felt as if I was seeing my mate for the first time. “Shiri, you could be the white witch prophesized to kill the queen.”

Her nostrils flared, her magic pulsing off her in powerful waves. “I know.”

When I looked into her eyes, I no longer saw the frightened, betrayed daughter begging us to take her someplace safe. No, I saw a goddess. I couldn’t believe it had taken me this long to realize it. “Whatever the prophecy, know you don’t have to face it alone,” I said, resolve stiffening my spine. “We will face it together.”

I felt her soul-shaking relief pulse between us before she threw herself into my arms. “Thank the elements I have you,” she whispered, kissing my cheek.

“And you always will.” I couldn’t describe my relief as I clung to her, my hands in her hair, stroking her back. My cock stirred to life as she wriggled in my lap. A bad time to be thinking about sex, but when her mouth found mine, her breasts pebbled against my chest, I knew this was exactly what we needed. I laid her on the bed, and Nikkos and I took our time loving her and proving our dedication to our goddess, again and again.

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