Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
~ Princess Blake ~
W e exit the forest, walking out onto farmlands, and Prince Callan leads us down a hill to a narrow dirt road. From the lack of footprints and markings, it’s been some time since it’s been traveled. Not that I’m surprised. In a land of angels, I doubt walking is common. We pass farms with trees bursting with golden fruit, and herds of braying four-legged animals that remind me of the cows I’ve seen in the human realm.
Over the following hours, on two occasions the road seems to disappear entirely until Prince Callan finds it again. My wings are heavy as I follow the prince, streams of sunlight beating down on us.
Mason comes up beside me, sweat coating his brown skin. “Will you remind me why we aren’t using my portal ring right now, my mate?”
I stop where I am, my gaze sliding from the golden fields around us and settling on his face.
Nate groans. “Fuck, I forgot about that thing.”
I wipe the sweat from my forehead.
“And you couldn’t have reminded us about it sooner?” Dante asks.
Mason fiddles with the ring on his finger. “I can’t use it as I wouldn’t be able to visualize our end destination. When no one asked, I figured there must be a reason.” He turns to Prince Callan. “But you know where we’re going. You could use it.”
I glare at Prince Callan, who looks more annoyed than relieved at Mason’s reminder.
“I had hoped with time you would all come to your senses,” the archangel says simply.
“Unbelievable,” Shade gripes. “Are you telling me we didn’t need to walk all that way in this heat?”
“To be fair, I think it’s only been a few hours, and you haven’t walked a single step,” I reply.
“That’s not the point.”
Sighing, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We’re seeing your queen,” I tell Prince Callan. “Now, are you going to use the portal ring or not?”
The prince strides close to me. So close that his chest almost presses against mine. “You’re not taking this seriously.”
“I am,” I say, gritting my teeth. “But you’re not taking me seriously.” I want to be angry, but his gaze dips to my lips, and his scent makes my head light. I swallow hard. “I’ve told you already. We’re seeing your queen. Once she’s heard us, we’ll be on our way.”
Worry shines in Prince Callan’s eyes, but it’s gone a second later.
He stares at me for a moment longer, and then he steps back, holding his hand out to Mason. “Pass it to me.”
The centaur places the ring on Prince Callan’s palm. As the archangel encloses the ring with his fingers, I blurt, “The weapon. The angel your mother has under her control. What can they do?”
Prince Callan stiffens, his expression darkening, but he doesn’t reply and steps away from the group. Turning to the stretch of road before him, he closes his eyes, muttering something under his breath. A moment later, a portal appears, a circle of flames flickering in the light breeze carrying over the fields.
“Where does it go?” Alaric growls.
Prince Callan keeps his focus on the portal. “To the front gates of the palace.”
“Oh, thank god,” Shade mutters, stretching out her wings from her position on my shoulder. “I wasn’t sure how much longer I could last in this heat.”
I grin. “You know, you could have gone back to Seral with Dad.”
She squawks in my head. “And miss out on all the fun? I don’t think so.”
When I look up, Prince Callan pins me with a stare. “Keep close to me, and when we meet the queen, let me do the talking.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he turns, stepping into the portal.
Cursing, I share a look with the others before I follow him.
I emerge from the portal onto a white stone bridge, and my hands immediately fly to my weapons. At least half a dozen armored guards circle the gateway, but before I can draw my blades, Prince Callan is by my side.
“It’s all right,” he tells me.
It’s then that I notice the guards are standing at attention, their spears positioned by their sides. They’re alert and watchful, but it’s obvious they’re waiting for Prince Callan’s next order.
“Word of your arrival is on its way to the queen, my prince,” a guard barks. “It is good to see you home.”
“You as well, Tyros,” Prince Callan says with a thin smile.
The guards watch intently as the rest of my mates step from the portal, but none of the guards move into offensive positions.
I stare up at the huge dome structure before us. The palace is made of white stone with intricate patterns of gold painted over its entire surface. The small windows situated at intervals, spiral up the structure, looking like a pathway of stars climbing the glittering stone, and armored guards line the entire bridge and the circular perimeter of the palace.
“Whoa,” Shade gasps, clearly as awed as I am. Back home, the demon castle is a fortress, all sharp edges and dark stone, but this palace is like a work of art.
“It’s somethin’ isn’t it?” Nate says, stopping beside me and planting his hands on his hips as he peers up.
Turning my head, I stare out at the city where hundreds of angels follow flight paths above marshmellow houses, moving quickly in neat, efficient lines. “You’ve got that right,” I mutter.
“We should go,” Prince Callan prompts, and he shouts an order to the guards. They step back, moving to their places along the bridge, and we stride down the stone path toward the front of the palace. The wind whistles in my ears, tugging at my wings, but Prince Callan lifts his hand, sending out a burst of power. Instantly the air calms, and we walk the rest of the way in silence.
When we reach the front entrance, the guards stationed there salute the prince and move to the side, opening the doors for us. We walk into a gilded entrance hallway that’s just as grand as the outside of the palace, and I gape at the portraits of the angels on the walls. There are hundreds of them, each painting kept in a large golden frame, with an inscription underneath. Before I can read any of the words, Prince Callan leads us forward, into the heart of the palace.
“Your highness,” a maid with flowing silver hair approaches quickly, bowing low. “Is there anything I can get you?”
“Not this time, thank you, Ivy,” Prince Callan says, passing her without a glance. He takes us to the bottom of a flight of steps, and I peer up at the spiraling staircase, which reaches as high as I can see. It curves around, leaving open space in the center of the building where other angels follow orderly flight paths to get to different sections of the palace.
“We should walk,” Prince Callan says, taking the first step.
“Or we could fly. Surely between us we can carry everyone,” I suggest.
Prince Callan’s gaze darts to the closest angels, then he focuses his attention back on me. “I think it would be better if the shifters remain in human form for now.”
I frown, wondering if he’s referring to Nate’s cat form, but then his gaze flicks to Mason, and I understand his meaning. Parading a winged centaur in the middle of the palace, a creature unknown to the angels, would likely draw unwanted attention.
“Walking it is,” I say.
Prince Callan takes us up the stairs, and it doesn’t escape my attention that we’re the only ones on the narrow staircase. Every angel, including the servants, distinguished by their pale blue robes, fly to the different floors. Considering the lack of a handrail, and the nearly perilous narrow stairway, I get the feeling that the golden stairs were merely an afterthought when the building was constructed.
“Well, now we know where Prince Callan gets it from,” Shade comments as angels fly past us in almost perfect synchronization, each with intense gazes like their minds are solely focused on whatever task they intend to carry out.
I think of how cold Prince Callan has been toward me, and I twist my head back to ask Nate a question. The shifter is staring at my ass, and he grins like he’s been caught out. “What? Can’t blame me for lookin’.”
I roll my eyes, grinning, before asking him seriously, “Are all the angels like this?”
“Like what?”
I gesture with my head to the angels soaring past us. “So…focused.”
He chuckles. “Oh, that. Yeah, the queen runs a tight operation.”
“Operation? He makes it sound like a military camp,” Shade chimes in.
“This isn’t what I expected the palace to look like,” I admit. “I thought the queen likes to party?”
“Oh, she does,” Nate confirms. “It’s just her idea of a party involves torturin’ her prisoners in front of the angel population to showcase her strength.”
My brows rise. “Torture?”
“Can’t say I made it to the party where I was gonna be the guest of honor, but I hear there’s drinkin’ and singin’ involved, too.”
Right… I think of Nate being in the queen’s clutches, and my mood sours. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bring him back here.
“Why can’t a party ever just mean drinking, dancing, and stuffing yourself with food?” Shade grumbles. “Or you know, fucking. I mean, everyone loves a good orgy. But no, this Queen Vespera lady sounds like another psycho.”
Prince Callan’s warnings to stay away are slowly starting to make more sense, and I keep my gaze alert, watching the angels around us. In the past, I’ve always pictured my mother as this innocent female who fell for my dark, depraved father, but now I’m wondering whether she was just as crazy as him because clearly angels aren’t the pure souls I thought they were. Maybe it never was an opposites attract relationship, but kindred spirits?
Clenching my jaw, I force the thought of her from my mind and focus on the present.
It takes a long while before we reach the very top floor and the stairs end, leading out into a short corridor where there’s a single golden door. We gather as a group, and I’m surprised when Prince Callan pulls me to the side, his hand brushing my arm before he jerks back, his gaze darting to the angel guards stationed outside the door. “Let me do the talking, Blake. The queen isn’t someone you want to cross, and she has a way of twisting your words in her favor.”
“Ah, so she is like your dad then,” Shade comments nervously in my head.
Lines of worry cross Prince Callan’s face, but I can’t give him the answer he wants. “I’m not simply here because I’m your mate,” I say slowly, though it was one of the big reasons why I stepped through the portal to Toralyn. “I’m here because I’m the princess of Seral, and I’ve been given an order to converse with the queen about the war with the witches. So, I’m sorry, but I can’t promise that.”
His temple pulses, but his expression is severe. “Then just…be careful and promise me you won’t touch anything.”
“Now that I can do,” I reply. “And are you finally going to tell us about this weapon she has?”
His gaze shutters, his face closing off completely as the vulnerability is replaced with the cold, hard expression I’m accustomed to. “No.” He spares a glance to the others, and then he turns, marching toward the door.
“Tell her we’ve arrived,” he barks, and one of the guards dips his head, disappearing inside the room. A moment later, the door swings wide open, and the guard strides out, moving to the side of the doorway.
“Enter!” A husky voice calls out to us, and Prince Callan glances at me one last time before striding inside. We file into the room after him, and Nate, Mason, and Dante keep close to me. Alaric scowls as he takes up the rear.
“Uh, Blake, what the heck are those?”
“I don’t know…” I trail off, trying not to show my surprise.
We’re in a large, dome-shaped room, and light filters in from the glass panels above us. Along the walls there are rows of shelving that curve the whole way around. Above the shelves, small storm clouds hover on each ledge, separated from one another. Or are they clouds of smoke? Whatever they are, the hairs rise on my arms as I get a horrible feeling.
With my senses on alert, I turn my attention to where a seemingly middle-aged female sits behind a massive glossy stone desk. A jeweled crown rests atop the female’s cropped golden hair which is a shade darker than Prince Callan’s, and golden piercings run down her right ear. She continues writing on a piece of parchment, and it’s not until Prince Callan clears his throat loudly that she finishes whatever she’s inking and looks up.
I expect her to be glad to see her son, but irritation flashes on her face as her shrewd gaze sweeps over Prince Callan and the rest of us. Prince Callan’s body hardens, his expression devoid of emotion.
“Yes?” she barks, her voice loud in the otherwise silent room.
“Your highness,” Prince Callan says coldly, bowing before straightening again. “We come from Sailyn. The witches attacked with force and a large portion of the township has been destroyed. There is some loss of life.”
Queen Vespera doesn’t look the least bit bothered or surprised by the news. Nor does she comment on the fact that her son has returned after being away for some time. “And has the threat been neutralized?” she asks, her voice even icier than Prince Callan’s.
“We’ve beaten back their forces for now,” Prince Callan reports. “But we should acknowledge the aid we received from the demon?—”
“Then I suppose you’re good for something,” the queen says, not letting him finish. She smiles, but there’s no warmth in her eyes. “See to it that the rebuild is completed.” She waves her hand dismissively and turns her attention back to the parchment in front of her.
Shade whistles in my head. “Well damn, did it just get colder in here or what?”
Anger simmers inside me as I stare at the queen. The demon king has always been hard on me, and the challenges he’s put me through have nearly killed me on multiple occasions, but in his twisted way, I’ve always known he did it because he thought it would make me stronger. He’s never spoken to me with such disrespect, and I bristle at the way the queen is speaking to her own son.
“You need to do more than oversee the rebuild,” I say before Prince Callan can speak again. “The witches are organized and dangerous. Who knows how long they’ve been planning their attacks. You must call for aid from the allied realms.”
The queen places down her quill pen, and her ice blue eyes lock onto me. “Ah, the demon princess decides to speak even when her voice is unwelcome. I had wondered if you’d be bright enough to keep quiet. Though, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised your father has sent you. Even if I had made it painfully clear to him that there is no need for a call to aid. The angels have it in hand. Perhaps, you should worry more about your own king. He doesn’t seem quite as…spirited as he once did.”
I grind my teeth, wondering just what happened when Dad visited the queen. “If you ignore this, it’s not only your kind who will suffer.” I’m vaguely aware of Shade moving from my shoulder, but I’m too distracted to take note of where she’s going.
“Ignore it?” Queen Vespera’s eyes narrow on me. “My forces have been directed to where they are required, and should the need arise, I will reassess the situation. In any case, according to your father, the witches were all but eradicated all those years ago. Now, I’m expected to believe that they’ve amassed enough forces to bring down the realm of angels?” She laughs cruelly. “I understand the need for excitement, but I don’t have time to entertain such a ridiculous notion as a false war. Now, if that’s all.”
“They should not be underestimated,” Prince Callan adds.
Queen Vespera bares her teeth. “And neither should I. When my mother agreed to unite with the other realms all those years ago, we were left with no choice. The realms were all suffering, and the witches had created a force that could not be ignored. But now they are but shadows of a defeated race. If the time ever comes for us to see them as a real threat we will, but for now, there are much more pressing matters at hand.” She turns to the doorway and calls out. “Guards!”
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. Now is the 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.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Prince Callan growls, and concern flashes on his face before it’s gone again.
Queen Vespera lifts her hand to silence him, her gaze not leaving me. “What say you, princess? How badly do you want to ensure Toralyn does not fall?”
It’s a little fucked up that she’s asking if I care for the angel realm more than she does, and I hesitate.
“Don’t you even think it, girl. Remember what Nate said about her parties.”
But I’ve never let the demon king down, and I refuse to let the witches end us all. My lips stretch into a dark smile to match the queen’s. “Sounds great.”