Tortured Royals (Game of Psychos #3)

Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

~ Princess Blake ~

“ S o, witches, huh?” Scarlett asks when we walk outside Ivar’s mansion.

Zachary swipes his hair away from his eyes. “Should we be worried?”

I don’t answer that. Scarlett and her mates all heard what the witch said. “Be ready,” I tell them. “When the witches attack, we’ll need everyone.”

“So, it is as bad as it sounded,” Zachary comments. There’s humor in his voice, but his eyes darken.

Scarlett dips her head. “Is that all I can do for now, your highness?”

I smile at her. The first time I saw the she-demon she was scared and broken, but now, despite her exhaustion from using her power on Ivar, there’s strength in her gaze.

“Thank you,” I tell her. “We’ll take it from here.”

She smiles, her eyes soft, and she turns with her mates, heading toward their car on the side of the street.

When they’re gone, I face my mates and spread my wings. “We could portal outside the castle, but after what I’ve just heard, I need to stretch my wings. Who wants a ride? You have three amazing options.”

Mason and Prince Callan step up on either side of me, and Alaric, Nate, and Dante share a look.

“Not this time, gorgeous,” Nate says, giving me a lop-sided grin. “The beast side isn’t too happy he missed the action just now. I’m gonna go for a run.”

Alaric flexes his muscles, and points to a sports car up ahead on the side of the road. “Dante and I can take that.”

“What, not a fan of flying?” I tease.

Alaric scowls. “The only thing that makes it bearable is you, mate. But it might look strange arriving at the castle in your arms.”

I roll my eyes. “So, you’re worried what the demons will think?”

“I prefer my hand around your throat, mate, not you cradling me like a baby,” Alaric counters. “And seeing as shifting into my giant form would cause unwanted attention, the car will do.”

Desire fills Alaric’s eyes as he stares at me, and my body flushes with heat.

“I could send us all there with my wind power,” Prince Callan suggests, but Nate shakes his head.

“Like I said, I need to run,” my shifter says.

I blow out a breath. “Fine.”

“How ’bout we see who gets there first?” Nate suggests, a playful gleam in his eyes.

Dante raises a brow, like he’s interested in the challenge, and Mason shifts, changing into his winged centaur form, and pawing the ground with his front hooves.

“Where’s the finish line?” Prince Callan asks.

“You can’t be serious,” I say. “We just learned of the witches attacking, and you’re talking about a race.”

“It’ll help us let off some steam,” Nate defends.

“The winner is the first one inside the castle walls,” Dante says, smirking. “And they get to be the first one to make Blake come when we get the chance.”

My brows lift, my core tightening at the thought. “What? I’m not a prize. We’re already bonded.”

“Loser has to watch and gets to be the last,” Alaric growls, and I can’t believe even he’s getting in on this.

I plant my hands on my hips. “And when I win?”

My mates all turn to me. “Then you get to use us in any way for as long as you see fit, and we’ll only come when you let us.”

I laugh but need coils within me as I think of my mates on their hands and knees, worshipping me.

“Oh please, that hardly seems fair. You’d all do that anyway,” Shade says.

“This is true,” Mason admits.

I grin. I know instead of joking around, we should be headed to the palace by now. The witches could be already circling, but I can tell my mates need this. Usually, when fated mates bond, they hide away for weeks, simply enjoying each other’s company, but we don’t have time for that right now. Instead, we have this.

Before any of them move, I shoot into the air, flaring my wings out wide as I lift higher than the houses.

“She’s fuckin’ cheatin’,” Nate comments in disbelief, and I laugh as they scramble to catch up.

Seconds later, Nate’s roar splits the air, and I hear car doors slam. I flap my wings faster, trying to take advantage of my head start, but Prince Callan and Mason soon catch up to me, flying at my sides.

The wind filters through my feathers, and for a moment, I feel at peace.

“Do you wish for me to let you win, my mate?” Mason asks me seriously, and I laugh, the wind tearing tears from my eyes.

“Just get to the castle,” I tell him. Honestly, I don’t care about winning. Because in a way, I feel as though I’ve already won. Even though we’ll be facing the witches soon, and none of us might survive, for once, I feel free. And I know it’s all because of them. My mates.

“I’m going to hedge my bets on Nate,” Shade comments. “Damn that cat can move.”

I follow her gaze down to where Nate runs in his jaguar form below us, weaving between the streets at frightening speed. Demons dodge out of the way when they see him coming, and some of them scream in surprise when he snaps at them, his massive jaws narrowly missing one of their limbs.

“That’s if he doesn’t get too distracted showing off,” Shade adds, and I chuckle, not doubting that my shifter mate is enjoying this.

We’ve already covered half the distance to the castle when a familiar-looking sports car comes out of nowhere, Dante and Alaric overtaking Nate and literally driving right past the shifter’s nose.

Nate snaps at them, and his powerful limbs eat up the distance between them until they’re side by side.

I keep pace with Mason and Prince Callan, though honestly, I don’t know how hard any of us is really trying.

It’s nice being up here, and I know all that will change the moment we make it to the castle. Once we’re there, I’ll need to go straight to the king. To alert him of everything that’s going on and hope he’s managed to get more soldiers from the allied realms. If anything, I slow my pace a little.

Prince Callan turns his head, peering at me with concern. “What’s wrong my Ahalian Touizda?”

I sigh, enjoying the cool night air on my skin and the scent of smoke in my nose. “Nothing, and yet, everything,” I reply. “What happens if we can’t defeat the witches?” Before now, I hadn’t let myself contemplate it. Not really. But before I met my mates, I never had much to lose. Now, my chest tightens at the thought of five males being taken from me all too soon after only just finding them.”

“We will,” Mason says firmly. “There was a time when I was in the mines of The Haven, when I wondered why I was still alive. But now I know. The witches have tormented the different realms for too long. No matter what Celzar did, they need to be stopped. I was always meant to be yours, my mate, and something tells me, not even the witches are a strong enough force to break us.”

I give him a tight smile, and I peer ahead at the looming dark towers of the castle growing larger with each passing second. I thought I’d be happier to be returning home. But it’s only then that I realize the demon castle never had really felt like home. Not even when I was little and mostly confined to life within the stone walls. And now that I’m bonded to my mates, I know why. Because my home never was a stone structure where I slept. It was anywhere I went with my mates, and that hole inside me that was missing? It was them. It had been all along.

“Ha! First place!” Nate laughs in my head, as he grapples along the castle stone walls and lands on the other side.

“Be honest,” I say to the others. “You all let him have that.”

Their chuckles sound in my head.

“No one wanted to have to listen to his complaining if he lost,” Alaric grumbles as their sports car skids to a halt just outside the castle gates.

The demon soldiers on the castle walls shout and a volley of arrows fly at Nate. He dodges to the side, narrowly missing them, but they keep coming. One is aimed at his eye, and he snatches it out of the air with his teeth. “Uh, gorgeous, any chance you can tell them to stand down before I have to kill someone?”

Grinning, I tuck in my wings, soaring the last distance, and Prince Callan gives me, Mason and himself an extra boost of speed using his wind power.

I’m glad to see Dad has doubled the guards on duty, but before Nate starts tearing through them, I shout, “Stand down! He’s my mate, and unless you want to lose your life, put your weapons down.”

A guard on the ground who was clearly about to use his power, lowers his hands.

“It’s the princess!” another guard yells, peering at me as I land beside Nate.

“Okay, is it just me, or do they look glad to see you?” Shade comments, sounding uncertain as she lands on my shoulder.

“It’s not just you,” Prince Callan says.

I frown, peering at the relieved faces of the demon guards. Over the years, I’ve grown used to demons respecting me. Fearing me, even. But I never thought they’d be relieved to see me. “Why does that feel like a bad sign?”

I order the guards to open the gates, and Alaric and Dante join us before the gates close again behind them.

“Just enjoy it,” Shade says, as the demons all drop to one knee, slamming a fist to their chests.

Nate shakes his shaggy head, and his body shifts, growing smaller again as he changes back from his beast form. He winks at me, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. “I’m lookin’ forward to collectin’ my reward, gorgeous.”

I want to say that I am as well, but I can’t stop thinking about how relieved the guards look. Has something happened here? I purse my lips. “We’d better get inside.”

“So, about the castle,” Shade starts, “Blake, there’s something I need to tell you.”

I push open the heavy front doors, striding into the dimly lit entrance hall. The moment I’m inside the castle, invisible icy claws reach for me, scraping against my skin. The dark power I sensed the last time I was in the vault, pushes at my mind, those claws scraping against my skull and trying to find a way in. Cursing, I fight against it, fortifying my mental walls, and I turn to my mates, panic thrumming through me.

“Did you feel that?” I rush out.

They all stare at me, blinking.

“You mean how damn cold it is in here?” Nate asks, rubbing his arms. “Yeah, hasn’t the king ever heard of a fire?”

“It’s summer,” Dante says dryly. He moves closer to me, concern written on his face. “You can feel it can’t you? The power?”

“You can’t?”

He shakes his head. “All I noticed was the temperature dropping a few degrees.”

I search his eyes, remembering when he was disguised as Kai and the power had tried to kill him.

“I’m fine,” he says, his midnight blue gaze locked on me. “We all are. You don’t have to worry.”

Without knowing what the power is, there’s no way to be certain that any of us are safe, but his words send a spark of relief through me. “Okay, well I guess it’s probably a good thing only I can feel it. And in any case, it’s gone for now.” The sensation of icy claws has left me, but I can’t shake the unsettling feeling in my chest.

“I felt it,” Shade says, puffing up her feathers. “Or at least, I did when I came here to deliver your message to the king.”

“What?” I stare at her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You were busy with Ivar,” she replies. “But I definitely felt something when I entered the castle. Something…unnatural.”

“Great,” I say sarcastically.

“There’s more, too,” Shade says hesitantly.

My unease spikes. “More?”

Shade tucks her wings in tighter. “When I found King Dalton, the physician was there again.”

“Well, that’s not a surprise, is it?” I say slowly.

“The king really isn’t well, Blake. Remember those welts we saw? It’s worse. So much worse,” Shade says. “He looks like he’s hardly left his bedchamber.”

For a moment, I continue standing there, unable to move. I know Dad has been growing weaker, but I hadn’t expected this. No wonder the guards were relieved to see me if war is coming and the king has hardly left his rooms.

“Fuck,” I growl, and I storm through the castle toward the king’s chambers.

My mates keep up, flanking me, and the guards patrolling the hallways straighten as I pass, relief shining in their eyes.

We reach Dad’s bedchambers, and two massive demon guards stand outside his room. There was a time when I would have asked them nicely to let me through and given them a chance to act. Now, I keep striding toward them and say a single command. “Move.”

The guards stiffen. “You know we can’t do that, your highness. The king doesn’t wish to be disturbed.”

I’m not about to argue. Huh. Too bad for them. I’m fully prepared to take on the guards myself, but Alaric and Nate move in front of me.

Nate grins at them. “You heard the princess.”

The demons prepare to fight to stop us, but Nate and Alaric have them down in a few moves, unconscious on the floor.

“Well damn, why didn’t you find your mates sooner? They’re hella handy,” Shade comments, whistling in my head.

Nate beams at me and Shade like he’s a puppy who needs to be told he’s a good boy.

I run my hand along his chest as I stride past and burst into the king’s bedchamber.

King Dalton stands shirtless in front of a floor length mirror. He has his back to me, and black marks track across his skin, twisting and winding like it’s a growing entity, trying to consume him.

I gasp. “Dad,” the word falls from my mouth before I can stop it. I never call him that, but the sight of his back has my stomach churning.

He turns as we stop in the middle of the room, and Mason closes the door behind us.

“Ah daughter,” he says wearily like me barging into his bedchamber is the most natural thing. “If you’re here I suppose that means you’ve taken care of Ivar?”

I struggle to find my words, and Dante takes pity on me.

“Ivar has been neutralized, your majesty,” Dante says, bowing his head.

All of my mates stand awkwardly behind me, and I hadn’t thought how this would be strange for them. Too late now.

“What the fuck is that?” I blurt, pointing at Dad’s chest because Ivar is old news. Now that he’s turned, I can see how the marks spread over his chest, resembling the way bolts of electricity split off, crackling out through the sky during a lightning storm. The black marks reach up his throat toward his chin, and my throat feels tight just staring at it.

Walking over to a chair, Dad grabs his shirt and shrugs it on, doing up the buttons. “You know what it is.”

“What? Witch’s Burn?” I say, remembering the explanation he’d given me before my time in the Perstalian ruins. Many demons died after the great war with the witches, due to the exposure to the chemical weapons, but now I’m struggling to believe it. “I don’t remember any of the tomes saying anything about the Witch’s Burn sickness creating those black marks. Tell me the truth. I felt the power from the vault the moment I entered the castle. This is because of that power, isn’t it?”

A slow breath rushes from Dad’s nose, and he braces his hands on the chair like it’s an effort to keep himself standing. His gaze runs over my body, noting the golden tattoos, then he turns his attention to my mates, assessing each of them like he’s weighing up their worth. His lips twitch. “I am glad you’ve bonded with your mates, daughter. Now you may yet survive what’s to come. I can only hope your training was enough.”

“Training?” I think of all the things Dad’s put me through since I was young. The countless challenges where I had to fight for my survival. “You’re not making any sense. Why won’t you answer my questions? A witch possessed Ivar and killed him. The witches are coming for whatever you took from them and hid in that vault.” I pause, licking my dry lips. “Ivar said it’s a sentient being trapped in there.”

Dad flinches.

“We need to know what we’re up against,” I tell him. “Or the witches are going to come for it. If it’s what’s making you sick, let me deal with it.”

Sadness clouds Dad’s eyes. “You don’t understand,” he says. “I?—”

The doors slam open and General Josek bursts into the room. “Your highness,” the demon shouts, but his fierce expression calms when he sees me, changing to one of disdain. “Forgive me,” he says to the king. “When I saw the guards down, I thought you were in peril.”

“Actually, that’s a good point,” I say, holding up a finger and whirling on Dad. “Didn’t I say to organize more protection because there’s talk of an assassination.”

“Ivar’s spy has been captured and dealt with.”

Okay, well that’s good news. “But two guards?” I barrel on. “What were you thinking?”

Dad sighs. “Why are you here, General Josek? Has there been news?”

The general’s expression becomes grave. “Nothing from the other realms, but there’s movement in the city, and there’s been at least two witch sightings not far from the castle. Both of the bitches got away before our soldiers could get to them, but I don’t think it will be long now.”

Dad straightens, letting go of the chair, and pain flashes on his face, though he does his best to hide it. He speaks to the general, but his gaze remains fixed on me. “Summon the war council, general. Something tells me we’re about to have company.”