20. Rozronuuk
Chapter twenty
Rozronuuk
The Winter Court
B y the time the tonic wore off, Thea was exhausted and covered in love bites around her neck. At some stage, I had sated her enough for me to get her dress off and now she tugged the straps back into place, as sexy as ever, even in her day-old dress.
“I’m sure your handmaiden is waiting outside with your clean clothes.”
Thea shot me an amused grin. “I’ll get them off her when you take me to your bedchambers.”
My mate in my bedchambers? I rubbed a fist over my chin. “I may need one of those tonics myself.”
Thea laughed so lightly and carefree.
“Ron,” she teased.
I groaned. “Don’t call me that.”
She stepped closer and ran her hands up my chest. “Tell me your real name, then.”
“Nice try.” I yanked her hips into my body.
“Still don’t trust me?” She pouted.
I tugged the mass of her messy blonde hair back until she stared up at me. “It’s not you I don’t trust. It’s your court.”
Her face fell a second before she spun away from me. “Perhaps next time we visit your family, we can stay longer?”
I crossed the distance she’d put between us and placed my hands on the back of her shoulders. “Anything you want, any time, it’s yours.”
She dipped her head in a tiny nod and then hauled open the chancellery door. Sure enough, Arine and Raefa were standing guard outside the door and Raelin was curled asleep in a chair in the corner. Thea gently shook Raelin’s shoulder. She woke with a start and apologized to Thea. They all followed me up the stairs to my bedchambers, where the guards took up residence outside the door again. Her handmaiden drew her a bath and placed her clean gown on the bed.
“I’ll take care of her.” I shooed Raelin out of the room.
Thea walked around my room, running her hand over the thick fabric hanging from the corners of my four-poster bed. I’d carved the posts out of demon wood from the trees in our Forest of Forgetting, icy pillars that stood the test of time and held the memories of those who willed them away to a demon. She traced the design, not knowing it represented the memories of those I’d taken. Demons were one of the few supernatural creatures who possessed the power to create portals to other realms. As such, we could charge any price. Most of us preferred our currency as a memory. The memories held energy, which added another layer to our powers. The more memories a demon possessed, the more powerful the demon.
“Getting ideas, little queen.”
“Perhaps. Unless.” She dropped her hand as though the wood scalded her.
“Unless what?”
“Unless you’ve enjoyed other women here.”
I chuckled. “You’re the first woman I’ve taken in my bedchambers.”
“How?” she asked with a healthy dose of skepticism in her voice.
“I was a virgin until you.”
She tossed her head back and laughed so long and hard, tears streamed down her cheek.
I stared at her, unblinking.
“Wait, you’re serious?” She brushed the tears from her cheeks.
“Yes.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing at the look of horror on her face.
She gasped. Opened her mouth, then closed it again. Three times she gaped at me before I took pity on her.
“I love ruffling your feathers.” I smirked.
“Why, you?” She advanced on me, heat and fire, ire, and passion, but I caught her wrists in my hands with ease and lifted her into my arms.
“Come, little mate, let’s get you cleaned before we head home.”
A short while later, Thea and I descended the stairs of the castle. Rexan and Tay were waiting in the entrance foyer, the burgundy carpet and gold moldings marking it as a royal abode. Tay rushed over to me and threw her arms around my waist. I hugged her back.
“Don’t stay away too long,” she said, with her face flattened into my chest.
“I’ll have duties in the Autumn Court, Tay,” I said. “We’ll come to visit when we can.”
She sniffed but let me go. I stepped over to my brother and clapped my hands on his shoulders. He did the same thing to me and stared into my eyes. His eyes were dull, rimmed with red blood around his ebony depths.
“You should ease up on the tonics,” I reprimanded my older brother.
“You didn’t have to wait a millennium for your mate.” He clipped me over the ear.
“What was that for, jerk?” I let go of him to rub my ear.
“Don’t talk to your king like that.” He threw a glance at Thea’s guards and handmaiden.
I winked. “Right, oh great Demon King, I won’t do it again.”
He smiled and then took Thea into his arms in a warm embrace. “Come back soon. It’s been good to become acquainted with my brother’s mate.”
“All right, get your grabby mitts off my mate. Didn’t you dance with her enough last night?” I grumbled.
“Not my fault you’ve got two left feet.”
Thea giggled before she stopped herself. Every little giggle made me fall more in love with her.
“Let’s get out of here.” I stomped over to the main doors having had enough of my brother’s teasing.
Two attendants, dressed in my brother’s chosen color of black and gold, opened them wide. I marched outside and created a portal with one hand, and clasped Thea’s hand in the other. With one last smile at my family, we stepped through to the Autumn Court.
The difference was immediate. People bustled everywhere. Noise and activity thrived in this place. Beside me, Thea sighed and a moment later, her spine went straight, her expression turned cold, and as her sister walked toward us, I sensed the first flicker of rage from Thea directed at her sister.
“Thea,” Melanie gasped. “Look at you. You’re bruised from head to toe. What happened? Do we need to declare war on the Winter Court?”
Thea’s eyes lifted to the sky for a second before settling on her sister’s face.
“No need for war.” She clasped a hand over her neck. “These are from my mate.”
Melanie scowled at me.
If the scowl held rage at me on her sister’s behalf, I’d believe her ire, but there wasn’t even a spark of it in the depths of Melanie.
“They’re from a good loving, is all,” Thea said.
Loving? Interesting she didn’t call it sex. Was she having feelings for me too?
“Oh.” Melanie deflated.
I rubbed a hand over the icy tingles at the back of my neck. What was the real deal with her sister?
“Are the preparations ready for the ceremony?” Thea asked.
“Almost,” Melanie said. “Papers are waiting for you in your chancellery.”
“Can’t they wait?”
“I’m afraid not. Some of the trial contestants remain in the infirmary and their realms are requesting an update on their condition. The healers have all the details ready for you, but only the queen can place the seal.” Melanie appeared anything but upset, she almost, dare I think she appeared she was eager to get Thea into her chancellery.
“What about the wolf shifter assassin? Have we heard from the alpha?”
“No.”
Thea’s brows dipped.
“I’ll go with you,” I said.
“That’s all right.” Thea patted my hand. “You and I in a chancellery together might not be such a good idea.”
I laughed. She was right, I may just take her over a desk again.
“Perhaps you can find something else to do?” An amused smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Thea, I’m your mate, where you go, I go.”
“Okay, you can wait in the library across the hall.”
Close, but not close enough to her, but at least if something happened to her, I’d be close to hear. Close enough to save her from whatever we both sensed looming in the Autumn Court.