THE ROYAL TRIALS: HEIR

by James Tate

  I smiled at his fragmented thoughts, but I was pretty sure we were on the same wavelength. Without discussing it any further, he gripped the backs of my thighs and lifted me completely off the floor so my ankles could cross behind him.

  The movement drove him deeper inside me, and I screamed a little, shocked and crazy pleased with the development.

  "Keep going," I begged when he paused a moment. "Please, Zan, I need you. Please keep going. Holy gods, yes."

  He didn't need any more encouragement than that, though I happily provided it anyway. When his grip on my thighs slipped some minutes later, I took the opportunity to drop my feet back to the floor, push him away slightly and turn around.

  With my palms flat on the tiled wall, I bent just enough at the waist to make his reentry smooth, then screamed my way through back to back orgasms while Zan rubbed my clit, pulled my hair, and bit the flesh of my back. It was hot and wild, primal and possessive. It was fucking perfect.

  Later—after we’d moved our reunion back to the bedroom and Zan had taught me that I was bendy in ways I never knew I could bend—we lay together in contented exhaustion.

  “What’s on your mind?” Zan asked after a long but comfortable silence.

  I let out a small laugh. “Uh honestly? I’m wondering how the hell you managed to overpower all those soldiers Taipanus brought with him.”

  I really was. The curiosity was killing me, but I didn’t think immediately after sex was the right time to discuss death and violence.

  Zan rolled onto his side so he could prop his head up on his hand and look down at me. “I’m wondering how you managed to overpower Lord Taipanus and rescue Ty from the edge of a cliff.”

  “Well,” I gave him a sly grin. “That was easy. Magic.”

  His eyes narrowed at my vague reply, and I laughed.

  “In that case, same answer to your question, beautiful.”

  I groaned and rubbed my face. “Okay, more details huh? I can’t really explain what I did, other than that I used magic and kind of ripped his soul from his body and like… squashed it. As for Ty? That was all him. It was insane, Zan, you should have seen him. He’s hanging there on a rock ledge, a dagger sticking out of his chest, and he just… I don’t even know. He just climbs the cliff like it’s a walk in a park.” My mind was still reeling remembering it.

  Zan didn’t look surprised though. “Battle magic,” he told me with a knowing nod. “That’s Ty’s power. It’s doesn’t just make him a better fighter, it also helps him strategize his way out of just about anything—within reason. He used strategy magic to see a clear path to safety.”

  I stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, taking that in.

  “That’s pretty awesome,” I murmured eventually. “What about you? How did you round up all the soldiers and subdue them?”

  “Also magic,” he replied with a teasing grin. “My magic, the one that my father has decided he’d quite like for himself, allows me to, uh, control people. So to speak.”

  My brows shot up. “You have mind control?”

  His nose wrinkled, like he didn’t enjoy that name for it. “Yeah. I mean, it’s more than that. I usually only use it for really minor things like checking if someone is lying or making sure a secret gets kept. I very rarely use it the way I did today.” He shuddered. “It’s unpleasant forcing people to do your bidding like they’re a human puppet.” He paused, thinking. “Then again, that’s exactly what Titus wants to do to us, I guess.”

  “So you took control of the soldiers’ minds? That’s how the attack was ended?”

  Zan nodded. “I just wish I’d gotten here sooner. Even though I’d already turned back when the bridge collapsed, something clipped me in the head and knocked me out for a bit. Otherwise so many deaths could have been prevented.” His face was a picture of guilt, and I reached out to stroke his cheek.

  “Don’t do that. Don’t carry the weight of Taipanus’s cruelty. You did what you could, and it saved a lot of lives. That’s enough.”

  “I guess,” he murmured, not sounding convinced. “Anyway, people are going to come looking for us soon.”

  I nodded. “You’re right; we should find clean clothes or something.”

  I started to sit up, intending to hunt through our bags for clothing, but Zan’s hand snaked around my waist, pulling me back into the bed.

  “They can wait a few more minutes,” he said and brought his lips back to mine.

  Chapter 5

  Making our way back to Lee's field hospital, we were like a pair of lovesick idiots. If I'd taken a look at us, I would have suspected Rayventh had been playing her games again.

  "Hey!" someone called from farther down the street. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you, you royal Pond-dweller." Sagen came hurrying up to us and stopped with her hands on her hips and her breath heaving. "Where were you?"

  I scowled back at the snarky princess. "I was chasing Taipanus up the fucking mountain and saving Ty from falling off said mountain. What's your drama now?"

  Sagen's lips quirked with a smile, like she enjoyed me insulting her. Twisted bitch. "I hope you took care of that snake," she commented with fire in her eyes.

  I gave her a short nod, shivering as I remembered that heady, intoxicating power that had allowed me to rip Taipanus's soul from his body and snuff it out like a candle flame. "He won’t be causing any more trouble." I hope.

  Sagen's half smile pulled up into a broad grin. "Well then, I have a present for you. Come on." She turned and started back down the street in the direction she'd come from, expecting us to follow along like puppies.

  I glared at her back for a moment before curiosity won, and I heaved a sigh. "Zan, can you go check on Lee and Ty? I'll see what Sagen's up to."

  Zan was smiling in a secretive way that suggested he knew exactly what Sagen was up to, but he didn't argue with my directive. Instead he kissed me softly and left me so I could catch up with the raven-haired princess.

  When I did, she shot me a knowing look. "You two patched things up fast."

  I gave her a glare, but couldn't fight the stupid, loved-up flutter of warmth in my belly. "Near death experiences have that effect," I muttered back. "What's this present you have for me, anyway? I need to get back and check on Ty."

  Her lips twisted in concern, but she didn't slow down at all. "What happened to him? Last I saw, that snake was dragging him out of the square."

  "He stabbed him. Taipanus did, I mean. With this... dagger." I shuddered, remembering the creepy, evil magic crawling from Taipanus's weapon. "It did something to him, and I'm not even sure Lee can fix it. How strong is his magic, anyway?"

  Sagen was frowning now, and she shook her head. "I have no idea. This'll be quick. Maybe there's something you can do to help Lee." She pushed open the door to a building I recognized. It was the same one we'd been kept in when we first arrived in Ironforge.

  "Dungeons?" I asked her as she led the way through the first level and down the stairs.

  "You know it," she replied, shooting me a wicked smile over her shoulder. "Happy new life day, Queen Zarina." She whispered this last part quietly so the occupant of the cell she'd just opened couldn't hear her, but I sure as hell did.

  Then again, any response I had was cut off short when I spotted Sagen's prisoner. Or, more accurately, I heard her before I saw her.

  "You filthy, two-faced, lying piece of whore trash!" Gracelin shrieked, leaping to her feet in a mess of torn skirts and wild hair. "I should do the world a favor and kill you right now!"

  Her ire seemed totally focused on Sagen, to the point that she barely even noticed me standing there.

  "Sit down and shut up before I break your jaw," Princess Sagen of Asintisch snapped in a voice so cold and commanding I almost gaped at her. Gone was the bitchy, gossip-loving princess seeking a royal husband... a version of her that was a total fabrication, if the last day was anything to go by.

  Gracelin spluttered a bit, outraged, but a healthy dos
e of fear shone in her eyes as she sank back down to the damp stone floor. The swelling and discoloration around her left eye probably played a solid part in assuring Gracelin that Sagen wasn't fucking around. She wasn't making threats, simply stating facts.

  "What's she doing here?" Gracelin sneered, shooting a disgusted look at me, then flickering her gaze back to Sagen. "Shouldn't you be racing back to Lakehaven to present the fake crown and take your place as Seeker?"

  Sagen turned her head slightly, meeting my eyes with an amused look, then turned her back on Gracelin like she hadn't even spoken. "I was tempted to slit her throat, but thought you might like the pleasure of doing it yourself."

  My brows shot up, and I considered the pathetic, yet still bitchy, girl on the cell floor. "Well this is quite the present," I murmured. "Do we know what happened to the other ladies in the Trials? Were any of them with Gracelin and Taipanus?"

  Sagen shook her head. "As far as I've worked out, Gracelin killed Rosalee and Bella to prove her loyalty to Taipanus. The others went in different directions, so I imagine they're all safe."

  I pursed my lips, staring down at Gracelin while she glared back at me.

  "What does she know about Taipanus's goal here?"

  Sagen rolled her eyes. "Next to nothing. Can't say I blame him for not telling her shit, given how stupid she is."

  "Hey! How dare you?" Gracelin snapped, folding her arms like a petulant child while scowling. Still, the fact that she had no idea what significance I held in this whole saga suggested Sagen was right. Gracelin didn't know shit.

  We both ignored the disgraced lady's bitchy howling as we left the cell and locked the door behind us again. She was a problem we could address after I knew that Ty was okay again. And if he wasn't... well, Gracelin had a whole lot more to answer for. I'd be personally carving vengeance from her flesh.

  "Let's hurry," Sagen encouraged me as we exited the building back into the street. "Barmzig wanted to meet with you, too, but I'm sure she can wait until we see Ty."

  Worry was written all over her face, and I pushed my initial feelings toward her even further out of my mind.

  "You guys have been friends for a while, huh?" I blurted out the question as we power walked back up the street to Lee's clinic. It wasn't a relevant topic of conversation, given everything else we had to deal with, but I was curious about the real Princess Sagen.

  She shrugged. "Since we were kids. My own siblings are so much older than me, so I never really had anyone to play with unless we were visiting other courts." She paused and shot me a quick look. "I'm not interested in any of them, if that's what you're worried about. That'd be like fucking my brother." She shuddered in revulsion, and I smiled.

  "I'll take your word for it," I replied. "I wasn't worried, though." She narrowed her eyes at me, holding the door to the clinic open for me to pass, and I sighed. "Okay, I was a little bit. Before. But what else was I going to think when you had a key to Zan's room and let yourself in before dawn?"

  Strong arms circled my waist and pulled me into a warm body. "Talking about me, Luna?" Zan murmured as he peppered kisses down the side of my neck. "You know I haven't had eyes for anyone but you from the moment you and your sassy mouth showed up in Lakehaven."

  Sagen made a fake gagging noise and brushed past us. "Get a room, you two. How's Ty?"

  "Better, I think," Zan replied, stepping back from me but linking our fingers together so that we were still connected. "He's in the back getting cleaned up. Lee wants to see you." This last part was to me, and I searched the room for the youngest prince's blond head. Spotting him, I gave Zan's fingers a squeeze before releasing him to weave between the tables to where Lee sat with his head in his hands.

  "Hey," I said softly, sitting down on a vacant stool beside him. His hands were coated in dark, rust-colored drying blood, and a pile of dirty rags sat discarded at his feet. When he looked up at me, the lines of exhaustion were clear on his face.

  "Calla," he said, a genuine smile crossing his weary face. "Thank you."

  "For what?"

  He reached into his sleeve with two fingers and pulled out the stone I'd hidden there. It still sparkled under the dim lantern light, but it was a much duller sparkle than before.

  "This helped me more than I can explain. I don't think I could have done as much for Ty if you hadn't thought of this." He held the stone out to me, and I took it, our fingers brushing.

  "Well, good," I replied, tucking the "used" stone into the pocket of my pants and pulling out the fresh one I'd grabbed from my room at the inn. "Here. You look like you need a top up."

  He opened his mouth, looking like he was about to decline, but when I gave him a hard stare, he sighed and took it from me. "Thank you, Calla."

  Closing his fist over the stone, he shut his eyes and took a few long, measured breaths. When his lids opened again, the difference was clear. He still looked exhausted and disheveled, but the light was back in his eyes. Until seeing that, I hadn't even realized what was missing that’d made him seem so empty when I'd arrived.

  "Any time," I replied with an open grin. "I like that I was able to help in some way." I paused, my eyes shooting to the door at the back of the room. Judging by Zan leaning casually on the doorframe and chatting with Sagen, who was nervously chewing her thumbnail, I'd guess that's where Ty was. "How is he, really?"

  Lee grimaced, then reached out and took one of my hands with his, intertwining our fingers as he leaned his elbows on his knees. "He's alive."

  That short statement of fact alarmed me more than the apprehensive look on Lee's face, and my brows shot up in question.

  "I've healed the wounds, but whatever that black shit was or is, it's still in him. I'll be able to do more work, or more research, when we get back to the palace. For now... he's alive."

  I could tell Lee wasn't happy with just "alive," but it was good enough for me. For now. At least until we could get back to Lakehaven and fix things there.

  "Thanks for being honest with me," I whispered to Lee, my gaze on our linked hands as I took a moment to just appreciate the fact that he was still here, safe and well. Somehow, miracles had happened, and all of us had made it through the night alive. "Thanks for not sugarcoating it and telling me everything is fine when it’s not. I love that about you."

  Lee's other hand cupped my cheek, and he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "Why would I ever need to sugarcoat things for you, Calla? You're the strongest person I know."

  Damn these princes and their ways with words. Instead of arguing with him, telling him that it was all a façade—and a crumbling one at that—I just kissed him back and stood up from my stool.

  "I’d better go see him, then apparently Barmzig wants to see me."

  Lee reluctantly let my hand go, and I stretched out my back. The shower—and everything within the shower—had been amazing... but sleep would be downright heavenly. Spurred by my thoughts, a heavy yawn tugged at my jaw, and I blinked a couple of times to wake the hell up.

  "Don't you mean Rema?" Lee replied with a teasing smile. Apparently the "high priestess of Barmzig" was still in disguise. Not a very good disguise if anyone asked me, but maybe the people of Ironforge were so used to her as Rema that they simply had never suspected otherwise.

  I gave him a smile in return. "Right. Rema. Of course. You should go get some rest or something. This war is far from won."

  He just shook his head and held up the jewel from Ophelia's crown between two fingers. "I'll be fine now. At least until things have calmed down here."

  Nodding, I headed through the room to where Zan and Sagen still stood chatting beside a doorway.

  "All okay?" I asked them when their conversation cut off abruptly. Sagen looked annoyed, but Zan's face was relaxed and calm. In fact, I didn't think I'd ever seen him so at peace before.

  "Better than okay, Luna," he replied, and Sagen rolled her eyes.

  "Yeah, that's another thing," she commented, sounding like it was a continuation of whateve
r they'd been discussing. "Her Majesty has too many damn names. It's only going to be a matter of time before word of Queen Zarina reaches throughout the kingdom.” She shifted her accusing glare to me. “Are you really going to keep using the late Callaluna's borrowed name? Or better yet, will you tell the people to call you Rybet Waise?"

  Zan jabbed her with his elbow, but I just sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not. But I figure we need to deal with Titus before dealing with my identity crisis, don't you think?"

  A stab of guilt ran through me at the reminder that the real Callaluna was dead at the hands of Bloodeye's men. Poor girl had done nothing to deserve her fate except pose a risk of exposing my falsity.

  I eyed Zan cautiously. "You don't seem surprised to hear I'm from the Pond."

  "We suspected," he admitted, rubbing a hand over his cheek. "Between your skill with blades, your immunity to red tide poison, and your total lack of etiquette, it wasn't a huge leap to think you'd been raised somewhere a bit rougher than the other ladies."

  "Not to mention your concern for how the people in the lower classes were being treated by those awful, nasty princes," a deep voice added, and I gasped as Ty appeared in the doorway, scrubbing his wet hair with a towel.

  "You're alive!" I exclaimed, throwing myself at him and burying my face in his neck.

  Ty's arms wrapped around me, holding me tight to his body, even as my toes left the ground and he needed to support my whole weight.

  Ah crap, don't jump all over the recently almost deceased, you idiot!

  "Shit, I'm sorry," I muttered, trying to peel myself back off him and getting nowhere. "Ty, put me down. I shouldn't be climbing all over you when you're hurt."

  "I'm not hurt," he replied with a smirk, sliding his hands down my body until he could hitch my legs up to lock around his waist. "Want me to prove it?"

  "No," Zan replied in my place, sounding mostly playful but a little bit angry.

  Ty nodded, not taking his gaze off my face. "Of course, how rude of me."