by Helene Gadot
"It's going to be okay, love. We'll take care of this mess. Somehow."
I held in the snort, not wanting to hurt Saber's feelings. They'd sacrificed a lot for me and all I'd done was get them in trouble. And we were even deeper in it with the prince as my kindred because no way in hell was I joining with the family who caused my family's deaths.
No. Way. In. Hell.
We halted in front of a door and Saber pushed it open. A woman flew at us and I stumbled back, my pulse skittering in shock and alarm.
Sky and Saber broke into massive grins and wrapped her between them in their arms. "You idiot boys. Where's the biggest idiot?"
"He's talking to the prince for a moment." Saber smiled down at her.
"Introduce me to the woman you abandoned me for."
What? They didn't tell me they had someone they were leaving for me. Why didn't they tell me.
Sky chuckled. "Of course. Rhapsody, this is Sarta. Whist's mother and the palace chef. Sarta, this is our kindred."
Relief and understanding left me weak and dizzy. I smiled tentatively at her and she yanked me into a hug. "I am so glad they found you."
"Uh... me too."
"How'd you hear about it already?" Sky asked.
Sarta chuckled. "News like that spreads fast. I also already heard she's the prince's kindred as well. That will certainly make things interesting."
I bit my tongue to keep from screaming out how much the prince was not my kindred.
"Something we haven't really had a chance to discuss yet."
She nods. "Understood. I've got a meal in the oven for the four of you and you three look like you could use a bath and a rest. We'll catch up more tomorrow." She hugged Sky and Saber again. "So glad you're all right. Though I wish you'd been able to stay gone. You've returned to a right mess, and it's only getting worse."
Her words hinted at something more than my kindred drama. Especially based on the look she shared with Sky and Saber.
What didn't they tell me?
My eyes narrowed with suspicion at the two as Whist slid through the door and his mother attacked him. The special smile of his that always made my stomach lurch lit up his face as he swept her into his arms.
Saber and Sky hustled me through their ridiculous home to a bathroom. "Let's get clean, love."
"What was that out there?" I asked.
"What was what?" Sky's face was pure innocence as he turned the faucet of the bath. A bath which could fit at least seven people.
I didn't buy it for a second. "The mess we've returned to. What don't I know?"
"We'll talk everything out later, doll. Let's get this grime off us, eat some food, and get some sleep before we take it all on, yeah?"
I sighed. "Fine. Your home in ridiculous by the way. Why the hell did you need a bath this massive?"
Sky smirked. "So we can all fit."
My mind blanked, and I shuddered in delight at the picture his words brought to life.
"Like the thought of that, don't you?"
"Maybe."
Part of me wanted to lose myself in them, but the main part of me was tired, filthy, stressed, and starving. Saber and Sky were after nothing more than caring for me. They sat me between them and poured warm water over my shoulders, coating my slick body with soap. Whist slid inside and stripped, taking over for them while they focused on each other.
They spread soap on each other with languid strokes and soft eyes.
"Your mother seems wonderful."
Whist's eyes smiled at me. "She is. I'm sorry we're back here in this shit, but I am glad to know she's okay and to see her again."
"I'm glad you didn't have to give her up. I never wanted that." I spread soap across his chest, eying the defined muscles on his torso.
Whist massaged shampoo into my hair, turning me away from him and tucking me between his legs. "I know, gorgeous. But it's what she wanted for me. And what she wanted for those two. And we definitely didn't want this for you."
"What the hell are we going to do?" The sponge flopped from my hands and splashed into the water.
"I'm not sure yet. And I'm not saying you should choose Aster as your other kindred, but he is a good man. He's nothing like the king." He tilted my head back and rinsed the suds from my hair.
I opened my eyes to see Sky and Saber kissing lazily, their slick and soapy bodies sliding against each other.
"It doesn't matter. I won't align myself with that family. I can't." I didn't speak the rest of my thought out loud. I'd already turned my back on so many of my beliefs for the men in this room. I would not go further.
"That's fine. Aster would never force you." Whist twisted my hair, ringing out the water from my dark strands.
"It may not matter if he doesn't. I'm sure his father will." And if the king pushed it, I'd do it if it would save my assassins. Even if I hated myself for it for the rest of my life.
EIGHT
Bathed and fed, the four of us snuggled together on the couch. I ignored the tightness in my chest, calling me to the prince. Nope. Was not going to happen.
Sitting up, I adjusted myself until I could glare at all of them. "All right. I need answers."
"What do you want to know?" Sky asked.
"Everything. But first, or mainly, I want to know what we've landed in. Apparently, it's more than just treason and kindred bonds."
Whist sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "There's something big we haven't told you."
Anger and uneasiness stiffened my body. Saber stroked and soothed me until I curled back up against him. "What is it?"
"There was another reason we were trying to talk you into going to Havisam." Whist grimaced.
"So it wasn't all about starting over?" Betrayal left a nasty taste in my mouth.
Saber shook his head. "It was. We wanted to start over with you. But there was a reason we chose Havisam to do that."
"Why?" I scowled, confused.
"We have connections there through the prince and princess," Whist said.
"I don't understand. Please, end the cryptic shit and just lay it all out for me."
A smirk trembled on Sky's lips. "All right, doll. All right."
Whist sat forward, demanding my complete attention. "The prince and princess have been plotting to overthrow the king for years now. They've been working together to bring the council over to their side. The prince and I have made several trips to Havisam to meet with representatives and leaders there. They're planning to try to find allies in the dragon lands soon."
What? Hope and disbelief and other emotions I couldn't place swirled in my stomach, battling for dominance. Bewilderment won. "How does meeting with other country leaders help?"
"It's a political uprising, not a violent revolutionary one. The princess needs allies in other countries if she wants to force her father into stepping down," Whist said.
"And you three have been helping them? You really have been committing treason." I sank back against the cushions with a blown out breath.
Whist's chin lowered in a grim nod. "We have."
"Why didn't you tell me before now?" They should have told me.
Sky took my hand in both of his. "Because it didn't matter. Once we met you, everything changed. And you already struggled so much with guilt, thinking we were sacrificing so much for you, we didn't want to make you feel worse."
"You should have told me. It could have changed things."
Saber ran his fingers along my arm. "Perhaps. And you're right, we should have told you. And we would have. But we haven't exactly had a whole lot of time to discuss everything there was to discuss. We planned to explain it all once we were in Havisam and send word to the prince and princess to let them know what was going on and try to help them from there."
"If you had told me all of that from the beginning, I would have been a lot more willing to stay with you three and leave Faligrey."
"We didn't want you to choose to stay with us for any other reason than you wanted us
." Rare vulnerability crossed Whist's face and I melted.
With a sigh, I snuggled back into Saber's chest. "Fine. I get it. I'm still irritated I didn't know, but I get it. So, what does that mean for us now?"
Whist's shoulders relaxed. "Not sure. A lot of it depends on the king. And on you."
"On me?" The question squeaked from my mouth.
"On what you do about your fourth kindred," Sky said.
"I'm not bonding with him." Especially not now that I know the king might not be in power much longer.
Whist shook his head. "And you don't have to. Though, I do suggest pretending to be amenable to the idea or we'll all be thrown into the dungeons."
"And he's on our side, love. You should at least get to know him. I think you'll like him." Saber smiled at me.
"How can I help?"
"Princess Indigo will let us know what she wants from us. But for now, we need to do whatever the king says. I'm sorry, doll, but we have to play along if we want to get through this alive. He won't want to kill you since you're his son's kindred, but if you publicly refuse the bond, he'll either force it or he'll kill us all and that will lead to war because Aster will lose his mind. We're in a mess, doll. A big one. And I'm really sorry you're in it." Sky snuggled closer to Saber and me.
"It's not your fault he's my kindred. And really, it probably saved our lives." I hated admitting it out loud. "I just don't understand why the king hates me so much."
"Your songs have more power than you realize. We told you word of your music spread across the country. It's caused some unrest according to Aster. Even more since we left. He and Indigo can explain more and better. I have a feeling Indigo will have a lot of plans for you." Whist didn't look happy at the thought.
A small thread of excitement shivered through me. I had been happy at the idea of starting over with my assassins, maybe finally having some peace and a stable life, but a large part of me preferred the excitement and intrigue and danger. It was probably why my kindreds were assassins and a treasonous prince.
Whist's gray eyes met mine, and I swore he read everything I felt as I stared back at him. And he understood because a large part of him was glad to be back, embroiled in the chaos and peril. He craved it like I did. Warmth swept over me at being so in sync with someone.
We had never been at so much risk, but the two of us were the slightest bit thrilled. After glancing at the other two, I had a feeling they were experiencing similar emotions. None of us had really wanted a nice house in a village and regular, boring jobs. We'd just wanted each other more.
I'd never felt like I had made any difference no matter how hard I raged against the system. But now? Now, I had a real chance to help bring about change.
I just hoped it was change for the better and not something worse.
NINE
Sky let out a dramatic yawn and stretched. "It's been a long and rather hideous couple of days. Let's go to sleep and figure out how to deal with all of this in the morning." He winked at me when he caught me checking out the skin he flashed when his shirt rode up his toned stomach.
I winked back, and he pulled me off the couch, slinging me over his shoulder. He chuckled at my shriek, Saber and Whist trailing us with small smiles.
Sky brought me to a lavish room decorated in royal blues and soft grays. I snorted at the sight of another huge bed.
"I have the biggest bed of the three of us." Sky sounded ridiculously proud of the fact.
"I don't get my own room?" I faked a pout.
Sky tossed me in the middle of the bed and glared down at me. "No. You're either going to be in my bed or theirs."
I fought the smile trying to spread across my lips. "Oh really?"
"Really." Sky's eyes glittered down at me, drawing me in.
He grabbed the waistband of my trousers and slid them down my legs while Saber climbed onto the bed beside me and took my lips in a sensual kiss. I reached up to clasp the back of his neck, holding him close while our tongues flirted and teased.
Instead of sticking to the shadows to watch like he usually did, Whist sank onto the other side of me on the bed, trailing lips, tongue, teeth, fingers down the skin Sky had bared.
The three of them remained fully clothed while I was completely naked. It made me even more desperate for them. I wanted more than teasing touches and grazes. I wanted to be filled and lost in them.
Sky spread my legs and settled between them, staring at my center like a man dying of thirst who finally caught a glimpse of water. Saber and Whist each grabbed one of my knees and held me wide open and Sky dipped his head to taste my core. I squirmed and whimpered at Sky's light touches, craving more. Always more.
Whist took one of my nipples into his mouth and sucked hard before he bit at it. I gasped and arched my back. Saber licked at my other breast, the two different sensations, one harsh, one gentle, making my head spin.
Sky slid two fingers inside of me and I bucked against their hold, but Saber and Whist only held me down harder. I was trapped between the three of them, spread open for their pleasure, and there was nowhere I'd rather be.
They brought me to the brink and then backed off, making me mewl in protest. I was so close.
Saber and Sky switched places, and I had two harsh mouths on my breasts and a very large cock sinking into me. Saber didn't even take his clothes off, he just pulled his dick out and plunged it into me.
I felt every inch of him as Saber slid slowly in and out of me, hitting deep. Whist and Sky focused on my lips, neck, breasts, never releasing their grips on my knees. I was lost to sensation, to hands and lips everywhere. My head thrashed back and forth on the bed as my breaths shortened. My body buzzed with electricity and their scents and tastes combined until it was like I'd had too much of my favorite brandy.
Saber stilled inside me right as I neared the edge again. I wailed. "What are you doing to me?"
"Drawing out your pleasure."
"S'mean."
"We know. But trust us to make you feel good."
Whist was the next one between my legs. He buried his head between my legs, ravaging me with hard sucks and sharp nips and plunging fingers. He kept up the assault with his mouth while he removed his fingers from my sheath and pressed them into my ass. There was a slight burn, I still wasn't used to it, as he pumped his fingers in and out of my ass, but I wanted more. I burned for him, for all of them.
They set me on fire with each touch, each kiss, each glance.
Saber and Sky kissed each other across my chest while they keep up the touches and strokes, apparently a favorite move of theirs. One I whole-heartedly approved of.
Once again, Whist backed off before I could climax. I didn't complain this time, but a plaintive moan escaped from my lips, making the three of them chuckle.
I scowled, my body slick and quivering with unspent frustration and desperate need.
My body was empty and screaming to be filled, fucked, ravaged.
The three of them moved away from me and I whimpered. Why were they doing this to me? Torturing me?
Sky shushed me. "There's something we've been wanting to try with you and we had to make sure you're well prepared."
My brain was too hazy to understand what he was talking about, but I didn't care. I was up for anything they wanted to try.
Sky laid down on his back while Saber and Whist helped my trembling body into position straddling Sky's lap. Sky steadied me with his hands on my hips and raised his head to take my lips in a hard kiss. He slid inside of me and we gasped into each other's mouths. He didn't move, just remained still, buried inside of me, his clothes still on, but cock out. Just like Saber. I tried to lift my hips, but he smacked my ass and held me trapped.
I heard one of the others rummaging around in the nightstand and then felt a dip in the bed behind me. Saber appeared on the bed beside us, finally and gloriously nude. I drank in the sight of him, my mouth watering for a taste.
Whist ran a hand down my backside, a trail of
something slick and warm following the path of his hand. Whatever it was slid down the crack of my ass and Whist pushed more inside with one finger before he added another. He spread his fingers, stretching me out and I moaned.
Whist's hands tangled with Sky's as he moved behind me to replace his fingers with his slippery cock. Sky recaptured my mouth with his while Whist slowly pressed into me, bit by bit. My breath caught in my throat and it stung and burned.
Sky spoke against my lips. "Relax and press back, doll. It'll feel amazing in a minute." He snickered. "Trust me, I know."
The visual his words produced sent a shiver through me and I moaned.
"You want to see that, don't you? You want to see Saber fuck me? Or me fuck him?" Sky nibbled on my bottom lip.
"Yes. Badly."
Sky groaned and closed his eyes. "Fuck, you are perfect. We are more than willing to grant that wish, doll. But for tonight, we're fulfilling another wish."
All of them at the same time. It was something we'd all teased each other about in passing, something we all craved, but hadn't tried.
Tonight, we celebrated the fact that we were alive and together.
I hissed as Whist finally slid all the way inside me. It was too much, it wasn't enough. Both him and Sky bottomed out inside me was a lot. They remained still, giving me a moment to adjust. I breathed deeply and forced myself to relax.
Saber and Sky both watched my face closely. Whatever they saw on it caused Sky to nod at Whist behind me and then they were both moving. Slowly at first, careful to watch and gauge my reaction.
It overwhelmed me, but there was no way I ever wanted to stop. It only took a few strokes, and I was screaming out my climax, pulsing around their cocks.
Once I came down, they began to move again and Saber crawled closer, his palm cupping my cheek. I nodded at the question in his eyes and his dick nudged against my lips. I opened my mouth and took him inside. I couldn't move much, so he did all the work, pumping shallowly between my lips. I moaned around him, the vibrations from it making him gasp and grip my hair tight.