“Get Locasta to her cell before the crowd rallies up. Most of Oz is not too pleased with her right now. They’ve agreed to hear her out, but the temptation might be too much,” I said.
The soldiers were all eyeing Locasta like they had no idea what to think or what to say to her. So, they just ignored her and spoke to me.
“Did you have to beat her so badly?” one of them asked.
Illyna stepped forward. “I was the one who beat her, so I’ll answer that. The answer is yes. Locasta murdered her own mother to impress the Fisher King. She wouldn’t have hesitated to kill any of those children at the cemetery to protect him, so I took her out of the game.”
The general huffed. “That’s not the story the North knows, so we’ll wait to hear the evidence. You both have green hair. Are you related?”
“Very distantly. You must lock me up right next to her because I was a part of this plot, but unlike Locasta, I intend to be brutally honest about everything.”
We didn’t have Illyna tied up, but the Northern guard started to. Rougher than I would have liked. I hoped they intended to treat her just as comfortably as they promised to treat Locasta and didn’t go back to that cesspool they kept Glinda in.
I had to say something. “Illyna is to be given the same treatment Locasta is. When I see her at trial, I don’t want to see signs of torture or filth like when we rescued Glinda from your jail.”
“We only did that to traitors,” the general argued.
“You did that to innocent people Locasta told you were traitors,” I pointed out. “The truth will out. If Illyna is a traitor, then so is Locasta. Until you have all the facts, and there has been a trial, you treat them like living beings who feel pain. You give them food, drink, and you don’t let them lie in their own filth. I mean it. All of Oz is watching how you treat these prisoners and they will react if they see you’ve mistreated them. All of Oz will react when they hear of the things that have been going on in the North. If you don’t want attacks on your front lawn, I suggest you show them that was all Locasta’s doing and not the will of the Gillikin people by treating these prisoners differently.”
That at least got through to the Gillikin army. “Since she’s not using it right now, we’ve opened up extra rooms in the palace for all of you to stay in. The Gillikin people want to show Oz that we aren’t bad people. Every single Gillikin in Uptown has opened their homes to our new guests. They will meet people in the celebration field to arrange it.”
I noticed more men joining us on stage. Pridius was on his way up, a man I saw at the cemetery I knew was Daxar’s father’s, but things had been such a clusterfuck, we didn’t get to meet, a Gillikin man, the Scarecrow, and Nick Chopper were climbing the stairs. Daxar’s father eyed me up and down before he addressed the Gillikin soldiers.
“We are the council responsible for trying this case. The South wants justice for what was done to Glinda, but we don’t believe in treating prisoners the way the North does. If any one of these people on trial is treated the way Glinda of the South was while she was held captive here, you’ll find yourself on trial right alongside Locasta. Am I understood?”
“The entire council agrees on this,” Pridius said. “Locasta manipulated my people and planned to murder us, but Oz was never savage before. Torture is the thing of monsters, and it has no place in Oz. Are we understood?”
“If what I’m understanding is true, it was Locasta that enchanted my axe and not Adora. Having your body parts slowly chopped off by an axe and rebuilt from tin is an extremely painful process. Not even I want to see Locasta treated the way I hear prisoners in the North are treated.”
“Understood. We had quarters set up to keep Locasta in. We have the space to keep the other prisoner in. Based on Locasta’s injuries, I think it would be best to keep them separated.”
“We start the trial at sun up,” the Scarecrow said. “We don’t intend to call for Locasta right away. We will present all the evidence against her, then allow her to defend herself. The first to the stand will be Francesca of the West and Saffron of the East.”
“What?” Saffron and I both said at the same time. We only heard of things second hand. I didn’t even see the jail. I was with Dorothy trying to stall Locasta. I was at the cemetery, but so was everyone else. Why were they making Saffron get up there? She hated talking to crowds.
“Because the two of you had a lot stolen from you,” Daxar’s father said. “You lost your mothers and years of training to protect Oz because the Fisher King saw your mothers as threats. Yes, girl, Daxar told me what the Fisher King wanted the both of you for. You mean a lot to my son, and I wouldn’t ask this of you unless I’d asked my son if you could handle it. Oz needs to hear your story. I also talked to Glinda. You and Saffron need to talk so that we can break the forgetting curse the correct way and restore your birthright. The South needs Glinda as a Sentinel, not a Good Witch. The East and West need the two of you. Daxar said you have a replacement for the North. We’ve all seen what happens when Sentinels go bad and a post is not filled. I don’t remember what it was like when there were four Sentinels, but I know what I see now. We need to restore you.”
I bowed my head. “I’d be honored to answer any questions put to me.”
The Gillikin man on the council was practically eye fucking me. How did he get on this council, anyway?
“I don’t intend to go easy on you with my questions,” he sneered. “The North is on trial right along with Locasta, even though everyone knows her as a Good Witch. We’ve only known you and your mother as Wicked Witches. This notion it was a forgetting spell could be a load of malarkey to frame Locasta.”
I puffed my chest out and opened my arms in a challenge. “Come at me with your questions. I just hope you’re ready for my answers, asshole.”
Chapter 30
Galen
I
t was easy to forget our relationship with Frankie was punishable by death still when we were in Emerald City. No one at the academy gave us a second look, not even the professors. Glinda didn’t seem to judge, and, she was running the show right alongside the Scarecrow. She hadn’t said a damned thing to us and I knew she knew.
The North was different. They tried to put the women in one wing and the men in another. They didn’t think it was proper for us to even sleep in the same vicinity before we made vows to just one person. As soon as Frankie realized we would be separated, all one hundred pounds of her was ready to fight.
“We all stay together. Surely, you have a suite with four bedrooms.”
The big, burly Gillikin soldier who was escorting us through the palace looked petrified of her.
“I’m sorry, miss, but it’s not proper for boys and girls of your age that aren’t related to sleep that close.”
“Let me guess. You won’t think it’s proper for a young lady to break your face. That’s what will happen if I don’t have them close to me.”
Ozma pushed her way forward. “Do you recognize me as the true Queen of Oz?”
“Yes. No one disputes it, even though we thought you were dead. Oz is pleased to have you back.”
“I will be changing a few laws in Oz once this trial is over. I say as your queen, it’s perfectly acceptable for them to share a suite and not only that, it’s none of your business to police what they do behind closed doors. In fact, it makes you kind of a pervert you’re even thinking about it. I demand a suite with four rooms too. Dorothy will stay with me and three soldiers from the Emerald City army. Do you have a problem with that?”
The soldier stammered. “Sure, but we didn’t turn down the suites for royalty.”
“We can turn down our own suites. Just lead the way.”
“Well, we had a spread waiting in all your rooms. There’s no food waiting in the suites.”
Ozma just shrugged. “Have it brought to the suites. I hope the servants here are treated better than Esiro was. I intend to ask them.”
“I was the only one,” Esiro sai
d. “Locasta had to keep up appearances. I want a room by myself. These assholes get loud.”
I hid my smile. Yeah, they did. I roomed right next to them until Frankie invited me into her bed. They didn’t fool around right in front of me now that I was in their room. It surprised me Idris wasn’t mad about that. It was nice holding Frankie when I slept. The poultices she was making for my shoulder had it feeling much better. I could move it with little pain.
Before I knew it, we were all being ushered into one of the four-bedroom suites. Saffron and Emarus took one, Emari took the other, and the rest of us crowded into the biggest one.
Frankie glared at Emarus as he went to disappear into Saffron’s room. “If you hurt my cousin, I’ll smash your dick with my boot.”
“Frankie,” Saffron groaned.
“I will, too,” Emari said.
“I wouldn’t dream of hurting her,” Emarus said, kissing Saffron’s knuckles.
I expected Frankie to get angry about having to testify, but she just flopped on the bed.
“I wish Daxar was with us.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Of course, it was Daxar. I only wished one day, I could be as smooth as he was. He strode into the room and swept her up into a passionate kiss.
“I’ve been away from you for way too long. Is there room for me?”
“Of course. I was hoping you’d stay with us, but I thought your father would say no.”
Daxar just chuckled. “My father doesn’t control me. He understands my relationship with all of you. It’s still early. Did you want to explore Uptown?”
Frankie pulled herself away from Daxar and flung herself at me. She tangled her hands in my hair and pulled as she kissed me.
“How is your shoulder, Galen?”
“It feels much better when you kiss me.”
“Well enough to make love to me? You’re the only one I haven’t with so far.”
“What if I’m rubbish?”
My throat went dry, and I barely contained my moan when her hand found the front of my trousers and she started stroking my cock.
“We have time to learn what the other likes. I could be rubbish tonight too.”
“I don’t know about that,” I growled, pressing my cock into her small hand.
“I do,” she said, biting at my chest.
I just ignored my shoulder. I swooped her up into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist and buried her face in my neck. She was leaving me little bites as I carried her over to the bed. Idris and Oprix jumped off the bed and joined Daxar on this settee with a view of the bed. I could hear them shedding their clothes, but I only had eyes for Frankie.
“It’s about fucking time,” Idris grumbled.
I set Frankie on the bed like she was breakable. I knew she wasn’t. She was trained in way more fighting styles than I was and could kick my ass several times over. I had no idea how Frankie did this with the others. I had a good idea with Idris, and I already knew the games Daxar liked to play. Oprix, I couldn’t begin to guess. He was so gentle and kind. He befriended me before anyone except Frankie did. I couldn’t even imagine how he made love to Frankie.
I wanted to take my time and cherish her. I hoped she liked it that way. I hoped she told me if she didn’t. I just hoped I got this right. I hadn’t exactly done this before, and there wasn’t much time for erotic thoughts when you lived with the Fisher King.
She laid on the bed with her purple braids spread out the pillow. It was still early in the day. The sun was filtering through the gauzy purple curtains and hit her perfect green skin. There was a beautiful pink flush to her cheeks, and her eyes were hooded. I brushed her hair off her forehead and just gazed into her eyes. I wished I could just freeze this moment and stay like this.
Frankie bit at my thumb as I traced her lower lip with it.
“How do you want me, Galen?”
“How do you like it, Frankie?”
Her small hand came up to play with my hair. “It’s different with all of you. All of you are like missing pieces of me. I want you to make love to me the way you want to because I know I’m getting all of you. How did you imagine this?”
I laughed and buried my face in her sweet neck. She always smelled like the wildflowers that grew all over Oz. “All my kinky fantasies with you always turn into me embarrassing myself.”
Frankie pulled me down for a kiss. I was gasping for air when she broke it.
“What can I do to make your kinky fantasies a reality with no embarrassment?”
“Tell me what you like and what I’m doing wrong. I don’t want to keep at something because I think you’re into it, and you’re just lying there wishing I’d get off of you.”
Frankie just chuckled and pinched my nipple. “I have to wonder what you think of me if you seriously think I’ll lie there annoyed during sex and not tell you.”
I heard Idris snort and Oprix and Daxar chuckle. Frankie was right. That wasn’t her. Every time this played out in my head, I would do things I thought she liked, then I would finish, and she’d scowl at me and tell me how bad it was. Frankie wasn’t like that. She always helped people, and she didn’t stay silent if she didn’t like something.
It took two people to have sex, anyway. I had this whole thing built up in my head of me doing things to her like she wouldn’t be taking part, and it was all up to me to do all the work. That wasn’t her either. That wasn’t her now. She was lying underneath me pinching my nipples and the little jolts were going straight to my cock. I had been an idiot. Our first time would be special.
I liked what she was doing to my nipple, so I cupped her perky breast in my hand and rubbed my thumb over hers. I grinned when I felt it pebbled under the pad of my thumb. I leaned down and took my time kissing her. I would savor this. Frankie helped me defeat my father and showed me life didn’t have to be shitty. I was crazy in love with this girl, and I wanted to show her how much. I wanted to worship that beautiful, green body and tangle my hands in those long, purple braids.
I started with just kissing her. I kissed her pouty mouth and slim neck, then she practically threw me off of her. She yanked her top off, then practically ripped my shirt off of me. I think between Daxar and me, we were the only ones who wore shirts around Frankie. Maybe I should start strutting around flaunting it like Idris did.
Frankie grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me back on top of her. I kissed her lower and took one of those perfect dusky nipples in my mouth. She arched her back and yanked my hair.
“Bite me,” she begged.
I happily obliged, and she pulled my hair even harder. I took my time nipping and sucking her breasts until she was panting and I was wondering if I had any hair left. I wanted more. I wanted to taste her. She’d already kicked her boots off as soon as we closed the door, so I didn’t have to deal with those. I fumbled with her belt and tight black leather trousers. It seemed like forever before I finally peeled them off and flung them across the room. Actually, I flung them at Idris. He wasn’t the only one who could be cheeky.
Frankie wasn’t content to lay back down. She went straight for my belt too. She was in just as much of a hurry to get my trousers off as I was hers. Once we were both finally naked, she pulled me, so we both collapsed on the bed. She went straight for my cock.
“Wait,” I said, catching her hand. “Can I just taste you first?”
I had no idea if she would punch me in the face because I stopped her and told her no. There weren’t many people in Oz that could do that and get away with it.
Frankie flopped on her back and gazed at me like a cat with a saucer of milk. “Like I will ever decline that offer. I’m yours, Galen.”
I took a deep breath and told myself I would not fuck this up. Frankie knew I was nervous. Was Oprix this nervous his first time with her? I couldn’t picture Idris being nervous about anything. Frankie knew I was freaking out. She spread her knees and smiled at me. One hand started fingering her clit, and the other started massa
ging her breasts.
That visual was just the shot of courage I needed. “Oh, fuck. You’re beautiful,” I growled.
I grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to me. I dove between her thighs and found her little bud. I started flicking it with my tongue. I knew I was doing it right because she was having trouble staying still, and she was back to yanking my hair. I got a little bold. I slid a finger inside her dripping wet folds and started working her with my fingers and tongue. The louder her cries got, the less my fears got about totally fucking this up.
I paid attention to her body and cries. I didn’t know if that was the right thing to do, but I decided that was what I was doing. I sped up and went a little harder when I thought her body said she wanted me to. I was so worried about being the only one to come, but I knew when she did. I would have felt her flutter around my fingers ever if she hadn’t shrieked every profanity she knew and yanked a clump of my hair out.
I kissed my way back up to her mouth and pulled her to my chest. She snuggled into my chest as close as she could get and nuzzled my neck with her nose. I could have spent the rest of the night with the memories of her cries and her warm body pressed to mine, but she had other ideas.
Her warm hand reached between us and wrapped around my cock. Frankie bit my neck.
“I can’t decide if I want this in my mouth or between my legs.”
I was feeling a lot more confident than I was when we started this, so I decided to use her own words against her.
“I wouldn’t decline either offer.”
Frankie might have been one of the smallest people I had ever met, but she flung me onto my back like I weighed nothing. I didn’t even have the chance to adjust on the mattress before she had my cock down the back of her throat. She sucked cock like she did everything else—full out and never holding back. I clutched the sheets for dear life as she bobbed her head on my cock and squeezed my shaft with her hand.
Oz Has Spoken: A Reverse Harem Academy Romance (Emerald City Academy Book 3) Page 15