Tested by the Night (33 page)

“Faster,” he begged.

Mia shook her head even though she knew he couldn’t see it through his closed lids. “There’s no hurrying perfection, my love.”

He groaned in his near sleep. “You’re killing me. You know that, don’t you?”

She giggled. “You’ll die a happy man then, won’t you? Now quit complaining and enjoy the ride.”

In response, from deep inside her his cock contracted, and the walls of her sheath tightened around him. Shivers of excitement shot straight through her pussy landing deep in the pit of her belly, and an insistent throb began a steady staccato on her clit. She had to move. She had no choice. Her body demanded it.

Traveling up Talon’s cock, she dropped back down, but faster this time, and even quicker the next. Her breathing hitched in her throat, and her thighs tingled in anticipation.

The knowledge that this really could be the very last time she’d ever be with this man in this way hit her hard in the chest like a stray arrow, and tears threatened once more. She shook them away.

Perhaps she wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. Perhaps she’d never be. And if, in the end, there was no stopping them, there’d be time later for tears and regrets. Wouldn’t there be? But there was only the dropping of precious grains of sand through the hourglass left for making this one last memory. And she promised herself, with all that she was, this memory would be VoT free of tears.

He nudged her again with his cock. “Mia, come on. You’re killing me, truly you are. Do I need to flip you over after all and do the work myself?”

She smacked him on the chest. “Don’t even think about it, Barbarian.”

A genius thought struck, and she leaned forward, gave him a kiss on the lips, and quickly climbed off.

His eyes opened about half way. “Where are you going?”

She shushed him. “I’m just making sure you don’t do any flipping of anyone tonight. I told you, it’s my turn to do the pleasuring, and you’re going to cooperate one way or another.”

It took her a moment to find what she was looking for, but before he could completely fall back to sleep she was back on the bed, straddling him once more, but this time she held four red silk scarves in her hands.

“What are you up to?” His words were a little slurred and very sleepy sounding.

Mia smiled. “You’ll see.”

She positioned his hands and feet spread eagle on the bed and deftly tied his appendages to the posts, making sure her bows were all four perfect and her dangly pieces the same length. She smiled again. Talon looked like the most scrumptious of Yulemass delights or even a special birthday surprise, and she couldn’t wait to take advantage of the gift spread out before her.

When she slid back down upon his cock this time, his eyes flew open and he smiled back at her. “Ah, there you are. I missed you, princess. That’s my girl. Ah, yes, ride me. Yes, yes, yes, ride me fast and hard.”

Oh, God Draka, was he ever going to be angry when he woke tomorrow and found himself not only alone but trussed up like some kind of erotic present? Mia sighed as she began once more to ride him hard. His irritation couldn’t be helped, however, and if it kept him safe, alive, and free from harm, in the end it would be worth it.

His breathing quickened at the same exact moment hers did. The muscles in his thighs clenched beneath hers, and she could feel the racing of his heartbeat, strong and steady, where her fingertips met rock-hard chest wall.

Her pussy contracted about his length, and tingles of pleasure skyrocketed outward from every cell in her body.

Mia closed her eyes, put from her mind the fact this bout of lovemaking might possibly be their last, and simply allowed herself to feel, to partake, to enjoy. Faster and faster she rode until with a burst of color behind her eyelids and a shout of pleasure from her lips a mere second before his, she collapsed, spent, satisfied, and utterly guilty upon Talon’s chest.

She laid there precious moments, enjoying the feel of the man beneath her, listening to the sound of his heart as its rhythm slowed, listening to his breathing become once more steady, listening to his soft sighs of satisfaction.

Then a new sound reached her ears. Talon emitted a loud snore, and Mia knew it really was time to leave.

With a heavy heart, she rose and quickly dressed. She kissed him once more on the lips, straightened one of the bows still binding him to the bed, and headed down the stairs.

Before she’d made it more than three steps down the stairway, however, the tears she’d been holding at bay all day began to fall in earnest. She didn’t even try to stop them this time. It was useless. For if she had tried, her efforts would’ve been in vain. Once those gates of misery swung opened, there’d been no going back.

She wept for the queen she’d never get the chance to be, and she wept for the man she’d never say marriage vows with, for the cost of his trust and his love. She wept for the failure she’d been to her people, and for the death of the naive young girl she’d once been. What she didn’t cry for, however, was her decision to do this last quest all on her own.

She swiped her eyes, blew her nose, and stiffened her spine. She could do this. She would do this one last thing.

God Draka knew she didn’t want to make this journey all alone. No one in their right mind would ever travel to Vile, even in a very large group of warriors, let alone all by themselves, unless they had no other choice or an incredibly large death wish.

She certainly didn’t have either.

But she’d promised the people of Oreeghan, the ogre nation, she’d return Queen Adrina’s Spear back to them good as new and she meant to do just that. Even if it meant she’d fail at her quest and never become a ruling queen. And she’d also promised herself not one more person would be put in danger because of her. A promise she’d now put in practice.

So why was her heart so heavy?

Mia sighed. What had been the number one lesson her royal parents and instructors had taught her from the time she’d been old enough to attend a class? The one tutorial ingrained upon her mind and soul? The one message forged in blood and written in stone? The very first and most important law of being a ruler?

Being a ruler, be it queen or king, has so much more to do with the little day-to-day decisions the people never actually see put in motion than it will ever have to do with all the pomp and circumstance you’ll parade before them. Make a plan and stick to it. If you give your word, keep it, and above all, always, always, always put the welfare, the safety, and the happiness of your people before your own wants and needs.

She really had paid attention to all of those tedious classes on ruling, even though she’d been only the spare to the heir. She’d considered it her duty, to be prepared…just in case.

Well, like it or not, just in case had happened, and it was high time she proved to herself, if not to the council, she truly did have the heart and soul of a queen. Even if no one except herself ever got the chance to see it.

Chapter Twenty-Four

There were precisely two hundred and sixty-four steps from the door of Mia’s suite of rooms to the huge entryway of The Academy of Magical Arts. Two hundred and sixty-four steps from Talon and two hundred and sixty-four steps from the place she’d left her breaking heart.

But Princess Amelia Zoe Cassidy Hammerstrike opened the front entrance and took step two hundred and sixty-five. She’d purposefully set this plan in motion, and all the tears, heartache, and grief in Albrath wouldn’t make her turn back now.

The sun chose that very moment to cast its first rays upon her face, as if this were any other day, and Mia lifted her eyes toward the sky, breathed in a lung full of crisp morning air, and took step two hundred and sixty-six. She could do this. She knew she could. This moment was what she’d been born for, what she’d been raised for, her destiny, and she would face it with dignity, honor, and grace, and she would face it alone.

Or so she thought.

The sound of a horse’s whiny was the very first indication she perhaps wasn’t quite alone after all. And that’s when she looked, really looked toward the growing light illuminating the castle’s inner bailey and gasped.

There sat Talon, wide awake and unbound, upon his steed, and if looks could truly kill, she was about to die a most unpleasant death. And it wasn’t just Talon, either. Pearl the dragon glared daggers through her, and Pierced, Alistair, and God Draka forbid, they’d even added another to the mix, her half-troll, half-gnome Cousin, Walaford Titwilder.

This was all she needed. One more person she cared for putting themselves in the line of danger for her. It wasn’t to be born.

Her anger and frustration exploded. “What the VoT?”

Talon didn’t say a word, he only continued to glare, but Pierced had the absolute audacity to laugh out loud. “Surprised?”

Mia cringed.

“I might’ve been born at night, coz, but it sure wasn’t last night.” Pierced chuckled again. “I learned long ago not ta trust any of my female relatives. Ya all use ta take turns tormenting me in more ways than I care ta count. Even ta the point of near poisoning me ta death with ya brews and concoctions and such on more occasions than I can even remember. Evil, that’s what ya all were. And I learned early on, not ta ever swallow anything made or delivered by ya hand.”

Mia glared. “I wasn’t trying to poison you, you dolt. It was simply a mild sleeping drought, just as I said.”

Pierced laughed again. “Mild? We both know if I’d drunk that thing, I’d still be sleeping come Yulemass. I fed it ta one of the castle cats, and I’d be surprised if the poor thing lives. I can tell ya this, though, I couldn’t wake the creature back up and neither could Alistair.”

Heat creeped up Mia’s neck and flooded her cheeks. “Perhaps I did make the toddy a tad strong. After all, it’s been awhile. My efforts, however, were with the very best of intentions. I really did simply wish for you to get a good night’s sleep.”

Pierced shook his head, but Talon roared. “That’s what you dare call what you’ve done? Simply wanting us to get a good night’s sleep? Admit it, Mia. You tried to drug us in the hopes of sneaking off to Vile alone.”

She stomped her foot. “I get it. I really do. Pierced didn’t drink his toddy, but I personally fed every single drop of yours to you. How is it you are not only conscious but upright? And how the VoT did you beat me downstairs? I left you…” The heat flooding her cheeks grew even hotter. “You know exactly how I left you. How did you escape?”

This time it was Talon who laughed, but there was nothing humorous about the sound. “Magic, my dear. I have a dragon, remember. And if it weren’t for Pearl, I’d still be sound asleep and trussed up like some silly present for the unwrapping, by God Draka only knows who, in the middle of your bed.” He jabbed a finger in her direction. “I trusted you, princess. A mistake I’ll not easily make again.”

Pearl lifted her head and sniffed the air, and Mia’s mind filled with the echo of the dragon’s voice.
You’ve done it now. Oh yes you have.
And then the dragon giggled with glee.

Anger radiated off Mia like the heat still filling her cheeks. If the dragon hadn’t been ten times her size and covered with thick scales, she would’ve punched Pearl right in the nose.

Go on. Try it,
the dragon whispered.
I double dog dare you.

Instead of giving in to Pearl’s taunt, Mia looked straight at Wally. “Why are you here? There’s no reason for you to travel to Vile with us. Don’t you have a class to teach? And…and as the next leader of the troll nation, you have the distinct responsibility of keeping yourself safe, for your people.”

Walaford Titwilder, son of Thaddeus and Karla Titwilder, heir to the leadership of the trolls, and pseudo cousin simply shrugged his shoulders. “How else would yout get through the Karzan dessert? And how else would yout transverse the Karzan swamp?”

She started to open her mouth, but he held up a hand.

“We both know there’s no love lost between troll and barbarians, except for yout family and mine of course. We are both strong races with strong opinions. Yout and I have been raised to care for each other, look out for each other’s interests. What kind of leader would I be if I allowed my own cousin to ride into possible peril without me at her side? Especially through my own home lands?”

Again she started to speak, and once more Wally beat her to it. “Don’t bother trying to talk me out of it. I’ve already sent word ahead. My parents and my sister Cerra wilt be expecting us in two days’ time. Karza is more than half way between here and VoT, and then it’s another full day’s ride, if not more, to the portal to Vile. We must stop somewhere and rest. It might as welt be where yout wilt be welcome. God Draka knows, where we’re heading, nights of peace, comfort, and the chance of a hot meal may be few and far between.”

****

If she didn’t die a long drawn out, horribly painful death while they were in Vile, he was going to personally kill the conniving, stubborn, arrogant, deceitful, undermining little chit with his own bare hands when and if they ever made it back home.

Talon seethed with anger as he stared at the ramrod straight back of the woman he hopelessly loved with every fiber of his being. She’d drugged him, him a warrior of the realm and her personal bodyguard to boot. And then she’d tied him up and left him. And to make matters even worse, she’d done the deed completely on purpose and without a shred of regret or guilt.

What the VoT was he going to do with her?

He shook his head. It wasn’t bad enough he’d already all but failed horribly in the promises he’d made Zander and his king and queen. And not just with this current debacle, but on more occasions than he’d care to remember during this entire, never-ending, VoT awful series of quests.

Keep her safe was all they’d really ever asked of him. It should’ve been easy. It should’ve been a simple task.

But what he hadn’t realized at the time, what none of them had realized, was there was nothing simple or easy about anything concerning Mia Hammerstrike. Though perhaps not exactly proficient in certain other areas, like tying sturdy knots or brewing tasty beverages, the princess appeared to be an expert at putting herself directly in the path of clear and imminent danger.