Page 15 of Their World (Her Royal Harem: Lily #2)

Chapter

Fifteen

I sat on my rock with my legs folded as Great Aunt Leona put her hands on my head again.

“Try to stay relaxed, okay? Just keep reminding yourself that I would never intentionally harm you and we need to get this magic out of your head. Okay?”

“I understand.”

After taking a deep breath, she entered my mind once again and as she neared the slippery magic, she started to sing.

Her voice was beautiful normally, but this song was haunting and had all my body hair standing on end.

Her tone changed, and a searing pain shot through my skull.

Clenching my hands in my lap, I grunted, but stayed still. Taking deep, slow breaths, I reminded myself this was my at request, and she was only doing what was necessary.

She began to sing louder as she tried to squash the magic, but it wouldn’t be squashed. Switching tactics and tones, she instead began to tear the magic apart.

Images, bits of memories, began to unfurl and my mouth dropped open.

With an exceptionally high note, one I was equally shocked and impressed by, she fully destroyed it and the memories flooded into me. There had been at least a handful of times that the Grand Advisor had visited me, asked me questions, and then tried to bury the memories. He’d also altered my perception of him, making me like him more and more.

One specific memory stuck out the most.

The Grand Advisor sat next to me, his hand on my head, and asked, “What magic powers do you have, Lily? What is your most dangerous magic?”

I shook my head. “I don’t have dangerous magic. Just a dangerous temper. Or at least that’s what Mom always says.”

He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Even under my spell she’s sarcastic and resistant. They really did train her well.” Clearing his throat, he asked, “If I swore to leave your world alone, would you marry me and crown me as King of the Demons?”

“Eww, no!” I gasped. “You’re so … old. And evil. So evil.”

“If I swore to leave your world alone and let the demons revive their world, would you agree to carry my child?”

“I just said I wouldn’t marry you and now you’re asking me to have sex with you? Are you senile!” I snapped.

“I never said you had to have sex with me. We can use artificial means.”

“Why do you want to have a child with me?”

“I need royal blood. I need to break this damn curse!”

I flinched back, but he took a breath and said, “Don’t worry, child, I’m not mad at you. I’m angry at the former Queen of the Demons, Third to Reign. She is the one who cursed me, who ruined my life! As her descendent, I think you’re the key to breaking this, but I don’t know how to break it, except make a deal with another, even more terrible being.”

“What were those drinks you gave me? They tasted weird.”

“Truth serums,” he explained.

“Why would you give me truth serums?”

“I need to know about your adoptive family. Tell me their powers. Their strengths. Their weaknesses. Tell me everything about them.”

Instead of answering him, I asked, “Why did my demon nana curse you? You probably did something bad.”

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “If no one you know can break this curse, then I need a royal child to raise and train.”

“You can’t use a child like that!” I gasped in horror and tried to move away from him, but my body wasn’t reacting.

“I’ll use whatever means I must, including taking over your world so I have even better access to magic users. Focus, Lily. I need you to tell me everything about your family.”

“I can’t betray them.”

“Don’t worry,” he smiled evilly, “you won’t remember a thing tomorrow.”

“Fine, here’s what you need to know. My family are going to beat you into a bloody, pile of pulp. They will do far worse things than whatever curse my demon nana placed on you. My soon to be mates are going to rip your arms off and beat you with them for suggesting I carry your child.”

“Shut up!” he snapped and put his fingers on my head.

I sat up with a gasp and locked eyes with Great Aunt Leona. “You did it! I remember!” She slumped forward, and I caught her. “Auntie?”

Smiling softly, she said, “I’m okay. Just a little exhausted. It’s been a while since I had to use that much magic and those songs. You always like to test me, don’t you little snake?”

Looping my arm around her waist, I helped her stand, and we headed towards the house.

Great Uncle Silverowl rushed out of the house and scooped her up in his arms. “Are you alright?”

She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. “Just tired.”

He looked down at me. “Did it work?”

I nodded and smiled. “She’s truly amazing. Now, let’s go back to everyone. I’ve got more details to share.”

Once inside and facing everyone again, I shared my newly revealed memories. That started a huge discussion that went into the early hours of the morning.

I woke, my face pressed against a warm, naked, male chest. I bolted upright in surprise.

Mason blinked open his eyes, groaned, and pulled me back down to resume lying on him where we were on the couch. “Five more minutes,” he mumbled sleepily against my hair.

“Breakfast is ready,” Branson announced, startling me.

Trying to sit up, Mason growled and tightened his hold.

“I’ve got to pee, Mas,” I grunted and squirmed out of his hold to rush upstairs.

After brushing my hair, teeth, and getting changed, I went downstairs to join everyone for breakfast.

“Was a plan of action decided on?” I asked Trey and took the empty seat next to him at the dining table.

My brother sat on my other side and shook his head. “They’re still arguing about what to do.”

Decisions did not come fast to the royals. It was one thing that used to irritate me, but now I understood. You couldn’t always just rush in and save the day. Sometimes, you had to thoroughly plan out an attack as well as plans C through Z just to be sure you were prepared for anything.

“I’m worried about Mom,” I said softly.

Tony scowled and stabbed his eggs a bit harder.

Trey set his hand on my shoulder.

Riddick had just walked in and nodded. “We know. Us too, but we have to decide before we act or we may end up causing more trouble or just putting everyone at risk instead of rescuing them. We would love nothing other than to rush in and get our mate, but what good would us rushing in and dying do?”

He was right, but it didn’t stop my worry. I just had to hope that even as angry or upset Jol was from the lies, that he wouldn’t kill my parents.

“We would like you to come with us today,” Trey announced, distracting me from my thoughts. “Nico has promised to contact us as soon as a decision has been made and that they will not act without us.”

I looked at Branson and Triston sitting down the table from me and they both nodded.

Triston drew an X over his heart, smiled, and said, “We promise not to act without you.”

“And we promise not to lock you up again,” Branson said with a wide smile.

I pointed my fork at him. “Still not over that.”

Kayden walked into the house, a strange expression on his face. When he caught me staring, he smiled and asked, “Are you almost done eating?”

I shook my head, realizing that I had not even eaten a single bite yet.

“Hurry up and eat,” he said. “We have plans we want to get to.” He sat on the couch and pulled out his phone, typing fast on it.

Trey squeezed my shoulder, startling me, since I hadn’t realized his hand was still there. “Eat, Lily.”

Mason finished his food and took his plate to the kitchen. He’d been avoiding making eye contact with me since we woke up. Was he mad I got off the couch so quickly? Did he think I had been upset to find us sleeping together?

My thoughts distracted me as I ate, but I did finish eating, though I didn’t really feel like I had tasted any of it.

The guys hurried me out to a waiting SUV, which Kayden drove. Trey had me sit in the front passenger seat, while he and Mason whispered in the back.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” I asked Kayden.

He smiled, but didn’t glance away from the road. “You’ll find out.”

My brows furrowed. “You know I hate surprises.”

“And you should give us this without arguing or whining. We went through a lot while you were gone.” He said it in a lighthearted tone, but the seriousness in his words had me closing my mouth and agreeing to give this to them.

I could deal with a little anxiety if it made them happy.

We pulled up to Trey’s house and I stared at it silently for a minute. As I squinted, it reminded me of a smaller version of Jol’s castle and a prickling sensation covered my body.

“Lily?” Kayden asked, breaking through my concentration.

“Coming!” I chirped as I threw open the door.

It wasn’t until the door hit Mason in the side that I realized he had been walking by the car door at that moment.

“Sorry!” I shut the door and patted his arm. “Did I hurt you?”

He frowned at me. “I’m fine. You just bumped me in the arm with the door. I’m not fragile.” His frown turned into a scowl. “Are you okay?”

“Right as raindrops on rooftops!” I said, repeating one of Mom’s favorite lines. Thinking of her sent a pang of anxiety and fear through me, making my smile drop.

“She’ll be fine. Your mom is one of the toughest people I know, which is saying something, since I know all the royals,” Mason said and put his hand on my lower back.

I nodded and followed Kayden and Trey inside.

Although it felt like I’d been there recently, something felt different. I couldn’t place it, though.

“Follow us, please,” Trey said as he walked up the stairs.

I looked at Kayden questioningly, but he just waved me up the stairs with a smile.

With a soft exhale, I followed Trey, remembering they needed this from me right now and the sooner I followed, the sooner I could find out what their surprise was.

My heart beat faster as I followed Trey; curiosity thrummed through me like a second heartbeat. What were they going to surprise me with? Did it have to do with what they had picked up at the jewelry store?

Trey stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway, spun around, and smiled down at me. “This has been a moment we’ve been waiting anxiously for. One we thought might not come to pass when you disappeared to the demon realm. I hope … we hope …” He paused, closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and said, “I’m messing this up.”

This was the first time I had ever seen Trey at a loss for words or unable to clearly articulate his thoughts. He was nervous, but why?

Spinning on his heel, he pushed open the door and stepped back, bowing with a flourish. “After you, Princess.”

The urge to look back at Mason and Kayden was strong, but I straightened my spine and walked into the room.

The room was relatively large, definitely a master bedroom, painted a dark grey with black trim, but was brightly lit thanks to a cathedral glass ceiling with dark wooden frames. There were also two glass doors that lead to a balcony where a cute patio table with four chairs, a swing, and a table lay. Lilies lined the walls of the balcony, giving it a garden feeling.

On one side of the bedroom was a door that I could see led to a bathroom, white tile gleamed inside. On the other side was a huge four-poster bed covered in a black fleece blanket with a white snake. A snake that looked almost identical to me.

There was another door, but it was closed and the guys stood in front of it.

“This room is gorgeous,” I said as I looked up at a crystal chandelier that hung from the center beam, casting rainbows as the sunlight passed through it. There were a few pictures on the walls, and as I got closer, I gasped, realizing they were pictures of us ranging from childhood to this year. Some were images I hadn’t even known were being taken recently.

“We are very glad to hear that you like it,” Kayden said. “It took us a long time to figure out what to do in here. It took Trey even longer to order everything since he kept second guessing himself.”

“We have another surprise inside,” Mason said and pushed open the door they stood in front of.

Another surprise? The room! Wait, was this … my room?

My eyes widened at the realization, and I wondered for a moment if I was in need of a true vacation since that had taken me far too long to put together.

They took my expression for interest in the room behind them. I was interested in that, but more shocked at this realization.

Trey walked inside, followed by Mason. Kayden waited a moment, blocking the door, and smiled sweetly down at me. “I’ve waited so long for this moment.”

“You have?” I swallowed hard. Was it hot in here suddenly?

He walked in and as I followed, my mouth dropped at the rows and rows of clothing, shoes, jewelry, purses, and in the center, a table where a small black box and one thin, long wooden box waited. The guys stood on the opposite side of the table from me.

“Princess Liliana Rubyserpent, will you do us the honor of becoming our mate?” Trey asked, opened the small black box, and revealed a stunning ring with a giant ruby in the center.

I blinked. Blinked again. My brain finally caught up, and I quickly yelled, “Yes!”

All three exhaled loudly. Kayden leaned forward, hands on his legs. “What was with that pause, Lily?”

Stepping forward, I held out my hand, wiggling my fingers, and Trey slid the ring onto my finger.

He kissed my cheek softly, and said, “I love you, Lily. More than my dragon.”

My breath caught. Saying he loved me more than his shifter form was a huge statement. It was something very rarely said and Trey was not someone to use words lightly, which meant … he meant them.

Mason opened the wooden box, revealing six bloodstones. “We have been waiting far too long for this moment and don’t want to waste any more time.”

He didn’t have to say they were also worried about the upcoming battle and the possibility of me getting sucked back to the demon world. It was said in the way his eyes were pinched at the corners.

“I agree, let’s not waste more time.” Stepping forward, I picked up the first bloodstone and turned to Trey. “I believe as alpha of this pack, you should receive the first one, right?”

His lip twitched as he nodded. “That is the protocol.”

I nodded, turned, and walked to Mason. “Good thing I’ve always hated protocol.”

Mason’s eyes widened, he looked over my head at Trey, and then back down at me.

“You’re all going to get one, so why does it matter who gets the first one? I love you all equally, so who cares who goes first or last? Just like I don’t care which of you marks me first or last.”

Mason’s shocked face softened as I spoke and he smiled when I finished. “I’m just excited we’re finally doing this.”

“Me too,” I agreed with a nod. “Now, squat down so I can put this bloodstone on you. Oh, where do you want it?”

“My face would be preferable,” he teased.

“Not everyone puts them on their faces. I know some who have them behind their ears,” I said as he bent over so I could reach his face.

“I want everyone in the world to know I’m yours and you’re mine,” he said.

Leaning forward, I kissed the tip of his nose and whispered, “Good answer.”