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His Royal Mate 12
For several years, Polonius had his warriors shovel out debris and chip away at lava-encrusted buildings to excavate the artifacts that Polonius used in his experiments. At that moment, I was grateful he had never found the key to raising the city. We were there to locate the one magical thing that would bring the kingdom to life.“What is that?” Lex asked, looking mesmerized by all the archways made of brick and the towering buildings that still stood. “It feels like some kind of electricity in the air.” He moved his hand around his face as if he were touching a living entity.“It’s magic,” I replied. “The Tombs are filled with it. I believe there was a great deal of magic here once, and it remained as if it knew one day it would have a purpose again.”“That’s probably true,” Halo chimed in. “My father used to tell me about all the celebrations they had. Colors swirled in the air, and the wind seemed to sing.” Her face lit up with joy at the memory. “I have to say, I do feel more com
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“I agree, but Sire is right. We have no idea what Polonius might be up to. Let’s get a move on,” I said as I slapped his bare behind.Making love to Lex after seeing Harlance’s ghost had been a sweet reward. Lex was finally able to understand more of the magical realm that would soon become a bigger part of our reality.We dressed quickly and halved a long bread roll. Filling it with meat, cheese, and sauce, I created a sandwich that we shared, eating it on the run after filling our water flasks.I thought we might take the helo vehicle again, but instead, we drove in a massive truck with several others following behind us, carrying the supplies we’d need for our rebuild. The journey was long and arduous. We were going to have to stay in Onyx Rah for some time to save us all the time traveling back and forth between the ruins and Sire Vanoire’s house.After traveling for most of the day, we arrived at the Tombs, and Harlance’s ghost was there again. I didn’t think Halo would ever trul
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“Come,” Halo said to me, outstretching her arm. “Let’s do this together.”I took her hand, and we walked into the spring. The water was warm from the stifling heat and humidity around us. Sulfur, tinged with an aroma of death, permeated the air, but the soft liquid swirling around us had a calming effect. We continued to submerge ourselves until we were waist-deep in the water.“I will start with an incantation,” Sire said, moving to the edge of the water.I held onto Halo’s hand when Sire started chanting in a low, melodic cadence.“Oh, heart and soul of the people whose bodies are now part of your earth, bring forth their spirits, commence their rebirth. From the ashes you fell to the sprouts you will spring, raise up Onyx Rah greater than our imagining.”Over and over again, Sire said the same thing until his words petered away and he entered a meditative trance. When he did, the denseness in the stifling air dissipated, and a cool breeze danced on my skin. I didn’t let go of Halo’
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We walked towards the castle in the distance, surprised to see that it had been structurally restored. It still needed reinforcements, embellishments, and furnishings, but like the rest of Onyx Rah, the bones were there. I took Lex’s hand, feeling a rush of energy surge through me.Just then, a spike of adrenaline jolted both of us. Something was wrong.“Something’s here,” I said, my hair standing on end and my wolf awakened.“Behind us,” Halo agreed as she whipped around to see what had come out of the shadows.There, surrounding us from all sides, were Crypt Claw soldiers. They materialized together, two deep in two rows, with their weapons raised. I half-expected to find Polonius among them, though I didn’t see him. Lex and I took position in front of Halo and Sire, getting ready to fight. I was struck with worry that we would never have peace, but our people deserved to return home. So, I was ready to shed some blood.I was prepared to use magic to protect us, but once the soldier
His Royal Mate 16
Aria and I once again prepared ourselves for battle. Despite what Harlance had said about there being a protection spell on the kingdom, none of us were sure exactly how it worked or what our threats might look like. Had Polonius already gotten Amadeus to perform magic strong enough to break an ancient protection spell?“Prince Lex,” a voice from over the gates boomed. “Prince Lex of Navarrah City. We have brought your reinforcements.”With a flash of relief, I recognized that female voice. While it had been many years since I’d heard that loud and gruff tone, it couldn’t be mistaken. She was one of the only women in our military. While women were not allowed in the Royal Guards, they could join the military that patrolled our kingdom.“Wait,” I said, holding my hand up. “I know that voice. It’s the troops from Navarrah City.”I didn’t know how to rely on magic, and probably never would. But I always could count on my troops.As I turned to inform Harlance’s ghost, I realized that he
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“That’s amazing!” Aria exclaimed, her voice jubilant.I, too, was happy at the prospect of Tobran uniting to defeat Polonius, but when had Cheyenne gained so much power? It wasn’t like he was Fallon, my father’s beta. He was my father’s younger son and third in line to the throne after me and Amadeus.His increased influence was likely due to the fact that I was with Aria and so many of my duties had been relegated to him in my absence. Amadeus had been captured, and at my father’s behest, I’d needed to stay with Aria to protect her. It was a task I’d lay down my life for.I tried to calm myself, reminding myself that Cheyenne was certainly the next logical choice to assist my father in not only protecting Navarrah City, but helping to build up the guard in Onyx Rah. Also, my little brother wasn’t like Fallon—he wouldn’t ever murder me to sit on the throne. He was a hard-working soldier and my father’s loyal son. He’d do anything for Navarrah City, and for that, I was grateful that we
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“And Navarrah City will certainly help with financial support. As you can see, my father has already sent over troops,” I assured Aria.“Perhaps we can let those troops into the city,” Aria said. “I know there is magic keeping anyone who isn’t a Midnight Moon Pack member out, but Lex and Sire Vanoire are here, so obviously the magic can make concessions.”“What do you think?” I asked Sire.“Aria and Halo would have to make the allowances,” he explained. “I believe that the magic shielding Onyx Rah will listen to them.”“Let’s try it,” Halo said as we made our way to where the soldiers from Navarrah City were camped out.As we approached the troops, each soldier stood and saluted in a grand gesture of respect for Aria and Halo. Spread out in a sea of uniforms, the three hundred troops Navarrah City had sent looked very impressive.“Greetings,” Aria started. “Welcome to Onyx Rah. While it isn’t much yet, I appreciate your commitment to protecting us and our vision of what the kingdom wi
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In an orderly fashion, they filed out of the city center through the arteries of the kingdom to watch over the farthermost places.“Let’s help them out a little, shall we?” Halo said to me with a beaming smile.“Sure,” I agreed, but I wasn’t exactly certain what I was agreeing to.“Let’s give them food and water, at least.” Halo rolled up her sleeves and prepared to disperse her magic.I did the same, envisioning abundant food and drink filling up their knapsacks as they made their way through the city. As the last of the soldiers filed out, I noticed that their bags had become heavier, and by the looks on their faces, they were very happy with the provisions. Bindi and the thirty or so soldiers she had with her all smiled as they noticed their packs getting heavier.“Looks like that worked,” I said to Halo as we watched the troops fan out across the kingdom.“Thank you, ladies!” Bindi said giddily. “Now we will enter the palace and secure it before you all enter. Give us a little tim
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