The Blind Mistress & Her Mates

Wicked & Wild

Shortly after Logan and his wife stepped into the empty hallway, Gracefeel stumbled, as if wanting to collapse. Her husband’s strong arm circled her waist protectively. “Are you okay, my darling?” he asked with a deep frown, unable to hide his worry.

“I’m fine,” she smiled weakly without breaking away from his grasp, “I must have been upstanding for too long.”

There was pain in his eyes. Oh, how he hated seeing his woman suffer. His free hand moved to cup her face, “I’ll carry you.” He didn’t bother waiting for his wife to protest knowing that she was.

She gasped the moment he picked her up and into both arms as if she weighed nothing less than a child. To his surprise, she didn’t protest and his heart raced further when her head rested against his broad chest and her delicate hands curled around the back of his neck.

As they reached their chambers, Logan gently laid Gracefeel down on the bed, his eyes never leaving her face. “Speak,” he ordered in a careful tone, it was obvious that something had been weighing at the back of her mind.

Grace averted her gaze from his before going on, “It’s about my sister.” She began.

He got up from beside her to pace from one side of the bed to the other before speaking. “I’ve already announced my verdict.”

“I know dear,” the tears she’d been trying to force out all this time began to gather at her eyelids, waiting to be triggered by a mild blink. “I loved her so much, but ever since we were young, she had always been jealous of me,” she blinked twice, allowing the teardrops to trickle down her cheeks. “But it was my fault she lost her sight, I….I,” she trailed off the moment her voice cracked and Logan rushed to her side to take her hand.

“Don’t explain, love. It wasn’t your fault.”

Grace sniffled, shaking her head. She needed to finish her epistle. “I wanted to help her, after all these years. I felt so guilty for the accident that happened years ago,” she paused to breathe. “I hoped she could meet a good man here. I never expected her to….”

“It’s alright,” he squeezed her hand in his. “She won’t be your problem anymore, not after tomorrow. She’s nothing like you, my love.” He cupped her face with his free hand, leaning in slowly till their lips met. His kiss was tender and soothing, conveying everything he couldn’t say out loud through the warmth of his mouth.

His fingers traced from her face to behind her ears, then down to her neck, slipping her dress off her shoulder. She groaned before pulling back slightly so they could stare at each other. His thumb brushed the corner of her bottom lip as he stared into her eyes. Oh how he wanted to have his wife tonight. They’d not made love for the past few months and he craved her.

He wanted the feel of her flesh against his, her scent, her softness. Everything about her. Deep down, he wanted her to carry his child no matter how he never dared to bring up the topic. He could die for her, but would she do the same for him?

“Promise me one thing,” she leaned closer to whisper into his ear.

“Mmm?”

“I want you to drown her. Tie a boulder to her feet and drop her in the sea, that way, she can’t escape.” Grace knew just her sister couldn’t swim and needed to make sure she stayed dead.

Logan’s eyes widened then he shut them in tow. “As you wish,” he kissed her forehead then got up. “Goodnight, my love.” He mumbled and frowned the moment a knock was heard at the door.

Unwillingly, he moved to see who it had been.

“My lord,” she curtsied.

“Desmonda? Where have you been?” there was suppressed rage in his tone.

“Running errands for milady,” she bowed again respectfully.

He looked back at his wife before facing her headmaid once more. Without scolding her, he walked away and Desmonda hurried to Gracfeel’s side, kneeling beside the bed to give her a report.

“Yes?”

“Preparations have been made, milady.”

“Were you seen?”

“No,” she shook her head.

“Good. Make sure she doesn’t see the break of dawn.” Gracefeel had always loathed her sister. It was disgusting how was the better version but her wretched sister dared to bear the same face and better health.

“Of course.” She nodded solemnly.

***

To escape from the mob inside, Nicholas had excused himself to take a stroll on the palace grounds. The gardens were beautiful and peaceful, the fresh air would do him some good.

A few ladies had spoken of the incident involving Gracefeel’s sister moments before his arrival and he was curious to meet her. All he needed was a little excuse to do so.

He stopped near a fountain where a woman dressed as a servant was speaking with a shady-looking figure cloaked in black. He hid behind the short metal fence surrounding the garden, deciding to follow his instincts.

Unfortunately, a little squirrel made some noise in the dark and the cloaked stranger tossed a dagger his way. It flew right by him as he moved his foot in time to dodge the flying blade. Instead, it pierced right through the heart of the squirrel below him and it gave a short shrieking sound.

By the time Nicholas looked back the the fountain, the woman was alone and hurriedly leaving the premises.

“Poor fella,” he whispered and crouched next to the poor creature to examine the wound. “I should give you a befitting burial, but first….” He pulled the knife out of the corpse easily to examine it and his eyes narrowed. “Poison and a lethal one at that.” He looked down again at the dead creature whose body had become stiff as if paralyzed.

Now he had a bad feeling.

He stood upright and shut his eyes to think. He wasn’t as quick as a vampire and werewolf on land, but he was sturdily built with strong scales—that and the fact that he could fly. Whatever the poison was composed of would barely have any effect on him, but he couldn’t say the same for others.

There were so many highly esteemed guests present that it made him wonder who exactly their target was. Most of the guests were still at the party. Logan was with his wife, so who was the most hated person with the least protection?

“Laura!” his eyes widened on recognizing the face of the woman he’d seen beside the fountain. She was Gracefeel’s aide, he’d seen her accompanying Gracefeel on a few musical occasions. “I have to do something,” golden scales rippled across his neck and face. Immense wings burst out from his back, unfolding majestically as they began to flutter. In a moment, he’d taken off, leaving no chance for the moonlight to reflect on his glittering scales.

He loved being airborne, unlike the land-bound creatures. The dragons lived on floating islands in the sky. They were hesitant to join the war as their teachings were of peace and solitude. When the witches had attacked them and the other races had forced them to pick a side, they’d ended up choosing the majority.

By the time Nicholas arrived at the dungeons, it was too late. Leonardo was holding an emaciated corpse up in the air. He carelessly flung the body aside before turning to Nicholas.

“Well well, look who we have here,” he sneered arrogantly, walking towards the dragon prince. “It’s the little fairy who managed to get out without a babysitter. Well done.” He clapped twice.

“Prince Leonardo.” He sighed not wanting to argue how they were in the same age bracket, being born merely a few decades apart.

“That’s king to you,” Leonardo paused in his tracks, noting that Nicholas was still on the defensive with his wings out. “What do you want?” he finally asked.

Nicholas tilted his head sideways to stare at what was left of the person he’d killed. “I was after that man, I need to examine him.” He rolled his eyes wondering if he’d have needed to explain his motives if they weren’t in vampire territory. That and how much of a lunatic Leonardo could be, always wanting to find out who was stronger.

He’d already lost to Logan twice and ended up at a draw with Nicholas once, but that way decades ago. Regardless, Nicholas always tried the peaceful path. He wouldn’t have attended the party tonight if his mother hadn’t forced him to be their representative.

“Okay, go and get it,” Leonardo said, taking a few steps out of his way.

It felt too easy an offer but Nicholas tried his luck taking a step, then two before walking to where the dried-out corpse lay. He glanced momentarily at Laura who was behind a cell and his face flushed red at the sight of her half-naked state. She was standing in a corner, staring the wrong way.

“What are you waiting for?!” Leonardo ordered and Nicholas got up from his kneeling position, right after tossing the body over his shoulder. Seeing her would be enough for now, he was a patient man after all. He turned to Leonardo, not letting his guard down as he slowly walked past him.

It felt easy, it was never this easy.

“She’s uncle’s prisoner, isn’t she? So why are you here?”, Just a few steps away from the door, Nicholas spoke without looking back at him. He wasn’t scared of Leonardo, he just wasn’t one for unnecessary conflict.

“It matters not.”

He was right. It was none of Nicholas’s concern what he was doing in the dungeon of his family castle.

“Don’t harm her,” he warned as if he’d known the woman any longer than a few seconds.

Leonardo was silent, smiling from a corner of the room where the moonlight didn’t reach. His ruby eyes glowed in the dark as the corpse Nicholas was carrying dripped the foul-smelling blood of his kind.

“Leonardo, you need more hobbies.” With that comment, Nicholas opened the doorway to leave.

“You’re one to talk. You’re going to dissect him, aren’t you?”

Nicholas paused briefly before repeating Leo’s words. “It matters not.” At that, he exited the place.