Page 87 of The Fury Queen's Harem

“Why don’t you keep scheming about containing whatever power you want in your shipMistress?” I asked. “No one will bother you other than to bring you three meals a day, if that’s what you want.” But his stubborn look told me that my persuasion had fallen on a deaf ear.

“It might be years before another ship comes along, or never,” I reminded him.

“I’ll take the chance.”

My temper flared. “What can be so bad about leaving with me?”

“Do you have a room for one more?” he asked quietly.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. He’d caught me off guard. I had to admit that I felt connected to him and I was still hot for him. But I already had three mates. It had taken a while for them to even agree to share, and they were brothers. While the four of us had just established this relationship, Elvey joining us would destroy the balance, especially when the dragon princes still held some hostility toward him, though they didn’t regard him as an enemy any more.

And Elvey would constantly set me on edge when he chose to.

He laughed in dark amusement with a tinge of sadness. “That’s what I thought. If I go with you on that ship, I’ll only do more harm than good. I won’t be of much use for the moment.”

“You aren’t just an ally. You’re a friend,” I said. “I do not value you by your usefulness.”

He must have seen the open hurt in my eyes.

I had nine centuries’ share of wretchedness, so I didn’t find the need or merit to disguise my feelings. I did not play games. I told everyone what I wanted straightforwardly and expected the same courtesy.

My female instinct knew that Elvey wanted me just as much as the dragon princes, except he hadn’t showed an ounce of jealousy toward my mates or any possessiveness toward me.

My face was an open book, and Elvey had seen it.

He drew a ragged breath. “You have no idea, Daisy,” he said, his eyes darkening to the color of nighttime ocean, and there was deep hunger and heat in them. “You make my knees weak like no other. I’ve never felt for anyone as I felt for you. I want you more than anything. I want to keep you to myself, but I know better than to fight fate. Thus, I settle for what’s best for you. And that’ll be good enough for me.”

I swallowed. “That’s your selfish reason for keeping me alive?”

“Not exactly. You’re promised to us,” he said. “You have a destiny—light, dark, and powerful. I’ll make sure you get there. Sometimes, I’ll have to step back to do it.”

“Who is ‘us’?” I asked, not concealing my irritation. “And what exactly is this destiny you mentioned? I understand you won’t tell me certain things no matter how hard I try, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t always talk in riddles and make my head spin.”

Just then, the sky reddened as a burning comet blazed a path through the heavens, before hitting the gray sea on the other side of the jungle.

When the shockwave reached us, the tower swayed, and the red marble floor trembled under my feet. I stumbled, not because of the impact, but at a glimpse of all possible futures in front of me.

I heard my dragon mates’ shouts outside the tower as they came for me.

Elvey pulled me into his arms to stabilize me, crushing me against his hard chest. His wild scent of male musk, forest sun, and home blanketed me. While I drew all of it into my lungs, wanting to keep it forever, he kissed me hard and hotly.

It scorched my soul.

Dazed and needing more, I brought my hands up to hold him to me, only to meet empty air.

Elvey had vanished into the mist of light.

Only his velvet laugh resonated in the air before fading. “May we meet again, Daisy dearest.”

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