Page 25 of The Fury Queen's Harem

The men cheered, their shouting hurting my skull.

“Prince Rai is the oldest, and thus all inheritance is rightfully his!”

“Prince,” said a warrior closest to Rai, his broad sword tight in his scarred hand.

I believed he would thrust the blade into my heart if I so much as moved. He would make sure I had no chance of escaping.

The wind blew past me, ruffling my dulled scales in mockery.

Rai sniffed, a surprised look flitting through his stunning eyes. He frowned at me.

I stared at him like staring into the face of death. I would not close my eyes when he slew me, and I waited for him to raise his blade and hack it down on my neck.

His blade was sharp, and it would be quick.

One strike, and centuries of torment would be over.

It was better not to have hope than have it crushed.

He inched toward me.

“Your Highness!”

“I’ll be fine. She’s too wounded to fight me,” said Rai.

Never be so sure,dragon.My eyes warned him.A wounded beast can be the most lethal.

He sniffed at me again, and the color of his eyes shifted, a ring of fire forming inside.

“It can’t be,” he murmured. “She smells of dragon and something more, like home.”

“She can’t be a dragon,” the scar-handed man said. “She’s but a freak, a beast. Prince, you need to behead all three beasts now, and our curse will fall, and our race will rise, and we’ll all be able to shift again.”

Great, not only were the princes’ masks tied to the claiming of my three heads, but also their shifting ability. Who would place such a heavy curse on me? What had I done to deserve such deep hatred?

I didn’t know who my true enemy was, and I would die a senseless death before I did.

Maybe not so senseless to the dragons. They’d all benefit greatly from my demise.

“No,” Rai suddenly decided. “We’ll learn more about her—them. She smells like she’smine.”

His men looked at him as if he had a sudden fever.

“Your pet, Your Highness?” one of them asked. “We can get more exotic and even dangerous pets for you.”

“No!” Rai said fiercely. “She’smine. No one hurts her and her companions.”

He tossed the shield away and inserted his sword back into its sheath.

I blinked.

He wouldn’t kill me, at least he’d decided not now.

Hope returned to me.

Live another day for the fight.

Live another day to catch the kiss.

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