Page 34 of The Fury Queen's Harem

Elvey laughed.

I whipped a glare at both my suitors. I didn’t have time for this banter.

“I need you two to get out of my court right now!” I said sternly. “And don’t come back until tomorrow.”

“But why?” Blaze asked, very much unwilling to leave me. “I just got here, and it took me two days to track you down. I can’t just—”

Dragons were the most infuriating at taking orders and didn’t know how to take no for an answer.

“I have other court business to attend to,” I cut in sharply. Why did I even need to explain to him? Wasn’t I the jungle queen? Anxiety reigned in me as I felt the first scale coming. How had the hour run out so fast? I couldn’t have been in my Fae form for an hour. “Now go! Go! Make an appointment for tomorrow.”

“With who?” Blaze asked politely, ember eyes staring at me in longing.

Elvey watched me with half-hearted sympathy, yet he wasn’t moving an inch, either.

I could no longer afford to wait for these men to depart. I had to get out now before disaster happened. And I could no longer have the luxury to care if they’d stab at each other again in my absence.

A scale formed on the back of my left foot.

I broke into a run toward the exit. With my Fae speed, I would be able to dash far enough and blend into the forest to change into my Fury forms.

Before I reached the arched exit, a flash cut in in front of me, blocking my way out. My stalker was faster than I, faster than anyone had the right to be.

A hand lashed out and grabbed my wrist before I could fend it off.

Elvey braced himself in front of me, regarding me, untouched at my furious, frantic glare. His face was solemn and serious for the first time. My eyes burned with rage at his interference. If I were in my Fury forms right now, I’d have picked him up between my fangs.

“I know,” he said. “And I’m sorry for inconveniencing you, but—”

I would hear no argument, not while I couldn’t afford to.

I resorted to going for the blade in my boot. I was incredibly fast, too, and in an instant, my dagger appeared in my hand and drove toward Elvey to get him to release me.

His hand moved with a blur and he caught my other wrist.

Blaze reached us. He was at Elvey’s back, his sword ready.

Elvey was between us, between two blades. But he didn’t flinch.

“Let her go,” Blaze demanded, having just proved that he wasn’t the type who could stab anyone in the back.

“Stay, Daisy Danaenyth,” Elvey said, and my blood iced over.

What else did he know about me?

Had he come to kiss me, kill me, or humiliate me?

“You need to let the dragons see who you are,” he said, his voice soft and pained, “so they can decide for themselves what to do with you. It has to be that way. Fate has looked the other way. You can no longer hide.”

“If you don’t release her the next second,” Blaze gritted, “you’ll suffer—” Then he stopped cold, his threats swallowed.

The red scales had covered my nose and now layered my forehead rapidly.

“You’re beautiful and deadly in whatever form,” Elvey said, letting go with his hands that gripped my wrists. “I know you’ll hate me for this. But for it to work, they all have to accept your two forms.”

There was no mockery in his tone, but still I sent him an enraged, withering glare before I could cool down and question what he knew about my curse.

Blaze widened his eyes, their beautiful golden color darkening to dusty bronze. I switched my gaze from Elvey to him, waiting for disgust appearing in his eyes.

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