by Tara West
Ugh. She’d been so used to the fresh sea air, she’d forgotten The Grotto smelled like sulfur. It had to be dragon breath. Serah wondered if she could ever get used to living with such a stink.
Ignoring her grumbling lovers, she trudged forward, staring at Draque’s wet, black hair plastered against tanned muscular shoulders and wishing he wasn’t so beautiful.
When Draque swore, kicking up water, Serah noticed Katherine was waiting for them on the shallow ledge surrounding the pool. She wore an odd smile that appeared to be mixed with a snarl. Either that or the act of smiling was too painful. Her clothes, or lack thereof, was what was most disturbing about her appearance. Her bottoms barely covered her skanky crotch and her top, if you could call it that, was like a giant rubber band wrapped around her tits, barely covering her nipples. This revealing attire was meant for seduction, and by the way Katherine’s heated gaze centered on Serah’s mates, it was clear they were the objects of her desire. No, wait. Not her mates. Not yet. She still hadn’t decided.
They are your mates, Thelix said. I’ve decided.
Serah ignored her siren. She only had enough patience to handle one adversary at the moment. Clenching her fists until nails broke skin, she released an aggravated sigh. When Ladon tried to block her view, she went around him with a huff. She didn’t need him treating her like a fragile flower. She could handle Katherine. At least she hoped she could.
“What are you doing here?” Draque snarled at the she-bitch.
Serah inwardly smiled at his tone. It was clear he didn’t care for Katherine. She is not as beautiful as you, Thelix said, and I’m not just talking about outward appearance. Her soul is rotten.
For once Serah agreed with her siren.
Katherine appeared undaunted by Draque’s rebuke. “I have come to apologize for my behavior earlier.”
“Apology accepted,” Teju said through clenched teeth. “Now please leave.”
Katherine’s eyes momentarily widened, then narrowed before she flashed a wicked grin. “You know....” She tossed a cursory glance at Serah. “Only shifters are allowed in The Grotto?”
Ladon said, “We know that.”
She waved dismissively at Serah. “And yet you bring this witch here.”
“You know damn well she’s a shifter.” Draque’s voice dropped to a predatory rumble. “The portals are enchanted to prevent non-shifters from passing through.”
Katherine thoughtfully tapped her chin. “She might be a witch, but there are rumors she is also part siren.”
Teju waved a fist in her face. “So what’s your point?”
She didn’t even flinch. “My point is that she can use her voice to control you, even make you fall in love with her.”
“Go away, Katherine.” Ladon shooed her off, then mouthed an apology to Serah.
“Fine,” Katherine said, tossing her shimmering, pale hair over her shoulders. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m only trying to stop you from getting stuck in a doomed marriage.”
Serah was affronted. “We’re not getting married.”
Uh oh, Thelix mumbled.
“That’s not what the dragon kings say.” Katherine let out a grating laugh. “They say you must marry their sons.”
Panic swept through her. “I’m not marrying anyone against my will.” She shot her lovers an accusatory look, not at all soothed when they averted their gazes. Was that why they’d romanced her all day? Pressured her to be their girl?
“Against your will?” Katherine squawked like a predatory bird on the hunt. “Do you not realize the honor the kings have bestowed on you?” She looked Serah up and down, making a disgusted face. “You should be grateful they’d allow a Goldenwand to marry their sons.”
That fucking bird bitch! Thelix shrieked.
“Oh, please.” Serah cocked a hand on her hip, attitude locked and loaded. “I’m the heiress to the largest fortune in all four realms.”
“Five realms,” Draque corrected automatically.
She eyed him with a snarl. “I’m not marrying you.”
He turned to Katherine. “Why would you tell her she has to marry us? It was not your place.”
“I thought she knew.” Katherine pouted.
Liar, Thelix said again.
Teju pointed at her. “You came to cause trouble.”
In a bold move, Katherine grabbed his finger, gripping it in a curved hand that looked like a claw. “How can you marry someone who won’t even acknowledge our realm?”
“Oh, trust me, I acknowledge it,” Serah said, crossing her arms. “Just not as a realm. A real realm doesn’t smell like Satan’s sweaty armpit.”
When Ladon turned to her with a wounded look in his eyes, her heart plummeted. She hadn’t meant to hurt him, but she was angry and frustrated.
“This is our home you’re slandering,” Ladon whispered.
Katherine squawked again, flapping her arms as if they were wings. “I told you she’s not a good match.”
“Katherine, you’ve caused enough trouble for one day.” Draque pointed to the darkened tunnel behind them, his voice a threatening rumble that rolled through Serah’s head like a steam train. “Leave us with our mate.”
Katherine huffed and spun around, sashaying away with an exaggerated swing of her hips.
What a skank, Thelix gleefully observed.
That’s for sure, Serah said, realizing she was agreeing with her siren a lot more often of late.
Chapter Twelve
“Serah!” Draque and his brothers followed her through the maze of tunnels.
She’d taken too many wrong turns to count, but she refused to walk with them. When Draque latched onto her elbow, she angrily pulled away.
Stop fighting them, Thelix pleaded. This is what you want.
She made the mistake of looking into Draque’s face. His cheeks were as red as the lava from Mt. Olion. “Serah,” he groaned, dragging a hand through his thick beard. “We’re walking in circles. You have no idea where you’re going.”
She crossed her arms, impatiently tapping her foot. “I’m not marrying you.”
Teju caught up to them, panting rings of smoke. “Would you please just listen to reason?”
Ladon joined his brothers. The look in his eyes broke Serah’s heart all over again. “Our marriage could prevent war between the witches and the shifters.”
“Or start one.”
Would it be so bad being married to three gorgeous dragon princes who shower you with affection and endless orgasms? Thelix asked.
“War is inevitable.” Teju gave her a know-it-all look. “Your grandfather will be under pressure to back off if you are with us.”
Yeah, right. Grandfather never backed down from anything. “You seriously think that?”
“At least he won’t make another attempt on your life.” Ladon grasped her shoulders. “You’ll be safe with us.”
Unable to withstand Ladon’s pleading eyes a moment longer, she gazed at her feet, then grimaced when the smell of sulfur hit her again. “What makes you think I want to spend the rest of my life in The Grotto?”
She hated having hurt them by insulting their beloved realm. Other than the smell, the strange creatures with hair as thick as twine growing out of their ears, and of course her lovers’ evil, jealous admirer, this place wasn’t too bad.
“You won’t have a life if you go back up there.” Draque closed in on her, speaking in a soothing baritone as he cupped her chin. “You’re nothing but a pawn to Nathaniel Goldenwand. He tried to murder you and frame us.”
Great fucking goddess, not this again. She jerked away from him so fast, she nearly tripped over her own feet. “I’m not listening to you anymore. You’re like a broken record. I get it—my grandfather’s an asshole!” She marched down the tunnel, not caring if she was going in the wrong direction. Her need to get away from them was too great for her to care.
She stumbled and then stopped when a roar behind her shook the cave walls. She turned aro
und in time to see Draque shift into the monstrous creature he’d been in the water—part human, part dragon, and scary as fuck with his glowing golden eyes focused on her.
“I give up!” he said with a deep growl and pointed a talon at her. “You’re the most foolish, hardheaded girl I’ve ever known.”
“Draque, calm down,” Ladon said, reaching for him.
Draque shook off his brother with another rock-shattering roar. Serah could barely think over that and the din of her pounding heart.
After two giant wings sprouted from Draque’s back, she ran. She’d only made it a few steps when the powerful beating of his wings above her nearly knocked her to the ground.
She screamed when his clawed fingers dug into her armpits and lifted her off the ground. “You asshole!” She thrashed, but he only tightened his grip. “You can’t force me!”
He spun her around so fast, her head whirled. They flew through the tunnel at breakneck speed, then up into a drafty cavern, ascending so high she couldn’t see the ground.
She screamed when he released her and then tossed her like a doll in the air. She landed in his arms, terror freezing her limbs as she looked into eyes that shone like twin suns.
“You’re ours!” he boomed.
Powerless, and too frightened to use her siren’s voice, she could do nothing to stop him. Even mouthy Thelix had gone silent.
There was a burst of fire over Draque’s shoulder; his brothers had also transformed into dragon hybrids and were following them, eyes glowing unnaturally bright.
Well, holy fuck. So this is what happened when you pissed off dragons.
HECTOR FIRESBREATH paced the worn fur rug before the hearth of the secret cave he shared with his brothers, impatiently waiting for a message from the resistance. Tired of being stuck in a cramped cavern, he and his brothers had shifted into their human skins.
“How long must we wait?” brother Thaddeus asked, his long, dark hair hanging over his eyes while he shoveled pizza in his mouth. Yeah, he looked real worried.
“Until they send for us,” Hector grumbled. Why had they agreed to kidnap the heiress? Supposedly she was the key to preventing war, but Hector worried this plan would have the opposite effect.
“We should’ve heard something by now,” Bastian said, He leaned against the cave wall, crushing an empty beer can in his hand and blowing smoke rings out of his nose.
“Patience.” Hector heaved himself from his chair and peered through a slit in the wall, shoulders slumping when he saw nothing but a stray bird. “They don’t want our communication traced.”
Bastian glanced at the dark tunnel leading to their prisoner’s cell. “She’s being so quiet.”
“I know.” Thaddeus flashed a triumphant grin. “She’s not even putting up a fight.”
Alarm bells went off in Hector’s head. The little siren had been a mouthy banshee during the entire flight. “Did you offer her any supper?” he asked Thaddeus.
“No.” Thaddeus frowned. “It wasn’t my turn to check on her.”
“What do you mean, it wasn’t your turn?” Hector snapped.
He pointed at Bastian. “He was supposed to take care of supper for her.”
Bastian pushed off from the wall, throwing his empty beer can on the ground. “No, you were!”
A sick feeling soured Hector’s gut. “Both of you shut up!” He glared at them. “When was the last time anyone checked on her?”
They shared anxious looks. “A few hours ago.”
“Imbeciles!” Hector raced down the tunnel, his brothers following close behind.
His heart lurched when he saw the door was open. He nearly lost his supper when he noticed the cot was empty, and their prisoner’s bindings were lying on the floor.
He screeched, furious, flames shooting out of his mouth and setting the bed ablaze.
Bastian grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the fire.
The cold, gray stone walls of the cell were a stark reminder that he’d completely fucked up. “Where the hell is she?”
Thaddeus threw up his hands. “How would I know?”
Bastian threw the fire extinguisher on the bed and punched Thaddeus in the arm. “This is your fault!”
Thaddeus punched him back. “Don’t blame me!”
When Bastian let out a roar, his eyes and nose shifting, Hector jumped between them. “Stop it! We need to find her.”
“Sorry, bro. You’re right,” Thaddeus said. “She can’t have gone far.”
“There’s an ocean outside, genius,” Bastian rumbled. “She’s long gone.”
Fuck, he was right. She was a mermaid, after all. When Demona found out they’d lost the prisoner, she’d string them up by the balls.
Hector jumped when he heard a loud bang outside.
Thaddeus’s eyes widened to saucers. “What’s that?”
“Sounds like it’s coming from the kitchen,” Bastian said, running out of the cell with Thaddeus at his heels.
Hector followed more slowly, spouting obscenities. “Keep your guard up,” he warned, but his brothers were long gone.
When he reached what they referred to as “the kitchen”—a small alcove with an ice chest, barbeque pit, and a few folding chairs—Hector had to do a double take. What was his high school headmistress doing in their secret lair, and how the fuck did she find them?
“Dame Doublewart?” Thaddeus rasped, sharing looks of horror with his brothers.
“You look surprised to see me.” She searched the open ice chest. “Have you no butter?”
“No.” Bastian’s dark brows were scrunched in confusion. “What are you doing here?”
She flung a piece of moldy cheese on the ground. “‘No, ma’am.’”
Bastian’s tanned cheeks colored. “No, ma’am. What are you doing here?”
Standing, she arched a pencil-thin brow. “You tell me, and by the way, you’re terrible hosts.”
Hector scratched his head, puzzlement fogging his brain. “We don’t follow.”
Her hook nose twitched. “You brought me here.”
Thaddeus’s jaw dropped. “No, we didn’t.”
“Are you sure?” She flashed a condescending smirk, the same look she’d given them after announcing they’d have to spend every weekend of their last semester in the dungeon.
A twine noose tightened around Hector’s spine and he felt like he’d been caught in some strange magical déjà vu spell. He certainly hoped not. He couldn’t imagine any scenario where he’d long to see the woman who’d haunted his teenage nightmares.
“Positive,” he said, though even he could hear the doubt in his words. Dame Doublewart had a habit of making him question every decision.
She turned her back on him, digging through the ice chest once more. “How can you have enough beer to hydrate an army and not a stick of butter?”
Hector shared a look of annoyance with his brothers.
“We have cooking oil,” Thaddeus said.
“Oh, you boys. Was the food at my school so horrible you’d kill your tastebuds?”
“What are you making?” Bastian asked.
“Macaroni and cheese, since you don’t have much else to eat.”
“We have leftover pizza.” Hector fidgeted with the watch in his pocket. “Do you want some?”
“Please.” Before Hector could send him for it, Bastian was already marching to their modest sitting room. Luckily, Thaddeus had gone for pizza earlier before joining them in their secret lair. Which apparently wasn’t so secret after all. They were down to the last box, and a good thing, too, because they were going to have to abandon the cave soon anyway. As soon as they got rid of the headmistress from hell, of course.
When Bastian returned with box of half-eaten, cold pizza, Dame Doublewart snatched a slice from him, sat in a folding chair, and bit into it with a groan, acting as if she hadn’t eaten in a week.
Again, Hector shared a puzzled look with his brothers.
“We’re sorry, but we can�
��t stay long,” Hector said. “We’re looking for someone.”
She looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Are you really that thickheaded?”
What the devil was she talking about?
“Beg your pardon?” Bastian said.
“Do you have any wine to wash down this cardboard?” She waved her half-eaten slice of pizza.
“Hang on.” Thaddeus’s hands shook as he dug through the cooler. He finally pulled out bottled water and handed it to her.
She glowered at the bottle as if it were poison. “No wine?”
“Sorry.” Thaddeus colored. “We have beer.”
“Yes, I know about the beer.” She waved away the water. “Get me a mug then.”
A mug? Thaddeus mouthed to Hector.
He shrugged. What did she expect? This wasn’t a pub.
When Bastian offered her a disposable plastic cup out of a grocery bag, she clucked her tongue before accepting it. After Bastian handed her a longneck beer, she popped the top with her teeth and poured it into the cup.
Hector gave Bastian the side-eye. The longnecks were for special occasions, and the cans were for guests. Not that Doublewart was a guest. She hadn’t even been invited. And why exactly was she here, anyway?
“Dame Doublewart.” He nervously cleared his throat when she fixed him with that eagle-eyed stare. Damn, seven years out of school and she still unnerved him. “Could you please tell us what’s going on?” He tried not to sound annoyed that she’d crashed their party. He’d been raised to treat his elders with respect, even if they didn’t deserve it.
She took a long swallow of beer before slamming it on the cave floor, the clanking sound ricocheting off the walls. “How did you dimwits get diplomas? I’m a djinn, remember? If memory serves me, your mother is a djinn, too.”
“She is.” Hector wondered how in fuck his mother had anything to do with this.
“And like me,” she continued in that same condescending tone, “she can transform into any person.”