by Meg Xuemei X
He didn’t answer. He’d abandoned me.
He couldn’t just leave me here, alone and choking to death.
But he’d done just that.
The Fae mage could be cruel and heartless when he chose to be. He’d told the demon captain so.
The darkness became the foul smoke. It wanted to possess me and turn me into a mindless, rabid beast. And then it would send me to go after my mates and hurt them.
You’ll not have me! I hissed. I won’t let you near them.
A flicker of light and fire rose from my belly.
Don’t let it snuff out.
I pictured it expanding. I commanded it to grow.
It leaped up a little higher.
The tiny light kept the foul smoke at bay for the moment, yet the darkness still penetrated me, and icy coldness traveled in my veins as if it owned me.
I was a dragon. I wouldn’t allow it! But I wasn’t powerful enough to drive the darkness and smoke away.
I heard groans of pain. The next I smelled a familiar scent and realized my mates were here. Fear for them drenched me. I clenched my teeth and pulled my light with great effort. It lit like candlelight, illuminating what was in front of me.
Iron chains pierced Rai, Blaze, and Iokul and spread-eagled them in the air.
“No!” I screamed in rage and terror.
They stared at me without recognizing me. The torture and darkness had shattered their minds. They only struggled once in a while, and the heavy chains clanged and clanged.
I lunged toward them, but the alien darkness pushed me back, pinning me against the cold, damp wall.
As I watched life slipping away from my mates’ once-stunning eyes above their masks that were also tainted by blood, something broke in me.
I wouldn’t allow them to die. I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt them again.
Light from the heavens and hell burst in me.
It ripped out of me like a ring of fire.
The White Light with dragon fire penetrated the darkness, purging it, until the room was full of blinding light. At the same time, my light melted the chains binding my mates, turning the iron to dust.
“Remember it,” Elvey’s voice whispered in my ear. “Remember where to draw your power. If you fail, your mates’ fate will be worse than that. Tianna loves cruel games more than anything, and she’s absolutely psychotic and pitiless.”
I wanted to hit him for conjuring up the image of my mates being tormented, but then he could be right. If I didn’t get my shit together, I wouldn’t just lose my mates.
I would condemn them to the worst fate, because my evil aunt knew where to hurt me the most.
I turned to him. “I’ll remember you as well, Elvey,” I said, my voice inhumanly harsh. “I won’t forget shattering your chains.”
He no longer held me, the coldness and distance between us a regretful thing.
Then, I noticed that my dragon princes stood several yards away, staring at me in awe.
They had tried, I knew. But in the end, they just couldn’t leave me alone with Elvey. They had to come for me, and just in time to see me glow in the snow.
“The lesson is over for today,” Elvey said in a tired voice, his eyes dark and fathomless, as if stars had fallen in them and kept falling.
I did not want him to fall.
He was gone before I could say a word.
CHAPTER 20
Not long after Elvey’s departure, I called out the White Light, and once again it refused to surface. My Light magic seemed to emerge only when he was around, but there would be times I’d have to face my enemies without him.
I’d given up hope of obtaining Arianrhod’s support. I wouldn’t be able to show the humans that the realm was mine without the cooperation of the land’s magic. My White Light magic was my only bet to go against Lysandra when her coronation took place, which was two days away.
There was no way I could muster my lethal magic in two days. And even if I took out the witch that way, I doubted the humans would go along with my plan and side with me.
There might still be war—dragons versus humans.
But I couldn’t let Lysandra take the realm.
I would just face whatever consequences after my final showdown with Lysandra.
I’d once been the Fury beast. I could still be ruthless.
I had to be honest with myself. My chance of stomping Lysandra was slim with such fickle magic in me. She was a very powerful witch who had probably practiced her dark magic when she was a toddler. And I was really rusty.
Anxiety flooded me.
Beads of sweat turned cold on my forehead as I failed again and again to bring out the White Light. It didn’t cause a wrinkle, not even when my mates aided me with their magic of ice, fire, and lightning, despite that it had worked once when I vanquished Segomo.
My frustration poured out of my every pore, and my mates watched me cautiously.
The day had receded, and the night came.
I saw stars in front of me while there were no stars in the sky but endless, pale grey.
When I stumbled in the next bout, my mates insisted that I take a break.
Summoning such a great, terrible magic was consuming. Elvey had warned me not to exhaust myself. If I pushed myself over my limit, I could even kill myself.
“Make it your second nature,” he’d said merrily.
When he’d seen that I wanted to smack him just for saying that, he’d smirked. “I don’t blame you, Daisy darling. You’ve been rusty for centuries. It won’t come to you like a snap of the fingers, but you still need to make it do. You need to let it know you own it.”
Own it my butt.
“That’s enough practice for today.” Rai ended my protest and scooped me into his arms and carried me to our room.
While I lay on them in bed, my head on Rai’s chest and my ankles on Blaze as he massaged my sore feet, they debriefed me on the plan of our final strike on Lysandra. We’d make our entrance before she could vow her oath as the new queen.
“We must time it right,” Iokul said, kissing my lips softly.
Their affection and comfort sent me to a sweet dreamland until a voice, softer than a snowflake, called me in my mind.
I fluttered open my eyes, still sprawled on my mates’ bodies. They had all fallen asleep, worried, yet content smiles on their lips.
Come, Daisy, the voice urged. This is for you alone. I put your mates to sleep for now.
My heart thrummed restlessly, and I rose, careful not to wake my mates.
Who are you? I demanded, even though I knew who was talking to me.
Aren’t you looking for me? I’m here now.
I’d never heard a voice that musical, lovely, and powerful beyond measure.
Unable to resist it, I followed its tug and traced it to the garden outside my childhood chamber where Blaze and I had fucked passionately earlier.
I met no guards. Goddess Arianrhod had put all of them to sleep.
I stood in the center of the white garden. “Where are you?” I asked.
The goddess materialized, and she was the most beautiful, perfect being I’d ever seen.
Her hair was whiter than the snow, flowing all the way down to her lovely bare feet. Her skin was glowing amber, and her eyes were the purest sky blue. Her pink lips were so soft and sensual they could ensnare any man’s heart.
She was dressed in a glowing white gown that barely covered her curves.
Looking at her, I didn’t want my mates to ever meet her.
She laughed mesmerizingly. She must have heard my inner thoughts. Who was I kidding? In front of me was Goddess Arianrhod of Inanna.
“What do you want from me, daughter?” she asked.
“You know what I want, Arianrhod,” I said. “I need to be the new Keeper of the Dragon Realm. I need to protect the land. I need to preserve the dragon race—your children.”
“Why do you think you can do the job? Your grandfather failed.”
“I’ll fix it. My grandfather was stricken by inconsolable grief after he lost his son and me.”
“What if you lose your mates? Will you still be a good Keeper? Will you fail me?”
My heart was immediately torn at the prospect, and pain wrenched at my heart. I wouldn’t survive if they perished. “I’ll make sure my mates are safe,” I said stiffly.
She snorted. “You can’t keep all of them safe, especially the one mate, the one you haven’t claimed and might never be yours.”
It was a cruel thing to say, but she was also honest by laying out the brutal reality before me.
“I’ll keep him safe as well,” I said with determination. “I’ll break his shackles, at any cost.”
“You can’t be that ruthless,” Arianrhod said. “You don’t have it in you. It’s either your three mates or him. Choose.”
“No, I’ll never choose.” I narrowed my eyes. “Did you send Sphinx to mess with my head?”
“You know he didn’t need to mess up your head or heart,” she said. “Daisy Danaenyth, you do have a pure, courageous heart. I’ll grant you your wish and let the power of the realm infuse you and aide you to take down your enemy. But I’ll need one thing from you.”
“Name it.”
“Give me Elvey Fionn, the demigod.”
My heart stopped.
“Why do you want him?” I tried to conceal my sudden hostility toward the goddess.
She narrowed her eyes at me in displeasure. “He’s pretty. Do I really need a reason?”
Could a goddess be petty, menacing, and lustful?
“There are many pretty men out there. You can have any man you set your sights on.”
“But not Elvey.” The goddess sighed. “He’s bonded to you, even though you haven’t mated. If you’re willing to transfer him to me, the bond between you will break, and I’ll have him in every way. The demigod is part of my kin. He intrigues me like no other men or gods can. Offer him to me, and you can have what you want.”
“No.”
She frowned at me. “No?”
Her power lashed out at me, but I held my ground, despite the tearing of my insides.
“I won’t sell him like a whore,” I said with great effort, anger lacing in my bitter voice. “He’s Elvey Fionn, and he means a great deal to me.”
I’d tasted him when he first kissed me in the Witch Tower. The taste was still in my cherished memory. I knew who he was. He was the man who woke me up. He was the man I’d known since the beginning, even before I was born.
He’d watched over me.
He was my fated mate.
“Does he mean as much to you as your other mates?”
“Yes. They all mean equally and strongly to me.”
“You haven’t mated Elvey in truth. You shouldn’t feel so attached to him. Daughter, you need to be practical. On one scale, it’s the future of your kingdom and your mates and everything, on the other scale, it’s only Elvey. Will you choose him and lose the realm and your mates?”
“I don’t choose.”
“You’ll have to choose, and the choice is now. If you deny what I want, I’ll walk away, and you’ll be left with a broken realm.”
“Then you don’t deserve to be the goddess of the realm,” I said with all of the venom I could muster. “No wonder your temple was abandoned. I saw it when I came to the mountains. I thought of rebuilding it for you, but it’s no longer a plan. And when we’re all gone, who do you have? Who will worship you? The humans won’t remember you. Even as the goddess, you’ll eventually fade and be forgotten.”
Her eyes flashed with terrible anger. I knew if she struck me now, her power would reduce me to nothingness, but I didn’t care.
The ruthless Fury beast seemed to be back.
“Don’t you know the black witch is corrupting your land?” I asked furiously. “Can you stand watching evil prowl on your territory and treating you like nothing and nobody? Don’t you know the dark Fae Queen plans to eventually diminish you when her power reaches the level of godhood? At the very least, she’ll try. I understand you cannot interfere directly in the affairs of mortals and immortals, but I can be your envoy. I can put a stop to the evil and let your land flourish. If my line is gone, who will help you purge the evil deep in your soil? You’re bonded to the realm and the dragons, as we’re bonded to you.”
The goddess’s anger receded, her eyes—a moment ago a terrifying dark storm—now the deepest shade of blue. “You know, if you give Elvey to me, you’ll be doing him a favor. He isn’t free, but I can break his blood tie to the despicable Fae Queen.”
“Then, please break it.”
“Not until you offer him to me.”
“So he can be transferred from one slavery to another? No! I myself intend to break his chains in the near future.”
Arianrhod leered. “Who said I want him as a slave? He’ll enjoy what I’ll offer.”
“No is no! Elvey is mine!” I almost screamed and was shocked at my insane possessiveness. I quieted the next second.
“You’re so stubborn, child,” Arianrhod chided. “And you’re already too late. Elvey, my beloved, why don’t you join us?”
I wheeled around. Elvey leaned against a pillar, folding his arms across his broad chest. His trench coat flapped in the wind. He was stunningly, otherworldly beautiful. I could see why the goddess wanted him so much. My heart ached when I saw that he actually looked good with the goddess.
How long had he been there? Had he listened to everything said between Arianrhod and me? His eyes fixed on the goddess, his expression unreadable, and jealousy pierced me.
Who was I to compete with the goddess?
And why must I have Elvey when I already had three mates?
Elvey was a piece of my soul.
“Why wasn’t he sleeping?” I demanded of Arianrhod, my face flaming. Elvey wasn’t supposed to hear my outburst. “You put everyone else to sleep.”
“What do you think, Daisy? He’s a demigod. He can resist my power. That’s one of the reasons I want him, plus he’s sexy and fun and wild.” The corner of the goddess’s sensual lips tilted up. “He made a deal with me when he summoned me for you. He’ll be my companion when the time comes, when I require. The demigod will sacrifice everything for you, including his personal happiness.”
I glared at Elvey in rage as he trod toward me. He no longer looked at Arianrhod. He was immune to her beauty and power.
“Why did you do that?” I shouted at him, tears streaming down my face. “Why did you have to transfer yourself from one slavery to another? Haven’t you had enough? You said you had faith in me. Why don’t you trust me that one day I’ll shatter your chains as you shattered mine? Why couldn’t you just give me more time? I’d never abandon you!”
I brushed furiously at the tears streaking my cheeks.
The next second, I was in his solid arms. “Shush, Daisy dearest. Don’t you cry for me. I’m not worth it. It’s the only way. You need the help. You need Arianrhod’s alliance.”
“I need you!”
“You have me.”
“No, I don’t. You sold yourself. And don’t call me darling or dearest after all this!”
“You should not touch what’s mine, daughter,” Arianrhod said with a deep frown.
“Undo it,” I told the goddess. “Release him.”
Arianrhod tilted her beautiful head. “I can’t and won’t.”
“I’ll pay any price.”
“Will you pay the price of giving up your other mates?” She circled to the old topic.
“I’ve said I won’t choose between them.”
“Then you don’t have anything I want,” said the cruel goddess. “However, I’ll still lend Elvey to aid you until the day I come to collect him. Elvey got into his first slavery for you. If he hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here alive. Not even your mother’s and Aine’s combined powers could have saved you the day when you were born. He never told you the whole truth, did he? He wouldn�
�t have been so messed up if he hadn’t been so desperate to ensure your safety. That’s an epic, tragic story that should be told another time, if he ever wishes to tell you.”
My heart bled, and my every breath turned to searing pain. What had he done to himself?
I had caused all his misery.
I should not be the cause of my mate’s doom. I should be the reason for his happiness.
“Let’s get this ritual over with, daughter,” the goddess said, ignoring my resentment and broken heart. “And you can be on your way to fulfill your destiny.”
“Please free him, Goddess Arianrhod,” I pleaded.
She shook her head. “Your princes are here,” she said softly, “as are everyone else. They are to witness the sacred rite. Are you ready, Daisy Danaenyth?”
The men widened their eyes at the sight of the goddess. Then they dropped to their knees as one as they felt her immense power. My grandfather set his gaze on Arianrhod, looking more bitter at her than proud of me, before he knelt on the ice.
Snow started falling again.
“It’s time to renew and strengthen the blood bond between the realm and the last bloodline of the Danaenyth royal house,” the goddess announced, her beautiful, clear voice puncturing the air. “Now, the land requires a sacrifice.”
My back instantly stiffened. Nothing good would come out of anything that required sacrifice. She’d already taken Elvey. I’d have to figure out a way to get him back. I’d break every chain that bound him.
“Relax, daughter,” Arianrhod said with a sardonic smile. “I’m not as bad and sadistic as you think, but even a goddess has a need.” She winked at Elvey with affection before turning back to a sizzling me. “The sacrifice requires your blood.”
“We’ll bleed for our mate,” Rai said, raising his head and standing up from the ice ground.
Iokul and Blaze echoed the same.
“Shush,” Arianrhod said, waving a hand in annoyance. “It’s not your blood the realm wants. Bind your tongue now, boys.”
Blaze opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. I believed that the goddess had bound my mates’ tongues.
Arianrhod produced a dagger with sacred runes on its silver blade and handed it to me.