No. I can't think like that. I must sleep and not dream about high society girls. Even if her blond hair and blue eyes shine, she looks at the sea a way I wish she'd look at me, and I can still feel her bare legs sliding down my hands as we escaped the pirate invasion.
I close my eyes and picture that moment, because, well, sometimes you need to indulge your fantasies. In my mind Whitley wraps her legs around me and lets my hands rest on her legs. I push her against the wall and press my lips—
No! God, what is wrong with me?
I shake my head, subtly enough that I hope Whitley doesn't notice. I recite the prophecy in my mind, over and over again, a reminder of what I stand to lose if I let myself become entangled in her spell.
Daughter of the scheming land-dweller
A man so bold as to betray a pirate
A beauty of golden hair and secret of low birth
Will control the Son of the Sea, cause him to fall
She alone holds the power to enslave him
Control him, even to his death
I clench my jaw. Just two more days.
Once she’s married, the prophecy will be annulled. At least that’s what the sea witch said. Until then she’ll be safe inside a city too well guarded for either siren or pirate to take her. If we can get there in time.
Stede expects me to love her, they all do. Every prophecy has several possible meanings, but they all think I’ll fall in love with the beauty of golden hair and secret of low birth. And when I do, she’ll gain the ability to literally control my power. She’ll be my destruction.
But I won’t love her.
I won’t even let myself get close.
Read it now!
Acknowledgements
First, thank you to my husband, Sean. Indie publishing is so much more of a commitment than what we’ve been used to (because I had to do nearly EVERYTHING myself). Thank you for supporting this dream of mine.
Thank you to Lisa Murray Kroger and Madeline Dyer for your awesome feedback! Karen Meeus and Claudia Frazer for assisting in proofreading!
Thank you to my beta readers Kelley York for the lovely cover and Cait Marie at Functionaly Fiction for copy editing!
All my newsletter and everyone at Stacey’s Page Turners members for helping me to name characters and overall being supporting and amazing people! I couldn’t do this without you!!!
All the awesome indie author Facebook groups, especially Author POD of Awesomeness. Can’t wait to read all of your fae books!!!
Trial of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 1) Page 27