When she heard the toilet flush, followed by the sound of the shower running, Thelix sprang to life. Oh, let’s surprise Draque in the shower!
No, Thelix, she scolded. We have to go to war.
Thelix cursed, then went silent.
Teju helped her from the sofa and wrapped a warm robe around her. Stumbling to the tiki bar, she smiled and took a cup of coffee from Ladon. She blew on it, thanking him when he set a platter of bacon and eggs in front of her.
Teju never waited for his food or drinks to cool. He gulped coffee and immediately spit it out, spraying Ladon’s shirt.
“Hey!” Ladon cried.
Eyes flashing yellow, Teju wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “That tastes like piss!”
A roar was heard from the bathroom. The shower turned off and there was loud cursing.
Teju ran to the bathroom and banged on the door with his wand. “Draque, are you okay?”
“Fucking Faery fucksticks!” Draque hollered. “The shower water is piss!”
Serah pushed her coffee away, watching with horror as Ladon turned on the sink. The water ran yellow. Gross! She clutched her roiling gut. “I don’t think I want breakfast.” And not just because she was afraid of eating off piss plates, but she was also sick with worry. Her mates would want revenge.
Draque emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He furiously dried his hair with another towel, his eyes glowing bright, and his skin rose with golden dragon scales.
Oh, I love it when he’s part dragon, Thelix purred. Too bad he’s covered in piss. I’d be all over that hot body.
“The Fae tampered with our bubble.” He threw his towels on the floor and stomped into underwear and a pair of jeans. “I’m going to burn every last one of them.” His voice was a deep dragon rumble.
Thelix gasped. I might be willing to overlook the piss smell for rage sex.
Will you shut up? Serah demanded. “Draque, calm down.” She walked over and reached for his arm.
He jerked away. “Don’t touch me. Who knows what’s in that water?”
She released a slow, steady breath and said calmly. “We’ll wash in the ocean.”
“Yeah,” he said, “right after I burn down their fucking cloud.”
Much to her chagrin, his brothers mumbled agreement.
“And then King Tormung will burn you down.” She gave them pointed looks. “He swore a blood oath to defend the Fae queen.”
When Draque marched past her without a word, hopping out of the bubble and shifting, her heart sank. Her foolish mates weren’t listening. How far would they go, and when would the feuding end?
* * *
“Rhia,” Draque boomed. “We will have a word with you!”
Holding tightly to a scale on Ladon’s back, Serah cringed at Draque’s lack of formality in addressing the queen. Queen Rhia was proud; she would not ignore that slight.
Her mates landed in the center of the Fae cloud, which surprisingly had a solid bottom. Warriors fanned out in a circle, aiming long, silver spears at her mates, mist twirling around their feet. The queen sat behind the warriors on a white marble stage with high columns that disappeared into a cloud overhead. Snarling, Rhia clutched the armrests on her gilded throne, which was covered with lavender pillows and velvet drapes. She wore a flowing lavender robe that complemented her ebony skin, and her thick, black hair was dotted with shiny purple stones. Lavender jewels circled her long, slender neck, and purple makeup enhanced her large, luminous eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips.
“Good morning, dragon shifters.” The queen offered a wide smile, her amethyst scepter resting across her lap.
Serah bristled when the queen refused to look at her.
Stuck-up bitch, Thelix sneered. Her ass is probably too tight for a pencil dick.
“It is anything but a good morning, Rhia,” Draque sneered.
Serah bristled when the queen wrapped her long fingers around the scepter and tapped it on the arm of her chair, acting as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “Why not?” There was no mistaking her mocking tone. “You look refreshed and ready for battle.”
Draque let out a low, deep growl at the Fae warriors who dared move too close. “Which one of you sneaky Fae put piss in our water?”
The queen cleared her throat. “That would be me. It was a simple spell, really.” She laughed. “Once I got past your terrifying smoking dragon.”
There was no mistaking the mockery in her tone. Serah wanted to smack the smugness off her face.
Draque threw back his head and released a stream of fire. Serah ducked, shielding herself with a bubble when sparks rained down on them.
“You’ve gone too far!” Draque rumbled.
“A scale for a scale, as the dragons say.” Pulling back her shoulders, she pointed her scepter at him. “You piss on my people, I piss on you.”
“Those selfish pricks disrespected our mate!” Teju wailed.
Serah cringed when all Fae eyes turned to her. Her two uncles were among the warriors, but the cousins weren’t with them. She didn’t want them involved in this mess.
Rhia narrowed her eyes, her upper lip pulled back. “Who are you referring to?”
“You know who.” Draque nodded at the two fair-haired Fae, who watched them through narrow slits. “Her uncles refuse to acknowledge her.”
The queen didn’t even glance at her uncles. She shook the scepter at Serah’s mates. “Then you take it up with House of Phoenixfire! You don’t piss on all my warriors!”
“Why not?” Draque spat. “You conceited Fae are all the same, living high in the clouds, drinking tea in your gardens, and thinking you’re better than all other races.”
Victor Nasir stepped forward. Though he was nearly identical to his brothers, he stood apart from them by dressing in black silk robes. The tips of his silky, pale hair were dyed dark crimson, and a phoenix tattoo rode his left cheek and changed color, depending on his moods. It was currently a deep red. “That’s because we are better than other races.”
Draque jutted a paw forward, a predatory rumble erupting from his throat. “I should turn you to dust.”
Serah thought her heart would beat out of her chest. “Draque, please,” she pleaded. “He’s not worth your anger.” Did he have a death wish? The Fae queen would destroy him.
Raphael Nasir stepped in front of Victor, shielding him. A sharp contrast to his brother, his silver hair shone like diamonds, and his face and hands were so smooth, he looked to be made of plastic. “Listen to your siren, shifter.”
“My siren!” Draque hollered. “You mean your niece!”
Raphael crossed his long arms. “Fae don’t acknowledge bastards.”
All three of her mates let out enraged battle cries.
Bite off his balls! Thelix howled.
Please calm yourselves, Serah projected urgently.
“Enough!” The word echoed in the clouds. “This is your final warning, dragon shifters.” The queen pointed the tip of her scepter at their heads. “Leave or face the consequences.”
Guys, she pleaded. Come on.
“You expect us to walk away when he called our mate a bastard?” Draque swung his barbed tail toward Rafael, nearly swiping his shiny boots.