“What will happen if you do not find a new lover?” The King asked.
“Nothing good.” I used his maneuver and waved it away. “But not to worry; the most powerful Witches of Earth are working on a spell to help us. I have every faith in them.”
“That's a relief,” King Baha grinned but it was forced and his eyes, along with those of his son and wife, filled with pity.
That didn't sit well with me.
“Don't waste your sympathy on me, Your Majesty. I have more happiness and love”—I shared adoring looks with my men—“than any one person should be allowed. Time has come to pay the toll.” I shrugged. “I'll pay it gladly, even if it's with my life. Being loved by these men is worth it. A mere second of their love is worth it. And if I do die, my spirit will go on. It will find a way back to them; of that, I have no doubt.”
Queen Sabah teared up, her pity melting into tenderness. The King took her hand and lifted it to his lips. They shared a look that expressed an understanding that could only come from personal experience and gratitude that mirrored mine.
“We will not allow you to pay any price, my fire,” Darcraxis declared. “Love and happiness are not commodities to be purchased.”
“No, but magic is,” I said gently. “And you know as well as I that in this instance, it's price will be great.”
“Then we will pay it together,” Declan said firmly. “You are not alone, Elaria.”
“No, but I'm the source. I'm the only one who can pay, Declan.” I softened my stare on him and took his hand. “And that's okay. My choices led us here, but I wouldn't change a single one. I'm ready for whatever happens.”
“Fuck that,” Gage growled. “If you die, you'll take us with you, El. You might as well slice open my chest and pull out my heart. It'll be my death as surely as it will be yours. And I don't go down easy.”
I grinned at him. “I know and neither do I. I'm trying to tell you all that I'm ready to face this, not give up. If I go down, I'll do it swinging and, probably, singing. So, can we let this go? We'll deal with one problem at a time. And besides, my breakfast is getting cold.”
My men gave in and the Jinn Royals smiled politely, despite Gage's outburst. We all went back to eating. But I caught Verin staring at me strangely; a look that was part concern, part suspicion, and all predator.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Royal Enchanters hadn't finished with the containment device, even after we were done with breakfast and planning our attack. So, we went on a short tour of Dahabi. It took two royal carriages to transport us all. They were open-air carriages with so many golden swirls adorning them that I was grateful I didn't have to open the door; I wouldn't have been able to find the handle. I sat in the lead carriage with Prince Saif, Banning, and King Verin. My other husbands had taken the back carriage before Verin could reach it, forcing him into the front one with me. I told RS to convey a message to my well-meaning lovers for me; back the fuck off!
Verin was already spooked by my speech, if they kept pushing him, he'd bolt. And, honestly, it was freaking me out a little too. The whole situation reminded me of when it had only been Declan and Banning in my spell-circle, and we were hunting for a third man. Having my lovers help pick out my next lover was probably the most awkward experience of my life.
I glanced at Verin, who sat stiffly on the bench across from me, and knew he felt it too. I wanted to tell him that I wouldn't try to trick him into anything, but I could hardly bring it up in front of Saif. It was bad enough that we had aired our dirty laundry earlier. I wasn't about to mess up his tour by making both Verin and him uncomfortable.
“This is our college,” Saif said brightly and waved his hand toward a sprawling compound on our left.
“You have a university?” Verin asked with keen interest. “What do you teach?”
“A myriad of things. Our classes cover both scientific and magical topics.”
“I've often thought about creating an academic program for my people,” Verin said. “But I'm unsure where to start or what would be most beneficial for them to learn. Currently, basic knowledge is passed on from parents to children and that feels inadequate to me.”
“I hope you won't take offense, but I'm shocked to hear that of such an advanced race,” Saif said.
“I think it's those very advancements that have made us... indifferent. My people believe that we have all we need so why should we pursue more?”
“Because without that pursuit, your race will go stagnant,” Saif went somber. “Knowledge keeps us, especially us immortals, from becoming bored and apathetic. And if you don't reach for more, how will you get it?”
Verin grunted in agreement.
“I'll schedule a meeting for you with our headmaster,” Saif offered. “He can go over our curriculum and give you suggestions.”
“I would appreciate that.” Verin turned sideways to shake Saif's hand.
I could hear the echo of Queen Savassa's voice in my mind; urging me to show Verin the delights of the surface world. But how did I do that now without sounding self-serving?
“The Beneath has many things you could bring back to your people,” I suggested. “Or perhaps you could
