ts that had no busines

had all been a fever dream; the sudden drop, the spraw

where gold leaf caught the flicker of candlelight floating witho

re aw

otion sending the room

s. Her dark eyes were guarded with a quiet, routine stillness; the

on? Where's the..." I slammed my mouth shut before the word dragon

tious slowness you'd use on a wounded, unpredictable animal.

y throat. "I fell through a tear in my uncle's ceiling and w

ed like a coiling serpent, extending the goblet toward me. I left

thing I remember is that ma

"That was King Vyrn. He rules the Beast Realm. And... I am sorry to

the quiet room, thick

r, but the doors crashed open

ike he'd been carved dire

ir damp against his temples and a linen shirt left half-buttone

k brown, yet embers of gold still ba

s," he c

ed before I co

h in my pulse; a reaction that had maddeningly little to do with fear. "I want answ

ny pretense or apology. "You shouldn't have survived landi

Congratulation

of the mattress to prove I was

the room tilted. I lunged, barely catch

pace between us be

om my elbow, close enough that a wave of heat rolled

uttered, the

didn't ask yo

is own tongue. "The council wants you purged. Half the guards want you exe

reass

t you are to this bond. I don't know why it woke up when you fell into my lap. All I know is that every guard who comes

nged, taking an impulsive step toward h

stantly snapped tight

ting pull low in my stomach. It defied logic, binding u

s though the sudden closeness

, though he didn'

doing any

opped into a harsh ton

of us

wire, and for one breathless second, I understood why an ent

his eyes flared

is arms, and his skin bubbled as dark sca

oming back; that I was about to watch him turn into t

e didn't

't even

n transformation, yet his glowing gold eyes remained locked on mine; anchored t