Page 1

Chapter one

HYACINTH

Ihavediedathousand times.

Died in every second without Ardan. Died in every day Taft stayed locked in the prisons below my feet. Died with every new face Ata wore to cope with her pain.

But every day, I’ve been reborn.

Reborn with more fire and rage burning in the corners of my soul than the day before. I’ve found that death is easy, living is what hurts. So I have let it hurt. Let it hurt with each excruciating breath that fills my lungs, knowing that, some day, when I’m called back to the Gods, I can hold Ardan in my arms again and tell him I did not break.

I wrapped my fingers around the spike in the center of Nithra’s spine and hoisted myself onto her back, my shadows sliding tight around her belly to hold me in place. She had healed well—I could still smell the ointment Andrues had made for her flowing out from underneath her scales. Marigold and honey, the same salve he had used to heal my burns.

This had become our nightly ritual these last few months, taking to the skies when they were at their darkest and Nethkar slept below us. She stretched her wings, the canvas of them pulling taut against her bones as she let out a low huff.

Where are we flying tonight child?

Her voice was tired and I could tell she needed rest. We both did.

We had trained together all day. Well, I had trained. She had soared around, trying every maneuver to shake me off so I could learn how to remount mid-flight, all while she was taking control of my vision. I had thrown up not once, but six times in the process of free-falling from the skies.

“The perimeter, then over Pri’s,” I said down the fastening, bracing myself as she thrust us into the heavens. I clenched my thighs around her as the night-chilled wind whipped through my curls. Letting my shadows bind me in place, I flung my arms into the open sky and closed my eyes.

This. This was my sanctuary.

I opened my eyes as we leveled out, focusing my energy on the fastening, willing my vision to shift.

If you force it, it will not come.

I groaned at her words.

Only twice had I successfully shifted into dragon sight on my own and it had been by accident. I had spotted a wolf in the trees below us, prowling toward a group of children reading in an open field. It was the fear I felt that made my vision snap. Fear that made it snap on the night Ardan—

I shook my head, pushing the thought from my mind.

The perimeter is clear,Nithra stated as she plunged closer to the ground, pulling up just above the treetops to see the candles flickering in Pri’s cottage windows.

I didn’t like the idea of her and Wren being so far from the castle—so far from us if something were to happen. So, I hadmade her a deal that every night she would light undying candles and place them in her window so I knew they were safe. If those candles were not lit, something was very, very wrong.

Nithra pulled back up into the sky.

She knew the routine, knew seeing that candle was all I needed before I would call it a night. Her wings beat against the midnight air, and I let out a small breath as the castle grew larger in front of us.

Everyone was safe.

“I want to train for an extra hour tomorrow. I should be learning faster than I am,” I said as Nithra’s talons clasped onto the railing of my balcony. Inky wings flowed from my back, lifting me from her spine and setting me on the railing beside her.

Sleep child. Your mind will not learn if your body is not strong, Nithra said as she pushed off the balcony and disappeared into the night. I stared after her for a long moment, knowing she was right but scared that I wouldn’t be ready to fight when the time came if I didn’t push myself now.

“Are we safe?” Landers’s voice flowed to me on the crisp breeze and I could hear the smirk in his tone without looking up at him. I smiled, pushing a curl behind my ear as I jumped off the railing.

“Your kingdom is secure,” I said with a dramatic bow before meeting his eyes and stepping through the open glass doors into our bedchamber.

“If you keep this up for much longer, I will need to appoint Elric to a new role.”

I rolled my eyes, unbuttoning my leather jacket and flinging it onto the back of the emerald chair that sat in front of the fireplace. I flicked my fingers toward the hearth, igniting the wood as I turned to face him.

“Good, I have a bone to pick with him anyway. I didn’t see one guard on patrol tonight.”