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Dax’s wings popped out with a snap and caught the air. Dragon and rider slowed, floating down like a feather, and with gentle ease, Dax’s legs touched the ground with a rumbling clatter.

“Next time can you not try to kill me?” Layala said, finally letting go of the spike, her arms stiff and achy from the tight grip she held.

He grunted and shot steam from his nostrils. Layala watched him for a moment. Dax couldn’t speak, could he? The other two male dragons landed lightly and shifted into their human forms. They each wore blue-gray robes tied at the waist and loose pants that reached mid-calf and brown sandals on their feet. With wings spread wide, a red dragon insignia was embroidered above the left breast. So dragons did possess magic. How else could they appear in clothes?

The sapphire female dragon who’d taken a nasty downturn shot at them like an arrow and just before she impacted, she shifted into a human form and her boots hit the ground. “Where is Prince Ronan?” she demanded. Her hair was as blue as her dragon scales, tied back into a tight bun on top of her head, and her skin as white as Dax’s pearl. She touched her hip and a sword appeared in her palm. Layala balked. It had somehow been veiled before.

A low rumble came from Dax but that was all. Sapphire put a hand on her hip then threw it into the air in frustration. “You will see punishment for this Dax. I don’t care if Prince Ronan gave you permission to bring in an outsider. It must be cleared withCrownPrince Yoren, King Drake or Queen Nyrovia.” So Ronan was a second-born prince perhaps? Third or fourth? How many children did dragons have? She held out her hand and curled her fingers. “Give her to me.”

Dax rose up a little higher, pushing out his big chest and shook his head. At least he had Layala’s back, or the word of his prince at least, however far down the line he may be.

“Utter fools,” Sapphire turned to the male beside her, with salt-and-pepper hair. “You deal with Ronan today. I don’t have the patience.” She whirled around on her heel and stomped away. Layala’s gaze followed her; the shifter marched toward a castle. Gold pillars wrapped around the front, holding up an overhanging balcony with creeping vines and flowers blooming along the railing. The beige color reminded her of sand. She looked up, and up and up. The castle seemed to go on forever until it reached the clouds. Dragons flew in and out, from different balconies. Others sat tall and erect on perches, staring out over the rest of the city; sentinels, she presumed. At the base level, wooden doors large enough to fit a dragon as large as Dax, opened inward to allow the sapphire shifter to enter. In comparison, she looked no bigger than a pixie walking inside the average elf-sized doorway.

The sound of beating wings lifted Layala’s sights to the sky, the bronze dragon carrying Thane landed gently beside them. And Prince Ronan, in his winged human form, dropped down with Piper in his arms. The others were close behind. Layala wasn’t sure but she thought she saw Leif slapping at a sparrow diving at his head.

Ronan grinned at the salt-and-pepper-haired shifter standing with his arms tucked behind his back and an expression of clear annoyance. Ronan set Piper on her feet and strode ahead. “Where is my father? I have some exciting guests.”

“Eating lunch with the queen and your brothers. Where you should be,” he answered.

Ronan patted him hard on the shoulder. “No one expects me to eat every meal with them at my age. Almost six hundred years of the same old boring conversations. It’s absurd.”

“They do when it’s your mother’s birthday,” the male clipped.

“Dragon’s piss,” Ronan murmured, rubbing his chin. He turned around and faced Dax. “Why didn’t you remind me?” he waved a hand in a sign of dismissal and pointed at Vaper. “You should have reminded me.”

Thane slid down the dragon’s shoulder, onto his elbow and then landed gracefully on his feet. Layala peeked over the edge. The distance to the ground made her feel a little woozy, but she slipped out of her vine and prepared herself to get down. Thane’s dismount made it look simple. With a deep breath, Layala lifted her leg over and prepared to slide down. Without warning, the dragon’s body vanished from underneath her and she was free falling. Layala clawed at the air reaching for something,anythingto hold onto until she slammed into Dax’s human arms. His smile told her he knew exactly what he did.

Layala smacked his chest. “You scared me on purpose. Prick.” Her heart beat so loudly she had no doubt everyone could hear it.

Thane chuckled quietly beside them. He was seriously laughing? She looked around and they all were. Even the stiff guards broke their looks of annoyance. Maybe he’d done it to break the tension. Layala wiggled out of his arms and shoved him away from her when she was on solid ground again. “Some warning would be nice.”

“I like her,” Prince Ronan said. He clasped his hands together. “Let’s go interrupt lunch, shall we? And wish mother dearest a very happy birthday.”

Thane quietly cleared his throat. The sun beat down on him, bringing out the flecks of gold in his dark-brown hair. It was wind swept and falling loose from the ponytail at the nape of his neck after the dragon ride. “I’d rather make a good impression, if you don’t mind, Prince Ronan. Perhaps it would be better if we waited to be invited in by the king and queen.”

“Well, you’re no fun.” In two strides he was before Layala. He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her along beside him. “Fine, I’ll just take your betrothed…”

What is he doing?Layala walked beside him but gave Thane a questioning look.? His clenched jaw rippled, and the harshness set to his eyes reminded her of the fury of a gathering storm.

Ronan grinned. “I’ll tell mother and father that she’smybetrothed now.”

Layala jerked her hand out of his grasp. “We’re definitely not doing that.” She was under the impression this prince was a troublemaker and she didn’t want any part of it. Not to mention Thane looked like he was about to say some things they all might regret.

The guard with the gray-silver hair rolled his eyes. “Don’t ruin the queen’s day by telling them you’re betrothed to anelf, Prince Ronan. You cause her enough strife.”

“Oh, but she’s much more than just an elf.” He shoved his hand into the middle of Layala’s back driving her toward the male. “Smell her.”

Layala scoffed.Smell me?Could he scent her magic?

“That is improper, Ronan,” he said sharply, keeping his stiff posture. “And who are these people? Why have you brought them here?”

Layala rolled away from Prince Ronan, but he caught her waist and tugged her flush against his side. “This is Layala Lightbringer, betrothed to the…disputedKing Thane of the elves of Palenor.” He winked at Layala and turned to Thane with a sweeping arm. “Said king. And their companion Piper Fireheart, and the trio, we’ll call them.”

Fennan looked more than annoyed with the prince. His scowl was hot enough to burn.

“Then you should take your hands away from King Thane’s betrothed before you start a war.”

Ronan chuckled and flicked his wrist. “Oh, he knows it’s just fun and games.”