Page 1 of Ava’s Legacy of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #1)

Gasping for breath, the girl ran through the dark forest. She glanced over her shoulder without stopping. No one was in sight. Still, she kept running. Panicked. Her heart pounding.

The damp pine needles on the ground muffled her footsteps, and the smell of fire had long since dissipated.

It was foggy, and the air was damp. The simple tunic hung loosely on the little one's body, her reddish-brown hair clung to her face, and her breath came out in steamy clouds. The only warmth, the only sign of life.

Branches whipped her face. She stumbled over a limb and fell to her knees. She pushed herself up from the damp ground with her hands, scrambled to her feet, and ran on. She couldn't stop. Had to run faster.

Everything looked the same. Tall firs, wide spruces, scattered bushes.

She hurried forward as fast as she could and jumped over a root.

A twig snapped behind her, but she didn't turn around.

Ahead, it was getting brighter. She rushed towards the light, her breath coming in gasps.

But this wasn't the edge of the forest. It was just a small clearing where a woman sat on a fallen tree trunk, her face turned towards the sun.

Somebody shouted, "Ava!" But perhaps she'd only imagined it. With her last ounce of strength, she stumbled into the clearing and collapsed onto the grass in front of the stranger.