Page 1

T here was nothing more annoying than the thunderous sound of dragon wings drowning out the sweet tune of the morning birds. Each day started the same. I would stand beneath the sun, a cup of gem leaf tea in hand, and clear my mind. Most mornings, I woke up with rampant thoughts and that was the only way to get myself ready for another day running my shop.

Simple Delights . That was the name hanging over the door. Opening the shop had been a dream of mine since I was a small girl. Of course, I had to fight my mother on the idea. But she wasn’t around to stop me anymore. So, I could do whatever I wanted to do. And the first chance I got, I ran to a new town and started working on my dreams.

Clayhorn had taken me in when I stumbled into its borders, an outsider with nothing but recipes and stubbornness. The one who’d shown up and swooned the locals with her delicacies. I fed the townsfolk and kept to myself. I’d created a refuge for myself, a quiet corner where I could escape the noise and worries of the world. That meant keeping out of business that wasn’t my own. And the large convoy of dragons flying ahead was just that. None of my business.

But even I couldn’t ignore the dragons. The sight of them flying ahead ignited a burning curiosity within me, a feeling both thrilling and unsettling.

I squinted my eyes against the rays of sunlight to see the signs of opulence hanging from the dragon and the device fastened to it, signifying a rider. The only people who rode dragons anymore were the royals. The rest of us would shift and use our own wings to carry us across the land. Not the royals. They had to keep themselves presentable and shifting often got ugly. And how could a queen be dignified when her appearance was a mess?

Within minutes, the town’s people came running out of their homes to watch the dragons. The Royal’s special spot, the large grassy center near the center of town, was overgrown and full of weeds from neglect. I understood the excitement of the others. They wanted to see what would finally bring the royals our way.

The nagging curiosity propelled me. I wrapped a dark scarf around my head and joined the throng of people, their hushed whispers hinting at the surprise visitors. The air buzzed with the frustrated sighs and muttered complaints about unpaid taxes and fines. After all, that was the only reason the royals ever made an appearance. As long as taxes were paid, they didn’t care about us. And even then, they normally sent the guards to handle the tax collections, not fly in themselves.

That was the way I liked it. It was why I chose the small town of Clayhorn as my new home. I didn’t want too many eyes on me or my work.

“Kiala, even you’re out to catch sight of the visitors,” an aged voice called out to me.

I turned around and saw Mesi's familiar face, the first woman to ever taste my food and my most loyal customer.

“I figured it might be a big deal. They rarely come here,” I answered the gray-haired old lady, who nodded and shuffled forward to join her friends.

From what I knew of the trio, they had been friends since they were kids. When they were old enough, they traveled the world together. They never married or had children, each choosing friendship over love. And when their wings grew tired, they chose Clayhorn as their home.

I was sure that if one passed, the others would soon follow. They were one soul in three vessels.

I listened to their chatter and laughter as I followed them into the growing crowd.

“I think that was the prince’s dragon.” Mesi looked at her friends and hooked her arms through theirs.

“Maybe he’s here to find love.” Margo, the redhead one who always wore too much perfume, blushed. “Wouldn’t that be sweet? He’s at that age, you know. “

“A royal coming here to find love is a ridiculous thought. Who would he find here that would ever be accepted by the royals? That would be a cruel joke to play.” Soki, the dark-haired one, scoffed. “He’s probably here to collect taxes.”

“How could you say that?” Mesi sucked her teeth and glanced back at me. “There are plenty of quality eligible girls here. I’m sure one of them could catch his eye.”

“Always the optimist with your head in the clouds.” Soki fussed, and they all cackled.

“Well, you know, she could be right,” Margo spoke again. “I hear the queen has been pressuring him to find a bride. Avin, who works in the castles, told me they are preparing to pass the torch. If they do, he’ll at least need to have a love interest. I mean, they’re still old-fashioned like that. If he doesn’t have one, it shows weakness.”

“A shame. And he is next in line now.” Mesi’s voice was suddenly heavy with sorrow. “His brother was a fine prince. He would have made an excellent king as well.”

“Asante is fine as well, but from what I hear, his head is in the clouds. I don’t think finding a wife is something that can fix that.” Soki added. “But it is time. The king and queen have done a fine job ruling. They deserve to step down.”

“A good woman can work miracles!” Mesi clapped. “But can she make a prince a king?”

“Are you applying for the position?” Soki poked her side. “Do you think you can make him a king?”

“If the prince would have me!” Mesi wiggled her hips. “It doesn’t really matter what I think. Besides, with my bad knees and wrinkled neck, he won’t be asking my opinion!”

The trio cackled as they shuffled forward, and Mesi glanced back at me once again. I waved shyly and fell back. There was something about the way she kept looking at me that made my stomach cramp. That fear of being found.

It was paranoia, nothing more.

We made it to the center of town in time to see the dragons all poised to let their riders down.

In Saldann, there were two types of dragons: those who could change their forms into a bipedal state, and those who were locked in dragon form that made it impossible for them to integrate with other populations. We all descended from them, but something changed the bloodlines, creating three branches. The Stagnant, the Fire, and my bloodline, the Ice.

Fire were shifters who produced fire, and Ice were the opposite. Stagnants could not shift and had no power of their own, but they did have a special gift : they could replicate the power of the rider. If an ice shifter rode a Stagnant, that Stagnant could then breathe the same ice as the rider. The same for the fire.

Royals always rode Stagnants. That never sat right with me.

These were our cousins, our family, and yet they were being treated as nothing more than mules.

I wondered how they felt.

Gone were the days when shifters and stagnant could still communicate with one another. Some say we lost the ability to. But I always thought they just stopped talking to us. Perhaps a sense of betrayal gnawed at them, keeping them from sharing their thoughts with us.

I pulled the scarf tighter around my head as, one by one, the members of the royal visitors appeared. A murmur spread across the crowd as we all waited to get a view of the most important person. Sure, guards and aides were nice to see, but aside from their attire, they did not differ from the people who gathered to see them.

I admired their appearance. They were all dressed in black leathers adorned with red and gold trimming. Simple and clean looks that echoed the taste of the queen. It was something I’d always admired about her: she didn’t subscribe to the gaudy show of wealth often displayed by those in power.

Then it happened. The gasps erupted as he appeared. He stepped down from the shaded seat atop the dragon, his cape swaying around him as he moved. He was tall, with dark brown skin, broad shoulders, and full lips. Long braids hung down around his face, perfectly framing his strong jawline and wide nose.

The prince of Starwell.

Prince Asante was everything I had heard. The villagers’ accounts of the man—his height, his build, his distinctive walk—were finally confirmed by my own observation. With each step, he straightened more, pushing his shoulders back and lifting his chin with pride. The corners of his lips lifted in a soft smile.

And then his eyes scanned the crowd, assessing the faces of the gathered.

While others swooned, I narrowed my gaze. Asante was handsome, but I could sense the air of arrogance under that soft smile. He was still from a royal bloodline after all, which meant he was inherently full of himself.

I waited for one of his aides to make an announcement. Tell us why they had come, but the prince skipped the typical formalities. Instead, flanked by guards and aides, he walked around the crowd and addressed only the elders while simply glancing at the women. He gave each woman an appraising look before moving on to the next.

The old women were right. He was there to find a mate. And the women were actively posing themselves to be seen by him. And not just the available women. One woman I knew to be in a relationship with the local blacksmith. She had no shame as she pushed her breasts up and pursed her lips. Apparently, any man could lose the love of his life if the prince saw it fit.

Disgusted with the display, I turned to leave. I had no intention of being perceived or of being chosen by the prince. Marriage was not an option in my mind, and being anywhere near the royal family was the absolute last thing I wanted.

When I moved to flee, one of the cackling trio tumbled. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn she did it on purpose. Mesi looked me right in the eye and then her little body jerked toward me. As I lunged to catch her, she flailed her arms like a madwoman and knocked me over. I turned to catch myself, but after clutching for anything to disrupt the fall, I found myself face down on the ground with everyone staring at me. So much for not being seen.

I took several deep breaths to calm myself in the embarrassing moment before trying to get up.

Kneeling, I saw a gloved hand offered to help me up. Without questioning who it belonged to, I accepted the help. What I hadn’t realized was that the long scarf I’d used to hide my face had shifted. The end of it snagged beneath my foot and as I stood, it ripped away. I panicked and tried to grab it but failed. Once again, the hand was there, picking up the discarded scarf to give to me.

“Here you go.” The rich voice spoke as he returned my scarf.

“Thanks-,” I paused as I looked up to see the face of the man I’d hoped to avoid.

“Are you alright?” he peered at me with an expression dripping with concern.

“Yes, thank you.” I snatched my hand away from him as soon as I was on my feet, did a short curtsy, and turned to leave.

I didn’t make it far before I heard him say the words that made my insides boil.

“That one will do.” The prince’s low voice announced.

Those misogynist words described not a thing that could be purchased, but a woman who had every right to deny whatever it was he intended with that statement. I could have continued to walk and ignore it. I could have minded my business. But not this time. Instead, I turned around to find the prince.

He spoke to a short aide who stood next to him. The man was older, with gray whiskers sprouting from his face. He had two golden talons pinned at this chest. The markers of someone the royals deemed important.

While the prince didn’t look at me as he made his remarks, he pointed at me. “She looks good enough to get my mother off my back.”

The aide, eyes sharp and alert, noticed me before the prince.

“Sir,” the aide said, his nose wrinkling in disgust as he eyed the dirt now covering my clothing.

“My mother wants me to marry. I will,” the prince spoke, oblivious to the fact I was staring right at him. “But I will choose who I spend my life with. She won’t force me into being with someone I don’t want.”

“But she is… beneath you,” the aide said, making full eye contact with me.

“She will serve her purpose. That’s all that matters.” The prince answered, but there was a softness to his tone that betrayed his dismissive words. Were there other motives behind his choice?

“Excuse me?” I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t going to just stand there and let the man talk about me like an inanimate object.

“Did you need something?” the aide took a step to insert himself between me and the prince.

“I need to understand why you’re talking about me like I’m not close enough to hear you.” I rolled my eyes.

“Our discussion isn’t about you. It’s about the prince and his future. Maybe you would benefit from quelling your ego.” again the aide spoke, but Prince Asante held his hand up, quieting the man.

“My ego is just fine. Maybe you would benefit from not assuming women are morons.” I scoffed. “I have no interest in whatever it is you think is going to happen here. Choose another woman for the job.”

“How could you say you have no interest in the prince?” The aide spoke, and Prince Asante said nothing. “Do you know who you are?”

“Yes, I do. I’m a woman who makes my own choices. And right now, I’m choosing to end this conversation.” I looked the prince in the eye. “Find another girl to hang on your arm. Look around, there are plenty who want the chance.”

I turned, stomping off, dirt covered and proud of my response. The prince of the fire dragons could kiss my ass!