Liar.
“How fare the crops?” I asked, trying to turn the subject.
“A whirlstorm clipped our eastern border. Flattened the outer villages.” He sighed. “But it broke over the bay and twisted north. Tianna’s breath saved us again.”
The Innaki goddess. Her southern winds pushed storms off their shores.
“The loss?”
“Measured. As always.” He turned to me with a crooked grin. “Draconia will eat.”
Disgust curled in my gut. I hated that we relied on Innaku for bread. Even long after Father’s death, Adoni would never let Ronan forget it.
And it was my fault.
I smiled despite the crack in my spirit. Everything reminded me of what I’d done.
Pain had become a part of me.
The island prince wanted to sit beside me in the dining hall, but Ronan called him away. My brother never liked his fascination with me, though I no longer trusted his judgment—not after he gave his blessing to Tallon. I’d known Adoni for years. Harmless, save for his sharp tongue. But Tallon… I shivered. Malice burned in his eyes. His words sliced deeper than steel. He thought drawing a blade would send me running.
I didn’t run—I was taken.
The library tempted me, but I’d scoured each shelf. Dug through every tome I could touch. Scribes were still chasing leads—any mention of oaths or the Dragon’s Heart.
None spoke of breaking a Draconis Blood Oath.
The last sliver of hope faded with the setting sun. I sat on the beach as the waves danced and stars blinked to life overhead, hollow. The fire had gone out. No spark. No drive. I still wanted to help my people, to grow our borders,feed the starving—but even rising each morning felt like a mountain. A task. A punishment.
I was a princess. Dishonored, scorned, reputation in ruins—but dutiful. My mother never wavered. She worked tirelessly, always preparing for the Awakening. I wouldn’t quit. Not for pain. Not for shame.
“Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
I spun around, kicking up sand, to see Adoni. He padded across the shore barefoot, moonlight tracing the lines of his tawny skin as he pushed his hair back from his face.
“I outgrew bedtimes years ago,” I said, my heart thudding. We were on the northernmost beach, as close to Radaan as I could reach. Stone outcroppings hemmed us in.
He dropped onto the sand beside me without invitation, his hip brushing my hand.
I recoiled, clasping my palms in my lap, gaping at him. “Do you make a habit of invading people’s sanctuaries?”
“You seemed lonely.”
“Your rooms face south.”
“Maybe I needed a night stroll too.”
I narrowed my eyes, letting him see my skepticism.
“Peace, Nienna.” My name on his lips dug into me. He’d said it before, but tonight it scraped against old wounds. “Where’s my Dragon’s Heart, the girl I used to play with?”
“I’m notyours, and I think you’ve outgrown playing.”
“Gracious. Radaan made you bitter. What did their king do to you?”
Nothing. Everything. None of it was his business. Adoni hadn’t earned that truth.
“What do you want?”
