‘Oh dear. Invite me to dinner first,’ I joked, trying to ease the tension. We would be spending the next several weeks together, after all.
‘Excuse me?’ His sharp jaw looked even more ruthless from this close. He kept advancing until I was trapped between the shelves and the wall. ‘What's that supposed to mean?’
‘Just that the art of banter seems lost in Fogoya. Back away, please.’
Using my hand to gently push him away, I prayed my power stayed contained. The flicker of flame from the fireplace mirrored in his eyes, its amber light catching in a mesmerising way. He stared like he wasn’t sure what to do with me, and it couldn’t be a good thing.
I stared back.
King Dracon of Fogoya wasn’t what anyone would call handsome. Even in appearance, he was rough and violent, his jaw sharp enough to serve as a blade in battle. Unlike other monarchs who favoured polish and ceremony, he made up for it with sheer, untamed presence that was as breathtaking as it was deadly.
‘This isn’t a show,’ I said, heart hammering. ‘I won’t be showing you my dragon. I’m here to teach you how to conjure yours, if you’re capable.’
Chapter Two
Avari
Hours seemed to pass as I read about Fogoyan beasts, slouched in the uncomfortable wooden chair of the king’s office. The wide beams of the backrest dug into my spine, and I kept shifting to ease the discomfort.
The king, whom I preferred to avoid anyway, was called into a meeting with his general. Flipping pages, I tried not to think of it as a waste of time.
Would it be an insult toHis Highnessif someone like me sat in his leather chair instead?
It wasn’t a throne, my subconscious justified, as I sank into the well-cushioned seat that felt like being swallowed by a cloud. Perhaps that was why he kept the worn thing.
Relishing the softness, my mind wandered to memories of sitting astride my dragon during bonding—the pain that left me aching for days. The searing fire that ran from my lower back to my knees. These days it was only a fraction of that torture, but my muscles still needed rest.
I looked around for a moment before returning to the book I'd found in his collection. It still surprised me that he didn't seem to mind. He'd watched me take it and begin reading without so much as a word.
At times, it seemed as though he didn't quite know what to do with me. I wondered whether that was one of the reasons he hadn't attacked. Before I got lost in these thoughts, I got back to the text I was reading.
Bladed lions, creatures I never heard of, could elongate their upper fangs to reach their knees. It didn’t sound impressive at first until I read that they could heat them hot enough to burn flesh instantly. Giving it some thought, it made sense that their beasts held powers of temperature control since they lived in the land of fire-breathers—that’s what the Fogoyans called themselves.
Shimmering chasers, birds taking on an angelic form, glistened in the moonlight like beacons guiding travellers to their doom. Only the destination ended up being their nests, large enough to accommodate several grown men. They could adjust their size at will, growing as tall as six feet.
The heavy tome overflowed with monstrous beings, but I settled on the one creature closest to my heart, noting how worn the page was compared to the others.
The letters were smudged at the edges, barely spelling outDRAGON—their most revered creature. Presumed extinct since the vanquishing of the blood witches, they had once roamed in herds across many kingdoms, though most preferred the Fire Lands.
It explained that the witches had cursed them, magically chaining dragons in various locations around the realm. The curse prevented them from finding their mates and procreating until their population dwindled so much they neared extinction.
Some of them had gone mad, turning on people, burning villages to ash and snatching babies as they once had sheep.With no solution in sight, panic spread, turning awe into reluctance and fear. Fire-breathers stopped seeking dragons to bond with and instead formed battalions to fight the creatures they had once considered sacred.
It became a bloodbath.
To save the kingdoms from the rampaging dragons, a treaty was forged, uniting the nations to alter the dragons’ curse. They were banished with the blood witches to a far-away realm, and only if conjured and invited back could they return. Nobody had seen them since.
‘I could have you whipped for sitting in that chair,’ he seethed from the doorway.
Engrossed in the story, I hadn’t heard him come back. The stern expression on his face made it seem like a genuine threat.
‘Sorry, the other chair’s uncomfortable.’ I started to rise, then froze as he appeared beside me in a blink. The sudden proximity tied a knot in my stomach.
Seizing the book, he leaned against his desk, crowding my space as he stared me down expectantly. It was clear he wanted me to sit back down, which only deepened my confusion.
‘Is what’s in this book true? About dragons?’ The king’s tone lacked hostility; it sounded determined, almost hopeful.
The vulnerability in his voice, paired with the bossy attitude, made me consider gloating about the fact he couldn’t conjure his own dragon. But I couldn’t bring myself to hurt anyone intentionally. That’s why my sisters hated me—I was soft. Still, I wondered if we might manage to be colleagues, if not allies, in such a difficult task. We needed each other; he just didn't know it yet.
