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Chapter 2

Roksana

‘Sana, I should’ve known you’d be here.’ Rey’s voice came from behind me. ‘Why does our bedroom look like a dressmaker shop?’

‘I was getting ready to welcome your family. I’ll clean it later,’ I answered, and he frowned, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around me.

‘They’ll love you. Ormond is the most unorthodox man I know, and Annika… well, she forced a goddess to return her lover, but she’s honest and kind.’ He leaned over, placing his chin on my shoulder. ‘Alaric can be a bit intense, but he’s nice enough once you get to know him.’

Rey meant well, but casually mentioning Annika’s legendary meeting with Arachne, goddess of fate, wasn’t helping.

‘I’m sure you’re right.’ I smiled, keeping my nerves bottled up and focusing on our dragon, who circled lazily above our heads.

Give me an enemy to kill or the entire Royal Council to intimidate, over meeting the in-laws, I thought, pulling out of Rey’s embrace. It couldn’t go on like this. I couldn’t meet them whilst clinging to Reynard like ivy. He gently tugged at my braid but let me go.

‘Sana?’ he asked, but I shook my head, sending him a tense smile. Whether he understood what I wanted to achieve, Rey trusted me and simply nodded.

The panorama of Truso sprawled under my feet as I paced the edge of the platform, staring at the sky until I swore there was a groove beneath my feet. Cinared roared, making me jump. I clutched my chest and cursed the dragon’s timing.

‘Sana, they’re here.’ Rey gestured for me to join him as several black dots appeared, steadily growing bigger.

Just as I identified individual dragons, the formation split, most heading to the garrison outside the city, whilst one massive black dragon headed towards us.

Cinared turned, meeting them just as I returned to Reynard’s side to give the dragons plenty of space to land.

The black dragon landed with grace, and a moment later Cinared joined him, his massive crimson wings blotting out the sun before he folded them away.

I wouldn’t be able to miss Reynard’s brother, even in a room full of people. The same wide, almost square shoulders and jet-black hair, the same golden rim to his irises. He slid off the dragon’s side with practised ease, reaching for the woman who carefully climbed down, supporting herself on the dragon’s snout.

Their mate, Alaric’va Shen’ra, came last, sliding off the wing with the agility of a cat. He was a beautiful man. Tall and lean with light grey skin and luminous golden eyes. What set him apart from almost every man I knew was his focus. He looked at the woman with utter devotion, placing her hand on his forearm as soon as her feet touched the ground.

From his rapt expression, I bet if she asked him to open his veins, he’d already be bleeding.

‘Ari, stop it, I’m not made of glass,’ she chuckled, swatting his hand away and taking a few tentative steps.

The Aether flowed around her in turbulent, powerful waves, raising goosebumps on my skin. The sensation was akin to the moment before lightning struck. My body responded to it, my heart rate picking up, and I had to clasp my hands to stop them from shaking.

The living legend, conduit mage Annika Diavellar, was here. I never thought I could fall victim to hero worship, and yet here I was staring at her like a moonstruck calf.

Oh, for fuck’s sake, get a grip. One deep breath, then another, and I could think again. Then I noticed the details and contradictions that helped me put things in the right perspective.

I was expecting someone regal, someone I’d struggle to relate to or even understand. And yet here she was, tripping over her own feet with a belly swollen in pregnancy and a smile that could light up the sky.

‘Annika.’ Reynard exhaled, rushing forward to wrap his arms around her, her welcoming chuckle soft and familiar. I bit my lip to hold back my laughter, watching the fae hover over them, ready to pull Rey away from his mate at the slightest hint of discomfort.

‘So, you’re the woman who blinded my brother?’

I spun around at the question, only to be confronted by King Ormond’s chest. I don’t know how such a massive body could move so silently. His eyes met mine, and the defence speech I had prepared for this faded when he looked at me with nothing but curiosity and kindness.

‘It was an accident.’ I swallowed hard, chewing my bottom lip. ‘I thought he was someone else.’

Ormond’s eyes softened even more at my flustered explanation. He opened his arms. ‘May I? It’s only fair that I get to embrace his woman while he’s harassing mine.’

‘I’m not harassing anyone,’ came Rey’s answer, but I had already wrapped my arms around Orm’s torso.

My world disappeared into an embrace that smelled of dragon and vervain.

‘Welcome to the family, little sister. Thank you for looking after Rey,’ he said, kissing my temple.