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Chapter 1
Is this a raunchy story?” Ariella whispered, leaning toward me as her gaze swung left and right, eyeing shoppers wandering through the open markets. She tugged down her woolen hat, keeping her fae ears covered, and white hair fluttered over her shoulders from the breeze. Non-humans were forbidden from entering Terra, but that didn’t stop Ariella from living dangerously and traveling here to sell books. And I loved that about her. Well, she lived dangerously for a good reason—she made a decent wage from her sales. But I still loved her sense ofdaring
She smirked, her pale blue eyes with flecks of lavender narrowing as if mockingme.
I rolled my eyes. Why did all my friends assume I wrote smut? First Scarlet, then Hans at the coffee store, and now Ariella. I admit, sometimes I composedthosescenes because when two people fell in love, it led to a kinky night ofpleasure.
“It’s a romance,” I corrected her. Sex wasn’t new to me, but true love wasn’t something I’d experienced firsthand. I’d seen the way my parents used to be together. Supporting each other through hard times, laughing at each other’s silly jokes, and kissing when they thought I wasn’t looking. That was the kind of relationship I yearned to find with someone… someday. “It’s about my heroine’s adventure in a new world and she happens to find the right person to share her life with. Geez, girl. Get your head out of thegutter.”
Ariella laughed, her face changing into that pure vision of joy, and she nudged my shoulder with a shove. “You ought to join me at the dragon markets in the Wildfire realm. A few vendors sell kinky toys there. That’s your audience, and you can even sign your books in person. They’ll loveyou.”
“Are you kidding? What if someone recognizes me and tells Dad?” Just the thought had me perspiring. “And I’ve heard how insane those markets get, and there are assassins there and voodoo witches there. No thanks. Though I might take you up on a visit to thearea.”
Ariella journeyed throughout Haven Realm while searching for jobs to make keep making money, but I wouldn’t swap my world with hers. As an exiled princess, she’d been wrongly accused of slaying her whole family. Never mind that she’d been under a spell that had put her into a deep sleep while the real assailant had murdered herkin.
The hairs on my nape lifted as if I was being watched, and I twisted my head to find an old couple at the nearby baker’s stand glaring our way. Had they eavesdropped on our conversation? Getting tossed into prison for spreading stories they’d classify as wicked indecency wasn’t on the cardstoday.
Ariella pulled me closer, her vanilla scent flooding my nostrils. “I remember reading that scene you gave me a while back.” She lowered her voice, twisting her fingers around one another. “It still burns me up. You have a wild imagination, but I’m sure men don’t do half the things you writeabout.”
I turned my back on the peeping Toms. “Come on. Don’t act all innocent. Most men are randy bastards. And women will love my story.” I slipped the five leather-bound books into her hands. Dad had invented a small print machine to replicate all his written inventions, so I secretly used it to make copies of my book. “You said there were potential customers in Wildfire. If they like these, I can get more copies made. We’ll split the sales in half.” I held my breath, studying the way she glanced down at the book I’d spent months writing, and now with Dad not selling any of his inventions for weeks, I was desperate to help pay our debt before we lost the familyhome.
Her nose wrinkled as she studied the cover. “Who’s MilaYoung?”
I giggled. “It’s my pen name. I can’t let my dad find out I write these. I’ll die fromembarrassment.”
The sweet aroma of barbecued corn found me, and my stomach growled, but I had food in the backpack to enjoy once I left the markets, and I pushed the strap higher on my shoulder. A flurry of voices hummed on the wind, the surrounding stores in the courtyard brimming with people. My attention returned to Ariella. I’d met her a few months ago here, and naturally, I’d been drawn to her stall. While I’d read most of the books she offered, they never held my interest. So I inscribed tales I’d love toread.
“Most people want to learn about visiting other realms, dealings with the drama in royal families, how to care for domesticanimals.”
“Gah. Snorefest.” I took her hand. “Please, just try. That’s all I’masking.”
A breeze fluttered through my hair, sending auburn strands across my face and a chill ran down my back as it always did when the goddess sent a warning. I scanned the rows of vendors selling foods, clothing, plants, and even handmade toys. At the corner of the markets was my father, his fists resting on his belly, facing two guards. My stomach dropped. Why were they speaking with him? Had someone found out about mybooks?
Guards reported to the priestess and talked to people for two reasons. Either they wanted whatever you sold for free or were arrestingsomeone.
“Look, I’ve got to go.” I pushed the books back into Ariella’s grasp. “For me, just try. Please. And if you need a place to stay tonight, my room is free. I’m traveling out of town for the next few days.” And I had to get a move on. I was already several days late to meet a friend, Elliana, at the Golden Lock tavern in the White Peak realm. The likelihood that she’d given up on me bugged me. I prayed shehadn’t.
I glanced over my shoulder as a guard fumbled with one of Dad’s inventions: his armored bedside table with a removable top that transformed into a shield, complete with an arm strap and buckle on the underside. The single leg doubled as a club. The perfect protection if anyone broke into your house in the middle of the night, he’d insisted. Which was why I had one in mybedroom.
“Just for you.” Ariella’s voice drew my attention. “I’ll read it first, then show it to a few customers who might be interested. All right?” She tucked them under herstall.
“Thanks.” I hugged Ariella. “You’re thebest.”
“Anytime, and I might take you up on that offertonight.”
“Good idea. Dad loves your company and listening to stories about Darkwoods.” My parents had always brought me up to welcome anyone into our home in need, regardless of race. Fugitive or not. And Ariella always snuck into Terra in the early hours of the morning when guards didn’t patrol thewoods.
She broke free of our embrace and turned to a woman with a young child approaching the stand. Ariella tugged down herhat.
I fixed the bag strap sliding down my arm and rushed through the crowds. Three men insisted on blocking the narrow path, so I careened around them. Someone trod on my foot and I winced. This was why I hated the markets. People treated the place as if it were the end of the world, shoving and pushing for goods. What I wouldn’t give to lounge in the sun, enjoy the silence, andwrite.
Bursting free from the cluster of bodies near the candy stand, I stumbled forward, catching Dad’s eye. Behind him stood Santos, his newest recruit. Santos had worked with my friend Scarlet, who owned an herbal store at the edge of town, but she’d experienced guard issues lately and wasn’t in town for the foreseeable future. Until Scarlet got her shop back in order, Santos assisted Dad with his inventions for a small commission on anythingsold.
The guard without an inch of hair dropped Dad’s creation to the ground, and the leg snapped in half. “Doesn’t pass our qualitytest.”
“What’s going on?” I gritted my teeth and shoved past the guard, my insides fuming over the fact that they’d dare harass us. This wasn’t the first time,either.
I crouched to pick up the broken pieces, tired of pretending it was okay for these morons to push people around, tired of backing down, tired of abiding by society rules that didn’t favor themajority.
