“I know it sounds strange, but it was true. It was an ancient spell. I don’t think anyone knows it any longer. She said she found it in a book but when she went back to look again, it wasn’t there.”
“The book?”
“The spell. She found it in a book that tends to . . . hide things, I guess you’d say.”
“Magical, then.”
“Yes. I worked with dragons, but she had a skill unlike anyone I’ve met before. I could make them do what I asked, but they seemed to leap over themselves to please her before she gave a command.” I faced the sea, letting the salty spray wash over my face and the wind latch onto my hair, streaming it out behind me. “I miss it more than I thought I would. Dragons are huge. Fierce. They’re as eager to burn you as take you for the ride of your life, but they’re incredibly special.”
“I haven’t interacted with many myself. Too busy with court life.”
“I imagine there are plenty of things that keep you from visiting with dragons.”
“Always.” His warm gaze fell on my face, but I felt rather than saw it. “Tell me more about you. What’s your favorite creature?”
I lifted my eyebrows. “Creature?”
“You know. Is it dragons?”
“I’ve always loved dragonflies,” I said.
“Tell me why?”
“For many reasons. Their swift way of flying, how they zip close before darting away. Their shimmering wings sparkle like jewels of every color, and they’re incredibly graceful. Free.”
“Free?” Funny how he latched onto that one word.
“They soar wherever they please. I used to tell myself they were tiny dragons and that fairies would climb onto their backs. They’d go on a magical adventure.”
“Do you hope to embark on a magical adventure?”
The way his lips curved up on one side stunned me into silence. I’d already noted how gorgeous he was, but his beauty sunk beyond the surface. And when he spoke in this teasing tone?
It stunned me.
“Maybe one day,” I said softly.
“I hope you get that chance.”
Once I was crowned queen, I’d be too busy, too tied to rules and duties to go on adventures.
“And your favorite color?” he asked.
“Blood red. Is that nasty?” I released an awkward laugh. He was going to think I was brutal.
“Not one bit. It’s a deep, intense shade that speaks of life and danger. It's the color of passion, rich like ripe berries but with an undertone that hints at power. Yet it also shows vulnerability. It commands attention. It’s impossible to ignore.” His voice dropped to a bare whisper. “Like you, Reyla.”
“You see more in me than I do in myself.”
“I can understand not feeling confident, especially in your current situation. But only a brave, strong woman agrees tomarry a man she’s never met and travel with him to a world that could offer beauty or cruelty.”
“Which will Evergorne give?”
“Both.” A touch of sadness came through in his words, and it tugged on my nerves, jarring them.
“What’s your favorite color?” I asked him.
His lips curled before smoothing. “Sunrise, like your hair.” He caught and teased a strand. “I also adore brown, like the earth and the wonder of one particular woman’s eyes.”
