Clover’s eyes widened. Turning to Trinity, she nodded her thanks and followed her sister through the winding walkway toward the exit.
She still didn’t talk much after what had happened all those years ago. Clover had been in her room when the man knocked. Her mother called out that she’d be there in a moment, and poked her head into Clover’s bedroom, begging her to hide and stay quiet.
Not long after, she heard her mother’s protests, then her begging, followed by the man’s laughter. Clover couldn’t help herself and snuck to the top of the stairs, staying close to the wall.
What she saw would haunt her forever.
“Where’d you go?” Ruth asked, bumping Clover’s shoulder. “You look deep in thought.”
Clover shrugged. “Just thinking.”
“Don’t think too hard,” her sister warned. “I wouldn’t want your head to start hurting.” Clover narrowed her eyes as Ruth cackled.
As they neared the exit, Ruth whistled, and a dragon with sleek, dark green scales landed in the clearing beneath the den’s opening.
“Does anyone mind taking us to the exit?” Ruth asked politely. They might allow the sacrificed women to live in their den and women of the Hydra to visit, but it was still their home, and their kindness deserved respect.
The dragon nodded once and lowered its neck. The dragons stood about thirty hands high, with long tails and necks, and leather-like scales covering their entire bodies.
Ruth gave Clover a boost before jumping on behind her. Most fae were strong enough to mount without assistance, but Clover wasn’t quite there yet. Her power wouldn’t fully manifest for another year when she turned thirteen, and even then, she still had growing to do.
With a warning huff, the dragon lifted into the air until it reached the opening on the side of the mountain. Its feet touched down on the landing with quiet grace, allowing Clover and Ruth to dismount. The cave that housed the den’s entrance dwarfed anything Clove had seen before in size. It wasmassive.
Clover tipped her head. “Thank you.”
Ruth smiled fondly at her, as she always did on the rare occasion Clover spoke. The dragon dipped its head in acknowledgment and turned, diving off the cave’s edge into the den’s abyss.
2
THIRTEEN YEARS OLD
Amos’s knee bounced as he awaited the name of his fated mate. At midnight on a royal fae’s thirteenth birthday, the gods whispered the first name of their fated mate for only them to hear. After that, birth records across all of the kingdoms were checked for someone born on the exact day as the royal with that name.
Amos once asked his tutor why the gods didn’t give a surname, and he’d said it was because, at the beginning of Eden, surnames didn’t exist. The weak excuse didn’t make sense. They’regods. If anyone could change the rules, they could.
The clock was nearing midnight, and Amos wondered what the gods sounded like. Then his mind wandered to his future mate: her name, what she looked like, whether they would get along, and what her emotions would feel like. He would only be able to feel them when they were strong, but feeling random emotions at random times every day sounded exhausting.
“I have the list of your potential mates,” Alice told him, holding out a stack of papers. “Your mother gathered them years ago without your father knowing.” She smiled fondly. “She thought of everything.”
Amos took the papers, and Alice smoothed a hand over her grey-streaked hair. “Are you nervous?”
She sighed and sat beside him on the bed. “Yes. We’ll have to find your mate as soon as possible—before your father knows, or she tells anyone about the bond. She might not understand what she’s feeling, but adults will, and they’ll talk.”
“What if her family is loyal to the king?” he asked, voicing his biggest concern. “I guess we can kidnap her and hide her away.” It seemed like the only solution.
Alice snorted. “You can’t go around kidnapping people, boy.”
He could, but he decided to keep that to himself. After all, he could make them invisible to sneak his mate out if needed.
“There are just as many people in this kingdom who don’t agree with your father’s reign as there are those who do.” She tapped her finger against her leg in thought. “If they’re loyalists, we’ll figure out a way to get her out. We can hide her in the human kingdom if needed.”
He’d thought of that too. Protecting his mate and sister was almost all he’d thought about since his mother died. That, and training hard enough to kill his father when the time came.
Alice patted his shoulder. “Close your eyes. It’s almost time.”
Swallowing hard, Amos did as she said and waited.
Clover.
