Prologue
The palace halls were a maze.Guards stood around every corner, each holding a heavy spear and sporting dark armor forged by dragonfire. It was nearly impossible to locate the throne room, much less get to it.
But he had been here before.
Once, long ago, he had been dragged this same way, his blood smearing the gleaming marble.
He was smarter now. Time had forced him to become so, even if coming here was one of the most reckless things he had ever decided to do. For her, he would risk it. She had to survive this, and he was willing to walk straight into the lion’s den for even the chance that she might live to see tomorrow’s sunrise.
Even if he did not. Even if that was breaking the promise they had made to each other. Because the thought of her lifeless again, eyes wide open…
He was at the entry hall now. For just a moment, he glanced back, and somewhere deep down, he knew he would not see this hall again. He would not see anything again, not beyond the confines of the throne room ahead.
“Tell her I love her,” he murmured, glancing up at the ceiling. “And that I’m sorry.”
Then, he shut off the pathway. If he heard any of them now, he was afraid he would turn back. He had to do this. The god had said there was a chance.
His footsteps echoed as he stepped out into the open. There was one way into the throne room now: sheer force. The guards immediately tensed when they spotted him, their weapons held high. He lowered his chin and smiled before leaping into action.
Three of them were dead within the minute. The other two put up a valiant fight, but they were young and no match for over a hundred years of brutal training. As the last guard fell, though, he felt no sense of victory. The true battle lay behind the throne room doors, which were now slowly swinging open.
The first sound he heard was laughter. Slowly, he stepped inside the vast chamber, blade raised.
The king sat on his throne, all the way at the end of the room. Surrounding him were more guards, likely older and more viciously trained.
“I thought I might see you,” the king mused. “Guards, do get rid of the pest for me.”
They rushed towards him, and he ducked, barely missing the sharp edge of a blade. Another nicked his cheek and then sliced his bicep, but the guards were falling all the same.
The king watched, a sort of bland amusement on his face as he drew closer and closer. When the last guard fell and he was at the edge of the dais, breathing heavily and blood-spattered, the king stood.
“Rather impressive to see how time has molded you. It’s a shame it will all go to waste for her.”
“For her…” He caught his breath, chest heaving. “For her, anything.”
Gold and silver flared in the king’s eyes. “Very well.”
A shadow swept through the sky above them, circling over the glass ceiling—not a dark one, but a beast with scales luminescent like the moon…
No.
He must have said the word aloud, because the king laughed again before lunging towards him. At the same moment, a stream of brilliant, white-hot fire crashed through the ceiling. Glass rained down upon them, and a familiar roar reverberated through the air.
He grunted as the king dragged him back. He could feel the blade at his throat, and when he reached for his magic, it was dull and lifeless.
The dragon crashed through the ceiling, landing on the ash-stained floor with a resounding boom. And atop her…
Eyes aglow with blazing silver searched the room through the chaos just as his body jerked.
The king’s dagger was embedded in his chest, the blade resting inches away from his heart. He tried to tell her to run, but the words were lost as their gazes locked and she slid off the dragon’s back.
The tip of the blade grazed his heart.
His heart, which beat only for her.
Chapter 1
Warmth surrounded her,encasing her completely. She pretended it was the gentle heat of the summer sun. Yes, if she kept her eyes closed tight enough, she could smell the wheat swaying in the gentle mountain breeze, hear the birds calling back and forth in the jicaba trees that grew by the creek.
