He stepped forward, and a single drop of blood splattered against a dragonling’s paw. It stared, transfixed by the crimson spot. Nose twitching, it flicked out its tongue to taste it.
Chaos erupted.
Screeching, the small beast launched upward, wings flapping, and latched onto the shark’s tail. Argos released the carcass. The hatchlings shrieked, lunged, and swarmed the prize. Limbs tangled, claws flashed, teeth tore into flesh.Nienna didn’t blink when a chunk of flesh hit her face and smeared crimson across her cheek and down the front of her dress.
My stomach twisted as a gold dragonling bolted for her.
Kalepsi’s paw intercepted it, knocking the beast aside before it collided with her.
And Tallon thought he could scare Nienna by feeding some dogs.
In mere moments, only scraps remained. They fought over those too, dragging splintered pieces to the Nest’s sunlit edge. There, they sprawled to dry, wings spread like stained silk, bones clutched between their claws.
Nienna approached, her smile sheepish. Dried gore crusted her skin and hair. Her white lace dress bore rust-colored smears. It chafed at my soul to see her covered in blood. I’d seen too much of it on the battlefield—my mind screamed she was hurt.
“And Tallon thought he could scare you.” I rose and stretched, working the tightness from my back.
“I assure you, this is normal,” she blurted. “It’s how they figure out the pecking order.”
“Like chickens.”
Her jaw dropped, and laughter erupted from her throat. “I’d hardly compare them to domesticated hens.” She gasped, eyes bright, breath stolen. “Let me rephrase—they are establishing their hierarchy.”
“Spoken as a true princess.” I drew her in, and she bit her lip, leaning into my side.
Argos crept toward Kalepsi. She snarled and snapped, sending him to retreat. With a groan, he slunk away, tail dragging.
“He’ll feed her,” she said, tone filled with contentment. “Then the hatchlings will fly. And the Awakening will end.”
“A three-day festival.” My thumb traced her bare shoulder. Warm. Whole. Her smooth skin assured me she was well, despite being covered in gore.
“We time them well.” She glanced up. “We’ve done this for centuries.”
I nodded. “Then negotiations will begin. Radaan needs a queen.”
When her gaze found mine, color bloomed on her cheeks.
Her hand pressed to my stomach, light as breath. “Then she shall have one.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nienna
Freya and Edith worked on me for hours. My nerves had frayed well before I stepped into the hall the next day.
The silver tiara nestled into an intricate web of braids, each twist tight and deliberate. They cascaded down my back like the creeping vines through Radaan’s halls. My gown shifted from pale blue at the collar to midnight at the hem, a dusky gradient shimmering beneath the lights. Pearls clustered along my shoulders and poured down the center of my chest, flaring wide across my hips.
My black boots made no sound on the stone as I descended to the council chamber. My heartbeat lodged in my throat. I looked the part of a queen, but I felt like a schoolgirl trembling before a boy.
Father wasted no time. When the Draconis returned to work, so did he. I bit the inside of my cheek. I had listened through every negotiation during my engagement with Tallon, but this was different. The man I would marry would meet my eyes from across the table. I would see him—not just his name scrawled on parchment.
My family waited in a narrow corridor outside the council door, and my anxiety surged. This was finally happening. A renegotiation between Draconia and Radaan—a feat I never imagined possible.
Father’s expression was drawn, his mouth pressed into a tight frown. He grasped my arms, sliding his hands down to grip mine while searching my face.
“I need to know you want this.” His voice strained, ragged with something deeper than worry.
I’d wounded him before with my actions. And now I asked him to give me awayagain.
