“You know, you really can stop all of this nonsense. I don’t know what you think I know or who you think I’m going to tell.”
“But it’s almost too easy,” he says in a smooth voice. “Shouldn’t the princess have a guard escorting her, at the very least?”
“What would I need that for? We’re a peaceful kingdom. No one would try to hurt me in our own castle.”
A cruel ghost of a smirk touches his lips. “Wouldn’t they, though?”
I tilt my head, rethinking my answer. “Okay, well… up until a few days ago, no one has dared. Perhaps we should’ve employed more guards for your arrival. That was our mistake in thinking you’d be civil.”
“Ah, yes. We’re the savage beasts from the south.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. Why I still haven’t told anyone about our first encounter is a mystery I haven’t fully figured out yet.
“Despite whatever you may think, I’m not your enemy. All I want is peace for this kingdom.”
“Peace for your people,” he says coldly.
“No. Peace for all.”
“Well, I don’t know if you know this, but many species, including the dragons, have been suffering for hundreds of years while you sit here in your cozy castle.”
“I do know that.” I spend much of my free time in the library, learning what I can about the world. It seems like I’m the only one who does, actually. Our scholars gave up on figuring out the mysteries of the curse long ago.
Under the magic of the haze, the world changed from coast to coast. Though clouds and weather still dropped below the veil, seemingly unaffected by it, temperatures still dropped a small amount, and the lack of direct sunlight affected many living things. Fairies became even more elusive than they already were, their habitats changing drastically. Many species had to shift their entire diets, forcing them to adapt, their biology slowly changing with the world. It’s said that the humans, who thrived with sunlight, went entirely mad and became violent, even among their own kind. They were the first species to die out. Other species and plants that depended on sunlight failed to thrive or died off altogether. There was a particular type of species that I like reading about called birds that used to fly high in the sky… most of them died, but the rare ones still exist that simply don’t fly anymore.
But this asshole of a dragon doesn’t deserve that explanation from me.
“And yet, no one cares. No one is doing anything about it. Of course the king wouldn’t want that. It’s how elves have stayed in power all these years. It’s easy when all who oppose you are barely surviving.”
Wrong again. Not the part about the king, though.
“And is that why you’re here? To plead your case? You said yourself the king wouldn’t want to help, so why are you here?”
He eyes me with suspicion, weighing his next words. “My reasons are my own business.”
“Okay,” I say, taking a step back. “Then don’t go blabbing all your business out loud in random rooms where anyone could potentially hear you.” I smirk, turning on my heels as I take the last few steps to my door. “Goodnight, lordling.” The glare he gives me just before I shut my door is murderous. I’m not sure why I find it entertaining to taunt a volatile dragon shifter who’s already threatened to kill me, but it seems to just slip out involuntarily.
Chapter 4
The library is where I find my peace and center myself. It’s my favorite room in this massive, lonely castle. The librarian, Sadia, has known me since I was a child. I used to drive her mad with my endless questions, escaping here for hours on end, each book an adventure that awaited me.
“You’re in late today,” Sadia notes as I stroll into the main entrance. The library is the size of twenty of my suites. And I have one of the biggest suites in the castle. The rows and rows go back as far as the eye can see, with tables and chairs placed throughout. There are no traditional torches in here. Instead, it’s lit by small orbs made out of specially crafted material that holds in the fire elementals’ flames, keeping them forever burning. The lighting is dimmer in here than most other rooms in the castle, which is what causes me to squint at my books most days. Even with the impeccable eyesight of an elf.
I feel that tingling sensation again, like I’m being watched, so I turn casually, doing almost a full spin before I pause.
Sitting several tables away at the end of the center aisle is my stalker, watching me with a bored expression. But oddly enough, he lifts two fingers and points them toward me in a sort of salute, then returns his gaze to the open book on the table in front of him. He looks deeply invested, like he’s been there for a while and whatever he’s reading has almost his full attention. He was already here studying… before me? So, is he not actually following me today?
In this low, warm lighting, his hair appears darker. Like a rich chocolate brown. A lock of it falls over his forehead as he reads, his brows scrunched together.
I look away and pull my old books from my satchel, placing them on the table with care. A small cloud of dust rises off the surface, even though I was just here at this very spot yesterday. I’m not going to let his presence distract me from what I do best. Study books.
The selections I brought with me today were carefully curated for a purpose. I’m so incredibly close to figuring out one of the last pieces of information I need, and these tomes just might have the answer I’ve been seeking for so long. I’m really hoping so, anyway.
The curse is a blight on our land. It’s slowly killing all living things—plants, animals and people alike.
I’m going to break it and free this land, along with all of its inhabitants.
It’s why I haven’t told Daegan’s secret. We have the same goals, he and I. He just doesn’t know it.
