aying when she said that the Beta knew. I'd half expected to be dragged out at

in the palace was pulled in, and thanks to Julise,

d, adjusting my collar. "Just stay quiet. Don't

lking into a room full of kille

rs dripping gold and firelight, and long tables filled with nobles talking too

y steady. One wrong move and I

out girls like me.

t if they kne

at the third, halfway through pouring wine for a s

Like every thread in

owly, the tray st

as h

I felt him. Like a spa

I tur

ere he

n Fa

he Narcola

. The man whose family

high table, draped in black and blood-red, surrounded by gene

wasn't

s sta

m

rifying second,

surged in my head,

asty was built on dragon bones

monsters- unnatural, dangerous, rebellious. They feared our power. So they turn

't die in some

re wipe

Quietly. By pe

h

ds were damp, my breath shallow. Keep moving.

ing-his eyes still on me, lik

owd to breathe. I turned toward the musicians' plat

nced at the hi

sn't

d him. Just

here." His voice wasn't

ched.

s steady. Holding a gob

im was still. Cont

r than I felt. Less like I wanted him dea

answer r

over me. And th

mell..

ood i

ot like the kitchens.

ove. Didn'

e kn

ted- "What's your

ed my

rough the tension like a whip

n't w

ot running. Just fast enough to f

grabbed my arm. "He talke

ike a curse. "Shit. He

n't a

idn't know

s, he felt

did

was the w

ll the stories Nana Fiona drilled into m

at me, I didn

lt h

fus

couldn't

e kept l

igure

I was. But

se-so w

de

looked, with her gold eyes that told stories of dragon ancestors-it was something

g something back. I could feel it in the way she mo

't care about dragon ancestors anymore. It was l

t involved like this

nted to get rid of