Page 11 of Crown of Slumber

“The queen is not here.” I winked at him.

He grumbled something unintelligible but took the reins from me and urged the horses onward while I strode into the forest, following the tendrils of heat still beckoning me closer.

A strange, sulfuric smell filled the air, making my nose itch. Thedeeper into the forest I went, the louder the animalistic sounds became. Growls. Snorts. Huffs. Cracking branches. Faint screeches.

Oh, yes. This was definitely a dragon nest.

Every muscle of my body went stiff with awareness. A bead of sweat trickled down my face. My heart raced with anticipation.

Strangely, it was more curiosity than fear that overcame me. My pulse spiked, the excitement making me tremble.

Yes, the dragons could certainly eat me alive. But this was an opportunity I might never again experience, provided the Summer Princess denied me, as I was almost certain she would.

But more importantly, this offered a unique possibility I had not considered: could my fae magic work on dragons? I had tried it on the wyvern I had encountered in my travels, but they were not sentient. My magic did not work on mindless beasts—as was proven by my restless and stubborn horse.

But dragons? Could I convince one of them to come with me? To save my kingdom?

I had to try.

The air grew warmer as I approached, the soft earthy ground sloping downward into a sort of crater. My breath stuck in my throat as I took in the first creature, a magnificent silver-scaled dragon roughly twice the size of my horse. Despite the canopy of trees overhead, his scales shimmered in the faint sunlight, sparkling like diamonds.

“Stars above,” I whispered.

The dragon whipped his head toward me, nostrils flaring. His amber eyes surveyed me, narrowing in suspicion.

I slowly lifted my hands in placation, my steps slow and careful. “Here now,” I murmured. “I mean you no harm.” My magic, which often remained buried deep within me, rose to the surface. I squashed the instinct to shove it down and instead coaxed it forward, allowing it to coat my tongue as I said softly, “You know I am a friend.”

Wisps of energy swirled around me, tickling my skin. The dragon’s head tilted to the side, almost in curiosity.

I wasn’t sure if that meant the magic had worked or not. So, I kept going. “I am your friend. I do not wish to harm you.”

More energy poured from me as I continued inching closer to the dragon.

He merely huffed, but he did not flinch away from my approach.

“Gods, you are magnificent,” I said as I finally came within reaching distance. My hands, which were still raised, edged closer to the beast.

He did not stir. He did not even blink.

“May I?” I wasn’t sure if he understood me, but I felt like I should ask permission all the same.

The dragon arched his long neck, then bowed his head toward me. I sucked in a gasp at the gesture. Somehow—miraculously—this dragon had accepted my presence. A stranger. A potential threat.

And he was bowing to me.

He grumbled softly, as if impatiently demanding me to… what? Pet him like some domestic canine?

I exhaled a laugh of disbelief and closed the distance between us, allowing my fingertips to brush his scales. They were sharper than I expected, like steel with a harsh edge that could slice through my flesh. I almost jerked my hand away for fear of cutting myself. My movements were delicate as I swept the pads of my fingers along the smooth, razor-sharp edges of the scales. They seemed sharper than the tip of my sword.

The dragon lifted his head, and my hand curled under his chin, finding a soft spot just underneath that was smooth, leathery flesh. I curled my fingertips, scratching, and his throat rumbled with pleasure.

I laughed again. “You are nothing but a kitten with claws, aren’t you?” I scratched again, and he seemed to sigh with pleasure.

Delight soared through me at this unexpected friend I’d found. Would he be willing to help me? If I asked, would he come with me?

Perhaps I wouldn’t need to bother the princess at all…

“Who are you?” demanded a voice.

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