Page 2 of Crown of Slumber

Mal snorted, lifting his chin. I imagined if he could, he would be rolling his eyes.

I chuckled. “I know. Believe me, I’d much prefer riding. But I have duties to attend to.”

He let out another questioning rumble, his head tilted as he scrutinized me.

I shook my head. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I must marry eventually, I suppose. But none of these suitors are…” I trailed off, unable to find the words. Truth be told, they were all terrible. Handsome, sure, but they were vile, conniving, conceited, and downright boring. They wanted to speak of armies and battle strategy, or how much price a tract of farmland could fetch, or how many heirs I could produce. If I brought up horticulture or literature, which were two of my greatest interests, they would either laugh as if I made a joke, or they would smile blandly and change the subject.

A few years ago, I’d had an arrangement with the Autumn Prince. For a while, I was planning to be his bride. And he hadn’t beencompletelyterrible. Not until…

No.I shoved the thought from my mind before it soured my mood even further.

“Whoever I do choose to marry will have to pass your inspection first,” I declared, and Mal lifted his chin again, all smugness and satisfaction. “If you don’t like him, I will turn him away at once.”

Mal huffed in amusement, and I grinned, scratching under his chin again. “How is Azure doing?”

Mal’s answering hum had a distressed edge to it, and the smile slipped from my face. “Can I see her?”

He dropped his head, turning to lead me farther into the grove. Anxiety had my fingers clenching into fists at my side as I hurried after him. The slope descended to a bumpy crater the dragons had dug to protect their eggs. Only a few large gray ones hadn’t hatched yet; the rest of the hatchlings were nestled close to their mothers.

All except for one.

As blue as her namesake, Azure was draped along the soft soil, her scales reflecting the shimmering light of the sun that filtered through the canopy above. Her long, slender body seemed serpentine, with a curling tail and narrow snout buried in the earth. She wasn’t much bigger than a calf at birth. Her lungs rattled with each breath she took, her eyes closed tightly in pain.

She was sick. And there was nothing I could do for her.

A few days ago, she had seemed to be improving. She drank the milk I offered her, even nibbled at the fish I brought.

But now she seemed worse than before. Even her blue scales lacked their usual luster.

Beside me, Mal stiffened, then let out a low growl.

Only then did I notice a cloaked figure was crouched by Azure’s side.

“Get away!” I barked, sprinting forward, prepared to strike whoever dared to come near my dragons.

When the figure removed their hood, I faltered at the familiar white hair and silvery eyes.

Samiria. She was a fae witch, the sage of her coven. The only one bold enough to come near the dragons because she was the only one they would allow. It was said that sages had a special kinship with the beasts. I hadn’t believed it until I’d seen the dragons settle under Samiria’s gaze like they did mine.

Despite her familiar presence, my body was still tense with apprehension as I approached. I had never found her among the hatchlings before. Generally, she tended to the older dragons. “What are you doing here?” My tone was gentler, but still commanding. I didn’t like how close she was to Azure.

Samiria straightened, bowing her head in respect. “Your Highness.”

I frowned. The witches rarely acknowledged royalty. I was accustomed to being addressed as “Lady Aurelia” by the coven. It was why they didn’t get along too well with my family. They operated under their own set of rules, believing the fates to be the true rulers of the land. The witches had pointed ears like we did, which meant there was some fae blood in them. But that was where the similarities between us ended.

“Samiria, what are you doing here?” I said again.

“I was under the impression my presence was permitted in the nesting grounds,” she said, her voice low and raspy. “Is that no longer the case?”

“Why are you with Azure?” I snapped. I wasn’t in the mood for her cryptic games today.

“She is weak. She needs sustenance you do not have here.”

My eyebrows lifted as I glanced from Samiria to the sick dragon. “Do you know what ails her?”

“She needs her mother.”

“Her mother is not here.”

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