Page 53 of A War of Crowns

She never wished to sail again. Ever.

And yet Seraphina knew she would have to board theSilver Ladyin just three days’ time to return to the shores of Elmoria.

Her stomach churned at the thought.

But for the moment, Seraphina praised the Lord on High for the relatively solid ground beneath her feet as she stepped onto the shifting sands of Nerina Reef’s western beach.

Alyx dozed in a lazy drape about her shoulders, basking in the heated caress of the late afternoon sun. The island’s air was warm and thick—like a bowl of stew.

She didn’t particularly like it.

But the beauty of Nerina Reef more than made up for any such unpleasantness. The little cove where they made their berthwas well secluded from the rest of the world by the high cliffs rising on either side. The sand of the beach glittered like crushed pearls. Overhead, some manner of colored birds winged across the cloudless sky and filled the day with their sweet melody. In the distance, sand melded into lush grass and a verdant jungle beyond that.

It was all so very breath-taking.

Lifting a hand to stroke beneath Alyx’s scaled head, Seraphina shot a glance over her shoulder. Her Queensguard, godparents, and Oracle Tsukiko and her Redguard had yet to disembark from theSilver Ladythemselves, leaving her alone and restless.

After two weeks spent trapped aboard the ship, she was beyond ready to stretch her legs and explore.

Drawing in a deep breath, Seraphina faced forward again to study the edge of the jungle looming in the distance. The warm breeze ruffled the trees, sending them waving at her as though in invitation. Curiosity gnawed at her.

She had never seen a jungle in person before.

“Well, it’s not as if we will get into any trouble out here,” Seraphina reasoned with the still sleepy Alyx. “At least not in the time it would take for our guards to reach us, no?”

It seemed like sound logic. Perfectly reasonable.

But she soon realized she was wrong.

Her steps carried her only a few paces toward the treeline before she stepped wrong on the sand and rolled her ankle. Her arms wheeled. She rocked on her heeled slippers, struggling to remain upright.

And then a hand clamped about her right wrist like a manacle and wrenched her back upright with such force, she slammed into something.

A strong, warm something.

“I beg your pardon?” Seraphina breathed, surprise and indignation mingling into one creature in the lilt of her words. She turned her head to look at the person who had dared grab her and yank her about like a doll.

It was a man. A small Drakmori man.

The stranger she stood nearly pressed against was far shorter than she. The top of his head only just reached her chest, which left them in an awkward sort of predicament, what with him glaring up at her at present.

Many scars laced his tanned skin and disappeared beneath the cropped stubble of his dark beard. An eye patch shrouded his right eye from view. His hair was a disheveled mess of salt-and-pepper. He wore black armor. His arms and legs seemed out of proportion to the rest of him—oddly short for his frame.

But above all, the Drakmori had the audacity to be frowning ather, even thoughhewas the one currently out of line.

Eyes wide, Seraphina stared at the stranger, dumbfounded past the point of speech. She had never before seen such a man, let alone beentouchedby such a man. But there he stood, still holding her wrist.

She ripped her arm from his grasp and took a full step backward to retreat from his brazen nearness. But even then, he stood too close.

And the memory of his touch still thrummed against her skin.

“I beg your pardon,” Seraphina repeated, again trying to prompt the man into giving an apology.

While she waited, Alyx finally woke from her doze. No doubt the feisty little usuru was moments away from hissing at the stranger. Perhaps she would even bite him as she had Lord Tiberius. That would teach the little man some manners.

But Alyx did none of those things.

Seraphina frowned when her usuru stretched her wings and gave a lazy chirp before abruptly taking to the skies. Clearly, the creature was just as unbothered by all the tension as the Drakmori standing in front of her.

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