Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The largest Tarvor Red Jai had ever seen had landed just a few feet in front of him. It had come in so quietly, so stealthy, that he didn't even know what was going on until his guardsmen were yelling for him to move away and running toward him, trying to get there before the beast landed on him. And then there it was, the unmistakable sound of huge beating wings.

He and a group of his guardsmen were at a small port city along the western coast of Eld, picking up more supplies before heading back to the village they were rebuilding. They were a few weeks from being finished with all the homes already finished and now working on the small group of shops. Of course, he had gotten used to the village's own dragons flying around and watching their progress, but this time was different.

The earth shuddered as the dragon landed, stretching out its wings before tucking them in, and blew a hot breath right in Jai's face right as he turned. Its triangular head was enormous with spikes coming along the top of its head. Its body was even more so, its scaled skin taunt over the thick muscles of its legs and back. Talons dug into the earth and could easily have torn into him as well.

He met the creature's silvery gray eyes as it leaned closer to him, nostrils flaring.

"You know," the dragon's rider called down, laughing, from her saddle on its back. "She would have turned you into a handsome princely pancake had you been just a few feet closer."

"I have no doubt," he called back.

With the dragon still in his face, he wasn't able to look over her shoulder and up to the female who spoke. It wasn't until the creature turned her head as she jumped down next to her. The dragon shook her hold body before turning her head back to sniff at the large bag attached to the saddle.

The female he saw walking toward him then was grinning, taking off her leather fingerless gloves and shoved them into her back pocket. Her dark hair was streaked with gold and her skin was naturally tanned, but darker from being outside. Freckles dotted across her nose and cheeks under her spring green eyes, which stood out even more against her sun-darkened skin.

Her gloves weren't the only leather she was wearing. Though he could see a simple white shirt underneath, she had on a black leather jacket that zipped up half way in the center before crossing over to her left shoulder. Her pants were made of the same material and fit tight to make riding easier and show off her feminine curves that the men behind her were eyeing appreciatively.

Her dragon started growling when it noticed them staring.

"Come on, Erly," the female told her dragon. "Be nice. We're the ones disturbing the peace here."

The dragon named Erly huffed out a steamy breath as she turned her head back to Jai.

"Don't mind her," she told him. "She's been a little grumpy the last few weeks." She ran a hand over the dragon's neck comfortingly before sticking out her other for his. "My name is Thia. Thia Branvon. It's an honor to meet you Prince Jai."

"And how to you know I am Prince Jai, Thia Branvon?" he asked, but took her hand.

"Because when word spreads about the crown prince being in my father's port, it's going to eventually make its way to me."

Her father...but he didn't just know her by her father's name. This was the Thia Branvon, daughter of the sorcerer and wealthy merchant Elias Branvon. She was only half-sorceress herself, her mother being a human from Palrion who had died a hundred years before.