It is a time of magic. Wizards rule the lands in peace, but there are those that seek to threaten the balance. They will stop at nothing to usurp the power of the wizards and mistakenly hope to bend time to their will. Caught amidst the struggle for domination are three unlikely friends: a wizard's apprentice, a shapeshifting elf, and a slave who would be king. Together they'll discover ancient truths and arcane knowledge that may help them rescue the very fabric of reality from the clutches of dark forces.

Years ago, three friends experienced another world. Now, two of the three that are still alive must enter this magical land once again to search for a lost child.

Desperate to keep her magic hidden, Katerina goes to great lengths to avoid dragons and mages. When she gets cornered by evil mages, her only chance at escape involves freeing a trapped dragon. * * * Katerina's biggest fear is that unscrupulous mages or dragons would discover her magic and use her as a living magical battery. When she stumbles into a group of evil mages trying to magically enslave a dragon, she releases the dragon to act as a distraction, hoping he would attack the mages while she escaped. But magic has rules, and when you free a dragon mage, it creates magedebt that they must repay, lest their magic fade. Forced to travel together, Katerina struggles to hide her magic as she accompanies Rakota and his friends while they hunt down the Shadow Mages. Rakota is one of many dragons who detest humans due to how many have tried to slay him, steal his treasure, or control him with magic. He has no desire for a rider, but when his childhood sweetheart shows up, she won't consider courtship unless he has one. As if evil mages with ancient spells aren't enough, word comes from the coast that the nagas are planning to invade and wipe out the humans. Goals and secrets clash as Katerina strives to keep her magic hidden, yet that very magic might be the key to stopping the war, and becoming Rakota's rider would give him the family he's always dreamed of. But all magic has a price, and to become a rider, she'd have to forfeit her freedom. Copyright November 2022. All Rights Reserved. Readers may not copy or steal this story. Fanfictions are allowed to use my *world* and *magic rules* as long as credit is given.