Page 2 of Kingdom of Spirits

“We have to come up with a name for you, darling,” Tahlia said to the Seabreak.

The first stars of the early evening glittered across the dragon’s ocean-colored scales. Their light cast a veil of silver across her four folded wings, making them sparkle like jewels.As the dragon drank beside Titus’s Spikeback, Tahlia splashed water over the Seabreak’s head. The dragon eyed her, love shining in the depths of those fire-hued beauties. Tahlia would never stop being amazed that such a massive and dangerous creature could be gentle with her, a tiny half-human, half-Fae female.

Trilling with satisfaction, the Seabreak extended one wing to nudge Tahlia, a show of affection.

“No name yet, hmm?” Titus glanced at Tahlia as he wiped his dragon down with a cloth.

“Nope.” And until she and the Seabreak agreed on a name, the bonding wasn’t fully formed. Dragon magic was a subtle and prickly thing. Names were as important to them as to their Fae riders. Each dragon had a name that their bonded rider used as well as a name that only belonged to them. How riders knew that second fact was a mystery. Most believed dragons imbued their riders with knowledge through their magic somehow.

“It’ll come to you,” Titus said. “I have no doubts about your bond.” He studied the Seabreak and nodded. “She cares for you already. It’s obvious in the way she doesn’t shield the underside of her chin from you.”

Titus was Marius’s second in unit one, the rider who gave orders when Marius was elsewhere or when he was working with another unit. A meaty hunk of a fellow who was quick to laugh, Titus felt like the older brother Tahlia had always wished she’d had. Her real older brother had been borderline abusive. She was glad she’d never lay eyes on him again.

“How about Gertrude?” Tahlia whispered to the Seabreak. The dragon snorted and Tahlia laughed. “Just kidding. Not that. How about Stormwave?” With a growl, the dragon wiggled her snout until Tahlia’s arm was slung over the back of the Seabreak’s head. “Really? I liked that one. It was Fara’s idea.” Fara was Tahlia’s dearest friend. She served as Tahlia’s squire,though she had no plans of working her way into the Order of Mist Knights. “Maybe Coral?” Tahlia suggested. She and the dragon sighed in unison. “Right. Too basic. Well, we will think of something.”

“Lady Tahlia.” Marius’s deep voice startled Tahlia and she spun with fists raised. He lifted an eyebrow at her stance. “That could be construed as an offense to your High Captain, rider.”

Tahlia felt light enough to fly without a dragon beneath her. She fought a grin and lowered her arms. “You can’t just pop up behind me like that.”

Moving toward her, Marius nearly closed the distance between them, and Tahlia looked up at him, craning her neck to do so. The breath of space spreading from his body to hers filled with a simmering tension. He leaned close to whisper in her ear.

“I thought you liked me behind you, my lady.”

Heat shot through her and she swallowed, forcing herself not to climb the male here in front of all three dragon-riding units. She met his smoldering gaze and she could almost taste the salt of his skin on her tongue.

“I’ll be at the tavern early,” he said. “If you’d like to talk before the others arrive, I’d enjoy that.”

Her face hurt from the massive smile spreading over her lips. “Of course. I’ll clean up and be right over.”

Chapter 2

Tahlia

Tahlia hurried to the assigned bedchamber she shared with her squire, Fara. When she swung open the heavy oaken door, Fara was gripping a tunic and swearing at it. A bowl of water sat on the table under the high window. Soap suds glistened in the light of the wall sconce.

“I don’t think you can actually strangle fabric, my friend.” Tahlia flopped onto her small bed and toed her boots off.

“It will not release this wine stain and I’m a failure as a squire. You need to go shopping. You can’t go around the castle grounds during your off hours looking like a drunken sot.”

“I don’t care what anything thinks. I’m a knight now. They won’t kick me out for a stain.”

Her purple face screwed up into a scowl of frustration, Fara threw down the tunic and helped Tahlia unlace the sides of her stiff leather vest. “I didn’t plan to be your squire, but I like this position. I don’t want anyone to think I’m terrible at it. Your mess reflects on me.”

Tahlia chuckled. “Oh, right. Sorry. I’ll try not to spill tonight.”

“I do have another interest though.”

“Other than the dragons and working as a squire?”

Fara nodded. “In addition to being your permanent squire.”

“Let me guess. Baking.”

Snorting, Fara shook her head. “I could be talked into that. Especially testing our bakes, but that isn’t what’s on my mind. I have been talking to Healer Albus. He gave me a book about all the medicinal herbs, flowering shrubs, and trees in our kingdom. I’ve been reading it when you’re being insane in the sky.”

“But you’re not serious about becoming a Healer, are you?”

Fara shrugged.

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