Page 13 of Sea and Sky
“But enough about that. You haven’t told me your name.”
Kyler flicked his eyes up, again dazzled by the prince’s silver ones. He was too muddled to lie. “Kyler.”
“Kyler.” The prince said his name slowly, like he was savoring it. “I’m Prince Gavin. Send your information to me or my guard, Damon.” The prince—Gavin—gave Kyler a quick smile before leaving with Damon to join the humans, who flagged him over.
Kyler could melt into a puddle. He had to grip the rough wooden edge of the table to stand. Perhaps the prince used seductive magic? That was why Kyler was so mesmerized. He shook his head. That wasn’t it. The Prince was a vision and Kyler wanted to lie beside him. Kyler had to get it together. No one, and especially not a prince, would ever want him next to them.
Kyler tipped his head back with a sigh before deciding to once again venture out into the exhausting summer sun. Who knew when the ravens would wake or the wolves would find him and he needed to be far away. At least he was ten coins richer than when he entered and he didn’t have to suck cock for it.
Chapter 5
Thesunhadn’tevencome up yet and Gavin was already irritated with the day. He stood at the edge of the cliff, staring into the churning sea below. The azure color reminded him of the man from the tavern days before. Kyler’s eyes were deep blue and soulful, if not a little sad. Gavin had hoped to hear from him again by now. Kyler looked so much like the couple from the journal that Gavin suspected him to be the child they’d written about. But what had happened to them? Why had they stopped writing?
The palace was at Gavin’s back, radiating heat. Overhead, seagulls squawked. The Dragon Guard silently kept watch high above the palace, as always.
He huffed out a breath. Flexing his hands, he needed to move. Princess Ailey was not what he expected after years of letters to each other. He shouldn’t have been surprised about any of it. But he wouldn’t be marrying Ailey. No, she was a pawn to keep His Majesty busy.
Before His Majesty let the realm go to shit, Gavin had always been ambivalent about the arranged marriage. He’d known since he was six that he and Ailey would marry. He was bornforher. For the realm of Avondra to use. She was forty, twelve years older than him. Not that it mattered. For dragons, what was age anyway?
Ailey looked like a woman in her twenties. Her dark brown skin was a contrast to his own suntanned skin. She had lovely bright green eyes and luscious black hair she kept in braids or twists. Gavin admitted Ailey was pretty. Beautiful even. Queen worthy. But he wasn’t attracted to her, and looks didn’t matter to him, not really. Even if they had been compatible—which they weren’t—he wouldn’t be marrying her.
Besides, the dragons of Avondra lacked horns. They’d almost bred the dragon right out of themselves over the last few generations, hence the reason they needed a true dragon shifter, an eggborn like him.
Gavin sighed into the wind. Even knowing the marriage wouldn’t happen, he’d never be his own person, not really. At home he was the spare’s spare. Even though his brothers loved him dearly in their own ways, he was still being used for their agendas. And he let them. Whether Lane or Avondra, he’d be their weapon. He barked out a laugh. He’d always be a weapon for someone. That was the sole purpose of his birth.
If he thought about it,reallythought about it, the entire idea made him sick. So he had plunged into magic and distanced himself from finding his own mate, because it would never happen.
But five years ago Leander had come to him with a proposition. Work with him to go behind their father’s back and get the realm back to the glory it once was. It took a lot of effort. But they made progress over the years. Now, though, the king was erratic and working against their efforts and the good of the people. He was damn near close to starting a war with the centaurs of Haliana. Gavinlikedthe centaurs of Haliana.
Until Leander’s plan, Gavin had gone along with the king’s wishes. Agreed to the arranged marriage. He just had to marry the princess like a good little prince and follow daddy’s orders.
But he couldn’t let go of Leander’s promise of his freedom from the marriage if he went along with his ideas. Gavin followed every order to the best of his abilities and now the wedding was near and Leander hadn’t followed through with his part of the deal. Gavin was still solidly stuck. He didn’t blame Leander. His hands were tied in some ways. But in others, he could meddle if he wanted. Gavin would have to take matters into his own hands. All he needed was a strategy.
What kept him from thinking as of late was Gavin couldn’t get Kyler out of his head. The moment he saw the young man, he had to talk to him. Hear his voice. And when he did, Gavin had to stay seated or show the entire tavern how much he enjoyed the voice. If Kyler would have looked at him properly, he could have fallen into those sad blue eyes. The only reason he had Kyler present his hands the second time was to touch those long, elegant fingers. His hands were rough, like Gavin had expected of a merchant.
There was a presence about Kyler. Mysterious. Interesting. Informed. Andskies, that scent! Tantalizing ocean and spice. Gavin would love nothing more than to sit and have a real conversation. But Kyler was obviously terrified of him. Probably because Gavin was royalty and people either wanted to take advantage, or wanted to get away from him. There seemed to be no middle ground.
Gavin toyed with the sapphire pendant around his neck. A smile crept on his face. One thing he knew for sure was Kyler didn’t try to use magic on him. The pendant made Gavin immune to magic of persuasion or seduction; it glowed and vibrated in the presence of either. With everyone wanting a piece of him, it gave him peace of mind to have the protection.
He ran a hand through his hair. He still hadn’t given his report on what he found with the pixies to Leander. Not that he had much to say. He promised himself he’d take the time to speak with Leander after a quick flight.
Gavin needed to get away from Ailey and all the responsibilities of showing her around the palace and getting to know her in person. He’d discovered quickly they weren’t compatible and her acknowledging his interest in merfolk in letters was just a courtesy because she didn’t care.
Ailey was entirely too boring and traditional for him. Had he studied her letters, he would have realized. When he tried to show her the gardens—which were spectacular and the pride of Lane—she wanted to embroider. Or wanted to read poetry. Poetry. Of all things! The worst was Ailey looked down on royals using magic. She thought it was absurd he enjoyed magic to the point he wanted to be a Grand Mage. Said that he should leave magic to those without real power. How could they be compatible if the one thing in his life he could say for certain he loved was something she couldn’t respect him for?
Watching waves crash against the cliff side, Gavin stripped from his boots first. Then shrugged off the rest of his clothes. He needed the sky. Taking off the pendant and laying it on the ground, he sighed. Damon’s familiar thump of hard boots on pavement broke through the seagulls’ crying.
“You’re dismissed for the day, Damon. Make good use of it.” Gavin jumped from the cliff, not waiting for the reprimand he knew would come.
As he fell, he stretched, preparing. Air rushed by and his lungs screamed for a breath, but he wouldn’t take it. His skin rippled until scales covered him in pearlescent silver and violet. A sound like chain mail rattled as the scales clamped over his skin to protect him. Hands transformed to claws with long, sharp talons. He ignored the pain as his body bulked, ripping muscle and bone and skin apart, rebuilding him into his second form, adding more scales to his new size. A spiked tail extended from his backside. Wings sprouted from his back, finally stopping his descent.
He was dragon.
A low growl rumbled in his throat, and he pressed on towards the horizon, past the islands and to the open sea, needing to spread his wings.
Chapter 6
Wavessloshedagainsttherowboat in the early morning. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. A bag of supplies sat across from Kyler as he pushed the oars through the water with difficulty. He’d rather swim, but too many dragons had been in the sky of late and he didn’t want to be made as a mer just yet. He smiled to himself, trying to keep the laugh from bubbling out. Freedom was almost his.
