Chapter 1
It hurts a little to change form. It’s not as terrible changing features as it is changing into a dragon, but it still stings.
I blink my eyes and tilt my head up. Moisture gathers in my eyelashes, but I compose myself and slip into the darkness of the stables. Danver skitters after me. The only sign of him in the darkness is the occasional flash of his white-tipped tail.
My mare, a pretty thing with dark, chocolate eyes and a haughty expression, eyes me suspiciously, snorting.
“It’s me,” I say, holding my hand out to her.
Mara’s ears twitch, but she stays still as I saddle her. As I work, I take cautious glances at the groom slouched in the corner under a low burning torch. He’s fast asleep, drunk on mead. He’ll wake with a splitting headache in the morning.
I’ll be long gone by then.
I scoop Danver’s furry body into my arms, tuck him under my cloak, and disappear into the night.
There’s a fork in the road about an hour’s ride to the west, and that’s my destination. The cool wind whips around me as I ride, and my hands begin to tremble as I draw close.
Just as planned, a cloaked figure waits for me atop a dark stallion. He lowers his hood when I draw Mara up beside him, revealing himself.
“Who is it?” he calls, his voice uneasy.
With the changeling stone warm against my chest, I lower my hood as well. “Anwen.”
He swings from his horse and strides to me, catching Mara by her halter. His eyebrows knit as he studies my face.
Now that we’ve stopped, Danver jumps from my arms to explore the road. As soon as Dimitri recognizes the fox, his eyebrows shoot up, obviously impressed.
I flush with pride as I clasp the chain at my neck and draw it over my head. The transformation begins as soon as the stone leaves my skin. My hair—which has been long, sleek, and brown for the better part of the hour—draws up in blonde curls that fall just past my shoulders. I grit my teeth as my face changes back to normal and blink as my eyes return to green.
“It’s amazing,” Dimitri whispers, his gaze on the stone. “Better than I imagined.”
I accept his hand and dismount. With a quick flash of bright, white teeth in the dark, Dimitri wraps his hands around my waist. I settle against him and run my fingers over the ornate trim on his vest. He never ties his shirt at the neck, and the deep slit shows off his muscular chest and abdomen.
He nuzzles my neck first and then moves right behind my ear. My breath catches, and my stomach clenches at the nearness. He smells of spice and citrus, of excitement and danger.
“We can be together now?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
Dimitri’s words tickle my ear as he answers, “Of course.”
He then turns his head to give me a soft kiss. His lips move against mine, growing more insistent. I pull away, playing coy, and tease, “You promise?”
He tugs me back, running kisses along my jaw. “A thousand promises for you, Anwen.”
I push aside any lingering doubt and slide my father’s greatest treasure into Dimitri’s vest pocket.
He breaks our kiss and grins at me, his eyes dark and inviting. “We can meet the others in three hours if we hurry.”
I nod, feeling giddy.
Danver scurries back when I whistle for him. With the fox snug and secure against me, I mount Mara. We continue west, riding at a frantic pace that makes my back tight and my neck ache.
The shoulder of the road is thick with ancient evergreens. These woods are the only home I’ve ever known, but I may never see this stretch of Primewood again. I blink back a few tears and remember that I am giving it up for a future with Dimitri.
Dimitri slows when we grow near the glow of several fires in a cutout in the trees. Despite the midnight hour, laughter and music drift from the camp. Caravan cartsand tents surround the fires, and the smell of roast venison wafts through the air.
Danver struggles to be free. Once on the ground, he rushes to investigate the new scents.
Dozens of people loiter about, and they call to Dimitri when we enter the clearing. There are cheers and more than a few drunken whistles that make my cheeks burn.
