Now, Octavia was so far gone that she was carrying on conversations with herself.
Even worse? She paused as though she was waiting for an answer.
It did not come.
Obviously.
Octavia’s dragon was silent, and there was no one else to talk to. The fiery creature that shared the messenger’s skin was just as upset with her as the Elders. The dragon was a petulant beast, taking out its anger on Octavia by ignoring her completely.
How many days could someone be trapped in a small space without losing their mind completely?
Right now, Octavia was fairly certain the answer was less than seven.
If the Elders hadn’t insisted that Octavia take this journey on foot as part of her penance, she could have been there and back by now. But no, she wasn’t allowed to shift. Before she left, the Elders assured her they would know if she freed her dragon before it was time. A Fortune Elf would be Watching her path at all times.
Gods.
Screw up one delivery soon after Maturing, and all of a sudden, it’s “Octavia can’t be trusted,” “Octavia is a bad messenger,” and “Octavia is the worst dragon shifter ever to live in the Rose Empire.”
Okay, she might have made that last one up, but the picture was clear, right?
Listen, it wasn’t even like Octavia killed anyone. She wasn’t a secret assassin or anything insanely interesting like that. She just… accidentally set fire to a letter she was supposed to deliverto the Empress herself and was at least partially responsible for throwing the Empire into the War of Iron Teeth against the fae.
Look, everyone made mistakes every once in a while.
Fifty-five years later, Octavia was still trying to make it up to the Elders. It was said that out of all the species that lived in the Rose Empire—dragons, elves, vampires, witches, werewolves, shifters, mermaids, and humans—dragons held onto grudges the longest.
Octavia was living proof of that.
It wasn’t like she’d lost control of her dragon and given into the beast’s primal instincts, turning into a draken. Now,thatwould be bad.
Unfortunately for Octavia, the Elders disagreed. That was how she found herself traveling on foot through dark forests and over mountains to deliver a package. Hopefully, by accomplishing her mission, Octavia would finally find a way back into her community’s good graces once and for all.
Being the least trusted member of her tight-knit community sucked. Octavia was regularly left out of events, and most members of Firefall Village barely spoke to her.
Unfortunately for her, the rain had set her way behind schedule. At this rate, it would take her at least a month to make it to the Indigo Coast. At least once she completed her delivery, she had clearance to shift and fly home. Thank Kydona, the mother goddess, for small mercies.
Settling her back against the wall—it wasn’t like there was anywhere else to go—Octavia closed her eyes.
They were shut for less than a minute before a branch cracked outside.
Her eyes flung open.
Anothersnap, this one louder.
Her skin crawled as she looked around the shack for a weapon. Sadly, an armory hadn’t miraculously appeared. Heroptions were limited to her walking stick and the very small dagger tucked in her boot.
Rising from the bed, Octavia grabbed the stick and took a deep breath. She could do this. She was a Mature dragon shifter in the prime of her life—an alpha creature in a forest full of tiny squirrels and raccoons. Dragon shifters dominated the food chain in the Rose Empire, which was why everyone feared them.
It’s probably nothing, Octavia reasoned with herself.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was out there. Tightening her grip on her walking stick, she wrenched the door open.
“Aha!” Octavia yelled, brandishing her very impressive weapon as she battled her attacker. She was a fierce dragon shifter. A warrior. Her senses were strong. She would destroy…
The wind.
Her attacker was the wind. Unsurprisingly, it pushed her around, and her strikes were useless. She was average-sized for a dragon shifter and a little leaner than most.