The insanely attractive intruder had a scary weapon. Octavia’s walking stick was no match for that.
It was official. This would be a very bad day.
CHAPTER 2
Death by Sword was Better than Being Struck by Lightning
“My name’s Octavia,” the dragon shifter said, recognizing that she was no match against the intruder. At least, not in here. Out there, in her shifted form, it would be a different story.
She’d like to see him wave that sword at her when her dragon was loose. Limp or not, the creature living beneath her skin was massive.
At that exact same moment, thunder rumbled through the sky, and the rain picked up even more. Octavia glanced behind her at the very wet forest, and then she looked inside the shack. Neither option was particularly delightful, but seeing as how she did not want to be struck by lightning, she moved inside. If she had to pick a way to die, death by sword seemed like the better option.
She did keep the door open, though. After all, she had a modicum of preservation instincts.
The intruder dipped into a courtly bow, which was honestly a miracle considering the cramped quarters. Between the two of them, there was barely a foot of unoccupied space in the shack. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Octavia.”
Her eyes narrowed. Lady, she was not. Dragon shifters generally kept to themselves, as most of the Rose Empire didn’t exactly trust them. It could have been because of the enormous fire-breathing beasts residing within the shifters, or maybe it was their less-than-delightful temperaments. Dragons tended to be an angry, possessive group and didn’t play well with others.
Still, Octavia didn’t correct the man. Call her crazy, but it was nice to hear someone talk about her without the scorn and ridicule that typically accompanied interactions with her fellow villagers.
“Thank you,” Octavia said after a moment. “And you are…”
Her voice trailed off as she waited for him to answer.
The intruder raised one of those stupidly perfect brown brows. The dazzling smile he sent her way made her insides twist in a way that was most unbecoming of a messenger trying not to get herself skewered by the aforementioned intruder. “Flynn Tririver, at your service, my lady.”
“And what, pray tell, are you doing here, Flynn?” she asked, trying to sound authoritative.
Based on the smirk still dancing on his face, it wasn’t working. “I’m seeking shelter from the storm,” he said as though it was obvious.
All his tone did was make her more frustrated. The ache in her ankle wasn’t helping matters either. Leaning on her walking stick, Octavia snapped, “I gathered as much. I meant here, in the forest.”
“I’m looking for something,” was his vague reply.
Suspicion flared within the dragon shifter, and her eyes narrowed. “You’re looking for something in the middle of the never-ending forest?”
With the exception of a few cities scattered across the massive continent, the Rose Empire was largely made up of forests and mountains. There were, of course, slight variations.In the north, past the Koln Mountains, the mountains and forests were covered in snow. On the western plains, the land was relatively flat, but trees still abounded. In the south, the mountains were made of sand.
Most dragon shifters were well-traveled throughout the continent, their deliveries taking them all over the place. Even though Octavia had been grounded before she could get much traveling in, she’d heard plenty of stories about the world in which they lived.
No one crossed the Indigo Ocean, though. The fae were not kind, and they were not to be dealt with. They remained on their side of the Obsidian Coast, and the citizens of the Rose Empire stayed away.
Flynn nodded. “Yes, I am.”
Octavia glared at the intruder, giving him her best,I don’t believe you,look. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure it worked because those brown eyes laughed at her.
Then she realized something. She was soaked from her earlier excursion, but there wasn’t a single drop of water on Flynn. Her nostrils flared, and she adjusted her grip on the walking stick, taking weight off her ankle. “Why aren’t you wet?”
Flynn looked down at his clothes, then back up again. “Oh, this?” he shrugged, but there was a twinkle in his stupid eyes. “I shielded myself. The rain doesn’t bother me.”
That skill was… surprisingly useful. She could have used that a week ago.
But now she had a hint about this mysterious stranger.
“You’re a witch?” she asked, unable to hide the intrigue in her voice.
He canted his head, a lock of his hair falling ruggedly over his forehead. “That I am, my lady.”