Bound by Honey (Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection)

by Jamie Dalton

Her breath came harder as she smelled the musk of old books, the aroma of old leather and ink. The smell of knowledge, wisdom, and power.

Twinkle, twinkle, little dragon If you're hungry, eat a sheep Up above the world so high Soaring, flying in the sky Twinkle, twinkle, little dragon If you're hungry, eat a sheep

"They're the Charming Four.” Piper's voice made Sage jump. “The top mage guild in the kingdom.

"The blond carrying the book is Colby. The oldest son of the Duke of Tishire. The redhead is his cousin, Sawyer. He's the third in line to inherit Brinedin. Both are ice mages who are quite literally as cool as their magic. Asher is the one whose eyes are like melted chocolate you want to sink right into. He has no title but is from a family far richer than the other two as the heir to a collection of gem mines. His earth magic is legendary."

"And the grumpy one?" she whispered. Piper's grin spread from ear to ear, and her eyes gained a far-off look, "He's the king's third son, Finn. A fire mage. His magic is far more powerful than his older brothers. I heard he wiped out an entire invading army on his own. Just roasted them up like marshmallows."

"A favor to the crown and a quiet life reading books for the end of my days. It's really a great way to go."

"Things are happening in this kingdom that people don't like to talk about. People who find themselves to be above others and see nothing wrong with using others as if they were objects. Secrets from the past that, if they came to light, would change everything."

"Courage comes in many forms," he said, his voice soothing. "You need only to take the first step."

"Your Highness," she spoke softly, her words full of compassion, "hatred breeds hatred, and violence begets only more violence. We should not judge an entire race from their past sins. They may have changed, and we should be open to discovering more about them before we pass judgment."

Finally, Sage could take it no longer, and she cleared her throat softly. "Do you ... like me?" she asked tentatively. Prince Finn gave a soft chuckle before turning onto his side to face her in the darkness. "I think it's obvious, honeybee," he murmured as he brushed a strand of hair away from Sage's face, their eyes meeting in the moonlight streaming through their window.