Kingdom of Flames & Flowers (Curse of the Dragons #1)

by Raven Storm

“I like your filthy mouth,” he muttered, his breath warm on my neck. I nearly tripped, not realizing he’d been that close behind me.

My fireguard’s breath was hot on my neck, bared to him with my hair styled up. “Zariah,”

“Fire. Flames. That’s what they call you. And for me it doesn’t matter, does it? All flowers die in the end,” I answered in between gasps. He let go of me, dropping me back to the ground. I was so shocked by the loss of his hands on my most intimate parts that all I could do was stare dumbly at him. “Not you,” he swore, his eyes ablaze. “I will see to it.” He glanced down the hallway, then back at me.

“You are stronger than you know. You are more beautiful than you will allow yourself to accept. The dragon is rising.”

This close, I could see the eyes weren’t completely gold; their innermost rings were flecked with green and silver.

His snout nudged my chest and I reacted on instinct, punching it as hard as I could. He shrieked in anger. The sharp edge of the claws around my lips went limp as the heavy weight of the dragon disappeared, and soft lips descended onto mine.

“Don’t worry, I’m under strict instructions not to touch you. Zariah insists we … give you time.”

“Not much is known about dragons, but what I found in our library suggests they mate for life. It’s a deep blood bond that breaks for nothing except death. And we choose you.”