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

by Raven Storm

Above the dome, the dragon roared in fury. The dragonsbane metal that protected us all hummed as the beast landed heavily on top of it, the metal glowing as it rained down fire and brimstone to no effect on the people below.

He can feel his mates pain I'm guessing

The more plump girls from the stone quarters behind her were soon huffing and puffing, clearly unused to so much activity. They slowed and slowed, and we came almost to a halt. Sweat stained their pretty silk dresses. I wondered what they did all day in their stone houses. “What is the holdup?” a girl asked from behind me. The girls from the bread quarter were all lined up at my back, wondering what the problem was. They were just as stout as the stone girls, but clearly more used to physical work. With determined faces, they had hiked up their dresses and faced the steps patiently, one at a time. “Halt,” came the command from the fireguard up front. He was nearly an entire staircase ahead of us, the older blonde girl nearly at his heels. She stood still while he descended back down to the rest of the line, beginning with the red-faced stone quarter girls. “You must continue,” the fireguard captain warned the stone girls. Or else what? I wanted to ask. “Move it, piggies!” I knew without turning around that the insult came from the girl my age, who was toward the back. The rest of the girls were between her and me. We all ignored her, even the fireguards, who were yelling at the stone quarter girls to pick up the pace. I rolled my eyes. If they could go any faster, they would. I certainly wouldn’t complain at having to follow behind at a slower pace. Begrudgingly, they continued the climb.

What is with all this farphobia? Jesus! Like WHAT is the point

“Fat pigs have no place in the noble’s quarters!”

WTF

“The flowers are here! They are going to the castle!”

Flowers = sacrifices, don't they

My fireguard gave a dark chuckle, so I risked one question. I was willing to bet they wouldn’t dare hit me in front of a large crowd like this. “What is your name?” I asked breathlessly, barely louder than a whisper. The castle towered over us as a delegation of the most elaborately dressed people I’d even seen waited, standing high above us all at the top of the stone steps. Gems and gold glinted at us from their wrists, hands, neck, and the crowns on their heads. The king and queen! The fireguards halted at the bottom, keeping themselves between us and the royal family. My fireguard’s breath was hot on my neck, bared to him with my hair styled up. “Zariah,” he whispered, and slipped away from my side. I didn’t get to see where he went. I had to pay attention to stay up with the other girls. We formed a straight line in front of the steps, all nine of us. The king had black hair like mine, which immediately took me aback. Was he from the mud quarter? That was impossible though, wasn’t it?

Zariah is the prince. Evil?

My brain still spun in circles; my body abuzz with all the sensations Zariah had drawn from me. What if I could marry him instead of the prince? The thought felt as forbidden as his touch. And why not? The prince would not choose a mud girl; everyone knew that. Surely I was good enough for a lowly fireguard, wasn’t I?

You dumb bitch. Does the author think we are also dumb? Jeez

Apparently Azalea did, though. “Is it true that sometimes your … your purity breaks doing other things? I heard a girl say it can happen, and you’d never know.” The queen’s smile didn’t budge. “For ladies of proper breeding, this won’t be an issue.” Her silver gaze flashed to me, and the corner of her lip upturned in a smirk. Oh, that bitch. She was counting on the fact I’d lived a hard life to disqualify me. And then what? Kill me? Feed me to the dragon? Send me off to wed some other noble? And, I didn’t even really understand what they were talking about. Our purity? What the hell was that and how could we unknowingly break it? My mind sped to last night with Zariah, and panic flared through my veins. My rational brain fought for control. How would you know any of that took place from looking between my legs?

Wow. Finally getting it

us. We all turned as one as the heavy iron doors parted to reveal the man who would choose one of us to be his wife. A familiar man walked out first, and I smiled as I recognized Zariah. He was out of his fireguard uniform today, instead dressed like the king himself in a matching tunic of purple with gold embroidered at the edges. Velvet breeches were tucked into soft black boots, and they had pinned a silver sash to his shoulders. They really go all out for their guards, I thought.

You dumb bitch

My eyes shot to Zion in terror. Something that could have been guilt or shame rippled through his gaze. For a moment he looked like he wanted to stand, but a sharp hiss from the queen had him slamming back into his seat with a grimace. He didn’t sit like his parents to watch the show, but neither did he raise a hand or his voice to stop it from proceeding. He just sat there, a blank expression on his face as his fingers dug into the armrests of his throne. Why? Why did he just fucking sit there?

Bitch boy

Each fireguard took one of my legs and tried to wrench them open. I kicked hard, feeling vicious satisfaction when I caught one under the cheek with a vicious kick even if it was on my injured foot. The sight of blood on his face warmed my heart. Before I knew what had happened, a hand went around my throat, gentle but firm. In confusion, I glanced up, seeing nothing but dark curls and those green and silver eyes. He ran a finger down my face, starting from my forehead, trailing down my nose, my lips, chin, then neck and chest. My body went fuzzy and warm, everything tingling as my eyes went in and out of focus. I couldn’t concentrate on his face above me as my body began to go limp. And the kicker was that I didn’t entirely mind it. What magick was this? “Ssh. Just relax. It’ll be over soon.” My legs dropped to the table, completely slack. I knew there was a reason I shouldn’t relax, but I couldn’t remember what it was. I yawned. Everything was fine, wasn’t it? A cold hand ran up the inside of my thigh, then wrenched them open. Then the world exploded.

Her dragon better be protecting her from this bitch boy of a prince.

“I need you to stay here while I take care of a few things. I will make excuses for you. I’ll say you’re injured and can’t move. I can’t explain anything, but you need to stay here.” The intensity in Zion’s eyes was alarming, but I didn’t care for him or his warnings. My body shook as I realized he had trapped me in his personal tower, so high up that there wouldn’t be any protection if the dragon flamed the area near me. I’d be a crispy, charred bit of black ash like Ivy. The plan was so obvious I started laughing. Hysterical loud guffaws left my mouth, even as tears ran down my face. I couldn’t control the tremors of my body. Zion was leaving me here as dragon bait. He was trying to talk to me. He was yelling, maybe. I didn’t hear any of it. I was so lost in my emotions nothing could touch me. I was out of control and— Zion hovered over me and sat on my hips, pinning me to the bed. One large hand wrapped around my throat and simply held there, firm. That warm, fuzzy tingling feeling spread through my body again. All the noise stopped. My thoughts focused. I could breathe. I could think. “How do you feel?” he asked, his voice strangely detached and clinical. I hesitated in answering, because I didn’t want to admit it. “Contained,” I managed. “Safe.” He leaned down and nuzzled into my neck with a pleased growl. I bucked against him, remembering I was pissed at him. “You lied to me! Get off!” His hand left my neck, and I pushed away the odd sense of loss. Zion refused to mo...

Fuck him for being all "you begged for it" but also maybe he will be okay? Just seems like A tamlin kind bitch

Freesia waved my concerns away, but Leilani intercepted her before she could get too wound up. “Come off it, Freesia. At least only two people saw our privates. The prince was about to show Mari’s to the entire court.” I frowned, brow furrowing. He’d certainly been about to, hadn’t he? He’d even done that fuzzy muscle thing to make it easier to do so. I mentally reminded myself to kick Zion in the nuts when I saw him next. Or Zariah. Whoever the fuck he was pretending to be.

Ya fuck this dude. He would let her be publically sexually assaulted and help just to avoid confrontation

“I think it must have been horrible, almost being examined like that in front of everyone, and in front of the king and queen!” Azalea whispered in horror, covering her eyes with her hands. I thought back to that moment, frowning. Zion had done something with his hands to me—twice. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel it, the strange sensation that started at my neck and went down my forearm, trailing down my chest to rest in between my breasts. The sensation left behind had been nothing but warmth and comfort, and to my utter embarrassment, need. Whatever it was, it had left me utterly boneless and vulnerable. I couldn’t afford to be vulnerable. “The prince is an ass, like most princes are, I imagine,” I said instead, trying to shake off the feeling. “His tower was just a single room, high up.” My gaze wandered away, remembering the smell of fire and brimstone in the air. “It has to be high up, because all you could smell was smoke and ash. I was half-convinced I was being set up as dragon bait.” I gave a wry grin, but no one else was smiling. Even Freesia was gazing at me with a mild look of horror. “But, uh, I’m here,” I finished lamely.

Prince prick

“I won’t even ask how you know about him. You want to fight Zariah so badly?” With the room empty of her court, the queen stood, no longer needing to hide her hatred or venom. Zion stood with her, putting a hand out. “Mother, let me handle this—” “Sit down. This little trollop does not know what she’s asking for. Let’s show her.” An invisible force slammed Zion’s body back into his chair. He winced, then stood again. “No!” he ordered. “I’m the one supposed to be running these games. I order you to stop! You will not do this.” The queen whipped around, fury etched in the wrinkles around her eyes and forehead. The wrinkles weren’t visible normally, but I was so close that I could count every crevice and imperfection. “You do not rule here. Down!” Zion stumbled and fell. It was as if his body wouldn’t listen to his brain. He tried to leap toward me, but only fell on his face. “NO!” “Hold him!” Fireguards stepped forward immediately to subdue Zion. The king stood with a red face, but the queen whirled to him next. “Do you have a problem with how I manage this kingdom?” Come on, I willed him. You’re the king. Stand up to her. I didn’t know what Zion was trying to save me from, but it had to be bad if the queen was so insistent about it. My heart sank as the king bit his lip, then shook his head. The queen turned to Karthus. “Take her up to meet Zariah.”

Zariah is the dragon. Prince under mommy dearest magic. Still a bitch.

“I thought I was clever in forcing a blood deal on you. You thought you were clever by naming the soldier.” A nasty smile twisted her lips. “You want to fight him, and thanks to the magick you must. Goodbye, you little mud slut.” Confusion flooded my veins, quickly replaced by panic as Karthus himself grabbed me and hauled me up a set of wooden stairs. I followed them with my eyes, noting how they ended at a small trapdoor in the dome. Oh fuck. No. Zion screamed behind me. As if the dragon could feel his mood, it bellowed and raged above us, spitting fire everywhere and clawing at the dome like it could shred it with its claws. “Hurry now, I think Zariah’s hungry,” the queen offered nonchalantly, picking at her nails. My eyes widened. What kind of sick joke was this? Zion’s protests fell deaf upon my ears. The dragon’s roars were the only thing I could hear, and the heat from his fire was the only thing I could feel. I didn’t even struggle as Karthus hauled me to the top of the stairs, opened the hatch, and pushed me through, slamming it shut behind him.

Fuck this prince. Is he connected to dragon?

I whirled around, the dragon only feet from me. He was enormous. Gargantuan. My world filled with gold scales and heat. He had eyes of fire and gold and black pupils slit like a cat. He hunched down on all fours to get a better look at me, then he launched himself at me, jaws opening and revealing razor-sharp teeth. I didn’t bother screaming. It wouldn’t do anything. I closed my eyes. I expected the pain of sharp teeth to tear my skin from my body and cut me in half. I expected to feel the hot gush of my blood as it left my body in torrents. I cracked one eye open, flinching and falling backwards on my ass as the dragon’s snout was an inch from my face. He sniffed me.

What? Forget the prince, fuck the dragon!

I stopped cold. The eyes that held mine weren’t that of a savage beast. There was an intelligence there—a sense of recognition that stopped me in my tracks. This close, I could see the eyes weren’t completely gold; their innermost rings were flecked with green and silver.

Nol The prince is the dragon and are cursed together Fuck me

Like lightning, one clawed hand shot out and pinned me to the hot surface of the platform. My weapon skittered across the dome, falling down in the depths of the kingdom somewhere. Dimly, Zion was yelling. The sun blinded my eyes, blocked only by the silhouette of the monster who held me down. His clawed hand seized my neck and squeezed. 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.

Visualizing this is a treat!

Dragons don’t kiss. That was the first thought that ran through my head. The second was how hot his lips felt against mine. My eyes shot open and smooth skin and black curls greeted me. What? Where was the dragon? Had Zion gotten the trap door open after all? I tried to push him away—we had to run, not kiss! My palm met hot flesh as I pushed him away, and I flinched backwards. Zion made a guttural sound in his throat, and I realized with a jerk he was filthy and naked. Wild eyes tinged with green flickered between silver and gold. I glanced beneath my feet, seeing the real Zion put a guard on the ground with a vicious right hook. If Zion was below me … then who the fuck was this? It certainly looked like Zion, but with a feral, starved looked in his eyes. Zariah is hungry…. That’s what the queen had said, hadn’t she? Oh shit. Oh fuck. They were goddamn twins. Zion and Zariah were two separate people. And Zariah was also the dragon.

Stop! Please this is on soup opera and I'm dying laughing

I ran straight toward Zariah/the dragon/whatever the fuck he was, stumbling as Karthus easily opened the hatch and lunged toward me with his sword in the air. Out of the two beasts near me, the dragon had proved himself the least likely to kill me. I screamed and Zariah jerked, then my world exploded in a haze of heat and scales. The dragon bellowed his fury at Karthus, who backpedaled so fast it would have been comical had I not been half-convinced I was going to die. Something hard and sharp seized me in a vice grip and suddenly I was floating—no, I was flying. The hatch opened and Zion sprung out, screaming and waving his arms frantically. The dragon—Zariah?—paid no attention, beating his wings hard and leaving the dome and kingdom far below us.

Fuck that hot

“A-any b-blankets?” I joked wearily, my teeth chattering. The fire was a good start, at least. The dragon pushed itself further into the cave, filling most of the small space with his head and one arm. He scooted toward me and the fire on his belly, then wrapped an arm around me and tucked me into his chest. I resisted at first, then realized how gloriously warm his scales were. And laying on his arm was far more comfortable than the floor of my hut had ever been. Between that and the fire, my eyes grew heavy. A sense of safety I didn’t know existed settled around my shoulders. Nothing was going to fuck with a dragon, after all. Reveling in my newfound sense of freedom and protection, I drifted off quickly to sleep.

This is more like it!

I was dying to ask about him and his twin, Zion. Now that I knew they were two separate people, it made so much more sense. Who had I actually met that night in the corridor of the palace? My sinking heart told me it hadn’t been Zariah, had it? It was Zion. At least that explained why he’d seemed so confused to see me.

Hahahaha how is that the explanation

“Zion has touched you. I can smell him on you.” Oh. Uh. “To be fair, I thought he was you,” I countered irritably, hoping it was enough to soothe him. It wasn’t. In fact, it enraged him more. “He took advantage of you? I’ll kill him! I’ll—” I put a hand on his arm to calm him as scales rippled underneath his skin. He didn’t need to go all dragon on me just yet. “Calm down. He didn’t know I thought he was you. How could he know? Fucking twins …”

What? The And I can not Stress this enough the fuck

He glared at me, and I glared back. “Don’t be ridiculous. We didn’t start turning into dragons until after we came out of her womb.” I rolled my eyes at his non-answer. “So, Zion gets to be the official prince since he was born first. And you get … what? To play guard?” He refused to rise to my bait. “One of us has to be the dragon. If we don’t, we lose control over the transformation. We lose our minds. It’s for everyone’s safety that we take strict shifts. We’ve done it since we were infants. Zion and I switch in and out when needed.”

What is this explanation

One dark eyebrow raised, so similar to his brother’s that my teeth ground together. “Look a little happier. You’ve just tamed a dragon, after all.” He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. I fisted my hands at my sides, trying to remain calm. Zion pushed all my buttons in a way Zariah didn’t. I shoved him away. “Don’t touch me.” Silver eyes glittered at me. “That’s not what you said that night I—” “You asshole. I thought you were your brother.” His face shuttered, flashing for a moment with dismay before smoothing back out. “Don’t worry, I’m under strict instructions not to touch you. Zariah insists we … give you time.”

Is she going tofuck both? And if so, together? Where is this going

“I’ll say this once. My sons may amuse themselves with you, but eventually they will tire of you. Or better yet, you’ll drive them too far and they’ll kill you. There’s a reason we guard their secret the way we do.

She is going to fuck both brothers. Sadness only

“I hope my son eats you,” she viciously spat at me as I passed her, before turning on her heel and stalking off down the hallway. “Which one?” I shot back, unable to help myself.

So yes, both brosfor this hoe

Shouldn’t the queen be relieved I already knew her sons’ secrets? Did she really expect the two brothers to share a wife in between taking turns as a dragon, and for the poor woman to never notice? It was absurd. Me. For me to never notice. I was the poor woman.

lmfao I hate this so much

I shot him a suspicious glance. “How did he tell you anything? Isn’t he still out there being a dragon?” I gestured carelessly with my hands to the window and the outside world. I didn’t actually believe they could communicate telepathically. That was ridiculous. “Like you said. We can communicate to each other in our minds, but only when one of us is in our dragon form,” he admitted, seeing my determination. My jaw dropped.

Just fuck me

“I suppose I can handle being the dragon for a few hours tomorrow so you can get your precious answers and leave me alone,” he drawled. “Sure you don’t want a goodnight kiss?” My hand was flying up toward him before I could even think about it, but he caught my wrist. “Careful. I like a bit of a fight.” I wrenched my hand away, glaring. “RRRRRWWWWWRRRR!” I jumped badly as the dragon (no, Zariah) roared from somewhere above us, sounding pissed as hell. The accompanying rush of fire followed, and the tower swayed and shook with the force. The castle stones rumbled and vibrated. Zion didn’t look surprised at all. “He’s in a bit of a temper. Guess you’ll have to stay here for the night.”

I...what?

My eyes snapped open, and I stared down at the perfectly healed flesh. My mind caught up with the rest of me, including the heated reminder of how Zion had licked it healed. What? Speaking of, the asshole in question was nowhere to be found. That was likely for the best since I didn’t know how I’d react if I’d woken up to him spooning me or anything else quite ridiculous. He made me just as hot and bothered as his brother, but he was a complete dick about it. Though he had healed my hand.

What the fuck

He gazed down at me fondly, wiping away a tear with his thumb. “These rooms are yours now. Was Zion able to answer your questions?” That chased away the lingering sorrow and panic, quickly warping them both into anger. “No,” I said, letting my frustration seep into my voice. “He was as helpful as the fireguards who watched those girls drown in the bathing halls.” Zariah let go of me, flinching backwards as if I’d struck him. I didn’t feel a twinge of remorse. He’d stood there just like the rest of them. “Mari, please understand. My mother is the queen and runs every aspect of the kingdom. She had explicit instructions that—” “Why?” I interrupted, my voice sharp. Zariah gaped at me. “Why what?” Was it really such a mystery to everyone in this perfect little city on the top of the hill, with enough food and water that they questioned nothing around them? “Why don’t you simply refuse? Why don’t you stand in opposition to her? These … games have been going on for decades, haven’t they? And Zion made the ridiculous claim that he is supposed to run them!”

Ya fucking roast him

I couldn’t think when he was pressing up against me like that, each of his hands taking one of mine and spreading it up on the glass. His head ducked down to mine, his teeth scraping against the back of my neck. Surely he wouldn’t— RRRRAAAAWWWWRRRR! I jerked back in fear as the dragon—no, Zion—landed on the dome only a few feet from us, massive claws digging into old grooves and even creating new ones as he roared his fury at us. His massive head gazed at us in irritation, anger welled in his black and gold eyes. Before Zariah or I could react, a wall of fire erupted straight at us. Someone was screaming, and I realized it was me. FWOOSH. The fire pummeled the windows. I expected heat. Fire. Flames and agony. I grit my teeth and turned away, Zariah’s arms holding me steadily in place. Wasn’t he going to shield himself? Wasn’t he going to run? Wasn’t it supposed to hurt?

I haaaaaaaate it

Zariah’s laugh jolted me enough that I opened my eyes. The glass stayed intact in front of us, whole and not singed or melted. Zion still stood on the dome, his neck spikes raised like the hackles on a dog as he breathed fire at us over and over again. I was too shocked to speak. What magickal glass was this? Why didn’t we use it instead of the dome? Zion gave up on his ineffectual flames and rushed us with his entire body, slamming it into the windows over and over with his wings flared to keep him in the air. Zariah kept laughing as the walls shook, but there was nothing funny about the bruises and blood forming on the skin between Zion’s scales. “Stop it! This isn’t funny! He’s hurting himself!” I ran from the windows without looking, ducking behind shelves and getting lost in the rows. “Mari! Wait!” No. No. Hot, angry tears gathered at the corner of my eyes. Why had I thought Zariah would be any different from Zion? They were both asses in their own way. Did Zariah even want to show me the library or was taunting his brother his only goal?

Fuck these boys

I wasn’t a commodity to be plucked from my home and paraded around the nobles, only to be given to the highest bidder. I wasn’t a piece of flesh to be toyed with, existing only to make other people jealous. I was Marigold Mudthrice. I was born in the mud district in the third row, and I was done with riddles and boys with their smirks and smug looks. “Coming out?” The bored voice was far enough away that I scowled. “I could sniff you out, but that’s no fun. Zion’s flown away if that’s what you’re worried about.” There was a pause. “I’ve pulled out a few of the scrolls that talk about building the dome. Would you like to see them?” Manipulative. Self-serving. Effective. I crawled out of the desk space and brushed myself off. Fists clenched, I slowly made my way back out of the stacks, and back toward the center of the room. Zion was gone. Zariah waited impatiently, tapping his foot and gesturing to a pile of parchment he’d put on a long table. “If you look here, I think—” WHAM. The moment I was close enough, I punched him in the nose as hard as I could. His eyes flashed with shock, then dilated as they shifted dizzyingly between gold and silver, and back again. Blood dripped from his nose, but I don’t think he noticed. Zariah just gawked at me. “You don’t use me to taunt the bloodthirsty dragon who is also your twin brother.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I raised my fist again threateningly. Zariah slammed his mouth shut. “No more vague answers. Tell me what is actual...

Get it girl. Fuck ‘‘em up

Zariah closed the book on me, grinning. “Of course. You’re my princess now. Our princess, that is. We can do whatever you want.” I narrowed my eyes. “Is that why Zion canceled the games?” Zariah clapped his hands twice, then wriggled his fingers in the air in what I supposed was a celebratory manner. “You won. Woo-hoo.” I didn’t feel like a winner. “You’re going to marry me?” I stuttered out, recognizing he was trying to change topics again, but it was a hell of a topic change. The same hands waved dismissively at me. “Marry, mate, live with, ravish … it’s all the same.”

Whatttttttttttt

“It’s not like I’m going to feed her to the dragon.” The queen laughed as if it was a hilarious joke, but Zion didn’t react and the fireguards weren’t allowed to. Anger churned in my gut as Zion walked through the open doors. Zariah wouldn’t have left me alone with the woman who’d tried to kill me, mother or not. Perhaps that’s why Zion was the heir and Zariah the beast; the queen knew which son she could control and which one would fight her.

Bitch boys

My jaw dropped as my mind spun, imagining him as a dragon … doing it. Doing me? I was a confused bundle of hormones and lust.

A dragon jerks off lava

“Actually, stay awhile. I have someone I’d like you to meet.” The queen clapped her hands twice, and a young man stepped up to the dais. He was dressed as a noble in long, silver flowing robes that matched the queen’s, now that I saw them standing next to each other. He was handsome with brown eyes and shoulder length hair that was black. He was probably only a little older than I was. I stared at the short hair that was exactly the same shade as mine. Something about him felt familiar. “Yes, my queen?” he asked, his voice smooth and cultured. The queen held out a hand to him and he kissed it, his lips lingering on her fingers. She giggled like a schoolgirl and my dread only increased. Where was the king? He was conspicuously absent. “Tell our new princess who you are, dear.” He cleared his throat. “Ah, Flame Six Seventy-Six. The others call me Ess.” For all the S-sounds in his name, I bet. Oh boy. My brain struggled to remember what the other fireguard had told me about the significance. “So … the sixth boy taken during the seventy-sixth reaping?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise, grinning at me. “Yes!” “Maybe you knew my brother,” I said faintly. “He might be older, though.” I couldn’t stop staring at the shape of his eyes. The shape reminded me of my mother’s.

The queen is fucking your brother

It was too much. I stared from my mother back to Ell. My mother kept her arms crossed and her body purposefully turned away from him. Odd behavior toward the one who’d saved you from the mud quarter, wasn’t it? Ell’s hair matched mine. We shared eye color and the same facial shape. I pointed an accusing finger at Ell. “You’re my father. You’re the one who knocked my mother up and made her lose her chance to go to the Seat.” Ell blushed and glared at the floor, his face going bright red. Zariah’s lips parted in shock. I waved my arms around vaguely toward Zariah. “Uh … this is … my family, I guess.” Saying it tugged on something in my heartstrings, making me simultaneously proud and terrified. I refused to mention my brother and the queen. It felt too personal, and too raw. Maybe once I recovered a bit from shock, I could gently break the news to my mother. She deserved to know, and she deserved a chance to see him again. Zariah’s eyebrows rose clear to his hairline. I sighed. “My mother. My father, Ell. And Haza.”

Wtf