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

by Raven Storm

“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