Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows, #1)

by Devney Perry

To hell if my hands would smell like fish. I reached for a scale, its size similar to my thumbnail, and traced along the bright-blue surface to the turquoise tip. I gasped as a jolt of pain shot through my finger and jerked my hand away to see a bead of blood. “Those scales are as sharp as their teeth.” A deep, rumbling voice came from over my shoulder. I shot to my feet and spun. Behind me, the Guardian leaned against a wooden post. Where had he come from? How had I not heard him approach? I must have missed it while inspecting the marroweel. That, or he could disguise his footsteps when it suited him best. Maybe he could levitate like the High Priest. I made a mental note to watch out for it later—and to watch my back. Besides the two of us, the dock was empty. He’d either dismissed my guard or chased him away. “Morning, my queen.” The corner of the Guardian’s mouth turned up as I wiped the blood from my finger on the skirt of my dress. He shoved off the post and walked closer. Too close. He towered over me, staring down with those ever-changing eyes. Today, they were a vibrant green, like emeralds. “Have you ever seen one before?” “No.” “Aren’t they beautiful?” He passed me, his strides long and unhurried as he walked from one marroweel to another to another. Down the entire line until he’d reached the last, the largest. His movements were too fluid, too graceful, to be entirely human.