Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows, #1)

by Devney Perry

I wanted to be unshackled from everyone’s expectations for just one godsforsaken moment.

It was written that the old gods, Ama and Oda, created Calandra’s animals as gifts to humans.

The Six crafted predators in the image of Calandra’s animals, though their variations were far more beautiful. Far more powerful. Far more deadly. They birthed monsters to serve as a reminder to humans and animals alike that we were fragile and insignificant.

Why was it okay for Mae to fit in a little fun before this meeting with the Turans, but I was being chastised for a tiny ocean swim? The double standards around this castle were stifling.

Had the gods created monsters more terrifying than even the crux?

The Guardian. A man rumored to be more vicious and deadly than any creature crafted by the gods.

Some said he was Izzac incarnate. That the God of Death had grown tired of his throne and disguised himself as a man to torment humankind for amusement.

At first glance, he was just a man. Striking. Intimidating. But still, just a man. Yet his irises did not have the typical Turan green starburst. They were solid, molten silver. Liquid metal. Colorless, like my dress. The Guardian.

“Not her.” Margot blinked. “Excuse me?” “Her.” The Guardian’s eyes flicked in my direction, and the whole room followed his gaze. To me. “Prince Zavier will marry her,” he declared. “Tonight. As the bride prize for killing your marroweels.”

“The Shield of Sparrows treaty stipulates a daughter of the king’s choosing.

“The treaty only requires a daughter be given to another kingdom each generation.

Could we please get back to this bride-prize thing? Because I really wanted to know if I was or was not going to be married before dawn.

According to the Chain of Sevens, the prince can demand a bride prize.”

Any warrior who risked their life against the beasts would be granted a prize of their choosing if they returned with the heads of seven slain females from the species.

The magic rooted deep in Calandra’s land tinged our irises at birth with those starbursts, linking us forever to a place. No matter where we lived, where we moved, that one color was unchanging. Every Quentin had an amber starburst. Every Quentin except me. My eyes were solid gold. Not a starburst in sight.

Planning, plotting, was how his mind worked. He trusted no one. He expected betrayal. And he was rarely surprised.

Maybe I could slip him poison. Add a few drops into a cup of wine when he wasn’t watching. He seemed like the kind of man who was always watching, but still… A girl could dream on her wedding day.

I dipped the quill into my blood and pressed it to the paper, my hand steadier than it should have been as I wrote my name. Odessa Cross Eleven letters. And my life would never be the same.

Poison was too good for the Guardian. Too easy. I was going to kill that man with my own two hands.

I might be the woman wearing the crown, but Jocelyn was the one with the riches, wasn’t she?

“Thank you for saving my life.” Someday, if I had the chance, I’d repay that favor by taking his.

“Not all monsters are born from the gods, my queen. Some of us were made.”

“Don’t worry, my queen. We’ll keep you safe,” the Guardian said. “Especially if you stay. On. The. Fucking. Ship.”

“Your former fiancé must not have a big sword.” The Guardian’s eyes flashed emerald green, the innuendo dripping from his tone.

“You might earn my name one day. But make no mistake, Cross. I will never trust you.”

“If you’re not going to send him here, I guess I’ll have to find his tent myself.” “Feel free to wander into mine, Princess.” He leaned in closer. “Zavier likes to share.”

“Are you angry, Sparrow? Use that rage. Fucking. Fight.”

As a woman who’d been married off without her choice and forced to sign a magical treaty, I definitely couldn’t recommend princess.

Who would I become if I wasn’t at the mercy of men? An adventurer? A voyager? A writer? An artist who traveled the realm and never cared that her fingertips were stained with charcoal or paint?

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe the door to your cage has always been unlocked, Sparrow? And all you had to do was push it open?”

Yes, I believe in the gods. I believe they watch us from their precious shades. And I believe they’re vindictive, manipulative bastards intent on tormenting us from their thrones.”

By this cruel twist of fate, I was married to Zavier while this man haunted my dreams.

When korakin was boiled to mush, then reduced to a paste, all a person needed was a taste and they’d hallucinate for hours. They’d feel no pain. They’d forget their own name.

His wasn’t the first good behind I’d ever ogled. It wouldn’t be the last.

“You asked for my name,” he said. “You told me I had to earn it.” He nodded. “Ransom. My name is Ransom.”

We’d been married for nearly two months. And now I knew the reason he didn’t visit my bed. He’d been in Jocelyn’s instead.

am not long for this realm, Odessa. And when I’m gone, you will be free. Your tie to me will be broken. Your life can be of your choosing.” He was going to set me free with his death.

“What are you doing, Princess?” “Finding the truth.” “And what will you do with this truth?” “Set myself free.”

“When I am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I do not need a crown. And I have made peace with my destiny. But before I step into my grave, my choice is you.”

My choice is you. I was his choice. Above all else.

“In those books, I found the adventures I’d been denied. And then I stumbled upon one book that changed everything.

Was this woman’s body fueled by lies?

“If I don’t arrive by the day after tomorrow, you must go. Take Evie from Turah. Do what needs to be done.”

Hot tears dripped to the dirt at my boots. “I love you.” “Yes, you do. Don’t forget.” “Never.” “Neither will I.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I will find you. Here, or in the shades.”

Pain and grief swelled so fast they choked, but I swallowed the emotions down, pushing them deep where they could fester and grow. Where they would live to fuel my rage.