Chapter One
Magic is wild. Unpredictable. Alchemy is civil, disciplined.
It has rules. When you blend two components, you get the same result every time.
Blend two types of magic, and you never know what will happen.
Even the same type of magic was different with every use.
I preferred predictability. I lived by it. Alchemy was everything to me.
And my life had just become magical.
“What am I doing?” I muttered to the tapestry cushion across from me.
I was in a carriage that I had insisted upon the purchase of.
Unfortunately, I had to pay for it myself since my escort didn't have the coins for it.
A satchel of my most precious possessions sat on the seat beside me.
Behind my carriage, a wagon full of my other belongings, including rare ingredients from Tabaa and laboratory equipment given to me by the Dragon King of Tabaa, followed us.
Outside my windows, large, pale humans rode on horseback.
My guards. In any other kingdom, this would have been insulting.
But the humans of Sconheit were another class entirely, grown big, strong, and brutal.
I knew they could handle most anything that threatened me.
Not Dragons, of course, but I doubted Dragons would try to stop me from answering a Dragon King's summons.
I had just left a Dragon King, but he wasn't my king.
Months ago, I had journeyed to Tabaa in search of some rare components for my alchemical projects.
Instead of herbs and resins, I found Okon warriors, altered by terrible magic.
They captured me for fascinating reasons that nonetheless were unfortunate for me at the time.
However, before I could become one of their experiments—ironic considering that I was an alchemist who conducted many experiments—the Dragon King of Tabaa and his stunning, Lelurra mate rescued me.
I wasn't the only captive rescued, and so I did not feel beholden to them.
That being said, when Eliel, the King's Mate, asked me to help the altered Okon warriors get rid of the terrible magic that bound them, I felt compelled to help.
I did not let this keep me from bargaining for payment.
Those men had captured me, after all. Besides, an alchemist must find ways to pay for his experiments.
The case of the marrow-magic thread intrigued me.
The Okon chief, Nahel, had used another man's research to create silk thread from the bone marrow of magic-filled people.
Evidently, his mentor discovered that bone marrow contains magic, and when white emperor moth larvae feed upon this magical marrow, their cocoons are imbued with that magic. Thus, magic silk.
Nahel had taken silk made from threads infused with Eljaffna and also Ricarri magic—a silk blend, if you will—and embedded the threads into his warriors.
It did strengthen them with Ricarri Metal Magic, but it also bound them with Eljaffna Controlling Magic—something I was shocked to learn that the Eljaffna had.
Nahel's notebooks and those of his mentor were very illuminating.
Unfortunately, the Dragon King of Tabaa refused to give them to me.
He was afraid that the knowledge would fall into the wrong hands and, after I used them to help the Okons, he burned them. What a waste.
But back to the Okons. Although more powerful, they were also in constant pain.
As I mentioned earlier, magic is unpredictable.
The Ricarri Metal Magic didn't give them power over metal.
Instead, it gave them increased strength while turning them into cold creatures with glowing blue veins.
And to think, those were Nahel's successes.
He had failed numerous times before on non-Okon test subjects.
I'm still unsure if I was taken to be a test subject or a marrow donor.
Neither would have boded well for me. But I was saved, and then contracted to break Nahel's success.
What a pleasure that was. And no, I'm not being sarcastic.
I had great fun unwinding the threads of that moron's magic.
It took me a week, but I found the perfect combination of components to counteract the Metal and Control Magic.
I devised a series of alchemical soaks that removed the silk and the foreign magic from the Okons.
King Raventar was so pleased that he invited me to be his guest at the Royal Palace of Tabaa.
I, of course, accepted and had a glorious time exploring the crown city of Ahanu while collecting all the rare ingredients I could find.
Then word of my prowess spread.
A messenger arrived from the King of Sconheit himself.
He requested my aid with a vague description of enchantments failing in the kingdom.
There was no mention of compensation. That being said, the messenger—a warrior named Matthias—had assured me that King Faulken would meet my demands.
Well, if he didn't, I would take my carriage and my wagon—a gift from the King of Tabaa—and go back to Tabaa to reside in the royal palace indefinitely.
Or maybe I'd just go home. I did have a house in the Algrine Mountains that was probably in need of some upkeep.
Then I could return to my experiments in peace.
My decision would be made shortly. We had arrived in the crown city of Eberein.
Here, the wealth of the kingdom was made manifest with many scientific and magical advancements that Tabaa snubbed.
Tabaa was a traditional kingdom, valuing the old ways more than the modern practice of tinkering with magic and science that many other kingdoms insisted upon.
It made Sconheit seem like another world—a world I was more comfortable in.
I had even contributed to the advancements of Sconheit myself.
But sometimes being the only forward-thinker in a kingdom of traditionalists was a good thing.
Entertaining at the very least. Here, I was one of many.
Which begs the question: Why did King Falken send for me?
The soaring homes of Eberein, with their glittering lights and magical architecture that shifted with the seasons, stopped at a respectful distance from the Royal Palace.
Despite it being in the center of a walled city, the palace was surrounded by high stone walls.
I suppose that made it a castle, but they called it a palace, and who was I to contradict the Dragon King?
Marching back and forth along the palace's wall walks were uniformed Horns—soldiers in the King's army.
I had been to several kingdoms, and all of them had a Horn Army, a Talon Force to keep order among the citizens, and a Hall of Teeth to rule on criminal matters.
Some even had a Hall of Scales that offered assistance to citizens in need.
No matter how advanced or traditional the Dragon Kings were, they adhered to those standards.
Those standards were what kept Serai at peace and the Dragons in charge.
We stopped at the gate, and a conversation between Matthias and a gate guard ensued.
I paid it no mind. My focus was on the palace, which I'd never seen before.
Tabaa's palace was formidable, but this was an architectural masterpiece.
A wide keep formed a base that supported many towers, surging into the sky to stab the clouds with iron spears that held pennants of blue and gold—the kingdom's colors.
Under the eaves, sculptures sprang out of the walls, mostly boars—the kingdom's animal.
Ugly creatures, but they did their job here, making a fearsome showing that turned the sweeps of curling metal and carved stone into something menacing instead of boringly beautiful.
The grandeur implied wealth and importance, while those brutal boars shouted at all to be wary of the man who held this wealth and status by claws and teeth.
I rolled my eyes at the lot of it, impressed by the architects more than the King.
I had never met the man, but I'd heard he was a reasonable sort.
Hopefully, we'd get along. Honestly, his personality didn't matter as long as he offered me a price worthy of my assistance.
We made it past the gate, rolling up to the base of the palace stairs to come to a stop.
Matthias opened my door, and I climbed out without hesitation.
Before me, a stretch of steps led to two doors that were ridiculously tall.
Who on all of Serai needed that kind of clearance?
No one, that's who. What a waste of wood and space.
I straightened my coat, pulled down my shirt cuffs to peep just beyond my coat, and stared at the central boar's head that hung above the doors.
It was large. And fanged. With a deep sigh, I went up the steps.
Before I reached the doors, they burst open, uniformed men scrambling to hold them wide as they pressed themselves against the wood.
A massive Dragon man barreled past them, blond hair swept back in a sleek, modern style—short and no-nonsense.
He wore a tunic of blue silk embroidered with gold boars, but over that were gold and blue pauldrons, resting on his shoulders, and matching gauntlets covered his lower arms as if he were going to war.
It should have looked ridiculous. Instead, the armor added to his bulk and presence, enlarging him to divine proportions.
I lifted my eyebrows. What a fascinating specimen.
The Dragon King stopped on the final step before me and cocked his head. His eyes caught the sun, the brown orbs coming to life with striations of golden amber. “You're the Alchemist?”
I nodded. “You're the Dragon King?”
He grunted. “Come with me.”
Instead of going into the keep, the King led me around the side. Or he started to. He stopped after two steps, his stare going to my satchel. “You can leave that here. Someone will take it to your room.”
“Thank you, but I'd rather keep it with me.” I drew the bag closer when a servant approached me.
The King nodded at the servant, and he backed away. “Very well. This way.”
I followed King Falken around the side of the soaring keep, through a gate, and into a quiet garden in full bloom.
We didn't go far into the greenery, just deep enough to have some privacy.
With a huff, the King sat on a stone bench and glared at the fishpond in front of him.
Frowning, I stopped to stand beside him.
He motioned at an iron chair on his right. “Sit.”
I sat down. And kept going down.
With a cry, I crumpled with the broken pieces of the chair, ending up on my ass amid the iron detritus.
Gaping, I stared at the remnants of black filigree around me.
“What the actual fuck?!” I picked up a piece of iron.
It seemed sound until I put pressure on it, and then silver cracks formed, frosted over the black, and the iron split in two. “What is this nonsense?”
Instead of laughing, as most men might have done, King Faulken sighed again.
This time, his shoulders followed his sigh downward.
“That nonsense is why you are here, Master Sevarin.
We are calling it the Silver Rot. It has infected enchantments set in metal and stone.
Wards are failing, weapons disintegrating, and gates crumble to fucking dust!
Magic only makes it worse. And it's spreading.” He stood up and took my hand to pull me to my feet.
“I'm sorry about that. I didn't plan it. Honestly, I forgot that they enchanted the iron furniture out here to be immune to rust.” He snorted.
“Ironic that the enchantment meant to protect it has led to its destruction.”
“That can happen.” I glared at the metal pieces. “Fucking magic.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don't trust it. Never have.”
“Magic or protection.”
“Neither.”
He lifted his dark blond brows.
“The Silver Rot,” I turned the words over in my mouth. “Fascinating.”
“Fascinating? It's destroying my kingdom!”
A pressure on my hand reminded me that the King still held it. I looked down at our joined hands—his larger one enveloping mine. Then so did he. Clearing his throat, he let go of me.
That's when I saw him. Really saw him. Sharp jawline, and even sharper stare.
Intelligence shone there. Regal brow—rather expected but still attractive.
Thick nose that wasn't at all expected. Thin lips.
No fuss. Then there was his body—thickly muscled, tall, trim waist, round ass, and, most importantly, a significant bulge between his legs.
The combination made for a very handsome, very alluring Dragon.
The perfect man, I dare say. I breathed the scent of sandalwood and musk.
His scent. My body reacted immediately, sacs clenching, cock twitching, and tail flicking behind me as my ears perked to hear His Majesty's rapid breaths.
“Fix this, Alchemist. Or tell me how long I have.”
I blinked, so distracted by him that it took me a moment to surmise that he meant for me to fix the Silver Rot.
Or tell him how long he had before it overtook the kingdom.
Interesting. I liked his bluntness. Normally, I would have responded in kind, but, as I said, my life had become magical, and that odd, unpredictable force, tingling over my skin, had me reacting out of character.
“Oh, that's not how this will go, Your Majesty,” I drawled. Dear Gods, am I flirting? When was the last time I'd even felt the inclination?
“What do you mean?” The Dragon King leaned closer, his eyes narrowing.
“We haven't discussed my price yet.”
Suddenly, his scent shifted, becoming richer, more primal.
Musky. King Falken's expression went from blank to intensely focused.
He licked his lips. His gaze flicked up, taking in my curling white horns before sliding over my face, then down the length of my long white hair to my chest. My waist. Lower still.
The King lifted his gaze to mine. “How much are you worth, Master Sevarin?”
I shivered as I focused on his lips. “Much more than you think.”
“You underestimate me. I think you're worth a great deal.” The King's lips remained slightly parted to release his ragged breaths.
“I'm not underestimating you at all. I repeat, I'm worth much more than you think.”
Chuckling, the Dragon King murmured, “Then I will meet your demands, Master Sevarin. Whatever they may be.”
Grinning, I decided to add him to my list. “I'm sure you will, King Falken, and I look forward to serving you.”