Chapter 1
“You’re not getting away!” Rylan’s voice echoed in my head.
The full moon shimmered above us as we raced across the Palace rooftop in an impromptu game of tag.
My claws scraped against the red clay tiles as I bunched my hind legs, then leapt from the edge of the roof and onto a turret that was a good six feet away.
“Nyah, nyah.” Peering from around the turret, I let my tongue loll out at him from between my fangs. It felt damn good to be back in beast form—it had been way too long since I’d allowed my animal side to roam free.
Rylan growled playfully at me from across the way, his yellow-orange eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
His fur rippled as he crouched—a brownish-yellow with black spots, unlike my inky fur.
In human form, he dyed his blond hair black, a habit he’d gotten into as a teen to spite his mother, my aunt Mafiela.
But in reality, he shared our family’s light coloring, unlike me.
He sprang across the divide, landing on the turret as well, then yelped as one of the tiles beneath his paws broke off.
He scrabbled up the turret and after me, but he’d been distracted in those crucial seconds, and I was already on the next roof.
“Has old age made you slow?” I taunted, then ducked behind a chimney as he came flying after me. Rylan was only two years older than me, but I never missed a chance to tease him about it.
“Slow!” the ether parrot squawked, materializing by my ear, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Rylan took advantage of my momentary lapse in concentration and whipped his tail around the corner.
It wrapped around my foreleg before I could get clear, and then he quickly retracted it before I could snag it with my claws and tag him back.
“Ha! Who’s the slow one now?” Rylan crowed, his voice ringing with laughter. He jumped out of my reach, then over to the next rooftop.
Snarling, I swiped at the ether parrot, but my claws went right through the glowing bird.
He was, after all, not a real animal—just a spell made from magic whose only real function seemed to be popping in and out at the damnedest moments.
Frustrated, I let out a hiss at being caught, then raced after Rylan.
Hopefully the spell would wear off soon, and that pesky parrot would be gone for good.
Rylan and I continued chasing each other across the rooftops for another hour, getting lost in the simple pleasure of a game of tag.
It was a lot of fun despite the ether parrot, who continued to pop in and out, antagonizing us both.
In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done something like this.
I tagged Rylan twice more, but he got me more than I got him—his reflexes were faster, and it was hard to stay away from both his paws and his tail.
I was sure Iannis wouldn’t appreciate it if he knew Rylan and I were running around on top of the Palace, risking our necks and breaking his roof tiles, but I didn’t have much choice.
Shifters were compelled to change during the full moon.
Since Rylan was pretending to be my tiger-shifter bodyguard, Lanyr, he couldn’t be seen walking around the Palace in jaguar form.
So, instead, I’d brought him up here, hoping to keep him away from prying eyes for a bit, as well as work off some of the energy that would be thrumming through his veins.
Shifters were bred as a warrior class, so we were physically fearless—the hundred-foot drop from the turrets didn’t faze us as we sprang from rooftop to rooftop.
The full moon didn’t affect me as strongly as it did Rylan, so shifting wasn’t mandatory for me. But that same restless energy still coursed through my veins, demanding an outlet. The full moon heightened our powers, and it was during the night that shifters tended to be most active.
“Okay,” Rylan finally said with a sigh, settling down. He rested his chin on his paws and stared out at Firegate Bridge, which glowed a brilliant red as it stretched across Solantha Bay. “I’m good now.”
“You sure?” I asked, dipping my head to briefly nuzzle his fur.
Rylan and I had been very close before he’d joined the Resistance, and I was glad we seemed to be slipping back to the way things used to be between us.
We were comrades in arms, the two rebels who could never quite please the Baine Clan matriarch.
Speaking of which, I had a lunch meeting with Aunt Mafiela scheduled for tomorrow. A ripple of apprehension traveled the length of my spine, and my tail whipped to the side. Would we be able to put our differences aside long enough to be peaceable? Or would one of us end up storming from the table?
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rylan insisted, closing his eyes. “I’ll sleep up here tonight. Should be relatively safe—if no one came running when they saw us jumping about up here, they’re not going to now. If something does happen, I’ll just call for you. Go get laid already.” He winked at me.
“Well, when you put it that way.” I snorted, then turned away and headed down the roof, back toward my open bedroom window in the west wing.
Iannis had arrived home from Dara a few hours ago, and he’d promised me a late dinner once he was done dealing with urgent Palace business that had been waiting for him.
It was getting close to nine o’clock, so I hoped dinner would be soon.
A good thing too, because I was ravenous after all that running around.
As I climbed back into my bedroom, my heart beat a little faster at the thought of seeing Iannis again.
He’d been gone three days, and even though we’d only been engaged a short time, I already missed sleeping curled up next to him.
But that wasn’t the only reason for my beating heart—I was also nervous about what he’d say once I told him what had happened in his absence.
I shifted back into human form, then went to draw a bath so I wouldn’t smell of sweat and fur when I saw Iannis.
Two days ago, I’d received a letter from my half-sister, Isana, who had apparently noticed a familial resemblance between us from a photograph of me she’d seen in a magazine.
She wanted to know whether we were related, and if she could come to the wedding.
A headache started squeezing my temples as I sank into the bath, and I rubbed at them with two fingers, trying to relax.
Iannis had urged me to avoid revealing my identity to my father’s family at all costs.
Doing so could have disastrous consequences that would complicate our engagement, amongst other things.
I hadn’t made any effort to contact them at all, even after discovering who my father was, but apparently being in the public eye was enough to draw their attention.
Did I just ignore them? Or should I take the opportunity to find out more about my mage family?
I finished washing, then dried my hair and dressed.
I half considered just throwing on a robe, since it was so late, but I wanted to look good for Iannis.
So, instead, I pulled out a silver dress and matching earrings.
The halter neck and sweetheart bodice did a great job highlighting my assets, and the A-line skirt swept down to just below my knees.
I scooped my hair back and twisted it into a high knot, then toyed with the idea of makeup.
By Magorah! I was acting like a schoolgirl going on her first date.
But then again, Iannis was worth it. He’d proven time and time again that he loved me and had my back, no matter what, and he’d asked for my hand in marriage despite such a union being unprecedented in the history of the Northia Federation.
The scent of sandalwood and magic drifted to my nose, and I grinned as I heard footsteps in the hall. He was back! The door to his bedroom down the hall opened and closed, and I rushed to the secret door connecting our chambers so I could go to Iannis.
But what if he doesn’t want to see you? a doubt-filled voice whispered in my head. Didn’t he say he was going to let you know when he was done with work?
I hesitated, my hand on the door panel. That was true—he’d said he would call me when he was ready. But I didn’t want to wait any longer, and besides, I doubted Iannis was going to complain if I came to him now.
Right?
Stop worrying, I ordered myself as I pushed open the door. I crept down the hall as silently as I could so that he couldn’t hear me—which was pretty damn silent. I was cat-footed, you might say.
Okay, that was a bad joke.
His delicious scent grew stronger as I approached, and I took in a slow, greedy breath. Oh yeah, he was definitely here. Warmth began to flow through my veins as my excitement morphed into desire. The full moon made shifters friskier than normal, and I knew just who I wanted to ‘frisk’ tonight.
I pushed open the door, then greedily drank in the sight of Iannis in front of the fireplace wearing nothing but his bare skin. His blue-and-gold robes were puddled on the floor, and judging by the direction he’d been walking in, he’d been heading to his bathroom for a shower.
“Sunaya!” He froze, and his eyes darkened with lust as he got a good look at me and what I was wearing.
I took the opportunity to take in every inch of his body, just as he was doing with mine.
The lamplight made his alabaster skin glow, revealing every dip and curve in that lean, muscular body I was itching to get my hands on.
I licked my lips as my gaze traveled down his broad shoulders and chest, over abs I could do laundry on all day long, then farther down.
“Well.” I gave him an impish grin as heat ignited in my lower belly. “You look happy to see me.”