Empire of Dragons (Cursed Empire Book 1) by Rachel L. Schade

Author:Rachel L. Schade [Schade, Rachel L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragon Shadow Publishing
Published: 2021-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS is?” I asked, plucking a vivid purple flower from a nearby stem and holding it under my nose to breathe in its light, fresh scent. Its velvet-soft petals tickled my face. Vaeletta were my favorite flowers, not only because of their rich coloring and aromatic fragrance, but also because of their hardy nature. They grew year-round, never troubled by the chill or lack of rain during the dry seasons of autumn and winter, nor by the occasional flooding that the rainy seasons of spring and summer always brought. And of course, they reminded me of my mother, who loved to gather them in bunches and place them in vases throughout the imperial chambers, until her rooms, her clothes, even her skin smelled like the flowers, and I’d started to associate their scent with her.

Currently, Kovi and I were walking through the gardens at my insistence. I’d told him the day was too beautiful to return to my chambers just yet, and even though I suspected Kovi was longing for a bath and fresh clothes, he didn’t argue with me.

Here, in the scorching summer sun with the familiar smells of citrus, flowers, and fresh grass, I was at peace.

Maybe it was the fact that walking these paths brought back happy memories of Mother, of afternoons spent enjoying the trees’ shade or picking blossoms for vases we placed in our rooms. It was why I plucked flowers now, gathering them into a colorful bouquet I planned to display near my bed, where the sight and smell would bring comfort.

But I also had other reasons for walking the palace grounds and asking Kovi about flowers. A plan was forming in my mind.

Kovi settled cool eyes on me, assessing my expression as if trying to read all my secrets. The gold flecks in his irises glinted in the sunlight.

“No,” he said. “How do you know so much about flowers?”

“Clearly from growing up here.”

“But you had gardeners to tend to the grounds,” Kovi argued.

“That didn’t mean I was ignorant,” I scoffed. “A good ruler is knowledgeable about everything they own and care for.”

“Care for,” Kovi muttered under his breath, his expression darkening. “Whatever you say, Jaliana.”

I swallowed my angry retort and spun around to stroll further down the path. The scent of roses wafted over me as I passed rows of bushes in nearly every color imaginable: darkest reds and brightest oranges, lemon yellow and blush pink, pale lilac and white as pure as sea foam. I gathered a couple, but that was all. I wanted variety in my bouquet—along with some specific plants.

“Don’t call me Jaliana,” I said after several long moments. “I prefer Jalie.”

Kovi’s lips twitched, as if he were amused. “I thought nicknames were what friends used to address one another.”

I smirked. “Well, I prefer it if my enemies are less formal toward me, then. I’d rather hear my preferred name when you try to insult me.”

This time, Kovi smiled outright. “Very well, Jalie.”

I halted to select some leaves whose veins looked like delicate, lacy patterns, and tossed Kovi a questioning look.

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