Zoya’s family was scattered throughout Starfall. Rambaldi was unreachable in the island pack of Ranjord; Marigold had been murdered and Zoya had no idea where any of her full siblings were while Mother had settled down in Amaya after adopting an orphaned pup. And all the while, the brother of the woman who had stolen it all sat the throne of Nightingale, which made Zoya’s blood boil. He had a pretty Monokeros wife for his queen. A secure seat, a safe home, a promise of a future . . . while the whole realm reviled Zoya’s family for a simple mistake, an error in judgment that had undone everything. The violet dragoness’ wings opened up wide as she thought about the wrongs done her entire family before she was even born. She was agitated, any observer could tell. She had never gotten to slaughter the woman who murdered her half-sister Marigold either; no, that prize had gone to Balerion. And reportedly, Mari’s two young sons had been butchered by the kin of that black king. Three family members killed in total by Balerion and Cersei. Oh, how she would love to destroy them all. Cersei was dead, her line gone . . . but wouldn’t it be sweet to get revenge on Balerion? To burn his city built on the bones of dead children to ash?

“We could’ve been anywhere, anywhere else!”