Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame

Yeva killed her first dragon at thirteen, and the gift that revealed shipped her off to the imperial capital to train as one of the empire's rare dragon-slayers. She has never truly felt at home since, and has never removed her armor where anyone could see. Her newest assignment sends her to Quanbao, an independent, reclusive kingdom where dragons are said to be loved and worshipped rather than feared — and where Yeva must win the trust of its queen, Lady Sookhee, to learn what secrets the kingdom is really protecting.

A short, dreamlike fantasy in the tradition of transformation tales like The Crane Wife, about a woman built for killing learning what it might mean to be loved instead.