Sisters trapped under threat of fire and destruction. Dragons enslaved by a power-hungry prince. A stable hand who must devise a plan to save them all. Dragons circle the Oneskan palace at night, shrouding the kingdom in fear and mystery. Only Princess Emelia and her sisters know the fiends fly them to the enemy country of Tsantar under cover of darkness, where Prince Leonnar hopes to steal their secrets and gain control of Oneska. Their father's proclamation that the man who drives away the hovering dragons will marry one of his daughters incites the princesses to redouble their efforts to escape Prince Leonnar's tyranny. When the enigmatic new stable hand, Merric, offers to help, Emelia finds him as frustrating as he is attractive. His superior knowledge of dragons gives her new hope, until he shatters her trust by showing more interest in protecting the vile creatures than getting rid of them. But only by finding a way to work with Merric-and with the dragons she detests-will Emelia have any chance of freeing herself, her sisters, and her kingdom from Tsantar's clutches forever. Retelling The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Language of the Birds
