I shove his chest, but he tightens his hold on my waist and grins. “You are a rogue, Golmarr of Anthar!”
“You’re right. I am a rogue. You’d better hurry up and addle my thoughts, or I might have to addle yours, and if you can’t think straight, there’s no hope for us.”
I laugh and place my hands on his cheeks, and then gently pull his face to mine and proceed to thoroughly addle both of our thoughts.
Kingdom of Faodara: proper northern kingdom from whence our fair heroine hails; though governed by a queen, women follow very strict rules of etiquette
Kingdom of Anthar: grassland kingdom south of Gol Mountain, where men and women train as warriors and fight side by side in battle
Kingdom of Trevon: greedy, war-hungry kingdom due west of Anthar; ruled by an evil king and a prince who conquered the kingdom of Belldarr at the tender age of fifteen
Kingdom of Ilaad: desert kingdom and home to the best assassins in the world; terrorized by the sandworm
Kingdom of Satar: abandoned kingdom located inside the Satar Mountains; former home of the Satari migrants known as the Black Blades; home of the stone dragon
Kingdom of Belldarr: small kingdom conquered by Treyose of Trevon
The Glass Forest: densely wooded home to mercenaries, cutthroats, and a group of Satari migrants who call themselves the Black Blades; former home of the glass dragon
Draykioch (aka Serpent’s Island): desert island feared by all sailors, for a serpent sinks any ship that approaches its shores
Gol Mountain: lofty mountain between Faodara and Anthar; the fire dragon’s former prison
KINGDOM OF FAODARA
Sorrowlynn (aka Suicide Sorrow): destined to die by her own hand; slayer of the fire dragon and inheritor of his treasured knowledge
Queen Felicitia: Sorrowlynn’s indifferent (except when loose corsets are concerned) mother
Lord Damar: queen’s husband; not Sorrowlynn’s father
Diamanta: sister destined to outlive three husbands
Harmony: sister destined to make peace wherever she goes
Gloriana: sister destined to bring joy to all
Ornald: former captain of the guard; Sorrowlynn’s father
Melchior the wizard: giver of fate blessings; the fire dragon’s last human meal
Nona: Sorrowlynn’s loving nursemaid
KINGDOM OF ANTHAR
Golmarr: wielder of the reforged sword; inheritor of the glass dragon’s hatred; searching for the Infinite Vessel
Yerengul: brother trained as a medic; Sorrowlynn’s arms teacher
Jessen: somber brother whose wife was killed in battle
King Marrkul: ruler of Anthar
Ingvar: oldest prince of Anthar, heir to the throne
Olenn: brother stationed at the western stronghold
Arendinn: brother stationed at the eastern stronghold
Nayadi: witch who sees visions and gives counsel to King Marrkul…when she feels so inclined
Leogard: oldest living swordsman
Evay: Golmarr’s former love interest
KINGDOM OF TREVON
King Vaunn: greedy old man determined to rule all the kingdoms
Treyose: King Vaunn’s grandson, pawn, and only living heir; conqueror of Belldarr
Reyler: Treyose’s most trusted man
KINGDOM OF ILAAD
Yassim Reyla Jaquara: princess and trained assassin
King Jaquar: Yassim’s father; ruler of Ilaad
Yeb: captain of the ship Jassar; Yassim’s uncle
THE GLASS FOREST
Edemond: patriarch of the Black Blades; Ornald’s brother
Enzio: Edemond’s son; Sorrowlynn’s cousin and sworn protector
Melisande: Enzio’s mother, saved from a mercenary’s blade by Sorrowlynn
ISLAND OF DRAYKIOCH
Moyana: keeper of secrets
DRAGONS
Zhun the Fire Dragon: treasurer of knowledge; killed by Sorrowlynn
Corritha the Glass Dragon: treasurer of hatred; killed by Golmarr
Naphina and Saphina, the Two-Headed Dragon: sisters; wielders of water and lightning; corrupted by envy
Mordecai the Sea Serpent: Moyana’s father; treasures her safety above all else
Grinndoar the Stone Dragon: Moyana’s husband and King Zhun’s strongest, most loyal warrior; manipulator of rock and treasurer of physical strength
Sandworm: terrorizer of Ilaad; lives beneath the sand and devours any living creature that sets foot in the desert
Antharian hand signals: sign language used by Antharians, especially in battle
Black Blades: former inhabitants of Satar
black stone blades of Satar: two ancient stone blades passed to Enzio by his father; one of them was given to Sorrowlynn, to be returned only after Enzio fulfills his promise to save her life
citadel: Antharian fortress built into the side of a mountain, where children are sent to be trained as warriors
council of nine: ancient alliance of nine of the wisest and strongest people
death fire: fire that burns a dragon’s remaining life and magic upon its death
dragon tears: black pebbles that glow as if lit from within, found on the shores of Draykioch
Great War: (possibly mythical) war that nearly destroyed the six kingdoms more than a thousand years ago
hall of records: building that houses the Infinite Vessel
Infinite Vessel: fabled vessel in which all of dragon history is stored
Mountain Binding: spell bought by two kings to lock the fire dragon beneath Gol Mountain
pell: wooden post used for building strength and precision in sword-fighting
proxy wedding: wedding in which one or both of the individuals are not physically present
reforged sword: sword burned and purified by death fire; the only weapon that can penetrate dragon scales
King Relkinn: man who started the Great War
six kingdoms: ancient name of the unified kingdoms before they were divided by the Great War
Strickbane: dragon poison, lethal to humans
transference: transfer of a dragon’s treasure to its slayer
Vinti: ancient language of the six kingdoms
waster sword: cheap, sturdy, dull sword made specifically for practicing
weighted waster sword: heavy, unbalanced practice sword used to build strength
Prince Zhun: defeater of Relkinn, creator of the council of nine
BETHANY WIGGINS is the author of the Transference trilogy, as well as the novels Stung, Cured, and Shifting. Bethany lives in the desert with her husband, five quirky kids, and three black cats. You can follow her on Instagram and on Twitter at @wiggb, and visit her at bethanywiggins.com.
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