Felicity stirred as sunlight slipped through the seams of her tent. Her lashes fluttered while her body stretched lazily against the thin bedding, until something cold brushed against her thigh.
Her eyes snapped open.
A snake was slithering up her leg. Its slick, scaled body glimmered in the dim light, and its forked tongue flicked out as it climbed higher toward her chest.
Once upon a time, that sight would've sent her screaming through the royal palace, scrambling onto furniture while guards came running.
After all, Princess Felicity Valorian of the Vraven Kingdom had been pampered to the highest of orders, so much so that her biggest worry had been the color of her next skirt or the perfection of her curls.
But that girl was already gone.
The snake struck, fast and sharp.
Her hand moved even faster.
