A Secret in Her Scales

She had spent her whole life abused and branded a monster—her scales a curse she could not hide. By imperial decree, she was forced to marry Alexander, the southern ruler known as the "Monster Admiral." She braced for cruelty. He looked at her scales and said, "Nothing of mine will ever be treated as a monster." For the first time, she was accepted. But a secret slept in her scales—one that could shake the empire and the seas—and the Kraken had set its sights on her.