Chapter 1 The Invisible Woman
EVALINA
“Evelina, run! Don’t let them find you. Run!”
A female voice echoed, urgent and desperate, yet I couldn’t see anyone.
I stood in the middle of a battlefield, panting heavily as my head spun in confusion. Flames devoured everything around me. Buildings crumbled into ash, and the night sky glowed red from the fire unleashed by dragons.
“Evelina, run! Run!”
The voice came again, sharper this time, making my breath hitch.
Then something caught my attention.
At the far end of the burning battlefield stood a dragon unlike the others. Huge and majestic, it remained motionless while the rest rained destruction upon the land. Its golden eyes were fixed on me, ancient and unreadable.
My brows furrowed in confusion.
And then, against my will, my legs began to move.
One step.Then another.
It was as though an invisible force was pulling me toward the creature, calling to something deep inside me.
“No, Evelina! Don’t go any closer! Run away!”
The unseen female voice echoed behind me, filled with panic.
But it was too late.
I continued walking, my feet stepping over lifeless bodies scattered across the ground as the dragon’s gaze held me captive, drawing me closer with every step.
“Finally, you’re here.”
A man’s deep voice thundered from atop the dragon.
My entire body froze.
Before I could even move, the enormous dragon lifted its head and opened its massive jaws. A terrifying glow ignited deep within its throat.
Then, with a deafening roar, a torrent of blazing fire erupted from its mouth, lighting up the darkness around us.
“Nooo!!!!!”
The invisible woman’s terrified scream pierced through the air.
“Wake up, idiot!”
A loud, sharp slap landed on my cheek. My eyes snapped open in shock.
My heart sank as I sat up instantly, scanning the entire room. So it was a dream.
I exhaled, rubbing my forehead in exhaustion.
“Do you want me to beg you like a queen before you get to work, you stupid human?” My roommate’s voice came again.
I shut my eyes in frustration and exhaustion. Damn it. It was my first day at work here in the Stormbones territory—ruled by dragons, the strongest of all seven clans and also the ruler of the seven clans.
We humans were the lowest of all, and getting to work in this place was something everyone across the seven clans hoped for. There were many benefits: you were cared for and provided for, and the pay was massive. A lot of people who were fortunate enough to work here and later decided to quit to start a new life ended up more successful than the rest.
But unfortunately, mine would be different. I needed the money to pay for my sick mother’s medication.
How I had managed to get here despite being a human was something only the deity could answer. I had never expected it.
“Make sure you roll that disgusting hair of yours up. The color is damn annoying,” she yelled again as we changed into our uniforms.
My skin crawled as I stared at this demon girl I had been paired with. She was so rude and annoying. Not only had she brutally woken me up, but she kept using vulgar words on me. I didn’t know her age, but she looked no older than me.
It wasn’t as if there was special treatment for maids based on clans—we were all treated the same. That was one thing I loved about working under the Stormbones.
How dare she talk to me that way when she was a maid too?
“You should also take off those ugly horns. You look terrible with them,” I shot back, keeping my voice firm, even though I was aware of what would happen if she fully took her true form.
Her eyes widened in shock as her teeth clenched in anger.
“How dare you, a mere human, talk to me that way?” she growled, taking a threatening step toward me.
My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I watched her hazel eyes turn pale orange. There was no doubt she wanted to rip me apart.
“W-wait, listen. We could settle this in an understanding way,” I said, taking a step backward, my eyes darting toward the door and the window—whichever would be closer for escape.
“To hell with that!” she yelled, unleashing her claws.
My entire body froze. It hadn’t even been a day since I arrived, and now I was going to be killed by a demon?
Suddenly the door banged open, rattling the tension. My eyes instantly flicked toward it. Thank goodness, it was the chief maid.
A deep wave of relief washed over me as I dropped onto my bed, panting.
“What the hell is happening here?” she yelled.
“Aunt Miranda, I never meant to; she insulted me,” my roommate started.
“Don’t you dare address me by my name. Call me Ma’am,” she snapped. My roommate gasped in fear.
I clutched my chest, catching my breath.
“Since you can’t control yourself, I will have to pair you with a serpent roommate,” the chief maid said.
I could see the unease on my roommate’s face—not fear, but disapproval—but she couldn’t protest. The chief maid was a Stormbones, and she could burn her alive right here without anyone questioning it.
She walked toward me.
“Pack your things, human. You will be the queen’s personal maid.”
My heart dropped. Queen Valeria—the Dragon King’s betrothed? What good had I done in my life to be given the opportunity of serving the queen herself?
“That’s not fair, Aunt Miranda! You promised my mother you would take care of me!” my roommate said desperately, her voice trembling with obvious rage.
“But Ma’am… Queen Valeria already has a personal maid. Why am I taking her place?” I asked carefully, because it didn’t seem entirely possible.
“She’s dead, Evelina. So you will replace her,” she said flatly, as if the girl had deserved her death.
My breath caught in my throat. But she had been healthier last night when we arrived. How could this have happened?
“Pack up your things and follow me, human,” she commanded.
I instantly began gathering my few belongings—just my ointment, the second pair of maid’s uniforms, and the bedtime dress.
“But she was with the queen last night,” my roommate said, totally baffled, just like me.
“The queen’s dragon burned her to death. She tried to seduce the king. That’s what happens when a dog tries to eat her mistress’s food,” the chief maid said proudly.
My heart dropped into my stomach.
The queen’s dragon burned her?
