A Lick of Flame by Charlene Hartnady

Find the lost kings.
Break the curse.
Save the realm.

Which is all well and good, but not for someone like me. I’m timid and small. I’ve always been good at growing things, looking after animals and children, that kind of thing. Fighting is not for me. I run, and I hide. Bottom line, I know my limits.
I lost everything when the plague hit, and Snow took over as our evil queen. Thankfully I found a home at the village orphanage, where I have remained for ten years. First as an orphan and later as a teacher. I’m content with my life. I enjoy looking after the children and tending to the gardens. Things are simple, which suits me just fine.
Until one day, while fleeing from the dreaded fae, I find a large egg in the Forgotten Caves. One thing is for certain, it’s no ordinary egg. It’s large and covered in scales. I instantly know it’s a dragon’s egg. There’s no doubt in my mind because the caves where I found the egg used to house the magnificent beasts. I can’t help but touch its warm, scaly surface. Imagine my surprise when a crack forms in the dragon’s egg, and from the crack, there is a lick of flame.

What happens next will change my whole life…