The Citrine Key by L. L. MacRae

A stolen artefact.An ancient dragon.One man’s final chance.Life-long thief Apollo Tamlin has been marked for execution. When the mage Queen Surayo offers him a pardon, he doesn’t ask questions – any task she has is better than a walk to the gallows.Succeed, and not only will it preserve peace in his homeland, but Apollo can rebuild the life he’s ruined.Sent to a distant continent to feed a stolen artefact to an ancient and powerful dragon spirit sounds simple, but things quickly start going wrong. His companions are not what they seem, the dragon would rather eat him, and the artefact displays its own magic – throwing the entire mission into peril.Note: L.L. McNeil is no longer publishing under her maiden name. All upcoming works will be published under the name L.L. MacRae.