Wing of Illusion

She battles behind her beauty. He hides behind a spell. In a land where dragons are bound and loyalties blur, trust may be the only true magic.
Jillian Mermia is a sword-skilled warrior with a queen's guard past—and a face that blinds others to her worth. Kenith Gandomilford-Eichen is a newly minted dragon rider and a powerful thaumaturgist, cloaked in illusion to conceal his strength and identity.
When they're paired for a dangerous mission into ogre-controlled lands, both are wary ... of the enemy, and of each other.
Their task is clear: uncover how ogres control their dragons, locate clutches to steal, and, if possible, offer those dragons a chance at freedom through honest bonds.
Nothing about the mission is simple.
A new breed of dragon stalks the skies—larger, deadlier, and bred for war. Their own dragons lack the clutch-bond that makes riding together seamless, leading to missteps and danger.
As Jillian and Eichen battle injuries, ambushes, and dwindling supplies, the line between pretense and truth blurs.
When Eichen offers Jillian a spell to hide her beauty, she's furious. Until she learns the truth of the illusion he's lived behind.
Beneath the facades they wear, something deeper stirs—tenderness, understanding, and a longing neither expected.
But illusions are fragile, and the truths they hide can fracture trust.
Together, they must cross a strait into dragon-held lands, outwit those who pursue them, and convince enslaved dragons that a different future is possible.
As tensions rise and secrets unravel, Jillian and Eichen must ask themselves: Will the truth between them bring choice—or ruin?
Wing of Illusion is a romantasy of slow-burn desire, dangerous magic, and the power of seeing—and being seen—for who we truly are.

L. Darby Gibbs has been publishing novels since 2011. Since 2018, Gibbs has been writing fantasy, and has three series out: Solstice Dragon World (six standalone books), Standing Stone (five series books), and her newest Kavin Cut Chronicles (a trilogy).
When she is not writing or teaching, she is active in the outdoors, mostly on a tandem bicycle or, more recently, sailing.
Gibbs is a teacher of writing and published a non-fiction reference book of traditional story plots titled THE LITTLE HANDBOOK OF OF NARRATIVE FRAMEWORKS in 2013.
Gibbs enjoys going to the theater, reading, traveling and spending time with her family and pets. She has been married over thirty years, has one child and a Labrador. She lives in the United States and has lived in several states north, east, west and south. Though born on the east coast, her roots are buried deepest in Southern California.