Coming Soon: "Web of Bones".
Here is the first unedited chapter of the new Dragon Mage book "Web of Bones."
For those of you who have been asking for a small glimpse.
Melly stood at the top of the cliff and watched as the blood covered the moon in drips. The wind was silent and the air stale and empty of life. She felt encased in an invisible box, as if she could put out her hands and touch glass she could not see. The light was leaving. All around the dragon valley the sparkle was diminishing until the land was leached of magic and life. All goodness and life had flown far a field and even the wind refused to come close.
She tried to catch her breath and there was nothing to suck in that gave sustenance.
She felt a brutal yank in her hair and was pulled around to face the blood mage, his eyes red with stolen power.
“You cannot hide from me forever. I will burn the world down and find you among the ashes if I must.”
She tried to speak and deny his claim, shaking her head against the hold he had on her. But there was no air, she was powerless.
“Come to me, and the punishment will be light.”
She tried to yell, scream, anything but there was nothing.
“Come to me. You don’t belong with them.”
***
Melisande woke with a scream on her lips, and had never been so happy to hear it echo.
There was a commotion at the door and then they burst open and she was shocked to see a strange dragon shove in with a ferocious roar. She gasped and pulled her blankets up to cover her nightdress.
He was massive, as tall as Eben Kinkaid, who towered over her five foot two height by nearly two feet. His tied back black hair fell in a cloud to his waist and seemed to absorb the light. Rugged and hard, his eyes were a cold quicksilver that shimmered with dragon fire, he was by far the most opposing man she had ever seen. Out of instinct she called the wind and it came with a whoosh through the balcony doors. The strange dragon found himself airborne a second later and hit the wall beside the bedroom door with a crash. The bedroom door where Eben Kinkaid was holding onto the door-jamb to keep from being swept away.
She halted the wind as soon as she saw him but it was too late, the other dragon roared again, a great dragon battle cry and shifted to an obsidian dragon that was a beautiful as it was terrifying.
He did not come for her but looked around the room with quicksilver eyes that seemed to swirl and shimmer in the dark. He was intent on finding his prey, and Melisande’s mouth went bone dry when he suddenly turned those shimmering silver eyes her way.
Eben stepped between them. “You are unharmed?”
Melly cleared her throat and finally unfroze herself. Her voice was an embarrassed little whisper in the dark. “Yes, Eben I am so very sorry. I had a…dream. I did not mean to attack you or,” she looked behind him. “Your friend.”
Eben studied her with antique gold eyes full of age and power. She knew he missed nothing of her fear or insignificance with those eyes. Then he turned to the black dragon. There was just the smallest touch of humor in his voice when he spoke. But for Eben he might as well be laughing out loud. “I believe you can change back now. I do not think she means to harm you.”
While the ferocious dragon switched back to the terrifying man Melly stood and slipped on her robe. She was not going to sit cowering in the bed in her nightgown if she could help it.
She was just pulling her long red gold hair from the collar with a flip when she turned and met the other set of dragon eyes. This one the cold silver of a frozen lake by starlight. She froze all over again. If Eben had eyes that looked right through you, this man, this dragon, consumed with a glance. Even as she watched those eyes seemed to turn molten and fire.
She swallowed, aware that she was in the thinnest white cotton nightdress and robe. Covered to her ankles, she felt very keenly that she wore nothing underneath it.
Eben spoke into the loaded silence, his voice had lost the teasing quality and was now granite hard. “Melisande of House of Fire and Water, may I introduce General Solan Fire-Eater.” At the sound of his name she felt the wind swirling at her feet shoot up and dart around the room like a small tsunami. Eben Kinkaid seemed not to notice, intent on finishing his introduction and making his point. “General Solan. My mates sister is claimed by this house and under my protection.”
Melly silenced the wind with a twitch of the fingers at her side. Aware as she did so that the predator across from her caught even the smallest movement she made. He seemed to pay particular attention to the way the wind flipped her hair about. She blushed under that daunting gaze, her light skin gave her emotions away almost as much as the swirling winds did. She pushed her hair behind her ear, attempting to tame at least that much. She could call the wind when she needed to but when it was in a playful mood it rarely heeded her call to stop.
“General Solan.” Eben’s voice seemed to echo with the push of magic he sent toward the general. Even Melly could feel it from where she stood, but the Dragon General seemed intent on ignoring the call, and Eben Kinkaid was not a man used to being ignored, most definitely not in his own home.
Danger. Melly heard the whisper on the wind and tilted her head automatically to hear it better. The General followed the movement like the predator he was. She licked her lips and his pupils seemed to snap and flicker. Eben Kinkaid saw all of it, and from the way the room heated around her, he did not care for the General’s fixed stare. She needed to act fast or bad things would happen.
“You are the General Solan who stood with my sister against the council?” Her voice was breathy, despite every attempt to sound sure of herself.
“I am.” His voice was like the obsidian his dragon resembled. Hard with sharp edges. But he was making an effort, she thought, to soften it for her sake.
“You helped to destroy the Blood Mages, and my sister tells me that you have always treated her with respect when she came before the council.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for that, and I am sorry for throwing you against the wall. I was startled by the appearance of a strange dragon warrior in my room.”
He bowed his head with the smallest nod of respect. “It was a most impressive display.”
She smiled, aware that sometime during their talk Eben had lost his battle ready aggression and General Solan Fire-Eater had locked down whatever predatory instinct he had been fighting. “As was your Dragon. Should I ever have a real enemy to fight and not just nightmares, I have no doubt the sight of General Solan Fire-Eater and Eben Kinkaid bursting in will scare them away most hurriedly.”
“Should there ever be a true enemy to vanquish my lady, I have no doubt we will find him far afield, swirling amongst the trees with a sore head.”
That made her laugh, and the wind danced across the drapes as if it liked the sound. Who would have thought General Solan Fire-Eater had a sense of humor?
Not Eben Kinkaid apparently, because he was staring at the General like he had never seen him before. “Perhaps, if there is no danger, we can retire to the war room and finish out discussion.” He turned to Melly and his voice softened. “Should I awaken my mate and send her to you?”
“No!” It burst out of too quickly, so she pressed her lips together, then tried again in a calm voice. “I would prefer not to worry my sister over such a small thing, and I am not a child in need of coddling.”
He bowed his head in acknowledgment and then turned to lead the General from the room.
General Solan hesitated, then seeming to come to a decision stepped forward and bowed low before Melisande. “Should you ever have need, milady, you may call on me. I would sacrifice much to see you safe and without nightmares to wake you screaming.”
Melisande opened her mouth to speak with no idea what to say to that, but he was already striding with purpose from the room.
She snapped her mouth closed and looked from the empty doorway to Eben Kinkaid. Who frowned and watched the big man walk out, before shaking his head. Finally, he turned to nod respectfully at Melisande and followed.
When the door closed behind them Melly dropped down with a plop to sit on the bed. The wind swirled in great eddies around her, seeming in a frenzy. “I know. I was scared as well. He is quite the most formidable dragon.”
Strangely enough there were no more nightmares after that. Only dreams of dark nights and silver starlight on ice.
The first book in the series is already out to buy. This one, the second, will be available April, 2014
For those of you who have been asking for a small glimpse.
Melly stood at the top of the cliff and watched as the blood covered the moon in drips. The wind was silent and the air stale and empty of life. She felt encased in an invisible box, as if she could put out her hands and touch glass she could not see. The light was leaving. All around the dragon valley the sparkle was diminishing until the land was leached of magic and life. All goodness and life had flown far a field and even the wind refused to come close.
She tried to catch her breath and there was nothing to suck in that gave sustenance.
She felt a brutal yank in her hair and was pulled around to face the blood mage, his eyes red with stolen power.
“You cannot hide from me forever. I will burn the world down and find you among the ashes if I must.”
She tried to speak and deny his claim, shaking her head against the hold he had on her. But there was no air, she was powerless.
“Come to me, and the punishment will be light.”
She tried to yell, scream, anything but there was nothing.
“Come to me. You don’t belong with them.”
***
Melisande woke with a scream on her lips, and had never been so happy to hear it echo.
There was a commotion at the door and then they burst open and she was shocked to see a strange dragon shove in with a ferocious roar. She gasped and pulled her blankets up to cover her nightdress.
He was massive, as tall as Eben Kinkaid, who towered over her five foot two height by nearly two feet. His tied back black hair fell in a cloud to his waist and seemed to absorb the light. Rugged and hard, his eyes were a cold quicksilver that shimmered with dragon fire, he was by far the most opposing man she had ever seen. Out of instinct she called the wind and it came with a whoosh through the balcony doors. The strange dragon found himself airborne a second later and hit the wall beside the bedroom door with a crash. The bedroom door where Eben Kinkaid was holding onto the door-jamb to keep from being swept away.
She halted the wind as soon as she saw him but it was too late, the other dragon roared again, a great dragon battle cry and shifted to an obsidian dragon that was a beautiful as it was terrifying.
He did not come for her but looked around the room with quicksilver eyes that seemed to swirl and shimmer in the dark. He was intent on finding his prey, and Melisande’s mouth went bone dry when he suddenly turned those shimmering silver eyes her way.
Eben stepped between them. “You are unharmed?”
Melly cleared her throat and finally unfroze herself. Her voice was an embarrassed little whisper in the dark. “Yes, Eben I am so very sorry. I had a…dream. I did not mean to attack you or,” she looked behind him. “Your friend.”
Eben studied her with antique gold eyes full of age and power. She knew he missed nothing of her fear or insignificance with those eyes. Then he turned to the black dragon. There was just the smallest touch of humor in his voice when he spoke. But for Eben he might as well be laughing out loud. “I believe you can change back now. I do not think she means to harm you.”
While the ferocious dragon switched back to the terrifying man Melly stood and slipped on her robe. She was not going to sit cowering in the bed in her nightgown if she could help it.
She was just pulling her long red gold hair from the collar with a flip when she turned and met the other set of dragon eyes. This one the cold silver of a frozen lake by starlight. She froze all over again. If Eben had eyes that looked right through you, this man, this dragon, consumed with a glance. Even as she watched those eyes seemed to turn molten and fire.
She swallowed, aware that she was in the thinnest white cotton nightdress and robe. Covered to her ankles, she felt very keenly that she wore nothing underneath it.
Eben spoke into the loaded silence, his voice had lost the teasing quality and was now granite hard. “Melisande of House of Fire and Water, may I introduce General Solan Fire-Eater.” At the sound of his name she felt the wind swirling at her feet shoot up and dart around the room like a small tsunami. Eben Kinkaid seemed not to notice, intent on finishing his introduction and making his point. “General Solan. My mates sister is claimed by this house and under my protection.”
Melly silenced the wind with a twitch of the fingers at her side. Aware as she did so that the predator across from her caught even the smallest movement she made. He seemed to pay particular attention to the way the wind flipped her hair about. She blushed under that daunting gaze, her light skin gave her emotions away almost as much as the swirling winds did. She pushed her hair behind her ear, attempting to tame at least that much. She could call the wind when she needed to but when it was in a playful mood it rarely heeded her call to stop.
“General Solan.” Eben’s voice seemed to echo with the push of magic he sent toward the general. Even Melly could feel it from where she stood, but the Dragon General seemed intent on ignoring the call, and Eben Kinkaid was not a man used to being ignored, most definitely not in his own home.
Danger. Melly heard the whisper on the wind and tilted her head automatically to hear it better. The General followed the movement like the predator he was. She licked her lips and his pupils seemed to snap and flicker. Eben Kinkaid saw all of it, and from the way the room heated around her, he did not care for the General’s fixed stare. She needed to act fast or bad things would happen.
“You are the General Solan who stood with my sister against the council?” Her voice was breathy, despite every attempt to sound sure of herself.
“I am.” His voice was like the obsidian his dragon resembled. Hard with sharp edges. But he was making an effort, she thought, to soften it for her sake.
“You helped to destroy the Blood Mages, and my sister tells me that you have always treated her with respect when she came before the council.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for that, and I am sorry for throwing you against the wall. I was startled by the appearance of a strange dragon warrior in my room.”
He bowed his head with the smallest nod of respect. “It was a most impressive display.”
She smiled, aware that sometime during their talk Eben had lost his battle ready aggression and General Solan Fire-Eater had locked down whatever predatory instinct he had been fighting. “As was your Dragon. Should I ever have a real enemy to fight and not just nightmares, I have no doubt the sight of General Solan Fire-Eater and Eben Kinkaid bursting in will scare them away most hurriedly.”
“Should there ever be a true enemy to vanquish my lady, I have no doubt we will find him far afield, swirling amongst the trees with a sore head.”
That made her laugh, and the wind danced across the drapes as if it liked the sound. Who would have thought General Solan Fire-Eater had a sense of humor?
Not Eben Kinkaid apparently, because he was staring at the General like he had never seen him before. “Perhaps, if there is no danger, we can retire to the war room and finish out discussion.” He turned to Melly and his voice softened. “Should I awaken my mate and send her to you?”
“No!” It burst out of too quickly, so she pressed her lips together, then tried again in a calm voice. “I would prefer not to worry my sister over such a small thing, and I am not a child in need of coddling.”
He bowed his head in acknowledgment and then turned to lead the General from the room.
General Solan hesitated, then seeming to come to a decision stepped forward and bowed low before Melisande. “Should you ever have need, milady, you may call on me. I would sacrifice much to see you safe and without nightmares to wake you screaming.”
Melisande opened her mouth to speak with no idea what to say to that, but he was already striding with purpose from the room.
She snapped her mouth closed and looked from the empty doorway to Eben Kinkaid. Who frowned and watched the big man walk out, before shaking his head. Finally, he turned to nod respectfully at Melisande and followed.
When the door closed behind them Melly dropped down with a plop to sit on the bed. The wind swirled in great eddies around her, seeming in a frenzy. “I know. I was scared as well. He is quite the most formidable dragon.”
Strangely enough there were no more nightmares after that. Only dreams of dark nights and silver starlight on ice.
The first book in the series is already out to buy. This one, the second, will be available April, 2014
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