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How to Kill a Dragon-chapter one!

How to Kill a Dragon-COMING April 2021!

The dragons are gathering, which can only mean one thing. Death.

Minx, a royal Fae has been tasked with saving her people. Problem is, the only way to do that is by slaying a dragon and bringing their hide back to Paddling Grounds. The magic that resides inside dragons is strong and without it her people will die.

Except Minx has never slayed a dragon, she hasn’t even ever seen one, but she knows where to find them. With help from her Faelyr, half fae and half tiger companion, Minx sets out to Talon Range.

Kaleb, the dragon heir to the Pyra clan isn’t looking for war. But then again no one has ever asked him what he wants. He has a duty and he will do whatever is needed to keep his people safe. Even if that means taking on the darkness himself.

When Kaleb and Minx come face to face, a battle erupts. Neither are giving up, neither will fail. Until they realize they share a common enemy and only together can they defeat them.

With a pull between them that is strictly forbidden, Minx and Kaleb find they are on their own and time is running out.

A fae, a dragon and a war neither are prepared for. The end of both species is near and only they can save each other.

Heir of Dragons book 1

Chapter One

Among the Fae, there was no hunter more capable or fighter more skilled than Minx. But as her father repeated his request, she still couldn’t seem to wrap her head around it. “The dragons… they’re gathering?” she asked.

Her father nodded solemnly. “It’s as I’ve told you. They’ve been spotted in the area recently. I’m afraid we’ll need one of their hides if we’re to keep the ward in place over Pandling Grounds and Heilo Lake.” He had knocked on her door just moments ago, interrupting an otherwise quiet afternoon, to bring her this mission. “It will be a difficult job,” he warned, “but I’m certain you can handle it. Who else can we rely on, if not you, our Dragon Hunter?” The gravity in his expression faded somewhat and he spared her an encouraging smile.

Minx had trained for many years, gaining a reputation among the Fae for her ferociousness and skill in battle; such was her expertise that she’d earned the title “Dragon Hunter”. But this would be her first time actually hunting down one of the Royal Dragons whose hides the denizens of Pandling Grounds utilized in their shield spell. Since the end of the Great Dragon Wars that took place many years ago, the monstrous things had been rarely seen, of course. To hear that these beasts were on the move again filled her with excitement—the excitement of one about to rise to a new challenge.

“So, after all this time they’re finally trespassing on our lands?” she asked, rising from the edge of her bed and taking up the bow she’d left sitting against the wall. In the corner, snoozing contentedly, was her Faelyr companion, Mau. She channeled her thoughts at the sleeping lyr, urging her awake. Time to get up, Mau. This is going to be a big hunt, unlike any other.

The enormous feline opened her eyes, outstretching her paws and loosing a yawn. Oh, what’s on the agenda this time around? asked the Faelyr telepathically.

It’s time for me to live up to my title, was Minx’s sole reply.

Mau’s bright eyes widened for an instant and she rose from the floor, striding over toward the bed. Is that so? The dragons are getting feisty, I see…

Her father watched as Minx looked over her weapon, checking its tension and inspecting the arrows in her quiver. His grey brows arched and he smoothed out the folds in his tunic, picking up one of the arrows himself and testing the sharpness of its head. “Do you have everything you need? If you need more arrows, perhaps a new bow, I’m sure we could arrange for—”

“I’ve got more than enough,” she assured him with a mischievous grin. Tying back her dark locks into something manageable, she moved to the chest of drawers and pulled her bracelets from the topmost, slipping them onto her wrists and taking care to polish the dull blue stones embedded in them. “To be honest, father, I’d feel like I was cheating if I prepared much more. This poor dragon won’t know what hit it.”

From the side of the bed, Mau offered a telepathic taunt. Now, don’t get too full of yourself—else you might get us both killed!

With great pride in his eyes, her father placed a hand on her shoulder and sized her up. “I know you’ll do well, my dear. You’re a royal, built for this kind of mission. I haven’t the least doubt of your abilities and I’m certain you’ll come through for us.” Wrapping her in an embrace, he gently added, “But do be careful. A father worries, after all.”

She returned his embrace, slinging a slender arm around him. “Of course, father. I’ll be back before you know it. Mau and I will see this through.” The loyal Faelyr padded over silently, pausing at her side.

“All right. I’ll be off, then.” Her father spared her one last look—a mix of paternal pride and nerves all at once—and then stepped out into the quiet afternoon.

Minx fastened the quiver of arrows to her back tightly and adjusted the straps of her calf-high boots. Taking her bow in one hand, she led the way to the door. All right, Mau. Let’s do this, she told her Faelyr companion. Let’s hunt a dragon. Everyone’s relying on us to get this done—and when we finish the job, our social standing is going to hit the roof.

It helps when your parents are on the Council, doesn’t it? offered Mau with a laugh.

Sure, my mother and father are on the Council, but that doesn’t mean I get everything handed to me. If anything, it means I have to work harder than everyone to show my worth. But when we’re through with this, there won’t be any doubt. I’ll have really earned the title of Dragon Hunter.

They passed through the door and across the platform built into the side of the tree which was their home. Across the canopy were countless other habitations, all of them built into the towering growths of Pan. These ancient, friendly trees, whose roots sometimes acted as pathways between the Fae in the sending and receiving of messages, were riddled with small homes, their occupants taking in the sun on freestanding decks or chatting with neighbors on adjacent limbs. Minx and Mau made their way down the narrow steps winding the length of the tree and arrived finally upon the forest floor. From there, they set out for the oldest tree in the forest; wise Winterlimb. It was beyond him that the steps into the city could be reached.

So, began Mau as they started past Winterlimb and into the city proper, what’s a Royal Dragon doing in the area? They haven’t been active in these parts for a long, long time…

Yes, the big ones haven’t been seen around here since the Great Dragon Wars, replied Minx. Some believed them to be extinct. Apparently, that’s not the case. I don’t know why this thing is poking around now of all times, but it’s a good thing, because we need its hide to keep the protection spell going. Without it, Pandling Grounds and Heilo Lake will be vulnerable.

They trekked past the city, hurrying into the wilds surrounding the bustling Pandling Trade Center. The Trade Center, where members of every race did business, had about it certain rules that all were required to abide by. A ban on all weaponry was at the top of the list. Not wishing to deal with the legal repercussions of toting around her bow within the Trade Center’s limits, Minx and Mau skirted the borders of the Trade Center and set off for the neighboring glades, marching through clusters of close-growing trees where they were bathed in shade. From there, they would be able to access the edges of the Pandling Grounds—where the dragon had allegedly been spotted.

It was a pleasant day, haunted by a fair breeze and the trademark scents of the warm season. The greenery all about them was pronounced, and as the leaves mingled with the sunlight the forest seemed to throb with a dream-like green. The boughs of old trees creaked lyrically with every gust of the wind, and through the canopy could be glimpsed knots of cottony clouds which crawled relentlessly across skies of blue. Minx couldn’t have asked for better conditions that this. It’s a perfect day for a hunt, she thought as they trudged through the underbrush. Wouldn’t you agree?

Mau didn’t reply, however.

No sooner had the pair broken through one wall of trees and entered a clearing toward the northern side of the Pandling Trade Center did they spy something baffling in the distance. Ordinarily this was a vast and empty space, populated only by travelers on their way in or out of the territory.

On this day, the plains were anything but empty.

Minx stood half-way in the shade, peering out into the distance where a great mob had assembled. What’s this? she wondered, studying the marching mass. Judging by the armaments of those marching, it appeared that a large army had assembled. An army bound for her home territory, where armed conflict was forbidden, was a dizzying sight. She scanned the throngs narrowly, and found among their ranks members of many races. There were Wuffs among them—Plurn and Krah, too. But what had brought this massive group to the Trade Center in the first place? I’ve got a bad feeling about this, she thought. Have you ever seen a force like this one descend on the Trade Center? Weapons aren’t allowed there—and I imagine they’ll frown upon armies, too…

Perhaps we should go and check it out, offered Mau, stepping out into the clearing. It’s not every day you see a swarm of that size headed for the Trade Center. Do you think they mean trouble?

Minx started into the distance. It’s possible…

Before they arrived within the limits of the Pandling Trade Center, Minx made certain to stash her weapons away, leaving them in a secure spot with Mau for a guardian. Unarmed, she passed into the Trade Center just in time to catch the various folk there, only moments ago engaged in trade, now looking out with concern at the approaching army. The advancing forces had not gone unnoticed by the Pan leadership, and several members of the Council—her own mother and father among them—were now starting through the town square in the interest of ascertaining the mob’s purpose.

Minx pushed her way through the crowd, joining her parents. “Hey!” she called out to her father. “I was just about to head out of the area when I saw this army marching for the Trade Center. Do you know who they are? What they want?”

Her father’s look was grim as he conversed quietly with other Council members. “No,” he said finally. “We don’t know what they want. But we’re going to find out.”

Within minutes, the army of Wuff, Plurn and Krah had arrived at the Trade Center gates. The mob was so large that their presence in the entryway all but blocked the movement of wagons in or out of the Trade Center.

The fox-like Wuffs looked to make up the bulk of the army. Though she had never seen such a thing herself, Minx had heard it said that their war parties could sometimes swell to over a thousand strong. Intelligent and not to be underestimated on the battlefield, the Wuff were an engineered race, created by audacious magic users in ages long passed. Just as Faelyrs, like Mau, were the offspring of the Fae and Lyr-shifters, so too were the Wuff born from the Fae and Fox. Unlike the Faelyrs however, Wuffs retained their humanoid forms, bearing only certain beast-like characteristics, such as tails, pointed ears and fur.

Then there were the Plurn. These ferocious creatures, a mixture of man, lion and tiger, operated in large prides not unlike their feline counterparts. Unlike the Wuffs, whose societies were matriarchal and centered around pods of women and children, the nomadic Plurn were ruled by vicious males with a perennial inclination toward war. They had a peace treaty with the Wuffs, but the savage power of the Plurn lurked always just beneath the surface.

Finally there were the Krah, who shuffled amidst the others with their scaly feet and sniffed at the air through serpentine nostrils. Though often terrifying to behold and given to violence, the lizard-like Krah were largely herbivores, and their territories expanded in keeping with their grazing needs. Agile and capable of climbing feats that no other race could hope to aspire to, the fearsome Krah also retained a treaty with the Wuffs.

Precisely what had drawn this melting pot of powerful warriors to the Trade Center was unclear, but to see them amassed in this way did not inspire peace or confidence in the onlookers. Instead, those who looked on at the army as they jammed up the gate, did so with palpable dread.

It was a Wuff—a lone female with long, silvery hair—who emerged from the mass of warriors and surveyed the members of the Council with a smirk. “Good day, citizens. Could someone possibly point me to the ones in charge of this Trading Center? You see,” she said, hiking a clawed thumb at the massive army to her back, “we have a long list of demands that need met.”

It was Minx’s mother that stepped forth, motioning to the other members of the Council. “You’ve come to speak to us, then? The Great Council? What is it that brings you here?” Hands at her sides, she took another step forward, silken robes flowing in the breeze. “This show of force is quite unnecessary. Need I remind you that weapons and combat of any kind are prohibited on Trade Center grounds?”

The Wuff vixen chuckled darkly, shaking her head. “Show of force? You haven’t seen anything yet.” Taking a step toward Minx’s mother, she went on, hands on her hips. “You see, we’re in a bit of a pinch. Our friends here, the Krah, are in need of more grazing lands. The Plurn have joined us today to ensure we can secure them from our dear friends the Fae.” She tapped at the ground with her clawed foot.

Minx’s mother frowned. “Well, I’m sorry to report we haven’t got any grazing lands to spare. You’ll have to go elsewhere.”

“No?” the Wuff feigned sadness, sporting an exaggerated frown. She turned to her fellows, singling out one of the nearby Krah. “You hear that? There’s nothing for you! I suppose you’ll have to starve!”

There was a burst of hissing, agitated speech from the masses of Krah.

“Come to think of it, there’s another thing we could use your help with,” continued the vixen. “My people and I need access to Heilo Lake.” She spared a sharp grin, the silvery fur on her arms bristling. She was clad in tight-fitting leather armor, with steel faulds and gauntlets for added protection. Her features were soft and youthful—cute, even—but spoiled by a bestial viciousness. The vixen was armed with a formidable longsword, and her war-like bearing told onlookers everything they needed to now about her skill with it. “Surely that won’t be a problem?”

At this, there arose hushed murmurings amongst the Council members. Minx’s mother looked to her husband, then locked the vixen in a steely gaze. “No one is allowed access to Heilo Lake.” Her tone was hard-edged, allowing no room for argument.

No one? Not even Valry of the Wuff?” asked the vixen, striking her breast with her fist.

“No one,” reiterated one of the other Council members. Leaning on a cane of corded wood, the elder statesman shook his head and set his feathery beard quaking. “You should leave this place. We will not be intimidated.”

Valry took a sudden step toward him, various of her skulk mates following after. “Oh, but you will be intimidated, old man. Here, round this one up,” she ordered a pair of tods at her side. The muscled Wuff warriors abruptly seized the old man and dragged him away from his fellow Council members, his cane falling to the ground and feeble cries on his lips.

For minutes now, Minx had been on the verge of stepping in. She couldn’t bear to sit idly by while this mob intimidated her own parents and threatened to intrude upon Heilo Lake. Had she been armed, she would have let the arrows fly—but with her weapon stashed outside the Trade Center with Mau, she knew she wouldn’t stand a chance against an entire army. Sensing her mounting anger, her father placed a hand on her shoulder, as if to say “keep calm”.

Minx’s mother stepped forth and picked up the older councilman’s cane, shooting daggers at Valry. “Unhand him immediately! This outrage will not go unpunished. Heilo Lake is ours alone, and we allow no one to access it. But surely you knew this before coming here with your army.”

Valry chuckled, nodding to another pair of tods waiting in the wings. “Grab this one, too. She’s being mouthy.” Without a word, the mighty Wuffs marched to either side of Minx’s mother and took her by the arms, dragging her back into the throng. “And take a few more. Wouldn’t want them to get lonely.” Tods came forth at once, taking hold of nearby Council members and pulling them away. Some in the army had brought chains with them, and these were fastened around the wrists of the captives—five or six in number before Valry was placated.

Minx’s anger had reached a boiling point. Panicked at seeing her mother pulled away in chains, she prepared to lash out—to fight off the army bare-handed, if necessary—but her father interceded before she could do so. “Please,” pleaded her father, approaching Valry, “reconsider. Release these hostages. There is no need for this. We cannot allow outsiders to access Heilo Lake, but surely we can negotiate on other fronts and find some way to—”

Valry silenced the Royal Fae with a savage kick, her leathery heel knocking the air from his lungs and sending him falling into Minx’s arms. “I’ll be very happy to reconsider—as soon as I get what I want, that is.” She bared her sharp teeth in a coquettish smile. “You refuse us access to your special lake, and you have no grazing lands for our friends the Krah. But we have something you want,” she mocked, taking up a lock of Minx’s mother’s dark hair and running it through her clawed fingers. “I propose a trade for these leaders of yours. Deliver us the hide of a Royal Dragon and we’ll return these prisoners safe and sound.”

“A dragon’s hide?” gasped Minx, helping her father to his feet. “But—”

“It’s my final offer,” spat the vixen. “We won’t leave here empty-handed. Either you deliver a precious dragon hide within a week, or we kill the hostages. It’s that simple.” She raised her right arm over her head and made a quick motion with her hand. At her signal the entire war party began to shift, slowly backing out of the Trade Center entrance. Before she disappeared back into the mass of Wuff, Plurn and Krah, Valry paused to size up the remaining Council members and other onlookers, their eyes wide with terror. “You have one week. Be thankful I’ve given you that long.”

Over the course of minutes, the war party marched from the Trade Center, dragging their hostages behind them. The Council members who’d been left behind now clustered together, exchanging panicked glances and despairing over the fate of those kidnapped. “A week? How can we hope to come up with a dragon’s hide within a week?” one of them asked.

“We already needed a dragon’s hide for ourselves! Without it, the warding spell will fail and our territories will be vulnerable! We can’t afford to just hand such a thing over to her,” muttered another.

“Father,” said Minx, watching the retreating army, “Mau is waiting nearby, with my bow. If we follow the army and find some high ground, I can take out that Wuff leader and rescue mother.” She knew it was a reckless plan before the words even left her lips, but she was possessed by a fiery anger. This insult was too great to bear, and her desire to save her mother overpowered her. “One shot. That’s all it will take. One good shot…”

“No,” he replied sharply, drawing her close with a tug of the arm. “No, don’t be rash. If you attack them, there’s every possibility they’ll overrun you. Your mother might even perish in the chaos. Don’t doubt the viciousness of the Wuff; Valry wasn’t lying when she threatened to kill the hostages. She’s given us a week to deliver the dragon hide. This will be the only way…”

“But, Father—!”

“I mean it,” he continued, taking her into his arms. “It would be reckless to try and fight an entire army with nothing but a bow—whether you’re Dragon Hunter or not.” He cleared his throat. “It’s true that we need a dragon’s hide for ourselves, but… the situation has changed. We must see to it that we can meet this unreasonable demand of Valry’s…”

“So…” Minx lowered her gaze, trying to swallow her anger. “So, we’re going to give them what they want? We’re… I’m… going to get them a dragon’s hide?”

Her father nodded. “Yes. And you cannot afford to fail. Your mother’s life, and the lives of the other hostages, depend on your success.”

Securing a dragon’s hide to ensure the continuation of the warding spell over Pandling Grounds had seemed a big job to her only moments ago. Now, she had to somehow secure two.

The stakes had gotten higher.

Much higher.

 

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Being the Suun- First Chapter!!

Being the Suun is out AND the completed trilogy that follows Frida Svand is available for preorder! Check out chapter one below!!

CHAPTER ONE

I caught the blazetaur’s horn on the blade of my sword with a loud, echoing clash. Birds stirred from the nearby trees. Their little black bodies lifted into the mist and disappeared.

The beast heaved its weight against me.

I dug in my heels, a scream of effort rising in my throat. Its beady black eyes—too small for its face—seemed to laugh at me. I could see why in the image reflected back at me. My dirt-smeared face, torn leather vest, leaves in my short, yellow hair. Yeah. I was a real terrifying opponent.

“Frida!” Estrid’s voice called across the clearing. She burst through the trees and ran toward me, stealing the blazetaur’s attention.

It released me.

I fell forward, narrowly avoiding being trampled by one massive foot.

It swung its barbed tail in a wide arc, moving faster than any creature its size had a right to.

“I almost had him.” I pushed myself to my feet and trailed behind the monster, taking useless swings with my sword at its armored backside.

The poisonous barbed tail struck out at Estrid.

She ducked and rolled.

The stinger stabbed into the trunk of a tree with a thunderous crack and stuck there. The soft spot at the base of its stinger was the creature’s only weak spot. Sever it, and the monster died. We’d learned that lesson the hard way in our three years on this blasted island.

Estrid rolled to a stop, covered in leaves and mud, and cursed. She would have preferred to be covered in blazetaur goo.

I reached her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet.

The monster struggled to free itself from the tree, bellowing and thrashing about wildly. Its armored body slammed against nearby trees, cracking two of them in half.

“You found it.” Erik, our big brother, emerged from the tree line across the clearing.

The blazetaur turned and bellowed at him, yanking its tail from the tree.

Erik didn’t even flinch as he pulled out his sword. “I’m glad to see you saved it for me.” He raised his sword above his head, a smile on his dirty face.

It was his fault we were even here hunting this thing, and I was more than glad to let him have the glory.

But Estrid wasn’t. She and Erik were always competing. Sometimes it was cards. Sometimes women, and other times it was monsters. Who’d killed more blazetaurs? Who’d collected more shadebig body parts?

Maybe Erik was in the lead and that’s what possessed Estrid to take a running leap onto the beast’s swinging tail. She wasn’t close enough to the stinger. She dug her sword into a meaty crevice, causing the monster to flick its tail. Hard.

Erik’s eyes widened in surprise.

Estrid lost her grip and flew toward him.

He dropped his sword and made a valiant effort to catch her. They were almost the same size. Instead, she plowed into him like a boulder, sending both of them careening backward into a tree where they sat, stunned.

The blazetaur pawed the ground, raking a deep groove in the dirt.

Luckily, it seemed to have forgotten about me. Sometimes, as the youngest sister, it bothered me to be so forgettable that even the monsters on this blasted island ignored me. Other times, it was my greatest advantage. With my sword still in hand, I pulled my short-handled ax from my leather belt. I didn’t fight with a shield. They weren’t much use against monsters who could shatter them with one blow. But I was deadly with two blades.

As it drew its tail up to strike, I ran, taking long, quiet strides. My destination was a group of trees the monster had destroyed. The snapped trunks were positioned like a ramp. I hit them at full speed, slowing only slightly so as not to lose my balance. My eyes never left the tail. It was going to be close, but not impossible.

I didn’t pause when I reached the top, where I was level with the monster’s back. Instead, I leapt, feeling for a moment like a bird taking flight.

The tail passed just in front of me.

I hooked the blade of the ax around the stinger so I wouldn’t fall, and stabbed my sword into its tail, meeting flesh.

And then I was falling. Just me and the stinger and a stream of warm, red blazetaur blood. The ground rushed to meet me. I hit it hard, all of the air rushing out of me at once.

The black stinger landed beside me, its point inches from my face. I gasped, unable to catch my breath.

The blazetaur swayed dangerously above me.

Hands were on me then, Erik’s and Estrid’s. They grabbed my vest, pulling me to my feet, pounding on my back as we ran for cover. The two of them dragged me as I regained my bearings.

We made it to the trees just as the monster collapsed with a crash that shook the ground. Its rear end hit first, the once-dangerous tail limp and lifeless. Then its front legs gave out. And finally its head, with its fang-like incisors, plowed into the dirt mere feet from our hiding place.

We all stared at the body in silence for a moment.

Erik turned narrowed eyes on me. “Do you ever think before you act?”

“If I did, you’d both be dead.” I sheathed my sword and emerging back into the clearing. I kicked one of the blazetaur’s gaping nostrils. Nothing. I moved past it, avoiding spikes and horns, until I saw what I was looking for. The stinger and, beneath it, the wooden handle of my ax. My name was carved into it in Ahvoli runes by my father before he’d given it to me on my thirteenth birthday.

Bracing a foot on the blazetaur’s back for leverage, I tugged the ax free, careful not to touch the venom still leaking from the stinger.

Erik stood beside me, his eyes on my face. “I wish you wouldn’t be so foolish sometimes. Your life is worth ten of mine.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder. It was the closest to a “thank you” I would get from him.

“At least Luthair will be pleased.” Estrid still had her swords drawn. It was wise to keep weapons readily at hand here, below the veil.

I grimaced involuntarily at the name of our benefactor, the governor. Barepost was the only human settlement on the island continent of Bruhier. Stephan Luthair controlled everything—the mine, the trade, the transportation. And us. The Svand siblings owed him a debt, and Erik wouldn’t let us leave until it was paid.

“Without honor, we are no better than the monsters that plague the island,” Erik had said when I’d offered to sneak into Luthair’s lavish home on the ridge and bury my ax in his gut, putting an end to our servitude once and for all. And so I never had, although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted every time I looked up from our tiny rooms above the pub to see lights glowing in his luxurious glass windows. But I would do anything for Erik, even if it meant spending the last three years hunting brutish monsters and kowtowing to an obnoxious governor.

He had sent us after this blazetaur before it could reach the plateau where Barepost was situated. We’d spent the last twenty-four hours tracking it, doing our best to survive attacks from the myriad of monsters that lived below the veil.

The first hour had seen Erik nearly strangled by a trithon, a nasty, three-headed snake that lived in the trees and liked to drop down on top of its unsuspecting victims. Not long after that, we’d startled a fire elk and it caught Estrid’s cloak on fire. Thankfully, she was unharmed, but her cloak lay in ashes somewhere on the forest floor. Part of our earnings from this job would have to go toward the purchase of a new one. Winters were unforgiving in Bruhier, and it looked like we would be here for another one.

I dropped the ax into my belt and turned to my brother. “Will he be happy?” I already knew the answer.

“Our job isn’t over yet.”

“It never is.”

But Erik, used to my complaining, just smiled. “This was a female blazetaur.”

Estrid and I raised our eyebrows at each other, not bothering to ask how he knew. Just as he was used to my complaining and Estrid’s arguments, we were used to him knowing things.

“So now we have to find the nest.” He stepped over the blazetaur’s lolling black tongue and disappeared back into the tree line.

Estrid and I scurried behind him.

We walked for a long time, following a path of trampled trees. Thunder rumbled overhead. Though we couldn’t see the veil of clouds from beneath the canopy of trees, I knew it would be grey and heavy with rain. I ran my hand along the trunk of a tree, tracing a deep groove that had almost certainly been made by a blazetaur horn. Estrid nodded at me approvingly. She was the best tracker of the three of us, but I wasn’t bad and was getting better with her tutelage.

The ground leveled out as we walked. We were heading farther down the mountainside, deeper into monster territory. I followed Estrid and Erik and kept my eyes open for threats, because that was what I always did. I’d killed for them countless times, and I would die for them if I had to. As the littlest sister, I was no one without the two of them.

When the rain started, it drowned out all other sounds, making our trek downhill even more dangerous even though the water couldn’t reach us through the canopy. We slipped our way down, one hill after another, until we finally emerged into a large clearing not unlike the one we had killed the blazetaur in. Fat drops of rain clung to my eyelashes, and I blinked them back, drawing my sword.

Erik placed his hand on my arm, telling me I didn’t need it. He pointed. I followed the line of his finger to a group of massive boulders bunched together in the middle of the clearing.

Not boulders, I realized with a start.

Eggs.

Three of them leaning together in the middle of a ring of toppled tree trunks. All of them taller than even Erik and wider than the three of us combined.

“The galestone won’t ignite in the rain.” Erik pulled the box of the volatile powder from inside his vest.

It was the only thing Luthair had given us before sending us down the mountain, one of his most valuable exports from the mine. He profited shamelessly from other countries at war, willing to send what they needed to destroy each other if the price was right.

Erik sat on a fallen log, returning the box and tinder to his vest for safekeeping while we waited for the rain to pass. I sat beside him while Estrid stood at the tree line, watching the nest as if she expected the eggs to hatch at any moment.

“I don’t remember rain like this in the Western March.” Here below the veil, it rained all the time, the forests steamy and muddy, the rivers constantly overflowing their banks.

“Maybe not,” he said, “but do you remember the snow? It was even worse. It would freeze your eyes closed and turn your toes black.”

“I miss the snow,” I said wistfully.

That drew a chuckle from somewhere deep in his throat.

It wasn’t the only thing I longed for. “I miss Dad.”

“I miss his soup,” Estrid chimed in.

Just the mention of the creamy dish loaded with lamb and pork and vegetables made my stomach grumble.

“Was that thunder?” Erik hit me in the shoulder lightly.

I hit him back, nearly sending him to the ground.

He caught himself and dusted off his hands. “I do forget you’re not so little anymore.”

“Just as you forget to feed me. You’re a rotten big brother.”

“We will eat.” Erik said, “Just as soon as we are done.”

The rain subsided soon after, leaving the ground in the clearing little more than churned mud. It sucked at our boots as we crossed to the nest and stood before the eggs. I rapped my knuckles on one shell, half-expecting to hear something stir inside in response. It remained still and quiet. My hand came away sticky with slime. I reached over and wiped it on Estrid’s sleeve. She batted me away.

It did not escape my notice that there were three eggs, that there would be three siblings. Would one be the leader, the other two constantly nipping at his heels? Would the youngest be reckless and impulsive, with the oldest constantly pulling her back from the edge while the middle sibling rolled her eyes and tried to reason with them both? There was a pang in my chest, but it was something I was used to ignoring.

“Do not feel bad.” Erik seemed to be reading my thoughts. “The hatchlings would fight to the death as soon as they emerged. Only one of them would have survived anyway.” He carefully pulled back the lid on the box of galestone.

“And we would have been sent to hunt it before too long. Why don’t you let me light it?” Estrid held a hand out for the flint.

Erik shooed us both away. “You and Frida take cover.”

We didn’t have any direct experience with galestone, but not long after we’d arrived in Barepost, there’d been an explosion in the mine. It had blown a hole in the mountainside.

For once, neither of us argued.

I followed Estrid into the forest at a fast clip, moving back up the mountain until we came to a rocky overhang.

“Here.” She pulled me down beside her so our backs were against the warm rock, situated between us and the clearing.

My legs burned with the effort of running uphill, but my breaths were steady and quiet as I listened for Erik.

“Should we go back for him?” I knew better, but I couldn’t help asking.

Estrid shook her head. “No. He’ll make it. He always does.”

I imagined him setting the charge, unrolling the line and sprinkling it with galestone. Striking the flint and dropping it, watching to make sure it caught, which would steal valuable time from his escape.

“He should be here.”

“He’s coming.”

Just then, he launched himself over the rock and pressed his body against ours. Taking his cue, Estrid and I ducked low and covered our ears, a ball of Svands.

The explosion rocked the ground and rang in my ears. Even this far away, dirt and debris flew over our hiding place. A jagged piece of grey, slimy shell hit the ground just in front of us, sticking into it like a blade.

Erik peeled himself away from us, his dirty face blank with shock.

“Well,” I said when the ringing had subsided. “Can we eat now?”

Our laughter followed us back up the hill to Barepost where a warm meal, a semi-comfortable bed, and a sleazy governor waited for our return.

Continue reading: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Suun-Legends-Fallen-Book-ebook/dp/B07QFYGP6M/

**Announcement**

I have another new series launching in 2019!!
🧜‍♀️
Raise your hand if you’re ready to meet Asael Rel! She is a kick@ss, warrior mermaid… who just so happens to be a princess.
👸
Get ready for the five book series, Tails of Valor.
🧜‍♀️
AND get ready to meet my new coauthor Natasha Larry!!

#OnTour with @SilverDaggerBookTours | #SilverDaggerBookTours

~~♥♥~~#BookTour & #Giveaway~~♥♥~~

SWORD OF FIRE  by J.A. Culican

#YA #Fantasy #NewRelease

 

An unforgettable tale brimming with suspense, action and dragons.”– Through the Ashes will thrill fans of The Gender Game, Divergent & The Hunger Games.

   

Defenseless. Alone. Betrayed.

Bells is a poor fae who works on a farm outside the protections of the dragon city. When her family is attacked by trolls, she goes to the one person she knows can help her. But will he?

Peace. Death. Enough.

    

The dragons brought peace to the city and the surrounding area when they rose. Jaekob believes there is no reason for further dragon involvement. They’ve’ lost enough lives to this cause. They’ve done their fair share and owe the world nothing more.


But when the dark elves infect his city with a virus unlike anything he’s ever seen, he knows they need a solution. Now.

The sword of peace. Myth? Reality?

They’re about to find out.

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39676978-sword-of-fire

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sword-Fire-Through-Ashes-Book-ebook/dp/B07BQFWWDV/

 

~~♥~~~~♥~~~~♥~~~~♥~~

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J.A. Culican is a USA Today Bestselling author of the middle grade fantasy series Keeper of Dragons. Her first novel in the fictional series catapulted a trajectory of titles and awards, including top selling author on the USA Today bestsellers list and Amazon, and a rightfully earned spot as an international best seller. Additional accolades include Best Fantasy Book of 2016, Runner-up in Reality Bites Book Awards, and 1st place for Best Coming of Age Book from the Indie book Awards. 

J.A. Culican holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from Niagara University, in which she has been teaching special education for over 11 years. She is also the president of the autism awareness non-profit Puzzle Peace United. J.A. Culican resides in Southern New Jersey with her husband and four young children.

Author Links

Website: www.jaculican.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jaculican

Street Team:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/231352253901799/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaculican

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaculican

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jaculican

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J.A.-Culican/e/B01GG7GLYE/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15287808.J_A_Culican

 

~~♥~~~~♥~~~~♥~~~~♥~~

Giveaway

Signed paperbacks of the series and $25 amazon gift card

 

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive  content and a giveaway!

http://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/sword-of-fire-book-tour-and-giveaway

~~♥♥~~HOSTED BY:~~♥♥~~

Silver Dagger Book Tours: http://www.silverdaggertours.com/

Through the Ashes-Coming June 2018!!!

Raise your hand if you already miss Cole and Eva?? (my hand just flew up, super fast!) I miss Keeper of Dragons sooo much already….but I have a whole new series coming out this June….which I hope you fall in love with just as much…..introducing….Jaekob and Bells!!!  Jaekob…a dragon shifter….Bells a fae. This world was so much fun to build and I hope you all love my take on this dystopian fantasy!

SLAYER!

Shattered Worlds features Armitage and Culican’s SLAYER!

 

 

SLAYER
Dragon Tamer, Book One
Dragons versus slayers in a war centuries old. Lies and loss. What will happen when the truth is unfolded?

Destined to Slay
 
In the small homestead of Dronias, where monsters terrorize, young Julianna is a dragon killer – or so she’s been trained. Destined to be one of the great slayers like generations before her, Julianna is eager to fulfill her destiny of defending her village.
A Sword Infused with Power
On her eighteenth birthday, she embarks on a journey to kill her first dragon, a right of passage like so many before her. Magic Goblin sword in hand, Julianna tracks down her beastly target but finds herself unable to deliver the final blow.
 
A War Centuries Old
In her moment of weakness, with sword poised, Julianna suddenly finds herself no longer staring down the emerald eyes of a dragon. Instead, a handsome young dragon shifter named Ash is staring up at her with beseeching eyes.
 
Danger and Betrayal
Forced into an unlikely alliance in an attempt to prevent a needless and bloody war between their nations, Julianna and Ash must survive a world where danger lurks around every corner, and where not everyone is hoping for peace.
A young adult sword and sorcery adventure, Slayer is an epic fantasy novel packed with plenty of action, twists, thrills, and magic. The first book in the Dragon Tamer series by USA TODAY bestselling authors Armitage and Culican, Slayer is sure to have readers begging for more.

 

Read SLAYER exclusively in SHATTERED WORLDS!

99 Cents for a Limited Time! 

 
JA Culican bio:
J.A. Culican is a teacher by day and a writer by night. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of eleven years and their four young children.


           J.A. Culican’s inspiration to start writing came from her children and their love for all things magical. Bedtime stories turned to reality after her oldest daughter begged her for the book from which her stories of dragons came from. In turn, the series The Keeper of Dragons was born.

 
 
​JA Armitage bio:


Born in a small town, J.Armitage longed for adventure and travel.
Age 20 she moved to Dublin, then to San Diego, then Sydney and back to California where she did a brief stint working at Universal Studios being a minder to Sponge Bob.
Once back in Britain she got married, had babies and decided to write about the adventure she was now missing out on. She works full time, is a mum to three kids and has had a surrogate baby.

            She has skydived twice (and survived), climbed Kilimanjaro and hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. She has also worked as a professional clown and banana picker amongst other jobs. 
           Somehow she finds time to write.


 

 

And Pre-order Your Passport to Shattered Worlds!

From dystopian nightmares to gorgeous steampunk and fantasy settings to fairy-tale retellings and beyond, SHATTERED WORLDS has every story you’ve been dying to get your hands on!

This unique Young Adult/New Adult collection, inspired by the creative minds of today’s New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors, promises to satisfy your cravings for action and adventure as you experience rune magic and time-travel, overthrow corrupt governments, meet reapers and aliens, battle dragons, fall hopelessly in love, and break ancient curses, right alongside some of the bravest characters in fantasy fiction!

Each book within this collection is exclusive to the set and can’t be found anywhere else.

 

 

Get Your Copy Today! 

Amazon | Nook | iTunes | Kobo

Pre-Order Giveaways!

Enter for the chance to win a Kindle Fire AND a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Find out more on shatteredworldsboxset.com

Shattered Worlds!!!

 

 

Escape into twenty-two epic worlds that will leave you breathless.

 

 

99 cents for a limited time!

From dystopian nightmares to gorgeous steampunk and fantasy settings to fairy-tale retellings and beyond, SHATTERED WORLDS has every story you’ve been dying to get your hands on!

This unique Young Adult/New Adult collection, inspired by the creative minds of today’s New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors, promises to satisfy your cravings for action and adventure as you experience rune magic and time-travel, overthrow corrupt governments, meet reapers and aliens, battle dragons, fall hopelessly in love, and break ancient curses, right alongside some of the bravest characters in fantasy fiction!

Each book within this collection is exclusive to the set and can’t be found anywhere else.

Preorder now for your passport to SHATTERED WORLDS!

Featuring Titles from:

USA Today bestselling
author J.L. Weil 

USA Today bestselling authors Armitage & Culican 
New York Times bestselling author N.R. Larry 
Rebecca Rode 
Kristy Tate 
A.G. Henley 
USA Today bestselling author Jane Redd 
Miranda Hardy and Jay Noel 
Ali Winters 
Audrey Grey 
Elana Johnson 
Megan Linski 
Elizabetta Holcomb 
Cindy M. Hogan 
Liz Long 
Julie Hall 
Cameo Renae 
Jen Minkman 
Cortney Pearson 
Ainsley Shay 
Katy Haye
USA Today bestselling author Emily Martha Sorensen
Nichole Giles

 

Get Your Copy Today!
 

 

Dark Legends Boxed Set Author Spotlight: Broken Treaty by Xyla Turner @xylaturner ~ There are Too Many Secrets. #ASMSG #DarkLegends #PNR #PNRRomance # #Mid-airsexscene

by 
Rebecca Hamilton, 
T.F. Walsh, Monica Corwin, J.L. Weil,
Laxmi Hariharan, JA Culican, Muffy Wilson, 

GK DeRosa,
Marilyn Peake, Kevin McLaughlin, Carissa Ann Lynch, 

Vivienne Savage, Anna Hub,
HJLawson, Emma Nichols,Shelley Munro, J.A.Armitage, Leilani Love, 

Demelza
Carlton, Xyla Turner

 
 
This Collection is packed with more than 20 full-length
Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance reads from New York Times, USA Today, and
International Bestselling Authors! 
Don’t miss this collection of more than twenty unique twists in paranormal
romance and urban fantasy, providing over one million words of supernatural
suspense that will transport you to new worlds with smoking hot action and
heart-throttling adventure!

The DARK LEGENDS boxed set includes: Mermaids, Sirens, Shifters, Vampires,
Dragons, Sorcerers, Warriors, Angels, Faeries, Demons, Witches, Psychics,
Ghosts, Mythology, Folk Tales, Legends, Dark Magic, Time Travel, and More!

 
 
Rebecca Hamilton 
T.F. Walsh with Demon’s Mark
Monica Corwin with Soulless
J.L. Weil with White Raven
Laxmi Hariharan with Redemption
JA Culican with The Keeper of Dragons, The Prince
Returns
Muffy Wilson and The Para-Portage of Emily
GK DeRosa with Wilder: The Guardian Series
Marilyn Peake with Shade
Kevin McLaughlin with By Darkness Revealed
Carissa Ann Lynch with Midnight Moss
Vivienne Savage with Making Waves
Anna Hub with Beyond the Shadows
HJ Lawson with New Order

Emma Nichols with Blood Moon
Shelley Munro with Claimed & Seduced
J.A.Armitage with Two of Clubs
Leilani Love with Violca’s Dragon
Demelza Carlton with Ocean’s Gift
Xyla Turner with Broken Treaty


 
 
Amazon     iBooks     Kobo     Nook
 
 

 

 
Broken Treaty
by
Xyla Turner 
@xylaturner
Award-Winning
and
Int’l Bestselling Author 
 
Jessica Cayman is an ambitious Account Executive for
Delancey, Inc. She stays in her lane, works hard and has her eyes set on
becoming a partner within the next year. The plan is easy until Sage Wesley,
III from The Company refuses to work with her.
His aversion to Jessica turns into a kiss that literally
has both of them off their feet. Floating in midair? Then a bite on her neck?

 

There are too many secrets and Jessica soon finds herself
in the middle of an old war between vampires and hunters all because of broken
treaties.
 

(Sage’s internal strength is wearing thin as he tries to
stay away from Jessica. However, he finds himself at her office and all bets
are off)

I slammed the door, stood there in front and took off my
gloves. If I had to have a lasting impression on my hands and body, it would be
hers.
 
“What are you doing here?” She turned at the slamming of the
door, then stood up.
 
“I had to see you.” I ground my teeth as I held back with a
serious amount of restraint.
 
“Are you alright?” She asked.
 
“No,” I growled. “I’m not alright.”
 
She rounded the desk and started walking towards me.
 
“Oh my God, what’s wrong?”
 
“Stop,” I snapped and held up my hand.
 
I was hanging on by a fucking thread. It felt like I had
been in the sun for hours and was about to combust. What was happening to me?
 
“What have you done?” I growled at her. “Ever since you came
around, I’ve been fucked up. Your scent…”
 
I stopped myself because she would think I was bat-shit
crazy. Well, I felt like I was going to be.
 
“What? Scent? Do you need me to call an ambulance?” She was
becoming frantic.
 
Her heart rate increased, and her brows came together in
confusion.
 
I took a deep breath in an attempt to gain my composure.
“No, I’m fine.”
 
She inched towards me again with one hand out.
 
“Sage, can I take a look at you? You don’t look good.”
 
She was so close her scent stung my nostrils, and if I had
tear ducts, they would have leaked. Her hand touched my face, and I knew that
presence would stay there for days. 
Lifting my chin, I looked at her through
hooded eyes.
 
I could not help it. Shit, I did not want to help any of it.
Jessica was who I wanted, and that was that.
 
I grabbed her wrist and jerked her towards me. My lips
crashed down on hers and for a brief moment, she submitted to me and let me
take my fill of her. Her lips were soft, pliable and open for me. My hands
began to roam her body and landed on her ass so that I could feel that for
days. Her hands gripped both of my arms right before she abruptly pulled back.
 
Her fingers immediately went to touch her lips as those wide
dark eyes stared at me with shock, horror and surprise.
 
“What the hell is wrong with you?” She gasped.
 
Then without any warning at all, she smacked me right across
the face.
 

 

“I can’t believe you.” She looked at her hand, almost
surprised that she used it. “Oh my God.”
 
 
Xyla Turner

 

Featured
Book: 
Broken Treaty
Hey Everybody, my name is Xyla Turner and I’m a new romance
author who has decided to spread her wings in the many different genres that
I’ve grown to love. I’m so excited that you’ve taken the time to tune in about my
story that is included in the Dark Legends, this awesome, box set.
 
Hello, Xyla! You had me at mid-air sex scene! But, let’s get started. How long have you been a writer and how did you come to
writing?
            I’ve been
writing since I was a teenager but I finally published an inspirational and
children’s book in 2012. My first romance novel, The Chase, was published in
2015 and it was inspired through a bit of internal unrest. I was at a
crossroads in my life and didn’t know what to do. So, I decided to either write
about what I wanted for my life or sit and cry about it all. Thankfully, I
decided to write and four days later, fifty-five thousand words were written
and I haven’t stopped writing since.
 
How did you come up with this storyline?     
            This
storyline was in connection with a collaboration with two awesome authors, Olivia
Gaines and Tiana Laveen. We had central connecting characters who were at the
same company but they were very strange and supernatural. My book, Broken
Treaty, features Sage, a one-hundred and thirty-year old vampire who meets a
woman, that is not from his tribe and she has him breaking all the rules. I
love when strong men are broken by the natural wiles of their true mate.
 
What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
The best aspects of writing include creating a new world
that you enter in and can build from scratch with your own ideas. The funny
part about that, is the characters have a mind of their own, so I guess it’s
not entirely your world. The worst aspects of writing for me is the aftermath.
After, I type “The End,” the hard work starts. Edits, edits and more edits.
Reading, reading and more reading, more edits, more drafts and the cycle seems
to never end. This work, for me, is tedious.
 
What inspires you to write?
Life! I need nothing but to walk down my street to think of
a story. My inspiration to write is really to get the stories and characters
out of my head. Tell their story, so that in some small way, so many of our own
stories are told. It’s something to read about a character that is ‘you’. I
love when readers can connect but I love when they say, ‘that is me.’ It
reminds us we’re not alone in the world.  
 
How did you conduct your research for Broken Treaty?
This was my first paranormal romance, so I did a variety of
research including online searches, re-watching a few of my favorite vampire
movies again, checked out some paranormal books and asking readers their
thoughts about major changes to vampire’s stories. It was interesting that
readers were not open for alterations of the traditional vampire.
Name a Favorite from Broken Treaty:
Mid-air sex scene. Enough said. 🙂
What would your friends say is your best quality?
My friends think I have an active imagination, I’m a problem
solver and I have great ideas.
Are reader reviews important to you?
Oddly enough, reader’s reviews are important to me. As I
said before, I’m a fairly new author, so the more constructive feedback, the
better.
 
What do you do when you don’t write?
Usually, I hang out with my family, my nieces and nephews,
catch up on my television shows or do some sort of extreme sport.
 
Tell us about your other books?
Most of my other books are about alpha men and the sassy
women who tame them. They are diverse, sexy and for grown people. I’m starting
another series in another genre, New Adult, that will feature the collegiate
atmosphere but also incorporate sexy characters and the growing pains of
adulthood.
 
If you could share one thing about yourself that you would
like readers to know what would it be?
My motto is Switch the Style Up and this is something that
I’ve done as an author because I don’t like to be boxed into one category. So,
I encourage readers to do the same. Switch It Up.
Thanks for having me and I look forward to hearing from you
all about the stories in this set. I would encourage you to check out Broken
Treaty, so you can meet Sage & Jessica! 🙂
  
 

Xyla Turner was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. As a
teenager, Xyla wrote short stories and essays that have won numerous awards in
local to nationwide competitions. She is an avid reader, but a sucker for
romance. Specifically, sassy females and dominant males. Xyla is a dedicated
educator and a life coach. Outside of reading, Xyla likes to spend time with
her family and travel. She writes different genres, but her favorite is
romance.