FOUND by Julia Talbot

FOUND by Julia Talbot

Elemental Ops Three

Elemental Ops has been dealing with good dragons and bad guys for just long enough that they think they might survive. Second-in-command Jack learns to bond with his dragon companion, Serena, just in time for all hell to break loose again in the form of government analyst Lane, who shows up at the dragon stronghold to find out why the team went AWOL. Jack's got his sense of humor, and his lusty appetite, back just in time to handle Lane while the other Ops members are still on the mend.

Lane knows he's only on this assignment because he screwed up his last mission. What's an analyst doing on missions anyway? Sexy agents like One-Eyed Jack are not for him, but he can't deny their instant connection, or his new bond with baby dragon Geri. Can Jack and Lane figure out how to keep his new family safe from the government bureaucrats who want their hands on the dragons, and the Ops team?

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Excerpt:

Found (Elemental Ops 3)
Julia Talbot
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2014 Julia Talbot

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

A dragon.

Jesu Cristo. What the hell was old Jack gon' do with an orange, highfalutin, female dragon?

Jacques looked at Serena, who had color back in her scales now that she wasn't wasting away thanks to him ignoring her. He smiled a little. He was gonna love her. That was what he'd do. After that, well, he had no idea.

Serena looked at him, rolled her pretty, multi-faceted eyes. Silly man.

"Well, I didn't know dragons existed 'til just these last days," Jack said out loud. Talking inside not out was gonna be odd.

She snorted, but she was pleased, he could tell. Her tail said so, the end flicking his ear. Crazy beast.

He glanced around, realizing the other dragons, and his team, had left them alone. Shit, how much time had passed? Hours? Days? His belly rumbled like Keon's big dragon Damien was in there.

Her head tilted. Hungry?

"I am, cherie. Starving." He could eat an alligator.

Show you. Serena led the way, making oddly musical noises. Dragon humming.

He could hear the echo of it in his head, too, like she was only being polite making noises out loud. In his mind, she was singing operas. Jack grinned. It did scramble his brain a bit.

"You got to be so girly-girl? Can't you be macho?" He poked her haunch.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him, then bared her teeth, showing a line of long, needle-sharp weapons that would rip his arm off.

"Well, now, that kind of fierce I can get behind."

"Hey." Gig, their Elemental Ops tech guy wandered into the hall, his little Asian dragon clinging to his shoulder. "Shannon is cooking."

"Good. God, I'm starving to death."

The little beast named Cor hid from Jack, face in Gig's throat.

"Don't worry, little dude. I won't let him eat you." Gig stroked Cor's tail.

What a weird turn life had taken.

Keon wandered by, caressing Serena along the way, the odd little man Zen as hell. That crazy hair and mostly naked body still made Jack stare. Lord, he must need to get laid bad if he was jealous that Ice was getting some of that. The scent of bacon and onions hit his nose and sex left his mind in a rush.

"Smells good, Shan." Jack walked into the big kitchen and smiled at the big redheaded soldier who'd been his friend for so long. "No dragon for you, huh?"

"Nope. I'm not hook-up-able."

"Shit, don't say that around here." Ice came in, that white-blond crew cut growing out a little, the smile on Ice's face making Jacques blink. Lord, this place was good for the man.

Shan snorted. "True story. You guys are caught through the..."

Ice cleared his throat. "Little ears."

Shannon blinked, then broke into a huge, booming laugh. "Dude, they're not babies, are they? I mean, they're dragons."

Not a baby. Serena sounded so put out.

"No, but I think Cor might be, sweet girl."

He's tiny. Scared. I am not scared. Grown up.

You're my so brave girl. Jack was amazed at how fast he could go from denial to pure love. He'd been a pure-D idiot, trying to push his dragon away, and his Serena, well, shit. She was the finest young lady he'd ever known. Strong. Brave.

She trilled happily and rubbed her head against his arm, and he scratched her eye ridges, pushing gently.

"Look at you two. You're basking, which, okay, she's a lizard."

Serena was going to bite Shannon. Jack saw the image clearly in his head.

"Shut up, Shan. You just wait. Your turn is coming." Gig sounded so sure.

"Nonsense." Shannon reached into the cooler and pulled out a metric fuck ton of bacon. Jack stared, wondering where that had come from.

"Who does logistics for the dragons?" he asked Ice.

"Keon and some guy in town his family has known for years."

"Some guy? They have all these kids up here and it's some guy?"

Ice's blue eyes narrowed at him. "What are you trying to say, Jack?"

"That we need protection. Real protection for these guys who are trying to come up here and mess with our dragons."

Ice nodded slowly, crossing his arms over his chest to lean back against the counter. "Okay. I can buy that. I guess that means you're staying around, Mister I'm Not a Dragon Man?"

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FAVORED DRAGON'S RELEASE by D. Renee Bagby

FAVORED DRAGON'S RELEASE by  D. Renee Bagby

Hidden By Dragons Book One

He wants her for his bride to end the dragons’ curse but his love for her is ruining his plans.

In the aftermath of a senseless war that claimed many lives, the gods have punished the dragons for causing the conflict. The next generation will not hatch until Prince Shurik finds a human female willing to put aside generations of animosity to become his bride.

Yolette goes to sleep on the side of a mountain, the odd woman out on a couples' camping trip, and awakes in a field outside the home of a dragon. Transported to an unknown world very different from her own, she must depend on Shurik for shelter and guidance.

Shurik doesn't anticipate his growing feelings for Yolette, making the task of proposing that much harder. Danger looms from those who want the punishment ended and from those who want it to continue until the last dragon is gone. Shurik must decide whether he will save his people or his love and pray to the gods his choice is the right one.

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~Excerpt~

“You mentioned food. All this philosophizing is making me hungry.”

“Rather than having me guess, what would you like?”

“Bread.”

Shurik laughed.

“Did I say something funny?”

“You are so enthusiastic.”

She mumbled, “It was good.”

He walked back to the spot where they had entered and reached toward the darkness. Yolette wasn’t sure what he was doing until he pulled out a large platter and a cup. He returned to the water’s edge where he placed the platter and the cup on the ground. In the middle of the platter was a loaf of sliced bread. Around the bread were meats and cheeses and small pots of what looked like jellies.

Shurik gestured to the food.

Yolette wasn’t sure where to start. She grabbed a piece of bread, tore off a chunk, and reached for the nearest small jar. It contained honey. She was almost sure it was honey. A taste test would prove it. She dipped the bread and then popped the piece in her mouth.

She closed her eyes as the honey exploded over her senses in a rush of sweetness, the likes of which she’d never tasted. Slowly she chewed, savoring every single bit of the bread and actually chewing the requisite twenty times—possibly more—before swallowing.

“I think I just tasted heaven,” she whispered.

“This honey is a delicacy. No human has tasted it before.”

“I’m honored then. It’s positively decadent.” She dipped another piece of bread into the honey and ate it, savoring it as she did the first. It was the slowest she’d ever eaten anything.

Shurik said, “The bees of dragon territory are unique, and thus their honey is unique.”

“I’ll say. It literally is liquid gold for the eyes and senses.” She sighed as she licked a bit of the honey off of her fingers. If nirvana had a flavor, it would have been that honey.

It took a bit of doing, but she managed to make herself eat something else besides the honey. Shurik poured a drink for her from his cup. They ate and drank in silence. She indulged one last bite of honey and bread before her stomach declared maximum occupancy had been reached.

Shurik asked, “Full?”

“Very.” She patted her stomach. “You ate more this time.”

“Your appetite is infectious.” He returned the platter to the shadowed area, placed it inside, and then returned. “What do you wish to do this day?”

Yolette stared at Shurik while she contemplated his question. He watched her without saying a word. Her gaze strayed to his wings. “Flying lessons.”

Shurik’s smile dropped.

“Don’t look like that. I’m not going to get used to how you fly if we never go flying.”

“That is true,” he said in a hesitant manner.

“Besides, I was fine last time. You caught me like you said you would.”

“Yes.”

She stood and clapped her hands together. “Flying lessons.”

Shurik sighed. “Flying lessons.”

She walked over and patted his side. “If it makes you feel better, I’m afraid of heights. So, in a way, I’m showing a lot of trust by even suggesting this.”

He looked at her in surprise. “You did not mention such a fear yesterday.”

“I was too upset about not being able to go home to really register that I was up in the air until after we landed.” She shrugged. “I figured mentioning it now might help somehow. I guess. I don’t know.”

He nodded. “You have nothing to fear while flying with me.”

“Good. Now the only issue is keeping hold of you. You may not realize, but you’re slippery.”

He laughed.

“Not in a slimy way. I mean, because your scales are smooth, they are hard to hold.”

“I understand.”

She sighed, happy he hadn’t taken her words the wrong way.

He said, “Perhaps a rope.”

“No.”

“You could use it as a harness.”

“No. It just seems demeaning somehow.”

“I suggested it, therefore I don’t find it demeaning.”

“And how would the rope be attached? Not around your neck, I know. And tying it around one of your spines is useless since it would slip off after a while.”

“True.”

She made a thinking noise, but it was for show only. She had no other alternatives to offer.

Shurik said, “A rope is still a viable option so long as it stays attached, correct?”

“I don’t like it.” She sounded like she was pouting, even to her own ears. “What if—no. Never mind.”

“What?”

“You could carry me. In your hand, I mean. Like when you lift me up to the table or the bed.”

Shurik looked at his hands.

She followed his gaze and then met his eyes when he looked at her. “No?”

“Your idea is sound but not viable for the long term. I cannot always carry you in such a way. I would fear hurting you.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

“How can you trust me so completely when we have not known each other long?”

She cocked her head to the side. “You’re nice. I’m usually a pretty good judge of character. I have to trust someone on this new planet. I’ll start with you.”

Shurik blinked at her a few times. He lowered his hand, palm up, and waited.

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RAKARA: The Bekka Chronicles Book 3 by Steve Shilstone

RAKARA: The Bekka Chronicles: Book 3 by Steve Shilstone

In RAKARA, Book Three of The Bekka Chronicles, on the world of Boad, Bekka and her lifelong best friend Kar accept a challenge to descend through many Realms solving puzzles and riddles until they reach the Realm Beyond Realms, where Kar, with no help from Bekka, must answer one final question correctly before the Waterwheel of Time completes one full revolution. If she fails, they will be trapped in the Realm Beyond Realms indefinitely, perhaps forever.

Their descent begins in the garden beyond O’Tan's Gate, and as they meet and defeat the various challenges, they travel through the Realm of the Limb Ricks, the Realm of the Truth Berry, the Realm of Violet, Lionel, Guy and Slingsby, and the Realm of the Globes where a fleckrunner quizzes them. When they reach the Realm Beyond Realms, they learn from a group of bearded jroons with grey storm eyes that their final task will be to find and face the Waterwheel of Time.

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An Excerpt from: The Bekka Chronicles: Book 3: Rakara
Copyright © 2011 Steve Shilstone

All rights reserved, Wild Child Publishing.




Rakara shimmered, her eyes yellowing, her hair coppering, and she tumbled a turn to stand before me as my own dear Karro of Thorns. She snatched my chonka, my tambourine, from the shelf and gave it a rattle.

“I’ll reveal the rest of it in the Assembly Bower. Did you tell ‘em about Zinna and me, Bek?” she said.

“I knocked ‘em down with it,” I answered proudly. “They were flattened when I told ‘em Zinna was a jrabe. And even more ever than that, such being so, they collapsed in disbelief that you, jark dweg Karro, were Zinna’s daughter. Such!”

“Good, good. Now I’ll give ‘em another rattle. Watch me, Bek,” said Kar, winking, and she banged my chonka on her knee before tossing it to me. “Go ahead. Announce me.”

Eager to hear the rest of Karro’s adventure on Fan Wa’s Island, I stepped out of the hut and banged out on my chonka the Signal of Attention. CHONKA CHANK! Instantly from the hedge came the proper answering KACHUNKs, followed by rustling and muttering.

“Karro of Thorns has returned from Fan Wa’s Island!” I shouted. “She has brought a Gwer drollek story to tell! Gather, bendo dreen, in the Assembly Bower! In two short paces of time Karro and Bekka will join you!”

“That’s good, Bek. Give ‘em three paces, then I’ll sweep in. Should I be Dragon? What sort? Or no? Maybe cloud? What do you think?” asked Kar.

“Let’s enter as Silent Bekka and jark dweg Kar. Then when you start your story, change into all sorts of everything you can! That’ll knock ‘em over. There’ll be a clatter of dropped chonkas and a gape of dropped jaws. I can’t wait to see it! You’ll be the first jrabe jroon to shift in the Assembly Bower!” I offered, my cheeks burning with boosted energy.

“The first jrabe jroon,” repeated Kar in a dreamy hush.

We marched across the clearing to the hedge and squeezed through into a deserted corridor of brambles. We heard a hum of babble excitement from far down the tunnel. Kar and I grinned at each the other. The bendo dreen were assembled. I banged my chonka once. CHANKA! The hum babble ceased. We sailed like Blossom Castle Royalty down the turns and twists until we came to the Assembly Bower. Without a pause we sailed in smoothly. I bowed to Kar. I don’t know why. It seemed a proper way to begin.

Then Kar knocked me flat amazed along with all the other gathered bendo dreen. She opened her mouth and roared. She bulged and flexed, expanding to a glorious Dragon covered with writhing black and gold stripes. She snaked a flaming green tongue from between her horrid fangs and shot it over the heads of the bendo dreen to the far wall of the Bower. She stretched her neck in loops, shimmering gold. And there, instead of glorious Dragon, was a green misty cloud with great feathered blue wings. The cloud rained sparkles of silver and gold. It flapped around the Bower, circling low to drop spangles on each bendo dreen. The cloud settled above me, then formed in shimmer to Rakara, upside down jrabe. Her dark green mantle pooled on the thorny ceiling of the Bower.

“I be Rakara, jrabe jroon. Ye knew me as Karro of Thorns, jark dweg. I bring to ye a promise of a true Gwer drollek tale. I pledge on thorns that ye shall be told the most amazing Gwer drollek ever. Better yes than the Well of Shells. Better yes even than the Triplets, Bandy, and the Rainbow Giants. What tale could be better than such? ye ask. A tale to be told on Chronicler Bekka’s return, I answer. A story soon to be collected by Chronicler Silent Bekka and the jrabe jroon Rakara, me. We have been challenged to pass the Four Ramps of the Realms to discover the Realm Beyond Realms! Such and so have we been challenged by Dak, the jroon. Truly! We quest! Following a great success, Bekka will write the Chronicle as Roamer Harpo and Roamer Lace did before her. She will spin it out for ye here in the Assembly Bower. Ye shall be told the most glorious Gwer drollek ever!”

Saying such, she caught me up into her green mantle with her powerful bony lavender hands and whisked us from the room, down the corridor, through the hedge wall, and into the sky.

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THE GOLDEN DRAGON by Tianna Xander

THE GOLDEN DRAGON - Dragon Bound Book One by Tianna Xander

April is shocked when she runs into a dragon in the alley behind her shop. Despite his urbane appearance, a wildness lurks in his gaze. Gathering her coven together, they discuss the ramifications of one of the witch-killing beasts appearing nearby. When spell after spell continues to go awry, is it a sign that their magic is truly weak or is it the dragon in the picture that is turning tulips into toadstools?

Dragons are too bossy to bond to their own kind, so when Drake meets the perfect witch for him, will he have enough fortitude to stand against her coven and their truly crappy magic?

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Excerpt:

“Most witches have constructive powers. They manifest useful things like money, the power to do some good in this world or even a tuna sandwich,” April said as she popped the lid back on a plastic container half-full of cedar. “Not me.” She snorted. “So far, the only thing I’ve been able to manifest is a patch of toadstools and poisoned oak.”

She glanced at the other members of her coven. All twelve of her adopted sisters looked on with understanding. If anyone could understand her predicament, it was them.

“I know exactly what you mean.” Tansy stepped forward, her scorched cape still smoldering from her last attempt to cast a spell. “What’s wrong with us?” She spread her arms out as if to encompass them all. “None of us have been able to manifest anything like Mother and Father did.” She bowed her head and lowered her voice as though what she were about to say were somehow sacrilegious. “Do you think it’s because we’re adopted and not their blood kin?”

April shook her head and crossed her arms. “Being adopted has nothing to do with it.” She made her voice sound strong and firm even though she wasn’t sure herself. “It can’t be that.” Seeing her sisters looking so dejected over their failures, she decided what her next words would be, true or not. “If being adopted made any difference, why bother to train us at all?” She shook her head. “No, we are doing something wrong. I’m sure of it.”

What that something was, was beyond her comprehension, but she would find out what it was if it was the last thing she ever did. If not for her, she would do it for her sisters and brothers, wherever her brothers were. She hadn’t seen them since the unfortunate accident that stole their parents from them. She avoided looking at Rose, the little sister responsible for that horrific event.

“Look at Iris.” She waved toward her little sister whose thick ebony hair escaped her bun with abandon. “She managed to manifest eggs this morning.”

Iris grimaced. “Yeah. Eight dozen eggs and all of them raw, broken and covering the cheese, ham and English muffins that were supposed to be Eggs Benedict. Some success story.”

“Well, you’re closer than I am.” April scowled at her sister’s lack of enthusiasm. “I tried to conjure up mushrooms to go with the omelets we made out of all those eggs and got toadstools instead.” But they knew that. They had all raided her pantry after that. Now it was as empty as her refrigerator.

April paced back and forth in front of her sisters, her wand in her hand. As she passed, each flinched as the tip of her wand pointed at them in turn. “Stop flinching or I’ll turn all of you into Goddess knows what!”

As mad as she was about their reactions and this morning’s debacle with the eggs and toadstools, she just might lose her temper and do something unforgivable—what, she had no idea. Man, it sucked not having control over her powers. Their parents had made it look so easy. April glanced around at her sisters’ dejected faces and took comfort in the fact that at least, in this, she wasn’t alone.

She wrapped the cedar shavings in the paper they used to make their smudge sticks, then lit it. Smoke rose as the comforting scent of burning cedar filled the room. It was always good to cleanse the room before and after they tried to manifest things. It not only cleansed the room of their mistakes and the inevitable negativity that followed failure, the scent helped relax and ground them.

“Since this session was an obvious bust…again, we should head home, rest and practice until next month.” She nodded when Daisy raised her hand. “Yes, Daisy?”

“Do we have to practice? Can’t we just hang up our capes and shove our wands in a box in the back of our underwear drawers and call it good?”

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CARNAL DREAMS by April Reid

CARNAL DREAMS by April Reid

In a land where magical abilities rule and shapeshifting is the norm, Ashlyn, daughter of a wizard and sorceress, has no paranormal abilities until - in the midst of danger - she makes love with a man she first met in her erotic dreams.

From thousands of miles away, Basil Greenstorm, warrior and dragon shapeshifter, flies into the forbidden zone searching for the dreamer who had already touched his heart. He's dismayed to learn that, against her wishes, Ashlyn has been chosen to be the king's third wife.

Will their love, born in carnal dreams, overcome danger and death in this new erotic fantasy adventure from the pen of April Reid?

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Excerpt:

The Pepper/Ashlyn fairy-dragon arrowed higher. Wings grew tired, breath ached in their throats, but still they climber higher—driven by the primitive need to sort out the strongest mate.

One by one the males fell away, except for Hawthorne. His determination both angered and thrilled Pepper at the deepest level.

Closing with her, he tried to coil his tail around her body. She swooped away and up, only to find herself trapped in his embrace. He rubbed the side of his neck along hers. His erotic male musk filled her senses and set her own female juices flowing.

She twined her neck with his and opened her slit to his swollen cock. As they fell through the sky, he thrust in, pumping his great shaft—slipping out—thrusting in again—and spurted his living seed into her womb, while she screamed with pleasure.

Still rocked with glittering bliss, she suddenly saw the ground rushing up to meet them.

::Hawthorne?::

“I have you, Ashlyn,” a deep male voice answered, and dazedly she realized Basil held her hand.

“Pepper? Hawthorne? Where?”

“Safe.” He pointed upward where Hawthorne’s strong wings carried both him and Pepper toward the ground in a long glide.

“Gods!” She drew her fingers away from him and scrubbed her face with both hands. Her swollen nipples scraped against her tunic. The hot coil of lust between her legs tightened.

Basil’s awesome male body so close was a temptation she couldn’t ignore.

He touched her shoulder. “Ashlyn, can I help?”

“Help?” She turned toward him like a female dragosaur pouncing on fresh prey. “Take me. Love me,” she panted, tugging at his vest, too blinded by soaring desire to unlace the fastenings across his chest.

Brushing her fingers aside, he quickly unlaced the garment, while she turned her attention to the sash around his waist.

“Hurry, hurry,” she demanded.

His vest flashed past, revealing his muscled abdomen. In the meantime, she fought the obstinate coils around his waist. She wanted to tear away the stubborn fabric with her teeth.

Finally, the intricate knot yielded. She drew it away from him, unwrapping the male glory that was Basil Greenstorm.

She heard a rip as her own clothes gave way to his strength.

Locked in an embrace, they rolled across the narrow strip of grass and landed on their sides in the fragrant bed of lemon mint and basil edged with spicy sweet William.

His mouth fastened on her nipple and sucked. His busy hands found her erotic places—not only her pussy, but also the shivery places behind her knees and the dimple at the base of her spine.

One of his fingers, moistened in her own woman’s dew, teased her swollen clit—sliding over and around the throbbing love knot. The other slipped down the crack between her butt cheeks.

Wildly, she scrabbled at his broad back with her fingernails—deep in desire and blinded by need. The scent of his moist male skin filled her nostrils. Rearing her head back, she bit his side under one arm.

He growled and plunged two fingers into her slit and partway out. His other hand reached between her legs from behind, dampening his fingers in her natural lubricant.

“Ever been finger-fucked in your ass?” he asked in a low, dangerous tone, pressing against her butt hole.

“N…no, but I want everything, everything…”

“Good. It’s your first time, so I’ll use my smallest finger.”

His hand slid back and forth across the tight opening. Nerve endings came alert in a shimmer of waiting.

At the same time, his fingers between her labia twisted. She caught her breath. The heavy, hot tension expanded through her nerves...

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THE RETURN OF INNOCENCE by Duane Simolke

THE RETURN OF INNOCENCE: A FANTASY ADVENTURE

Duane Simolke blends humor and romance with exciting fantasy action.

Visit Theln, a planet of magic, dragons, nobility, and heroes. Sasha Varov was born into a noble home in the Thelni kingdom of Jaan, but Sasha's father dared to oppose the king's sorcerer, Wuhrlock. Sasha and her family became exiles on a desolate island. At sixteen, Sasha left her island home to buy seeds in Jaan. She stumbled into a series of misadventures that ended with the death of Wuhrlock and made Sasha a legend, known as "Innocence." Never mind that the legend barely resembled the truth, or that Sasha caught Wuhrlock in an unguarded moment.

When Sasha returned for more seeds, the people of Jaan expected her to defeat a much more ruthless and powerful sorcerer. Duane Simolke wrote the short story "The Return of Innocence" in 1983. With contributions by Toni Davis, he later developed it into a novel.

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Excerpt:



The relentless wind whipped the sails as the shroud of darkness that sometimes entombed them began to return. Darkness had descended and slowly disappeared in the same fashion, and at the same time, on each of their previous three days at sea, always around noon. As she gazed at the warship anchored beside theirs, Sasha absently toyed with one of the long, meticulously plaited braids of deep chestnut-colored hair that usually flowed down her back. She often pulled a braid over her shoulder when lost in thought.


Her attention became riveted on the massive claw marks on the ship’s hull. Deep gouges ran at some points from stem to stern, indicating that the ship and her undoubtedly unlucky crew had come across a dragon or sea serpent. By the looks of the nearly shredded topsail and hole-riddled mainsail, the crew barely survived; the tales they shared quickly spread unease among the men who rode with Sasha toward the kingdom of Jaan.


Usually, she didn’t pay much attention to the random vessels that came and went during her journey away from the islands. However, her curiosity rose after she heard some of the sailors talking about it with hushed voices in the galley during breakfast. Now she idly fingered the ornate dirk that was belted at her side along with the scarred broadsword that her father presented to her after she managed to best one of Jaan’s better, younger apprentice swordsmen in a practice session at her father’s small, makeshift soldiers-at-arms school.


Dressed in stout brown leather breeches, cropped black leather traveling boots, a tight-fitting cloth vest, and a short traveling cloak to ward off the sudden, chill sea breezes, Sasha decided she looked rather boyish this morning. Normally, she would prefer the free-flowing clothing she wore on her family’s homestead. However, this mode of dress allowed her more freedom for defending herself, if needed.


Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the ailing vessel more carefully, and as the sky grew darker. Thoughts of what awaited her in Jaan flitted through her mind. Only yesterday, she had reached seventeen, but she had already experienced more adventure than most noble-born women could ever hope to see. Not that she had wanted any more high drama or swashbuckling mayhem. Truthfully, she really just wanted the peace and contentment that her family once knew in Jaan, the kingdom of her birth. Sasha sighed as a pang of loneliness and not a little bit of resentment at her circumstances stabbed at her insides. She shook her head, as if to dispel the cobwebs of longing that clung to her mind, and her braids fell back into place.


She looked up from her musings at the sound of the light, rolling gait that marks a man who has spent most of his life at sea. She smiled slyly as the young captain approached her and bowed. He was fairly good looking, with light tan-colored skin and almond-shaped, brown eyes that looked rather worldly for his apparent age. He smiled back at her, briefly revealing a perfect set of almost impossibly white teeth. His face was thankfully bereft of the coarse, bristly hair that attached to the faces of the other sailors like an affliction.


Now he’d be an interesting candidate for a spouse, if I were looking for one, thought Sasha, though she’d never heard of a Westerner marrying an Easterner. But she then told herself it must violate one of the cosmic laws, like the one that magic users can’t occupy the same territory as each other, or the one that no one should ever eat meat in a horse’s presence. She asked herself, Who could keep up with all those rules, and what bothersome idiot made them all up in the first place?


“Falon Shin, Captain Ferik,” she said, greeting him in the local Kael dialect. She knew very little Old Thelni, but people of all dialects knew the basic greetings and courtesies from the ancient tongue. Though they all shared the same written version of Thelni, their dialects often made it difficult for them to understand each other. Still, starting with Old Thelni, in a person’s dialect, showed respect for that person’s heritage, and a noble-born like Sasha paid attention to such matters. “Are you feeling as restless as everyone else?” She gestured about herself in reference to the swift yet silent motion of people going about their tasks around her.


Captain Ferik raised an eyebrow in silent observation. “Perhaps it would be better if you were below decks,” he said. “It’s getting too dark to see, and we don’t know what attacked that ship.” His eyes scanned the horizon and the ship sailing away from them.


Sasha chuckled lightly. “Are you worried about me? How touching! However, there’s nothing out here but them.” She pointed to the battle-scarred ship that disappeared into the approaching darkness.


“There’s more than wind at work here,” the captain remarked. “One eclipse is a bad omen, but four within a month can only mean one thing…sorcery.”

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