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Chapter 34
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Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 35
His dragon froze within him, as though the beast was holding its breath. Mikhail reached the back door, which was slightly ajar. He leaned in and tried to peer inside, but he couldn't see anything. There was a soft shuffling sound within. A sound he recognized as Piper's. He kicked the door open.Piper was tied to a chair, a cloth wrapped around her mouth. Conrad stood behind her, a silver blade pressed against her throat. Piper's eyes were bright with fear. He stared at her, willing her to calm, hoping she would trust him."Remember, Barinov, you play by my rules, and she is unharmed." Conrad pressed the knife a little deeper into Piper's neck. She flinched, shoving her head back, but she was unable to escape the blade."I'm here. The jewels are in my car." He held out the keys, not missing how Conrad's gaze fixed on them."Toss me the keys," Conrad demanded."Step away from my mate first," Mikhail countered.Piper's eyes softened when he said mate. He wanted to smile at her, to
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 36
It simply isn't an adventure worth telling if there aren't any dragons.J. R. R. TolkienPiper screamed as Mikhail grunted and fell back, but Conrad was not through with him, not by a long shot. Mikhail tried to fight back, but it was clear he had been weakened from whatever Conrad had put in the syringe. Blow after blow struck Mikhail, in the ribs, in the head, in the back, until he finally had no energy left to defend himself. Only then did Conrad finally stop. Piper was hoarse from screaming. Conrad pocketed the car keys and stared at Mikhail's body, his face filled with loathing."It's nothing personal, Barinov. Oh, who am I kidding? It's become very personal. But it's more than that. You became too human. Mating for love? Mating with a human? Didn't you learn anything from Elizabeth? She played us both for fools, but unlike you, I learned my lesson. Humans are not meant to survive, not like us. And dragons who weaken our lines and destroy our race by settling for humans, don'
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 37
Mikhail felt the moment her life slipped away. The last bit of breath in her body vanished, and the silence where her heartbeat should have been was deafening. There was nothing there now. Nothing. Nothing at all. He threw back his head and roared. The rafters of the small museum quaked around them as his dragon surged to the surface. It forced itself through the thick, deadening weight of whatever Conrad's drug had done to it, but not even that could stop the dragon now. Mate-grief was too stronglove was too strong. Already his wounds were mending. Flames filled his vision as he vowed to destroy the man who had taken his love from him. It would be the last thing he would do before his broken heart killed him.His mother's voice seemed to whisper from all around him. Magic calls to magic.Magic. He was in a museum full of magical artifacts. But he knew of no spells that could bring back the dead. You can't be gone. You belong to me.The memory of Piper's voice teased his ears. Y
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 38
Piper stared at the dark green dragon. He was beautiful, and she knew him. He was hers. Her dragon wanted to dance and nuzzle against him. But the sight of the carMikhail's cardriving away grabbed her attention. That car needed to be stopped. Her mate nudged her shoulder with his snout, urging her to follow. He took a running start and leaped skyward, his wings flapping hard enough to create a small windstorm. Piper ignored the flutter of nerves at thinking this was her first flight; even her dragon was nervous. It had been asleep for so long. But she did exactly what she'd seen Mikhail do. There was a second of gut-wrenching panic when she lifted into the air, and then she was shooting even higher, her wings catching the wind, and she was flying.Their wings pulled them forward through the night air like twin bolts of lightning, until they were alongside the retreating vehicle. Mikhail angled his wings, making a sharp turn back toward land, and she copied him. They flew toward the
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 39
It is time to end a story that began in sorrow and ordeal and has ended in a deep and lasting happiness. May it be so for others.¨DAnne McCaffrey"It's been a long time, brother," Grigori said."It has indeed," Mikhail replied. A hundred things he'd longed to say simply faded. He pulled his elder brother into a fierce hug. Two hundred years had passed since he'd seen Grigori, and in that embrace he felt every single day fade away."Now that you have the jewels back, tell me you will stop this exile nonsense and come home. Rurik and I miss you. Besides, now that you shall be an uncle soon"Mikhail's lips parted in shock. "You mean you""Madelyn and I are expecting a drakeling. Should be here in eight months. Can you believe it? I'm going to be a father." Grigori's blue eyes sparkled like diamonds. He'd never looked happier.Mikhail slapped his brother's back. "Congratulations." But then he sobered. "But how? Madelyn isn't a dragoness." Belishaw was sure Mikhail's brother had mated a m
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 40
Piper sat on the edge of Mikhail's bed, watching him undress. It was close to midnight. They'd had a wonderful dinner with Grigori and Madelyn, who at this moment were settling in for the night in a bedroom down the hall."It's time for our little talk." Mikhail came over to stand in front of her, wearing only his jeans with the top button undone. He did that on purpose, she supposed. Something about him in just jeans made her a little crazy. She stared at his chest until he cupped her chin and tilted her head to look up at him."Hmmm?" "We need to talk," he repeated. His green eyes were warm. Piper couldn't help but smile, even though there was a sudden flutter of nerves in her belly. She held her breath as she tried to stay calm."Is it a good talk or a bad talk?" "A good talkI hope." He brushed the pad of his thumb over her lips and flashed her a smile. Then he knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his."So much has happened this last week. I know you still need time to
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 41: Prologue
Book TWO: Rurik: A Royal Dragon RomanceGreat heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.Peter S. Beagle, The Last UnicornMoscow, Russia Rurik Barinov watched the men and women dance in his nightclub, Logovothe Lair. Its dark interior was lit by flashing strobe lights and fog from the machines at the opposite ends of the dance floor. The entire club looked like a cross between a cave and a dungeon. The walls were rough stone, and dancers were showing off their moves in iron-barred cages. While Rurik's older brother ran a sensible business, one that was built on technology in commerce, Rurik traded in something far older: pleasure. Dancing, drinking, and sex never went out of style. He was not buttoned-up and proper like Grigori. He enjoyed wild nights with wicked women, bodies straining and yearning for that headlong rush of mutual satisfaction. It never ceased to amaze him that Grigori had walked away from such
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 42
Among all the kinds of serpents, there is none comparable to the dragon.Edward Topsell, 1658Moscow, Russia ¨C Three months laterCharlotte MacQueen tugged the sweetheart neckline of her red satin cocktail dress up a few more centimeters. Despite the thick red velvet winter coat she wore, her exposed skin had drawn the cabdriver's eyes and made her shift restlessly until he'd had to focus back on the road. But then, she'd known her dress would have this effect. She was practically falling out of the damn thing, but she had a hunch this would be one of the few times having full breasts would be an advantage instead of a hindrance.She'd spent most of her life hiding her curvy figure behind draping sweaters and lab coats. It was silly, but she'd never felt comfortable in sexy clothes.Charlotte wasn't sure if it was how the slide of satin felt on her skin or the way every masculine eye fixed on the thigh-high cut of her dress or the lowered neckline, but tonight she was trying hard to
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Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 81: Epilogue
Above us, outlined against the brilliant sky, dragons crowded every available perching space on the Rim. And the sun made a gold of every one of them.?―Anne McCaffrey,?Nerilka's StoryThe sound of the door chime at Rurik's apartment made Charlotte tense. Madelyn and Piper both giggled at her, but Charlotte wasn't laughing. After she'd almost died the day before, everything had become a chaotic blur. She'd been staying at Rurik's apartment while her brothers and Rurik's had seen to handling the cleanup of the dragon battle. She hadn't been sure if they would agree to come when she and Rurik had invited them over today."It's going to be fine," Madelyn said. "They fought together against Drakor and the Silvas.""And your brother saved my ass," Piper added. "That counts for something."Charlotte bit her lip, studying her future sisters-in-law. Behind them in the kitchen, Grigori and Mikhail were teasing Rurik about being mated, just as he'd predicted. He'd put up with it long enou
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 80
SnowSnow was falling. Charlotte could feel it on her skin before she opened her eyes. She was there in that realm between, feeling Rurik's beating heart. The warm glow was so close, but as she sat up and blinked, she saw the flames flicker and sputter, threatening to go out.She surged to her feet and pushed through the thick snowfall as the storm became fiercer, wind whipping at her. She had to reach his heart this time, or else the wall of shadows creeping in at the edges of her vision would overtake her.Charlotte braced her arms in front of her face, shielding it from the icy wind. Shapes moved ahead of her, but they weren't shadows. These shapes weredragons. Hundreds of them, lined on either side of her path to the dwindling glow of Rurik's heart. Their massive, long-snouted heads bowed, their frills fanning up as they watched her pass by beneath them like giant statues."Another comes to the doorstep. Come, brother. Come home. There is so much for us to show you. So much you
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 79
Like a fruit suffused with its own mystery and sweetness, she was filled with her vast death, which was so new she could not understand that it had happened.Rainer Maria RilkeRurik had fought a thousand battles, but nothing compared to the one inside him the moment he saw Charlotte pull Drakor over the edge of that building. Every nightmare he'd ever had as a boy of having a mate and losing her came true in that instant. The terror, pure and violent, froze him in place, but not for long. His dragon, buried deep beneath the serum, suddenly stirred."No!" His roar shook the already unstable building around them. He didn't have time to think. He rushed toward the ledge, just as Damien and his team stormed the room. It only took a moment for the hunter to recognize his intentions."Rurik, no!"Rurik leaped from the window, his rage and love blurring together in a swell of emotions that drowned out everything else. His dragon exploded out of him as he hurtled down toward his mate.
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 78
Charlotte woke with a gasp. Rurik's voice still lingered inside her, a whisper, more in her heart than her head. Had she dreamed it? Her lungs burned and her throat was in agony. For a moment she didn't remember where she was, until she saw Luis Silva crouched over her. His hands were no longer wrapped around her throat. Now they were balled into fists at his thighs.The memories of what had happened before she'd passed out came roaring back. But he seemed to have lost interest in her, which was perhaps the only thing that had saved her life. Luis was staring at something over her head. Clutching her throat, she rolled over and looked out through the tall windows and saw three winged shapes headed straight for them. Their wings flapped in a strange but familiar way, something between a gliding bird and the pulsing frenzy of a bat. Dragons.Luis growled, eyes fixed on this imminent threat. Charlotte realized this would be her only chance. She scrambled to her feet and lunged at Luis
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 77
The brave men did not kill dragons. The brave men rode them.Game of ThronesRurik stared at the floor number digits, which kept changing in the elevator as he and Damien's team rode it to the top floor, when suddenly his head seemed to clear of the fog that had separated him from Charlotte.Flashes of what she was seeing came through the bond to him. Drakor's face, the serum in his hand as he talked. Red-gold eyes burning into Charlotte's. Another man standing close behind Drakorone Rurik recognized with dread. Rurik felt her heart pounding and her terror spiking. He leaned against the side of the elevator, gasping as her strong emotions swamped him.Charlotte, where are you?"Uhguys, the dragon's face just turned green. I think he's going to puke," Jason said, cautiously inching away from Rurik. Meg and the other hunters stepped back. Damien gripped Rurik by the shoulder. "What's the matter?""I know I know where she is!" Rurik's head exploded with new images. An office build
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 76
Dragons and legendsIt would have been difficult for any man not to want to fight beside a dragon.―Patricia Briggs,?Dragon Blood"You are Rurik's mate," the Russian dragon mused as he leaned in and inhaled Charlotte's scent. She tensed, closing her eyes as he drew close enough to kiss her. He didn't, but the invasion of her personal space was unsettling.When he finally leaned away from her, she opened her eyes again. Luis, the man she'd head-butted, leaned against the closed door, watching her with black eyes. He'd brought her to an expensive high-rise structure in Moscow, newly built and mostly empty. She almost fainted at the height when she realized they were more than forty stories up in an empty corner office. She sat in a metal chair, but she wasn't restrained. Why bother? She had no way to escape, except jumping.Luis's gaze raked down her body. "She reeks of Barinov." Dimitri Drakor didn't seem nearly as brutish as she'd expected. He was nothing like Luis, who'd so cas
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 75
The course of true love never did run smooth.- Willian ShakespeareRurik's face hurt like the devil. Jason's one punch had left Rurik feeling agony he normally felt only in battle with another dragon. He spat, the bloody mess landing on the hotel carpet floor. Damien was staring at him, a contemplative look in his eyes, and Jason looked ready to go for round two with him."There's really no way to sever the mating bond?" Damien asked, his tone dangerously quiet. This time Rurik didn't feel like trying to hide his answers. Nothing he would say would change whatever it was they intended to do with him."Only death can break the bond." He looked Damien in the eyes. He saw only one option left open to him, even though it would shatter his heart. "Our intention, our hope, was to convince you there was another way between our peoples. But if you are so blind that you can't see this, then I have another option."Damien frowned. "What's that?""I will leave her alone. You take her hom
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 74
Charlotte lay on her side in the back of an SUV, her head pounding. She tried to sit up, but her body ached. She blinked, her brain foggy. She recognized the two women in the front seats of the vehicle."Tamara, Meg, what's going on?" She didn't immediately remember what had happened, but when her gaze met Tamara's in the rearview mirror, the last few hours came flooding back to her."Rurik!" She gasped and scrambled to reach for the car door."Charlotte!" Meg spun around in the front passenger seat. "Calm down, okay? Tamara and I are working on a plan. But first we had to get you somewhere safe." "A plan?" "Yeah. We both think your brothers are a bit unreasonable at the moment. Damien especially. I know it's going to piss him off, but I know what I saw between you and Rurik tonight. I've seen enough shifters in my day to know what a mating looks like. But the fact is we're never going to get your brothers to calm down by flying off the handle. So just relax, okay?"Charlotte t
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 73
Whatever can die is beautifulmore beautiful than a unicorn, who lives forever, and who is the most beautiful creature in the world. Do you understand me?―Peter S. Beagle,?The Last Unicorn"All right, you fucking bastard, talk!" A rough hand shook Rurik in the chair he was tied to. Rurik could feel the tranquilizer leaving his system. If he could delay whatever torture they intended just a few minutes longer, he might be able to break his bonds and then"You want me to talk?" he replied with a grin. "What shall we talk about? How about the cowardice of the Brotherhood? You seem well acquainted with it."The man who'd shaken him cocked a fist, but the door opened and a second man entered. This was the one Rurik recognizedDamien MacQueen. The younger man resembled him so much that he had to be Jason. Charlotte's brothers."Stand down, Jason.""Let me do this," Jason insisted. "Just one little punch.""I would barely feel it." Rurik chuckled, flexing his hands against the chair a
