All Chapters of Brothers of Ash and Fire: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Mikhail jerked awake, the memory from half a millennium ago still lingering in his mind, the taste of Elizabeth's kiss still on his lips and her mocking smile still burned into his memory. But it wasn't 1559 anymore. Half a millennium had passed between that fateful kiss and the solitary life he led in Cornwall now.He sat up, eyes adjusting to the lack of moonlight, his thoughts still back at the moment his life had changed foreverwhen the woman he'd thought he loved had drugged his wine, stolen his hoard, and then imprisoned him behind iron bars, the one metal that could harm a dragon and which he had no power over, for half a century. The woman had taken everything that mattered to him, and centuries later, it still stung to realize the extent of his gullibility. Eyes sharpening in the darkness, his dragon senses assessed the night. A faint patter of rain against the bay windows drew his attention. The dragon inside him shifted, wanting to manifest itself and take flight. Over th

"I should leave you to" she said, now trying to sidestep him. "My name is Mikhail Barinov," he announced, stopping her. There was a touch of pride in his tone, but it lacked the arrogance that she expected to go with it. It was almost as though he expected her to know of him, but she obviously didn't. Which begged the question, who the hell was he?"I'm Piper, Piper Linwood."Mikhail raised her hand to his lips and gave her a chivalrous kiss. His lips were warm and soft on the backs of her fingers. She shivered. It was impossible not to imagine his lips touching other parts of her. The wicked thought filled her with a wild rush of excitement and a hint of panic. She never thought about strange men like this. Was it because Mikhail was insanely gorgeous? Or was it because at the age of thirty she was still a virgin and her hormones were finally kicking into high gear?"Will you be attending the reception at the Thorne Auction House tonight?" he asked her.Surprise fluttered throug

Mikhail leaned forward in his chair and raked his hands through his hair. "Please, Randolph. I wouldn't ask, but""Say no more. If the promise of gems draws you out of your little cave in Cornwall, then consider it done. I'll go with you, of course. I'm rather fond of the new American gemologist they brought here. I should like to see her again."Mikhail's body went rigid. An American gemologist? His little virgin gemologist who smelled like heaven? The one he'd done a poor job of not thinking about for the last hour?"Gemologist?" Mikhail forced himself to sound neutral."Oh yes. A succulent little creature with the biggest brown eyes and legs that go on for days, as the Americans say. I'd love to have them wrapped around my hips, if you understand my meaning." Randolph grinned wickedly.Brown eyes? Not pale blue? So it hadn't been the woman named Piper Linwood. The small, curvy human with eyes like alexandrite, a bluish-gray that could change shade with whatever she stood close

Maybe tonight would be special after all. Piper fetched her black pumps and leaned against the bed to put them on. Her stomach gave another nervous flip as she exited the room and headed toward the staircase. She paused at the top when she realized guests had started to arrive early. The reception hall was filled with at least a dozen people in suits and cocktail dresses. Jodie was already engaged with some of the guests; she was a complete natural in social situations. Footmen bearing trays of champagne floated among the crowd. The glow of the chandeliers illuminated the bubbling gold liquid in the glasses. Piper soaked up the moment. She'd come a long way since she'd been a kid in Boston, studying hard instead of going out. Nights like tonight had seemed impossible. Something to daydream about, not experience. She'd come from a middle-class home and had to scrimp and save to get to college. Now it felt like her entire life had led to this moment. She rarely stopped to pat herself

That was the deep uncanny mine of souls.Like veins of silver ore, they silentlyMoved through its massive darkness. Blood welled up among the roots, on its way to the world of men, and in the dark it looked as hard as stone.Nothing else was red.Rainer Maria RilkeBarty Winston seethed as Piper Linwood walked away from him. Little American bitch thinks she's something special. Too good to talk to methat much is obvious.But not for long. He'd made a deal with the devil tonight, and soon he'd be rich enough to take whatever he wanted, including her."Is that the woman?" a deep voice asked behind him. Barty jumped, startling a passing footman who barely avoided dropping his tray of empty champagne flutes before continuing on his way. Barty gave a short nod, afraid to look over his shoulder at the man lurking behind him.Conrad Sinclair was a tall, imposing man of six foot three, with jet-black hair and eyes just as dark. But Barty never liked to look at him directly; there