Read Serpent's Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel Online
Authors: Deborah Cooke
The two of them looked like characters from an old saga, both tall and muscular, both majestic and beautiful. They wouldn’t just stand taller than most in the crowd, they’d draw the attention of everyone in the vicinity. There was an energy between them, too, a force of attraction that hadn’t been extinguished with the firestorm’s spark.
She watched Thorolf kiss Chandra’s hand and decided that love was good for her old friend. Thorolf then cast out his hands and a shimmering blue light surrounded him. He shifted shape, taking his dragon form, and his scales were more brilliant than the moonlight. She’d always thought his scales looked like moonstones set in silver, but now they shone like diamonds lit from within. He looked bigger and stronger now, too, although he’d always been magnificent.
He looked like a dragon bred of a long line of champions.
The
Pyr
landed one at a time, flanking the new couple, folding back their wings and remaining in their dragon forms.
“First,” Rafferty said solemnly. “A small matter of business.”
Only Erik appeared to be confused about this, which gave Rox a clue as to what was going on. Rafferty bowed deeply, then took flight over the pool, pausing before Erik.
“We took that vote,” he said and Erik remained watchful but impassive. “You won the leadership again.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Erik protested.
“We do,” Thorolf insisted. “Because it’s right.”
Rafferty and Erik eyed each other for a moment, then embraced, opal scales against ebony ones. Rox blinked back tears, the sight reminding her of Rafferty’s ring, then the pair parted and Rafferty took his place with Melissa again.
Erik took a low turn over the still reflecting pond, his wings stirring a ripple on its surface. Rox thought he’d done a triumphant lap, but after the ripple on the surface, the reflections weren’t what she expected to see.
She saw Quinn, the Smith of the
Pyr
, where Thorolf’s reflection should have been. His scales were sapphire and steel, and his mate, Sara, the Seer of the
Pyr
, stood beside him. Their sons were with her, Garrett who had just turned six, Ewan at three and the baby, Thierry, in Sara’s arms.
“It worked,” Quinn said in his usual thoughtful manner, his deep voice as audible as if he were standing there.
Erik chuckled as he landed alongside the others. “There’s magic in the air tonight,” he acknowledged. “The scrying is particularly good.” He gestured to his own reflection, or to the place where his reflection should have been. Rox saw his mate Eileen in the dark mirror of the pond, her hands on the shoulders of their daughter Zöe. Zöe would be six this year, as well, taking her dark hair and maybe her intensity from her father. Rox refused to think about the only female
Pyr
having lost all indicating signs that she might be the new Wyvern.
Rox looked down the reflecting pool and saw Donovan opposite Delaney, his lapis lazuli and silver scales shining almost as brightly as the pearl in his own repaired scale. His mate, Alex, was with him, along with Nick, who would be six within a few weeks, and Darcy who was also three.
Rafferty’s adopted daughter Isabelle, the oldest of all the children by a few months, was mirrored opposite Rafferty and Melissa. Melissa fell to her knees and reached out her hand, smiling as their daughter raised her own hand to match. Some of the
Pyr
—including Rafferty—believed that the soul of Sophie, the lost Wyvern, had taken the form of this little girl, and every time Rox saw Isabelle, she hoped it was true.
Lorenzo appeared in the lake, opposite Sloane, his scales gleaming in shades of tri-color gold and cabuchon gems. His mate, Cassie was pregnant again, their toddler in Lorenzo’s arms. Lorenzo had returned to Venice after his battle with Chen to ensure her safety. Rox knew they had to be in Italy and guessed from the protective look in Lorenzo’s eyes that even the Dragon Legion in his lair hadn’t been enough to convince him to stay for Thorolf’s scale repair.
A blue green light flickered across the surface of the water and Marco, the Sleeper, appeared opposite Brandt, his figure more shadowy than usual, as if he were hidden in the depths of the dark water.
Finally, Drake appeared opposite Niall, as dark and inscrutable as ever. He looked with approval at Thorolf though and inclined his head at the other
Pyr
in respect. Rox guessed that he felt responsible for Tisiphone’s quest for vengeance, since it had been one of his men who had assaulted her centuries before.
She realized that there were seven
Pyr
standing alongside the reflecting pool, which had to be a magical number. The water rippled again and the ranks of the Dragon Legion filled the pond, that remarkable surge in the population of the
Pyr
that were the result of Drake’s adventures with the darkfire crystal. Rox knew she didn’t imagine that he caught his breath as he looked over them, his eyes narrowed slightly with pride.
There was a murmur of old-speak that sounded like a single pulse of thunder to Rox. The
Pyr
looked up as one as another dragon flew closer. He glittered gold, red on his scales and his talons, with pale feathers streaming behind him. Lee still had color and strength to regain, but he was beautiful and exotic.
He hovered before Thorolf and presented that
Pyr
’s missing scale with a bow.
Thorolf accepted it with an answering bow. “Thank you, Lee.”
The newest member of the
Pyr
backed up, remaining in flight over the still water. Rox had a lump in her throat, given what he’d endured because of Chen’s jealousy.
“We gather to heal one of our own,” Quinn said and the other
Pyr
raised their wings high. He breathed dragonfire into a small jeweler’s forge. The flames shone in the depths of the pool, but also rose as if the fire sat on the surface. Rox caught her breath as its golden light touched the scales of the gathered
Pyr
, making them look like the jeweled treasures she knew them to be. They were virtually motionless and she ran a hand over Niall to reassure herself that she wasn’t dreaming.
He caught her hand gently in his claw, gave her fingers a squeeze, and lifted her hand to his chest. She felt his own repaired scale, along with the gift she’d given him to see it done. She also felt the beat of his heart beneath her palm.
Quinn breathed more dragonfire on his forge, the flame heating to silver in its brilliance. He reached up with one claw and to Rox’s surprise, his talon passed through the water, as if the surface was a portal to another world. Thorolf surrendered the loose scale to him, and Rox caught her breath as Quinn took it to his side of the barrier. He heated it, that spiral glowing with dark malice.
Would it make T sick again?
Chandra leaned forward to address Quinn. “You need a gift from me,” she said softly. “Let me give it to you.”
She offered an arrow head with the rune carved in it to Quinn, holding it out in her bare hands to the flame Quinn had conjured. Rox had heard all about Chandra’s past and her runes. Still she wasn’t sure what to expect, but Quinn coaxed the fire to burn hotter. White flames erupted from the surface of the water to lick the stone in Chandra’s hands. The arrow head heated to white. Chandra caught her breath in pain and Rox saw three tears fall to the water.
They were gold, though, instead of clear.
Quinn laughed with delight as he caught them, and his claws came through the surface of the water.
Thorolf caught his breath in awe. “Tears of amber,” he whispered.
Chandra flashed him a smile. “Probably the last ones,” she said. “I’m fresh out of magic.”
“You won’t regret surrendering it for me,” Thorolf said with a vehemence that made Rox shiver. She’d always known that if he came to care for anything, his love would be potent stuff.
Quinn worked the teardrops of amber into the surface of the scale with his usual dexterity and Rox could see how proud he was of his work. Thorolf took flight, then hovered low over the surface of the water, the brightness of his reflection making Rox narrow her eyes.
“Fire!” Quinn declared and pressed the arrow head into the gap in Thorolf’s armor. Rox knew that fire was one of Thorolf’s affinities. Thorolf tipped his head back, grimacing at the pain, then blew a plume of dragonfire over the pool.
“Air!” the
Pyr
cried in unison, for this was Thorolf’s other affinity. Chandra blew on the repaired scale.
“Water!” Quinn said, running a talon over the amber tears that Chandra had shed.
Thorolf scooped up his mate, his manner triumphant. “And earth,” Chandra concluded, her voice both practical and sultry. She folded her hands over the repaired scale, obscuring it from view. She then kissed his face before lifting her hands away. The scale shone on his chest, the amber tears like jewels on its surface.
And the dark swirl completely gone.
“The final gift of the firestorm,” Niall murmured, and Rox knew it was true.
Thorolf shimmered blue once again, landing in his human form to kiss Chandra soundly. The other
Pyr
shifted shape right after him, and Rox wasn’t the only mate to receive a celebratory kiss after Thorolf’s healing. She might not be the only one thinking about celebrating a little bit more, dragon style.
Niall winked at her when he broke their kiss, and Rox knew she wasn’t.
“Another son,” she whispered to him. “Tonight’s the night.” Niall’s answering grin made her heart skip a beat, and Rox knew that was one thing that would never ever change.
A number of firestorms (never mind a lot of
Pyr
committing to their mates for the long term) means a growing list of sons born to our favorite dragon shape shifters. Here’s a list of the next generation so far.
This list is also included on my website and will be updated with new firestorms. There’s also a new page there about eclipses and the Dragon’s Tail.
Quinn Tyrrell and Sara Keegan
Firestorm sparked March 3, 2007 (but Quinn and Sara didn’t meet until the following July)
Garrett—April 16, 2008
Ewan—February 21, 2011
Thierry—June 11, 2012
(Sara pregnant again in
Serpent’s Kiss
.)
Donovan Shea and Alexandra Madison
Firestorm sparked August 28, 2007
Nick—May 10, 2008
Darcy—August 4, 2011
Erik Sorensson and Eileen Grosvenor
Firestorm sparked Feb 21, 2008
Zöe—November 16, 2008
(Zöe’s coming of age as the new Wyvern of the
Pyr
is recounted in the paranormal young adult trilogy,
The Dragon Diaries
. Nick Shea, Liam Shea and Garrett Tyrrell also feature in this series.)
Delaney Shea and Ginger Sinclair
Firestorm sparked February 9, 2009
Liam—November 23, 2009
Sean—May 14, 2012
Niall Talbot and Rox Kincaid
Firestorm sparked June 26, 2010
Kyle and Nolan—April 28, 2011
Rafferty Powell and Melissa Smith
Firestorm sparked December 21, 2010
Isabelle—March 5, 2008 is their adopted daughter
Lorenzo de Fiore and Cassie Redmond
Firestorm sparked June 15, 2011
Antonio—March 27, 2012
Bartholomew due May 2014
Brandon Merrick and Liz Barrett
Firestorm sparked December 10, 2011
Christopher—September 16, 2012
Andrew—January 7, 2014
And more to come…
Ready for more Dragonfire?
Read on for an excerpt from
Firestorm Forever
The Final Dragonfire Novel
Excerpt from
Firestorm Forever
© 2014 Deborah A. Cooke
October 8, 2014—California
Sloane Forbes, the Apothecary of the
Pyr
, was frustrated.
He was exhausted by his efforts to find a cure for the plague ravaging the Pacific Northwest and knew he’d spent more hours in his lab than were healthy. He was discouraged, though, because he’d made so little progress. Every time he thought he had a good lead, it came to a dead end, and he had to start over again.