The Dragon Legion Collection

Chapter Five



“Good thing it’s digital, or you’d wear it out,” Eileen said as she walked past Erik with a pile of clean laundry.

The leader of the Pyr didn’t even look up from the news footage displayed on his laptop screen.

“It’s Jorge,” he said, starting the clip again. “I’m sure it’s Jorge. Spontaneously manifesting in Seattle.”

“I wondered when he’d turn up again,” Eileen mused. She came to stand behind Erik and leaned on his shoulder to watch.

“You don’t sound worried,” Erik said, trying to not sound irritated by that.

Eileen pressed a quick kiss to the side of his neck. “I have a personal dragon protecting me.”

“But still...” Erik began to argue, then Eileen pointed at the screen.

“What’s in his mouth?”

“It looks like a severed limb.”

“Nice. With fingers. An arm, then.”

On the video clip, Jorge rose on his hind legs, displaying the splendor of his golden yellow scales. Erik peered at the screen, noting that there was a wound on the Slayer’s shoulder.

“He fought somebody recently.”

“A Pyr, no doubt,” Eileen agreed. “Those scabs look fresh.”

“And we know he heals very quickly because of the Elixir.”

“I wonder where he came from.”

Jorge took flight and even though he’d watched the sequence a thousand times already, Erik leaned closer so that he wouldn’t miss a single detail. Jorge flew a circle over the crowd and looked to be chewing on the severed limb. He shook it over the assembled crowd, dispersing a spray of blood. One drop landed on the lens or phone of whoever had filmed this version and it dripped in a red smear.

“That is gross,” Eileen said with disgust and returned to her laundry. “You’d think he’d be able to resist the temptation of doing that.”

“And then he vanishes,” Erik said, sitting back and tapping his fingers on the table.

“Spontaneously manifesting elsewhere,” Eileen concluded. “I wonder where.”

“I wonder why,” Erik said. “Jorge is very deliberate.”

“As well as a nasty piece of business,” Eileen said, giving an elaborate shiver. “How’s our dragonsmoke boundary mark these days?”

“Thick and deep,” Erik said, to her evident relief. “Even if he manifests inside it, I’ll be ready for him.”

“Ever vigilant. That’s what I like about living with a dragon.”

Erik started the clip again, then caught his breath.

“What do you see?” Eileen asked, and he knew she’d noticed his reaction.

“It’s at the very beginning. There’s a glimmer of blue-green light, I’m sure of it.”

“Darkfire,” Eileen whispered. She came back to his side and watched, then nudged him away from the keyboard. She could type so much more quickly than him, and he watched the screen, wondering what she was looking for.

“There have to be more filmed versions. Look at all those cellphones in the crowd. Maybe one starts sooner than the news version.”

“Before Jorge appears,” Erik said.

A range of search results were displayed on his screen, more versions of Jorge’s appearance than Erik could have believed possible. Eileen scrolled down and chose one that apparently started with a flash of light.

Blue-green light filled the viewfinder and when it faded, Jorge was in the middle of the road. He looked dazed, or maybe confused, then surveyed the crowd and seemed to smile.

“He didn’t know where he was going to end up,” Erik guessed.

“Because it was the darkfire that sent him,” Eileen agreed.

They grimaced simultaneously as he flew over the crowd, scattering the blood, then disappeared from view. The crowd was seething with excitement where he had been, many of the people rushing forward to the spot where Jorge had stood.

“Where did he go?” Eileen asked.

“What does it mean?” Erik murmured, but he had no answer to that. They exchanged a glance, then Eileen returned to her laundry and Erik settled in to watch every single second of available footage. If there was a clue, he would find it.

* * *

Aura heard the steady beat of wings the next evening, just as the sun was setting. She thought it was her imagination, but the sound became steadily louder. She stood and turned, awed by the sight of dragons flying toward her from the east.

“Here!” she cried, holding up her hands, then repeated the appeal in the speech of her kind. “Here!”

They turned with grace and spiraled down toward her. One dragon was just as dark in color as Thad while the other was brilliant gold. They could have been day and night. As they descended, Aura saw that each dragon carried a woman, one of whom carried an infant in her arms. They landed near her and she heard a rumble like thunder. Aura smiled, knowing that what Thad had told her was true.

“It’s old-speak,” explained one of the women, stepping out of her dragon’s embrace and moving closer with confidence.

“The way they communicate with each other. I know. Thad told me.”

“Katina,” the woman said, then gestured to her dragon. “This is Alexander, who leads the training of the Pyr in our time.”

“Petra and Damien,” the other woman said, lifting her son for Aura to see. “And this is Orion.”

“The child of the firestorm,” Aura said. “So, you were the Earthdaughter who escaped the Underworld, and your Pyr was the one who struck down she-who-should-not-be-named.”

The two women exchanged glances of surprise. “You know so much,” Katina said.

“I was a nymph, now an Airdaughter. We listen.”

“And your firestorm is satisfied,” Petra said. “That’s good.”

They turned to consider Thad, who looked so pale that Aura’s heart clenched. “A yellow salamander changed to a dragon,” she said and the two dragons looked up at her words. “They fought and his blood ran black where Thad wounded him. Then he seemed to breathe and Thad became much worse.”


“Dragonsmoke,” Katina said with heat.

“He stole your dragon’s life force to feed his own.”

The dragons seemed to have come to the same conclusion, for they began at once to exhale steadily and in unison. They were extremely still but Aura could see the glimmer of their eyes as they concentrated. She narrowed her own eyes and thought she could see the same kind of sparkle in the air that she’d discerned before. It was like a plume or a ribbon, one that wound from the mouths of the two dragons, twined together, then touched the wound on Thad’s chest.

The two women took her hands and the three of them watched together. “They will give him some of their own strength,” Katina said, squeezing Aura’s fingers hard.

“Hera said he could only be healed by his own kind.”

“They will try,” Petra agreed.

“If only he hadn’t lost the scale,” Aura whispered. “If only he hadn’t become vulnerable.” She was aware of the way the two women glanced at her, though she guessed they didn’t want her to notice. Even the Pyr missed a beat in their breathing, their attention caught by her words.

They weren’t surprised by what she was telling them, so it was common.

They were expectant. She guessed that she had to do something, or say something.

Aura pulled Thad’s lost scale from her tunic to display it to them. “Can it be put back, once he’s healed?” she asked, and felt their relief.

“Only by you,” Petra said, squeezing Aura’s other hand.

“That’s what will heal him,” Katina agreed.

Aura was fiercely glad she’d stayed with Thad and that she’d chosen to be with him. She watched as the color returned to his skin and his breathing became deeper. The dragons breathed more dragonsmoke, exhaling with power, and Thad’s eyes opened suddenly. He looked around, smiling when he saw Aura. He started to sit up and she went to his side, wanting him to take it slowly, but there was no holding back her dragon once he saw his friends.

“Damien! Alexander!” he cried with joy. He was on his feet then, even before the pale blue shimmer of light flashed. In the blink of an eye, two men were embracing Thad. They all had that black dragon mark on their skin, although they wore it in different places. Thad reached up and ruffled Damien’s fair hair. “You look like you saw a ghost,” he teased.

“Something like that,” Damien said, giving Petra an intent look. Aura noticed that their son was fair-haired, too.

She’d have to ask for that story.

Thad turned to Aura and introduced her to his friends. She was pulled into their circle and savored the warmth of their friendship. “We all served in the Dragon Legion together,” Thad explained.

“The hunters of vipers,” Aura said, closing her eyes with joy when Thad held her tightly against his side.

“The Dragon Legion,” Alexander agreed.

But Thad was looking down at Aura with surprise. “What happened to the firestorm?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot that we satisfied it?” Aura teased. The women chuckled, but Thad frowned down at her.

“What happened?” he whispered.

“I’ll tell you everything later,” Aura promised. “It kept burning because I wasn’t mortal before. Now I’m an Airdaughter, and mortal just like you.”

“And you’ll bear my son,” he murmured with an awe that warmed her to her toes. “Aura, you shouldn’t have given up so much.”

“Shouldn’t I have?”

“But I’m glad you did,” he said with a grin, then kissed her with enthusiasm. His friends began to laugh, and Thad reluctantly broke his kiss. He kept Aura tightly against his side, though, and she was glad to be there. He demanded to know what had happened to the Slayer and she told him, as well as the fate of Tisiphone and Hera’s prophecy.

The new arrivals exchanged glances again. “Do you know what it means?” Katina asked Alexander.

“I know it has to do with the future,” her partner said. “The darkfire sparked for the first time in eons when we were there. It was what brought us back to this time.”

“Maybe it’s taken Jorge and Tisiphone back to that time,” Petra suggested.

“Hera said we and our children and our children’s children would be safe from her, but that one day, the Pyr would have to pay the price,” Aura supplied.

“What happened to the rest of the Dragon Legion?” Alexander asked Thad. “Are they here, too?”

“I can’t smell them,” Damien contributed and Alexander nodded agreement.

“They’re scattered throughout time. The darkfire took each of us to our firestorm,” Thad explained. “Each warrior was left in the time and place of his destined mate.”

“The darkfire took care of us after all,” Damien murmured.

“It saw destiny fulfilled,” Petra said, taking her dragon’s hand.

“But what about Drake?” Thad asked. “He was with me at the end and the darkfire took him somewhere.”

“He can’t be here,” Alexander said. “Cassandra has died and Theo is in training with us at Delphi.”

“Maybe Drake is further in the past,” Katina suggested.

“Maybe he’s in the future,” Petra said.

“We’ll find out if he’s here,” Alexander said with resolve and the others nodded. “But I think the darkfire must have had other plans for him.”

Aura noticed that the three Pyr looked thoughtful then, as if they were remembering some experience they’d shared.

“That still leaves the Dragon’s Tail wars,” Alexander continued. “If the darkfire’s gone and we’re here, how can we help the Pyr in the future?”

“Wait! We already are!” Thad snapped his fingers.

“I don’t understand,” Damien said, shoving a hand through his hair. “It looks as if I’ve made things worse for the Pyr by being here.”

“No,” Thad said, pointing to the sleeping Orion. “You had a son, and he will have a son, and his son will have a son. Because we are here, two millennia before the Pyr we came to know, we can build an army for them.”

Aura gasped in understanding. “Thad’s right! We have time on our side.”

Alexander laughed. “It’s perfect! We can pass that prophecy along, from father to son, so Erik will learn of it in time.”

“And we can mark the flesh of our sons,” Damien said, indicating the black dragon mark on his arm.

“That’s why the darkfire marked them at Delphi,” Katina said with excitement. “It was showing you what to do.”

The Pyr nodded and Petra spoke. “They’ll carry the sign of the Dragon Legion, so that they can recognize each other.”

“And best of all, the darkfire didn’t abandon the Dragon Legion or the Pyr,” Thad concluded. “It put everything in motion so the Pyr can triumph.” The three of them were so pleased that Aura feared they’d missed the point.

There was a new threat against the dragon shifters. Even if she-who-should-not-be-named had been banished to another time and place, she wasn’t going to see Thad struck down like that ever again.

“First we have to fix Thad’s scale, and we have to fix it now,” Aura interrupted, holding up the scale. “Tell me what I need to do.”

* * *

Drake sat opposite Erik in that Pyr’s loft apartment. The kitchen was austerely black and white, the single yellow gerbera daisy in a vase on the table making a bold splash of color. The sunlight streaming through the windows and touching on the daisy was bright enough to make Drake think again of Greece. He had slept and eaten, and he had told Erik all that he knew. He was still exhausted and Drake feared that this weariness would persist.


His men were lost.

The darkfire crystal was extinguished.

He didn’t know what the point of anything was anymore.

For the moment, he was content to just sit, to just be. He was aware that Erik watched him closely and that the other Pyr saw far more than even most dragons. On some level, he hoped Erik would make a suggestion or give him an assignment. On a deeper level, he wanted this tranquil moment to continue undisturbed.

Erik, however, was not as tranquil as Drake. He got to his feet and paced to the window, moving with a deliberation that didn’t disguise the tension within him. Drake watched and appreciated that Erik was tempering his impatience. Dragons weren’t always so kind to each other.

“Partial eclipse today,” Erik murmured, recalling Drake to the moment.

“Is there a firestorm?”

Erik shook his head, not looking away from the window. Then he stilled, as if listening, then shook his head again. “It is so strange,” he murmured, then continued in old-speak. “I thought you would know more.”

They had been through this several times. Drake couldn’t explain the light Erik was seeing, or the sense of impending doom that apparently all the Pyr were experiencing.

Maybe it was time for dragons to fade from the world. Drake felt old at that thought and refused to say it aloud.

The silence embraced them again, just the faint tinkle of Erik’s dragonsmoke audible to Drake. He liked the sound of it, the comfort of it, the appearance of security it gave him. He knew that he couldn’t have slept anywhere else these past days.

The sound of a key turning in a lock made Drake jump. Erik turned as Eileen spoke to their daughter, Zo?. The little girl should be the next Wyvern, Drake remembered, for she was the only female child of one of their kind and the former Wyvern was dead. Drake knew that Erik was impatient for the child’s powers to develop, just as he knew that Erik expected no such development until Zo? came of age. Male Pyr came into the bulk of their powers at puberty, when their voices deepened and their bodies changed.

He watched Zo? with interest, but saw nothing remarkable about her. She appeared to be a solemn child, with her father’s dark hair and green eyes. She couldn’t have been four years old, though she was tall for her age. That trait would have come from both of her parents. Drake knew that she went to a daycare at the university, where her mother taught. He never felt much connection with young children, especially girls, so he returned his attention to the yellow daisy.

To his surprise, Zo? appeared suddenly beside him. She could move with her father’s silence and stealth, and her gaze was fixed upon him with the same intensity. “I made this for you,” she said, then put a large piece of paper on the table before him. Drake was too surprised to speak. Children did not give him gifts. In fact, no one had given him a gift in a long time. She stared at him for a moment, then followed her mother to the fridge.

It was a drawing.

The drawing was clearly the work of a child, but still Drake recognized the location. There was a black oval in the middle with blue spraying out of a block in the center of the oval. Drake knew it was a fountain. There were green curly lines around it, evoking the shrubbery of a park, and the sky was colored in black with yellow dots for stars. Two stick figures sat on the lip of the fountain, and Drake guessed that they were men. One held a blue-green rectangle in his hand and there were rays of blue and green emanating from it.

It was Thad and Drake, just before Thad had felt the spark of his firestorm.

Drake looked at the little girl with shock. Zo? was drinking a glass of milk, more interested in how many chocolate chips were in her cookie than the attitude of her father’s friend. Eileen must have noticed his expression because she came to his side.

“It’s the park at the university, I think,” she said. “We pass it every day.” She frowned. “We’ve never been there at night.”

“Who are the men, Zo??” her father asked quietly.

She shrugged and bit into her cookie. “They wanted to be there.” Her gaze barely flicked at Drake, then she finished her snack and went to her room, picking up her pack at her mother’s reminder.

“It’s Thad and me,” Drake said. “This is where the stone brought us the second to last time.”

“So close,” Erik mused. “But not so close that you could sense my presence, or that I would be much aware of yours.”

“Were you?”

Erik slanted a glance at him. “I felt a glimmer a few weeks ago, but it disappeared. I thought I had imagined it, because it was so fleeting. How could you be here and gone again so quickly as that?” He pressed his fingertips to one temple and closed his eyes. “The darkfire is changing everything,” he whispered, then grimaced.

Drake was on his feet in a moment, knowing something was wrong but unable to name it. Before he could speak, Erik’s eyes flew open and he stared at the door. He crossed the room with long strides, and Drake guessed that he had felt a breach of his dragonsmoke barrier.

There was a knock at the door. Erik inhaled deeply, frowned, then cast open the door.

The corridor was filled with unfamiliar men, young and vigorous men who held themselves with determination. There had to be three or four dozen of them.

They were Pyr. Drake stood behind Erik and breathed deeply, not believing his own senses. How could there be so many Pyr of whom he knew nothing?

“We are the descendants of the Dragon Legion,” said the Pyr in front. He tugged up his shirt sleeve, showing a tattoo on his upper arm that was the same as the tattoo Drake and his men had gotten as a sign of solidarity. Drake considered the young man with wonder, liking the intelligence that shone in his dark eyes. “I am named Theo, for my forebear, the son of Stephanos who became Drake,” he said, his words startling Drake. “We come to pledge ourselves to the leader of the Pyr, Erik Sorensson, as we pledged to our fathers, who pledged the same to their fathers and their fathers before them.”

“So this is what I sensed,” Erik said, almost under his breath.

Theo offered a piece of paper. “We surrender to you this prophecy, made millenia ago but for these times. We have kept it in trust, preserved it and awaited the moment it should be revealed.” He handed an envelope to Erik.

Erik opened the envelope and removed a sheet of paper. Drake could see that it had eight lines of script, though he couldn’t quite read the words.

Erik read it in old-speak.



“Across the centuries and the years,

You will wait and shed your tears,

Until the darkfire is freed again;

Your vengeance can cause Pyr no pain.

I close the portal, for once and all,

To see those I love out of your thrall.

When darkfire will burn once again,

Your sister’s death can be avenged.

When daughters of all elements are mates

Then will the dragons face their fate.”



“So, it is time,” Erik said aloud. He offered his hand to Theo. “Welcome, Theo. Welcome to you and all your company. Please, cross my dragonsmoke and share your tidings with us.” He turned and indicated Drake with a slight smile. “This is Drake, who was Stephanos. He has been weary, but I think you may bring him joy.”

Against Drake’s every expectation, a son of his line stood before him. Theo smiled and there was a gleam of tears in his eyes. He stepped forward and gave a crisp salute. “I have always dreamed of meeting you. It is an honor beyond all, sir.”


“Not sir,” Drake said hoarsely. He took Theo’s hand and shook it, liking the firmness of this young man’s grip. “I would have you call me Drake.” And then he embraced Theo, glad beyond belief that the darkfire had brought him this gift.

* * *

The repair of his scale was a wonderful moment, and one Thad would remember forever. He couldn’t have imagined how any part of it could have been improved.

The sun was setting, the western sky painted with brilliant streaks of orange. He could see the stars overhead and feel a cool breeze from the ocean. He smiled, wondering if it was a friend of Aura’s. The tree with the silver leaves tinkled in the breeze, as if to make music to celebrate their bond.

The firestorm had faded, but the weight of Aura’s hand in his own still brought a lump to Thad’s throat. He was surrounded by friends and comrades, each of whom had found love through the firestorm. He was amongst his own kind and would be with Aura for the duration. He dared to believe that thanks to their efforts, the Pyr in the future would triumph over every obstacle.

He felt like the luckiest Pyr in the world.

“There must be a token, freely given,” Katina said to Aura.

“She has surrendered her immortality,” Thad said with pride.

“Something tangible,” Petra insisted. “Something that is a measure of her link with the elements.”

“She is air and I am fire,” Thad said.

“But what are your secondary elements? The four must be divided between the two of you, or you wouldn’t have had a firestorm,” Alexander explained.

Thad met Aura’s gaze. She smiled at him. “You must be earth for your practicality,” she said and Thad sensed that she was right.

“And you would be water, for your empathy.”

Aura’s smile turned mischievous. “Or for my love of sensual delights.”

The others chuckled at that, but Thad couldn’t look away from Aura’s shining eyes. He would show her sensual delights, once they had a moment of privacy together. He smiled and she blushed a little, as if she’d guessed his thoughts.

Her eyes widened suddenly and she reached into her tunic. To Thad’s surprise, when her hand was revealed again, she held a golden apple. It was perfect, not missing a single bite, and he wondered if she had stolen another one.

“A gift from Hera,” she said with a smile. She glanced up at the peak where the garden was hidden. “A wedding gift.” She lifted the golden fruit and offered it to Alexander. It looked like it was made of gold, more like a piece of jewelry than fruit.

Alexander accepted it with a slight bow. “I never thought I’d hold one of these myself,” he said with awe. “It will more than suffice.”

Thad felt Alexander change shape beside him and glanced at the dark dragon Alexander had become. Damien shifted shape next and he nodded acknowledgement of that. The dragon known as the Heartbreaker had changed, and the transformation was more than the color of his scales and of his hair. Damien seemed more focused and less restless. Thad knew it was because he was with Petra, his destined mate, once again.

Thad smiled at Aura, then summoned his own change, reveling in the way it surged through him with such strength. The firestorm had made him more than he had been, Thad was sure of it.

The wind lifted Aura’s hair and swept through her tunic as she offered Thad’s lost scale to Alexander. Alexander held it in his claws and breathed fire at it. Damien stepped forward and breathed his dragonfire on it as well. It heated to a golden glow before Thad’s eyes. They turned their fire on the apple and it turned molten on one side before their surprised gazes. Alexander pressed it into the scale and the two merged together, so that the golden apple sat on the surface like an emblem.

“Fire,” Alexander intoned as he pressed the hot scale against Thad’s chest. Thad gritted his teeth at the burning sensation of it against his exposed skin. He heard Aura gasp and saw her eyes fill with tears of sympathy.

“Water,” Aura whispered, lifting a tear from her cheek and placing it on the scale. It sizzled on contact and evaporated.

“Earth,” Thad said, and pressed the scale more deeply into his own chest.

“Air,” Aura concluded, blowing against the hot scale as sweetly as a summer breeze. Thad caught her close and spun her around, his heart bursting with pride that she had given so much to be his mate. He swept into the sky and flew around his fellows, then spun to land on his feet, in human form, with Aura in his arms. He bent to kiss her, but she gasped in wonder as she looked past his shoulder.

“Twins!” she said with delight. “Thad, we will have twin sons!”

There was only one good way to celebrate that news, as far as Thad was concerned. He caught Aura close and kissed her soundly, knowing that this particular night would be filled with the exploration of sensual delights.

And so it would be for all their entwined future.

Thad couldn’t wait to begin.



* * * * *





The Dragon Legion Novellas are also available in a print collection.





The Dragon Legion Collection includes

Kiss of Danger

Kiss of Darkness

and

Kiss of Destiny.



Available at online book retailers.





Ready for more Dragonfire?

Read on for an excerpt from



Serpent’s Kiss

The Tenth Dragonfire Novel



Copyright ? 2013 by Deborah A. Cooke



* * *



Erik checked the perimeter of his lair, ensuring that his dragonsmoke barrier was woven thick and deep. It was late at night, or early in the morning, depending upon how he looked at it. Zo? had been put to bed hours before and even Eileen had fallen asleep. Drake had departed with the new Pyr a week before, revitalized by the opportunity to train a new company of dragon shifters.

Erik had spent the week trying to avoid a sense of pending doom. He couldn’t scry the future or see anything beyond the present moment, but he’d had a sense of trouble brewing.

Maybe it was that footage of Jorge appearing, then disappearing, in Seattle. What had the Slayer been carrying? It had looked like a severed arm, one that was still bleeding. Erik hadn’t thought much of Jorge shaking blood over the gathering crowd, not then, but today’s news had changed that.

People were becoming sick in Seattle. Very sick. There was a hum of panic building in Seattle as doctors and hospitals noticed the connections between sudden illnesses and deaths. They hadn’t used the word epidemic yet, but the first hospital had put itself into quarantine. They’d already realized that most of the victims had been at the scene of Jorge’s appearance.

It was only a matter of time before dragons were blamed.

Erik shivered, remembering the old hunts that had driven his kind into hiding and claimed so many Pyr he’d known and loved. Surely it couldn’t happen again.

Surely his suspicions were unfounded.

The loft was still, despite Erik’s restlessness. He stood at the window and watched the moon ride high overhead, listening to the pulses and breathing of his partner and child. He heard the resonance of his dragonsmoke and felt its icy glitter. The blaze in his mind had quieted, perhaps because he no longer feared it.

The numbers of the Pyr had swollen, virtually overnight, thanks to the darkfire crystal and its ability to make reality out of possibilities. The stone remained dark—he had checked it again after Drake’s departure—and he sensed that it would always be so. Its task was completed.

His, unfortunately, was not.


Erik knew he should feel optimistic instead of worried. What could he do? If Jorge had a plan, was it possible that the other Slayers knew of it? He had never been able to determine how much they communicated with each other, and their alliances shifted like the wind.

Confident that his barriers were robust and his family safe, Erik left the loft and went to the apartment he’d acquired directly below. There the Slayer JP was imprisoned, confined by a barrier of dragonsmoke breathed by Erik and buttressed by every Pyr who had come to visit since JP’s capture.

Erik felt a little bit sorry for the other dragon shifter. JP had been branded by Chen, claimed by that old Slayer and held captive by his more ancient magic. He had raved and fought when he’d first been captured by the Pyr, venting about injustice and plots. Erik had hoped to learn something about Chen from JP, but he was too incoherent to provide any information of use. Then he’d collapsed into a deep slumber, dozing in his dragon form and seldom awakening.

Chen’s sorcery seemed to be killing him. JP’s scales became thinner each time Erik visited him. He wasn’t sure when the other dragon shifter ate, but he didn’t eat much. JP’s breathing was becoming shallower and his pulse slower. Worse, the fight had gone out of him. It was such an unnatural state for a dragon shifter that Erik assumed JP would soon die.

It was such a waste. He could never understand why a Pyr would turn Slayer in the first place, never mind why Chen would enchant another Slayer just to let him fade away.

Erik unlocked the door to the apartment, fearing as he did each time that he would make a gruesome discovery. He passed through the cold shimmer of the dragonsmoke, only to find the apartment in darkness. The drapes were drawn but the apartment was unnaturally dark, given the light of the full moon. It should have stolen into the room somehow, as well as the lights of the city itself.

Erik smelled brimstone.

He slammed the door and shifted shape immediately, but even at his fastest speed, he was too slow. A plume of flame illuminated the middle of the main room. It was breathed by a young Asian man dressed in leather, a man with malice and violence in his eyes.

Chen, in one of his human guises.

Erik leapt at him, talons bared, but Chen laughed. He grabbed the inert JP by the scruff of his neck, waved to Erik, then they both disappeared.

Erik landed hard on the bare floor, but his prey was gone. Chen had used his powers to spontaneously manifest in other locations to bypass the dragonsmoke barrier and collect his prey.

Why did he want JP?

What would he do to him?

What else had the darkfire changed? Erik closed his eyes and checked the connections in his mind, following each conduit to one of the Pyr. It took him longer, with the influx of new dragon shifters, but he soon realized that one was missing.

Thorolf.

Erik had been angry with Thorolf for revealing himself to humans. There was even a YouTube video of Thorolf shifting shape in Washington, one that was impressive in its popularity. Thorolf was all impulse and powerful energy, but he spent himself in indulgence. That he made such foolish choices was in direct contrast to his impressive lineage. If Thorolf focused, or even tried to hone his skills, he could have become one of Erik’s most reliable Pyr. He could have replaced Erik as leader. But he didn’t try and he didn’t seem to care, and when he had vowed to go to Asia to hunt down Chen, Erik had let him go. He’d been sure nothing would come of it, that Thorolf would find a woman somewhere and spend a few months exploring her charms.

That had been exactly what had happened. Erik had checked and checked again just the day before.

But now Thorolf was gone. There was no glowing conduit to him from Erik’s mind. There was no link to his spirit, either. He wasn’t dead, just missing.

Erik shifted back to human form, impatient with his own failing in this. He should have kept a closer eye upon Thorolf, and he knew it. His frustration with Thorolf had driven his choices, and that had been a mistake.

He turned on the lights, intent upon checking the apartment, on the outside chance that Chen or JP had left some clue.

Chen had. There was a spiral burned into the hardwood floor, a spiral exactly like the mark branded on JP’s neck. It was about eight feet across and had been the source of that smell. Erik stepped into it and knew too late that he shouldn’t have done so. The spiral drew him forward with relentless force. He was pulled against his will to the very core of the spiral, fighting it even as he saw it begin to burn again. First the mark glowed, like embers, then it was coaxed to a small fire by a wind Erik couldn’t feel. In a heartbeat, the flames were burning as high as his knees. He couldn’t stop himself from moving closer, even when he heard Chen’s laughter echo through the empty apartment.

Was this what had happened to Thorolf? Erik struggled against the force of the spell, but couldn’t change his situation. Would he be compelled to join the other Pyr? Or did Chen have worse plans for him?

It appeared that Erik would soon find out.



* * *



Watch for

Serpent’s Kiss

The Tenth Dragonfire Novel

Coming Soon!





The World of Dragonfire:

A Glossary





Every fictional world has its own terminology and that is particularly true of fantasy realms. Here is a glossary of terms frequently used in the Dragonfire novels. Although every attempt is made to include an explanation in context, sometimes a longer explanation is desired. Be warned—if you haven’t read the entire series, you may find spoilers here!



Affinities—as custodians of the four elements (air, water, fire, earth), the Pyr have a strong relationship with them. Each Pyr has affinities to two elements. When any given Pyr experiences his firestorm, his destined mate will invariably possess affinities to the two remaining elements. Their strengths and weaknesses are complementary, as a result, which makes a permanent union   such a powerful alliance. When the mate gives a gift to aid in her dragon’s scale repair (see Loss of Scale) that gift often echoes her two affinities.



Airdaughter—an Elemental Witch with an affinity for air. An Airdaughter cannot just control the element of air but can become it. Aura is the first Airdaughter introduced in the series: her story (and the link between Elemental Witches and nymphs) is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Destiny.



Apothecary—the healer of the Pyr. The Apothecary is a hereditary position, involving a long apprenticeship and training in the medicinal uses of herbs etc. for the specific treatment of Pyr. The current Apothecary is Sloane Forbes.



Beguiling—Both Pyr and Slayer have the ability to beguile humans, although it is a skill that must be learned and cultivated. The dragon shifter in question drops his voice to a low murmur, speaks slowly, and conjures flames in his eyes. This is usually done while in human form, and generally humans see a flame deep in the iris of the dragon shifter in question. This is so irrational and unlikely that the human looks most closely, then is snared by the dragon shifters’ spell. Beguiling is similar to hypnosis, and like hypnosis, yields better results if the suggestion is something the victim already wants to believe. Pyr have used it for eons to convince those humans who have witnessed them in dragon form that they could not have really seen dragons. There is some question as to whether a dragon shifter can beguile another dragon shifter or not. In Flashfire, Lorenzo did beguile a Slayer, but that Slayer was not at his full power or health. Lorenzo is the most adept of the Pyr at beguiling.




Challenge Coin—Dragons have a tendency to both fight and to vigilantly defend their honor. If a Pyr or Slayer tosses his challenge coin at an opponent, he is challenging the other dragon shifter to a fight to the death. If that opponent picks up the coin, the challenge has been accepted. The fight may be interrupted or delayed, but they will fight to death, as a matter of honor. Challenge coins are carefully chosen by each dragon shifter to be characteristic of his nature or background and to be distinctive. Each dragon always has his challenge coin in his possession and carries it between forms.



Clothing—When a Pyr or Slayer shifts shape, he folds his clothing away quickly and tucks it beneath his scales. It is considered to be particularly important that no one ever witness exactly where the garments are hidden. No shifter can return to his human form without his clothing, so speed with this feat is key to survival. In Kiss of Fury, Erik burns the clothing of the Slayer Boris while they are both in dragon form; Boris, however, has folded away his underwear, so survives this tactic.



Darkfire—an ancient magic that breeds chaos and unpredictability in the world of the Pyr. Darkfire was trapped in three quartz crystals in the past. The Slayer Chen broke one deliberately, setting the darkfire free in the hopes of undermining the efforts of the Pyr in Darkfire Kiss. The location of the second darkfire crystal was also established in that book. In Flashfire, the third darkfire crystal was revealed to be in Lorenzo’s hoard, until it was given to Drake, the leader of the Dragon’s Tooth Warriors. The actions of that crystal feature in the Dragon Legion Collection of novellas.



Death Ritual—It is traditional to expose the body of a deceased Pyr to all four elements within one day and night of his demise. This was considered to be a ritual of respect and had lapsed from active practice until the Dragon’s Blood Elixir was formulated again.



Dragonfire—a stream of fire breathed by a Pyr or Slayer, often aimed at another dragon in battle. Dragonfire burns particularly hot. It will singe dragon scales and can leave a victim disfigured, if not dead. The Smith is said to be able to endure dragonfire, because of his affinity to the element of fire, and can draw power from it, as Quinn does in Kiss of Fire.



Dragon Legion—the Dragon’s Tooth Warriors who survived the challenge recounted in Harmonia’s Kiss and were sent through time by the darkfire crystal. They include Drake, Alexander, Damien, Thad, Orion, Peter, Ty, Ashe and Ignatio. Alexander’s story is told in Kiss of Danger; Damien’s story is told in Kiss of Darkness and Thad’s story is told in Kiss of Destiny.



Dragon’s Blood Elixir—an addictive concoction that promotes longevity in dragon shape shifters, expedites healing and increases vitality. It also gave the powers of the Wyvern to Slayers who consumed it over a period of time, particularly that of being able to take a third form (a salamander) and to spontaneously manifest elsewhere. The Slayer Magnus found the formula and shared first sips to build a company of loyal followers. He also revived dead dragon shifters with the substance, creating an army of shadow dragons from those dead Pyr whose bodies had not had the traditional death ritual. (See Death Ritual.) The saga of the Elixir is told in Winter’s Kiss, Whisper Kiss and Darkfire Kiss.



Dragon’s Egg—A polished sphere of black stone, perhaps obsidian, which shows the location of a newly sparked firestorm under the light of a fully eclipsed moon. Sophie the Wyvern uses the Dragon’s Egg as a scrying glass in Kiss of Fury, shortly before it is broken. From that point onward, Erik must learn to scry by using other surfaces, and to develop his ability to feel the locations of all Pyr.



Dragonsmoke—a stream of vapor breathed by dragon shifters—whether Pyr or Slayer—that is invisible to human perception. (Perceptive humans may feel a chill when they breach a dragonsmoke barrier.) Dragonsmoke is not only visible to dragon shifters, but it has a resonant ring when formed into a complete circle. It is used as a protective barrier or boundary mark and will burn any dragon shifter who crosses it without the permission of the dragon shifter who breathed it. This act is called ‘setting permissions.’ In order to breathe dragonsmoke, a Pyr or Slayer enters a meditative state and directs the stream of dragonsmoke, weaving it into a barrier that is preferably high and deep. A dragonsmoke boundary will disintegrate over time, and some dragon shifters can tell the age of a smoke ring by its condition. Dragonsmoke can also be used as a conduit between fighting dragons, as shown in Kiss of Fate.



Dragon’s Tail Wars—The Dragonfire series is set during a period of trial for the Pyr, in which they will battle the Slayers for custody of the earth and survival of mankind. This test was foretold to commence during the Dragon’s Tail, an astrological period believed to be a phase of karmic retribution and rebalance. We are currently experiencing the power of this same Dragon’s Tail in real life, which began in June 2006. The moon’s node will move back to the Dragon’s Head in November 2015, at which point either the Pyr or the Slayers will have been exterminated. The Pyr’s prophecy declared that the first three firestorms after the Dragon’s Tail commenced had to be successful for the Pyr to have a chance against the Slayers. Those three firestorms are recounted in Kiss of Fire, Kiss of Fury and Kiss of Fate.



Dragon’s Tooth Warriors—These warriors are a military unit of Pyr, charged with hunting down and exterminating those dragon shifters who had turned against men. They come from a time before the evolution of Slayers and call their opponents ‘vipers.’ In fighting one viper, they were enchanted and cursed to take the form of additional teeth for that dragon’s maw. They are led by a taciturn general named Drake, and unlike the modern Pyr, they are all dark in color in dragon form and almost indistinguishable from each other in either form. They first appear in the series in Kiss of Fury. The result of their decision to finish what they had begun is told in the short story, Harmonia’s Kiss. Their adventures with the darkfire crystal are told in the Dragon Legion Novellas, during which they rename themselves the Dragon Legion.



Elemental Witches—women with power not only over an individual element but also the ability to become that element. The first elemental witch introduced in the Dragonfire novels was Liz Barrett, a Firedaughter, in Ember’s Kiss. The history of the relationship between these women and the Pyr is explored in the Dragon Legion Novellas.



Earthdaughter—an Elemental Witch with an affinity for earth. An Earthdaughter can control the element of earth as well as become it. Petra is the first Earthdaughter encountered in the Dragonfire series: her story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Darkness.



Firedaughter—an Elemental Witch with an affinity for fire. A Firedaughter can control the element of fire as well as become it. Liz Barrett is a Firedaughter and the first Elemental Witch introduced in Dragonfire: her story is told in Ember’s Kiss.



Firestorm—each Pyr will experience one firestorm in his lifetime. A firestorm occurs when that Pyr meets the human woman who can bear his son. Sparks literally fly between the couple, causing an overwhelming sense of attraction and desire. The firestorm is believed to flare the way it does because it marks the presence and approval of the Great Wyvern: in her presence, the spark within each Pyr is kindled to greater strength and power. The heat of the firestorm builds until the couple’s relationship is consummated (“satisfying the firestorm”) and this first coupling always results in the conception of a son. Pyr only have sons, who come into their shifting powers at puberty. (For the exception to this rule, please see Wyvern.) All Pyr and Slayers can feel the spark of a firestorm and are instinctively drawn to its blaze. Firestorms of particular significance to the Pyr tend to occur during full eclipses of the moon. Historically, the firestorm was believed to be a purely biological impulse, but the modern Pyr increasingly believe that a partnership of long duration with the “mate” is ideal. (See Loss of Scale.) In some instances, the firestorm can be a healing power: in Kiss of Fury, the injured Delaney is drawn to the heat of his brother Donovan’s firestorm in search of renewal.




Great Wyvern—the divinity acknowledged by the Pyr. The Pyr swear by the Great Wyvern and attribute radical changes in fortune to her. Their lore insists that the Great Wyvern lit the divine spark within each of them. The Death Ritual ensures that the divine spark is fully extinguished when it should be. By this same logic, the blood of Slayers turns black because they willingly douse the divine spark in themselves, by turning their backs upon their sacred mission to defend the earth and its treasures. Just as the firestorm is a mark of the Great Wyvern’s favor, the sterility of Slayers is a sign of her disfavor.



High Council of Seven—a governing council of Pyr established by Erik’s father, Soren, in the Middle Ages, in an attempt to fight the plan of Mikael Vassily for dragon shifters to turn against mankind. That initiative failed, the Pyr’s numbers were vastly reduced, and Mikael became the first Slayer. The original High Council included Soren (father of Erik), Gaspar (grandfather of Lorenzo), Lothair, Sigmund (the elder, brother of Soren), Thorkel (grandfather of Thorolf), Rafferty and Erik. At the launch of the Dragon’s Tail Wars, Erik was attempting to locate and gather the remaining Pyr to re-establish that council.



Hoard—a collection of treasures kept by every Pyr. Although the Pyr in question perceives the items in the hoard to be precious, they may or may not be of monetary value: it is as likely that a Pyr will keep sentimental trinkets in his hoard—or stock certificates—as gold and precious gems. Some Pyr believe that their mate is the most valuable gem in their hoard.



Lair—although each Pyr may have multiple homes, his one principle residence is considered to be his lair. The lair is usually where the Pyr’s Hoard is secured, and is invariably heavily defended by Dragonsmoke barriers.



Loss of Scale—a Pyr will lose a scale when he loves, particularly when he loves and loses (or fears to lose). His emotional vulnerability is mirrored in his physical armor, which must be repaired by the Smith of the Pyr. This is not necessarily a mirror of romantic love: Magnus the Slayer lost a scale out of love for himself, while Sigmund lost one over his love for his mother. When a Pyr loses a scale due to his love for his mate, that scale can only be successfully repaired with a gift offered willingly by her and the presence of the four elements. See Affinities.



Mate—the traditional term for the woman who prompts the spark of a Pyr’s firestorm. Most mates take exception to the use of this word, although it does perfectly describe their role as results from the firestorm.



Old-speak—the traditional way in which dragon shifters communicate. Old-speak is gutteral and tends to be terse. It is expressed at a level too low for human ears to understand: humans typically hear the sound of old-speak but attribute it to passing trucks, trains or thunder. Old-speak can be uttered at different volumes: it can be conversational, it can be broadcast and heard at a great distance, or it can be whispered in the mind of another dragon shifter. A very wily dragon shifter can meld his old-speak with the thoughts of his victim so that the two are indistinguishable.



Prophecies—the Pyr seem to be particularly fond of prophecies and portents. The Wyvern can be a source of prophecies for them, as can their leader, Erik Sorensson, and Sara Keegan, the Seer who is the partner of Quinn Tyrrell, the Smith. See Dragon’s Tail.



Pyr (or “true Pyr”)—The Pyr are an ancient race of dragon shape shifters. Their role is to defend the four elements and the treasures of the earth, and they include humans among those treasures. They are not immortal, but live a very long time. Their senses are keener than humans’—they see more clearly, for example, and hear a wider range of sounds.



Scent—Pyr and Slayers can detect each other’s presence by smell. Each leaves a distinctive scent, which lingers and can be identified, thanks to the keen senses of dragon shifters. Pyr with sensitive noses say that Slayers have an odor so foul that even if they don’t recognize the dragon shifter specifically, they know his alliance by his scent. Erik’s son Sigmund knows how to remove his scent from a location, thanks to his diligent research into old dragon lore. Some Slayers who have drunk the Elixir develop the ability to disguise their scent willingly.



Shadow Dragons—Pyr raised from the dead with the Dragon’s Blood Elixir. These Pyr were not exposed to all four elements within a day and night of their death (see Death Ritual) so could be revived by the Elixir. Shadow dragons do not bleed and they fight on, without regard for any sustained injuries. They must be dismembered and burned to ashes to be destroyed, then exposed to all four elements to ensure that they remain that way. Niall’s twin brother was made a shadow dragon by Magnus, and that tale is told in Whisper Kiss.



Shape shifting—Pyr and Slayers change shape at will and by choice. His decision to shift form is presaged by a shimmer of pale blue that illuminates his body. When a dragon shifter is wounded, however, he will revert to his human form, whether he is able to choose to do so or not. This may be the result of the Pyr living so many centuries in human society. In addition, when a dragon shifter is wounded so severely that death is likely, he will unwillingly rotate between forms. Often the speed of the shifting increases in this situation, until the dragon shifter dies. There is a persistent idea amongst the Pyr that it is dangerous for a human to watch the actual transition between forms, and that seeing a man change to a dragon can make a human insane.



Slayers—Pyr who have abandoned the mission to defend humans among the earth’s treasures. Their blood is black, which is said to be a sign that they have turned away from the light. (The Pyr have a saying: “Pyr are born and Slayers are made.”) This historical development is explored in Kiss of Fate. Slayers also lose the ability to reproduce when they make their choice. It is possible that part of the reason they are drawn to a firestorm is jealousy.



Smith—the armorer of the Pyr and the only one who can repair their “armor” of scales. The Smith is a hereditary position and relies heavily upon blacksmithing skills. The Smith has a particular affinity with fire and often can coax a blaze or extinguish it with his thoughts. (See Affinities.) The current Smith of the Pyr is Quinn Tyrrell and his story is told in Kiss of Fire.



Warrior—the Warrior of the Pyr can summon the elements to assist the Pyr in battle, often in the form of weather as artillery. The current Warrior of the Pyr is Donovan Shea, and his story is told in Kiss of Fury.



Waterdaughter—an Elemental Witch with an affinity for water. A Waterdaughter can not only control the element of water but become it. Katina is the first Waterdaughter introduced in the Dragonfire series: her story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Danger.



Wyvern—the only female Pyr. At any given moment in time, there is one female Pyr, who has additional powers, including the power of prophecy, the ability to take the form of a salamander in addition to human and dragon forms, and the ability to spontaneously manifest elsewhere. The most recent Wyvern, Sophie, died in Kiss of Fate. Erik and Eileen’s daughter Zo? was conceived in that book. All Pyr come into the fullness of their powers at puberty, and Zo?’s coming of age is told in The Dragon Diaries trilogy. The Pyr call their deity the Great Wyvern.





Meet the Pyr



A long-running series results in a large cast of characters. Here’s a list of those characters who play recurring roles in the Dragonfire series, including Pyr, Slayers, mates and children. Note that there may be spoilers in their descriptions, if you haven’t read all of the books published to date.




Alexandra Madison—partner and mate of Donovan, scientist developing sustainable fuels and the prophesied Wizard. Mother of Nick and Darcy. Alex and Donovan’s firestorm is recounted in Kiss of Fury.



Alexander—one of the Dragon’s Tooth Warriors, Drake’s second in command and partner of Katina. His story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Danger.



Ambrose—a Slayer who tried to steal Margaux, the mate of Thierry and mother of Quinn Tyrrell. He vowed to eliminate the line of the Smith after he failed. He plays a role in Kiss of Fire.



Aura—mate of Thaddeus and an Airdaughter. Aura and Thad’s story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Destiny.



Balthasar—a Slayer, agate with gold in dragon form, bodyguard and driver to Magnus. He first appears in Kiss of Fate and is beguiled by Lorenzo in Flashfire.



Brandon Merrick—a professional surfer, the rebellious son of Brandt and partner of Liz Barrett. Brandon was targeted by the Slayer Chen and intended as a sacrifice to build that Slayer’s power. Liz and Brandon’s story is told in Ember’s Kiss.



Brandt Merrick—an embittered Pyr, estranged from his fellow Pyr and separated from his mate, Kay, father of Brandon. Brandt and Kay find the spark of the firestorm renewed and make a new beginning in Ember’s Kiss.



Boris Vassily—Slayer and sworn enemy of Erik, spectacular in dragon form with ruby red and brass scales and trailing red plumes. He has a large role in the first three Dragonfire novels, Kiss of Fire, Kiss of Fury and Kiss of Fate.



Cassie Redmond—former paparazzi, professional photographer, partner of Lorenzo. Cassie and Lorenzo’s story is told in Flashfire.



Chandra—a hunter and executor of evil creatures, she first appears in Flashfire, when her pursuit of Viv Jason leads her to Thorolf. An expert in both the martial arts and the mythological creatures, she immediately recognizes Thorolf for what he is, as well as the danger he’s in, and (unknown to Thorolf) takes him under her protective custody.



Chen Lee—a formidable Slayer and last of the Dragon Kings (Lung Wang) who believes himself destined to be king of all dragons. Chen possesses the secrets of ancient dragon magic, lost to all dragon shifters but him. He is known to have the ability to take six forms: an attractive young Asian woman, an agile young Asian man, an elderly Asian man, a salamander, a snake and a dragon. In dragon form, he is lacquer red and gold. He is manipulative and often underestimated by others. He needs to sacrifice a Pyr with an affinity to air to complete his spell: in Ember’s Kiss, his plot against Brandon was foiled, but he entered an alliance with Viv Jason to target Thorolf.



Damien—a Dragon’s Tooth Warrior, known by his comrades as the “heartbreaker” because of his string of short relationships with women. In the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Darkness, he has the chance to save Petra, the woman who stole his heart.



Delaney Shea—younger brother of Donovan Shea, married to Ginger Sinclair, father of Liam and Sean. Ginger and Delaney’s story is told in Winter Kiss.



Donovan Shea—lapis lazuli and gold in dragon form, a former duelist and the Warrior of the Pyr. He and his partner Alex have two sons: Nick and Darcy. Nick was named after Nikolas of Thebes. Alex and Donovan’s firestorm is recounted in Kiss of Fury.



Drake (aka Stephanos)—commander of the Dragon’s Tooth Warriors and leader of the Dragon Legion. Drake finds new meaning in his life in Harmonia’s Kiss.



Ginger Sinclair—a chef turned organic dairy farmer, married to Delaney, mother of Liam and Sean. Ginger and Delaney’s story is told in Winter Kiss.



Eileen Grosvenor—a university professor whose area of expertise is comparative mythology, partner of Erik, mother of Zo?. Eileen and Erik’s story is told in Kiss of Fate.



Erik Sorensson—onyx and silver in dragon form (sometimes described as black and pewter), the leader of the Pyr, a pyrotechnics expert who creates large fireworks displays synchronized to music, and the partner of Eileen Grosvenor. Erik has had two firestorms, one with Louisa, which resulted in the birth of his son Sigmund, and a second one with Eileen, who is the reincarnation of Louisa. He and Eileen have a daughter Zo?, who should be the next Wyvern. Erik and Eileen’s story is told in Kiss of Fate.



Isabelle—adopted daughter of Rafferty Powell and Melissa Smith. She is human, but the reincarnation of Sophie.



Jean-Pierre (aka JP)—a Slayer, son of Mallory, a renegade, yellow topaz and silver in dragon form. The killing of his younger brother, the Slayer Lucien, by the Pyr in Kiss of Fire made him turn Slayer to seek revenge. The killing of his father by Jorge turned him against Slayers. He was enchanted by Chen in Flashfire and remained in Erik’s custody in Ember’s Kiss.



Jorge—the most ruthless and mercenary of Slayers, yellow topaz and gold in dragon form. He first appeared in Kiss of Fury and subsequently became addicted to the Dragon’s Blood Elixir. With the elimination of the Elixir’s source in Winter Kiss, he began to hunt Slayers who had consumed it and devour them to get every last drop of Elixir. Seized by Pele in Ember’s Kiss, he was snared by the darkfire and cast into the past with the Dragon Legion. He makes cameo appearances in the Dragon Legion Novellas, Kiss of Danger and Kiss of Destiny.



Katina—lost love of Alexander and a Waterdaughter. Alexander and Katina’s story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Danger.



Liz Barrett—a Firedaughter, marine biologist and mate of Brandon Merrick. Liz and Brandon’s story is told in Ember’s Kiss.



Lorenzo di Fiore—three shades of gold with cabochon gems in dragon form, master illusionist and magician, partner of Cassie Redmond. Lorenzo is the most adept of the Pyr with beguiling and was believed by the Slayers to be their best chance of a recruit. Cassie and Lorenzo’s story is told in Flashfire.



Magnus Montmorency—a Slayer, jade green and gold in dragon form, a collector of secrets and foe of Rafferty. Magnus re-created the Dragon’s Blood Elixir and used it to both enslave Slayers and create an army of shadow dragons to serve his will. He first appears in Kiss of Fury and meets his match in Darkfire Kiss.



Mallory—a Slayer, garnet red and gold with pearls in dragon form, bodyguard to Magnus. He was given the Elixir when he was badly injured by dragonfire in Winter Kiss, but remained disfigured. In Darkfire Kiss, he was targeted by Jorge.



Marcus Maximus aka Marco (the Sleeper)—nephew of the Slayer Magnus Montmorency and ward of Rafferty’s grandfather. When Magnus murdered his brother Maximilian because that Pyr had a firestorm, Maximilian’s mate and infant son were taken into protective care by Rafferty’s grandfather. The boy was enchanted to sleep until the darkfire burned, in order to hide him from Magnus. The Sleeper awakens in Darkfire Kiss. Marco is particularly tranquil and observant and has the ability to both control and anticipate darkfire.



Melissa Smith—a reporter and cancer survivor, the partner of Rafferty Powell and adoptive mother of Isabelle. Melissa and Rafferty’s story is told in Darkfire Kiss.



Mikael Vassily—first Slayer and father of Boris Vassily. His story is told in Kiss of Fate.



Niall Talbot—amethyst and platinum in dragon form, the Dreamwalker of the Pyr, owner of an eco-tourism business, partner of Roxanne Kincaid and father of twin boys, Kyle and Nolan. Niall battled his own twin brother, Phelan, who had become a shadow dragon. Rox and Niall’s story is told in Whisper Kiss.




Nikolas of Thebes—a Dragon’s Tooth Warrior who fell in love with Sophie. Their story of forbidden love begins in Kiss of Fate.



Petra—lost love of Damien, and an Earthdaughter. Petra and Damien’s story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Darkness.



Quinn Tyrrell—the Smith of the Pyr, sapphire and steel in dragon form, partnered with Sara Keegan, father of Garrett and Ewan. Quinn was married centuries earlier to Elizabeth, despite their not having a firestorm, and she was murdered by the Slayer Ambrose. He earns his living as an artisan blacksmith. Sara and Quinn’s story is told in Kiss of Fire.



Rafferty Powell—opal and gold in dragon form, the romantic of the Pyr, partner of Melissa Smith and adoptive father of Isabelle. Rafferty is the one Pyr who has learned to change to a salamander and spontaneously manifest elsewhere. He wears a black and white ring, which is a reminder of the sacrifice of Sophie and Nikolas. Melissa and Rafferty’s story is told in Darkfire Kiss.



Roxanne Kincaid—A tattoo artist, partner of Niall and mother to twin boys, Kyle and Nolan. Rox and Niall’s story is told in Whisper Kiss.



Sara Keegan—a former accountant turned used bookstore owner, the Seer of the Pyr, partner of Quinn Tyrrell, mother of Garrett and Ewan. Sara and Quinn’s story is told in Kiss of Fire.



Sigmund Guthie (born Sigmund Sorensson)—Erik’s son by his first firestorm, a Pyr with a talent for unearthing lost dragon magic, and a Pyr who turned Slayer. Author of the rare volume The Compleat Guide to Slaying Dragons. Sigmund disappears from the Dragonfire series in Kiss of Fate, but makes cameo appearances in the Dragon Diaries.



Sloane Forbes—tourmaline and gold in dragon form, owner of a greenhouse and nursery specializing in herbs, and the Apothecary of the Pyr.



Sophie—the Wyvern at the beginning of the Dragonfire series. Sophie sacrificed herself in Kiss of Fate, and Zo? Sorensson was conceived during that firestorm. Sophie makes cameo appearances in the Dragon Diaries, the spin-off paranormal young adult series that chronicles Zo?’s coming of age as the new Wyvern.



Thaddeus (or Thad)—one of the Dragon’s Tooth Warriors, his story is told in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Destiny.



Thorolf—the bad boy of the Pyr, a former project of Rox’s, a dragon who enjoys all the pleasures life has to offer. He is targeted by Viv Jason and Chen in Flashfire, an alliance that was shattered in Ember’s Kiss. They each hunt him alone now. His story will be told in Serpent’s Kiss.



Viv Jason—falsely believed by Chandra to be one of the Liliot, Viv Jason is actually Tisiphone, one of the Erinyes killed by Damien in the Dragon Legion Novella, Kiss of Darkness. Hades gave her the right to avenge herself upon the Pyr, and she has been waiting for the Dragon’s Tail wars. She has the power to shift shape into a green serpent. In Flashfire, she allied with the Slayer Chen to trap Thorolf but that alliance was broken in Ember’s Kiss when Chen realized her true intent.



Zo? Sorensson—the daughter of Erik Sorensson, leader of the Pyr, by his second mate, Eileen. As the daughter of a Pyr, Zo? is believed to be the next Wyvern but (like all Pyr) will not come into her powers until puberty. Zo?’s coming of age as the new Wyvern is told in the Dragon Diaries series.