Love in the Time of Dragons

Table of Contents

 

 

“Filled with action . . . yet there is also plenty of humor and affection.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“This zany paranormal, with its madcap plot and screwball characters, will work its magic with Mac Alister’s many fans and make some new ones along the way.”

—
Booklist

“An action-packed, never-a-dull-moment thrill ride.”

—Romance Novel TV

“Ms. MacAlister works her humor-filled magic to entertain readers with the action and scorching romance that keeps them glued to the pages.”

—Darque Reviews

“An upbeat, funny paranormal. . . . You won’t be disappointed!”

—Romance Reader at Heart

“Ms. MacAlister has done it again and provided me with an enjoyable and very entertaining series to read!”

—The Romance Studio

“
Up in Smoke
. . . may not be as laugh-out-loud hilarious as the Aisling Grey series but is no less fun, entertaining, or addictive.”

—A Romance Review

 

“Fast-paced. . . . Kate MacAlister proves her skill as a magician when
Playing with Fire
; she places Aisling in a secondary role yet enchants her audience.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Ms. MacAlister works her creative magic and adds a fabulous new layer to her world of sexy dragons. The dialog is as witty as ever. . . .
Playing with Fire
has all of the danger-filled action, steamy romance, and wonderful humor that fans know and love.”

—Darque Reviews

“It’s packed with all her signature hilarity and adventure, as well as many familiar faces. The cliff-hanger ending will leave you breathless.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“[A] comedic, hot paranormal caper.”

—
Booklist

“A wonderfully amusing relationship drama . . . a laugh-out-loud tale.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Hysterical. . . . MacAlister hits the humor button dead-on.... This cast of wacky—if somewhat dangerous—characters makes for giggles galore, while also producing some hair-raising adventures. MacAlister has written a cure for the common blues!”

—
Romantic Times

 

“Crazy paranormal high jinks, delightful characters, and simmering romance.”

—
Booklist

“Once again Katie MacAlister knocks one out of the box with the third book in the Aisling Grey series.
Light My Fire
. . . takes you on a nonstop thrill ride full of sarcastic wit, verve, and action right to the end. Clear your day because you will not put this book down until it is finished.”

—A Romance Review

“There is lots of enjoyment to be had. . . . This is a ‘staying up late to see what happens next’ story.”

—The Romance Reader

“Once again Aisling Grey will fire up readers. . . . Once again Katie MacAlister provides a humorous fantasy.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Ms. MacAlister entertains readers with a captivating romance, supernatural politics, and her always present touch of humor.”

—Darque Reviews

“The story line is fast-paced, filled with humor and action as Katie MacAlister balances the two nicely.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Witty with a splash of romance and a dark puzzle to unravel,
Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang
is a sure-fire hit!”

—Romance Junkies

 

“A jocular action-packed tale . . . [a] wonderful zany series.”

—
Midwest Book Review

“Has all of the paranormal action, romance, and humor that fans of the author look for in her books. This is a fast-moving read with sizzling chemistry and a touch of suspense.”

—Darque Reviews

“Pia Thomason just might be my favorite heroine ever . . . an entrancing story, and a very good escape.”

—
The Romance Reader

“I completely loved
Zen and the Art of Vampires
! . . . The chemistry between Pia and Kristoff sizzles all the way through the novel. . . . I don’t think I can wait for the next Dark Ones installment! Please hurry, Katie!”

—Romance Junkies

“Steamy.”

—
Booklist

 

“MacAlister’s fast-paced romp is a delight with all its quirky twists and turns, which even include a murder mystery.”

—
Booklist

“A wild zany romantic fantasy. . . . Paranormal romance readers will enjoy this madcap tale of the logical physicist who finds love.”

—The Best Reviews

“A fascinating paranormal read that will captivate you.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“A pleasurable afternoon of reading.”

—The Romance Reader

“The sexy humor, wild secondary characters, and outlandish events make her novels pure escapist pleasure!”

—
Romantic Times

 

STEAMED, A Steampunk Romance
ME AND MY SHADOW, A Novel of the Silver Dragons
CROUCHING VAMPIRE, HIDDEN FANG,
A Dark Ones Novel
ZEN AND THE ART OF VAMPIRES, A Dark Ones Novel
UP IN SMOKE, A Novel of the Silver Dragons
PLAYING WITH FIRE, A Novel of the Silver Dragons
HOLY SMOKES, An Aisling Grey, Guardian, Novel
LIGHT MY FIRE, An Aisling Grey, Guardian, Novel
FIRE ME UP, An Aisling Grey, Guardian, Novel
YOU SLAY ME, An Aisling Grey, Guardian, Novel
THE LAST OF THE RED-HOT VAMPIRES
EVEN VAMPIRES GET THE BLUES

 

 

 

BLOW ME DOWN
HARD DAY’S KNIGHT
THE CORSET DIARIES
MEN IN KILTS

SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, May 2010

Copyright © Katie MacAlister, 2010

All rights reserved

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

eISBN : 978-1-101-19780-6

“Y
ou’re going to be on your knees saying prayers for hours if Lady Alice finds you here.”

I jumped at the low, gravelly voice, but my heart stopped beating quite so rapidly when I saw who had discovered me. “By the rood, Ulric! You almost scared the humors right out of my belly!”

“Aye, I’ve no doubt I did,” the old man replied, leaning on a battered hoe. “Due to your guilty conscience, I’m thinking. Aren’t you supposed to be in the solar with the other women?”

I patted the earth around the early-blooming rose that I had cleared of weeds, and snorted in a delicate, ladylike way. “I was excused.”

“Oh, you were, were you? And for what? Not to leave off your sewing and leeching and all those other things Lady Alice tries to teach you.”