The Red Dragon (6 page)

As silently as he could, Declan left the ether and landed. He shifted back into a human male and hurried to the man who threatened his mate. His dragon didn’t fully retreat into his human form. He could still see with his dragon’s eyes as he moved closer and closer to the danger.

The infrared vision gave him an edge. He could still see the shadow creeping toward Drake’s home. It moved up the front steps, growing closer and closer to the structure itself.

“All will die. I will have the stone. The map. I need the map.” The sorcerer danced gleefully in a circle. “Bring me the map.” The sorcerer’s words died to a whisper.

His lips moved, but Declan could no longer hear what the other man muttered.

It didn’t matter what the man said. All that mattered was stopping him before the darkness entered Drake’s home.

One of the dragons fell as the shadow overtook him. His screams of fury rent the air, sending Declan into a battle rage. He couldn’t have stopped his dragon if he tried. As much as he knew that Drake wanted to question this man, his dragon would not rest until it had eradicated the threat to its mate.

Without warning, his dragon took charge. Shifting shape, it belched fire onto the sorcerer, incinerating the man and his magic before the shadow could enter Drake’s home and kill all within it.

Fire raged over the rolling hills as the dragon cleaned the ground of the insidious shadow that had stolen the life from everything it touched.

Just as quickly as he took over, the dragon subsided, again giving Declan’s human half control. He shifted back to his human form and looked over the dragon’s handiwork. There was nothing left of the sorcerer but the charred remains of a human male.

It was done. His mate was safe, and with her, the secret of the map and the location of the sword that could overcome whatever evil it met in battle.

Wearily, Declan made his way to Drake’s home and whatever punishment awaited him. Though he knew his mate had escaped death, he also knew she was a formidable woman and she would not show him any appreciation for putting her in danger by giving her Merlin’s stone.

“So what you’re saying is that I have the philosopher’s stone hanging around my neck? It’s not only that, but it’s the stone with the magic to imprison Excalibur and the reason we need to protect it is because we can use the stone and the sword together to bring peace back into the world?”

Emily’s expression was one of absolute wonder. That he was a lucky man was not lost on Declan. His mate wasn’t angry with him. She was too busy being intrigued and amazed by the entire affair.

That she was also in awe of being mated to a legendary knight of the round table didn’t hurt.

He watched her, his love for her growing with each breath. He’d always remembered that she was a stunningly beautiful woman before they parted ways, but he had forgotten just how beautiful until their bond had started making her younger and younger with each passing day.

Today, when they woke, he had been pleasantly surprised to see that they both appeared just as young as the day she had sent him away. Thank the gods for his dragon longevity and magic.

“Yes, my dear. You wear Merlin’s stone.”

“And this is the map that will show us where the Lady of the Lake has hidden Excalibur?”

“I would imagine she accompanies the sword.”

“Holy Hannah. I had no idea.” She held her hand to her chest. Turning, she gave him a sidelong glance. “Are we going to go get it or not?”

“Retrieving Excalibur is Arthur’s quest, not ours.”

“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “What are
we
supposed to do then?”

Declan drew her into his arms and kissed her cheek. “We guard the stone and live happily ever after.”

“Hmm...I have a legendary pendant.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “I have my white knight.” She raised a brow. “Though I’ve yet to see him in shining armor.”

“Well, you know, armor didn’t really shine. It gleamed dully, but that was about it.”

“Hush!” Her lips formed a moue as she stared up at him. “I’m young again. That counts for something, doesn’t it? And last, but not least, you’ve killed the bad guy to save your damsel in distress. I think I can handle a little bit of happily ever after.”

Dear Reader:

If you’re reading this, I hope it means that you’ve just enjoyed reading one of my books. Always a romantic, I started weaving little fantasies for my friends at the tender age of fifteen. Never once did I think that writing would be my dream until around 2002. After complaining to my husband that my favorite authors didn’t write fast enough, my husband asked a fateful question. “Why don’t you write one of your own while you’re waiting?”

Once I started, he couldn’t stop me. Now, I write in the morning before work. I write during my breaks at the day job, I write at night when I should be relaxing. Heck, I’ve even been known to write in my sleep. Every member of my family has had the dubious honor of witnessing my fingers moving over the keys while I’m off in dreamland. Sometimes it even makes sense!

I grew up in Southwest Florida where I met and married the love of my life. My husband was in the Navy for twenty years, so if you wonder where I have gotten some of my ideas, I blame him. I suggest you do the same. He’s always saying he has wide shoulders. Let’s load them up, shall we?

Currently, I live in a small town in Michigan, seven miles from the nearest grocery store. I love living out here in the country. It gives me the peace and quiet I need to continue to write these stories for you. It also shows me a lot of natural beauty that I try to share with you in my books. While my titles may be dedicated to certain individuals who have touched my life in differing ways, please remember, every one of them is written for you.

My most recent dream is to continue what I do—to share more stories with anyone willing to read them. My new dream is to be able to pursue both my writing and my husband fulltime. Do you think he’ll run?

More of Tianna’s Books

The Caspian Cascade series

Gate To Fate series

The Paradise series

Brianna’s Prophecy

Dragon Bound series

The DARE series

The Endowed Series

The Chosen Series

Hidden Breeds

Highland Bears

Where to find Tianna:

www.tiannaxander.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TiannaXander/

http://twitter.com/#!/TiannaXander

http://www.myspace.com/tianna_xander

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=635929605