by S. E. Smith
Twin Dragons' Destiny
Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 11
S.E. Smith
Contents
Acknowledgments
Copyright
Author’s Note:
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Read on for samples!
Sample of Destin’s Hold
Sample of Touching Rune
Additional Books and Information
About the Author
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend, Linda, who not only encouraged me to write, but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Christel, Sally, Jolanda, Lisa, Laurelle, Debbie, and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!
And a special thanks to Paul Heitsch, David Brenin, Samantha Cook, Suzanne Elise Freeman, and PJ Ochlan – the awesome voices behind my audiobooks!
– S.E. Smith
Science Fiction Romance
Twin Dragons’ Destiny
Copyright © 2018 by S. E. Smith
First E-Book Published April 2018
Cover Design by Melody Simmons
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, or organizations are strictly coincidental and not intended by the author.
Summary: Twin Dragon warriors are given a second chance at life, even second chances come with a deadline. Time is running out.
ISBN (paperback) 978-1-944125-15-8
ISBN (eBook) 978-1-944125-28-8
Published in the United States by Montana Publishing.
{1. Fantasy Romance – Fiction. 2. Paranormal Romance – Fiction. 3. Action/Adventure – Fiction. 4. Fantasy – Fiction. 5. Romance – Fiction.}
www.montanapublishinghouse.com
Synopsis
Scorching hot stories set in science fiction and paranormal worlds that come alive in your hands. Don't miss out on stories that readers say they can't get enough of!
The line between life and death is sometimes blurred...
Barrack and Brogan have memories of their death – and it isn't a pleasant one. When the Goddess Aikaterina gives them a second chance at life – and at finding their true mate – they are willing to do whatever it takes to change their destiny. What they don't expect is that it would be so difficult! It turns out that their true mate is a human, a species they have limited knowledge about, from a planet they have never visited. With time running out, it doesn't take them long to realize that this may be one battle that will take all of their skills to win.
Delilah Rosewater is haunted by dreams of her death. She doesn't understand why the dreams feel so real, or why she knows with growing certainty that time is running out for her. Her feelings of frustration strengthen as she searches for the one person she feels could understand her increasing panic - Sara Wilson. She is shocked when instead of finding Sara, she comes face-to-face with two irritating men who claim to be from another world!
Caught in an unexpected snowstorm in the Appalachian Mountains, Delilah doesn't know what to think of the two men and their wild claims of a powerful Goddess, alien worlds, and new destinies. Will Delilah open her heart to the twin dragons and accept the second chance that the Goddess has given them before time runs out for all of them?
Author’s Note:
For those who have not yet read the Dragon Lords of Valdier series, here is a little background.
The Valdier are dragon shifters. Only the Valdier and their mates can bond with the mysterious and powerful golden symbiots, who are, yes, symbiotic creatures, and they are stand-out characters all on their own! Each Valdier consists of three parts: the dragon, the man/woman, and their symbiot companion. They are friends with the Curizan (a species able to harness the energy around them) and the Sarafin (a cat shifting species).
The following is a character guide for those new to the series:
Cast of Characters:
Delilah Rosewater: Human
Barrack: First of the Twin Dragons
Brogan: First of the Twin Dragons
Barrack’s Symbiot: Whiskey
Brogan’s Symbiot: Gin
Delilah’s Rottweilers: Moonshine and Rum
Amber Delilah Rosewater: Delilah’s mother
Daniel Alvin Rosewater: Delilah’s father
Bane mated to Lesann: Barrack and Brogan’s parents
Merck – younger brother to Barrack and Brogan
Zoran Reykill, Leader of the Valdier
true mate to Abby Tanner:
one son: Zohar
Zoran’s symbiot: Goldie
Zohar’s symbiot: Truck
Mandra Reykill true mate to Ariel Hamm:
one son: Jabir
Mandra’s symbiot: Precious
Jabir’s symbiot: Munch
Kelan Reykill true mate to Trisha Grove:
one son: Bálint
Kelan’s symbiot: Bio
Bálint’s symbiot: Tag
Trelon Reykill true mate to Cara Truman:
twin daughters: Amber and Jade
one son: James
Trelon’s symbiot: Symba
Amber’s symbiot: Treat
Jade’s symbiot: Trix
Creon Reykill true mate to Carmen Walker:
twin daughters: Spring and Phoenix
Creon’s symbiot: Harvey
Phoenix’s symbiot: Stardust
Spring’s symbiot: Little Bit
Paul Grove true mate to Morian Reykill:
one daughter: Morah
Paul and Morian’s symbiot: Crash
Morah’s symbiot: Princess Buttercup
Cree and Calo Aryeh true mates to Melina Franklin:
one daughter: Hope
Calo’s symbiot: Teddy
Cree’s symbiot: Bear
Hope’s symbiot: Rainbow
Vox d’Rojah, King of the Sarafin
mated to Riley St. Claire:
one son: Roam
twin daughters: Sacha and Pearl
Viper d'Rojah mated to Tina St. Claire:
one son: Leo
Asim Kemark true mate to Pearl St. Claire
Ha’ven Ha’darra, Prince of the Curizan
mated to Emma Watson:
one daughter: Alice
Adalard Ha’darra, Prince of the Curizan/younger brother of Ha’ven mated to Samara Lee
Jaguin, Valdier tracker mated to Sara Wilson
Olis ‘Ray’ Lister married to Mabel Lister, real estate tycoon
Earl Helman – Mabel Lister’s brother
DeWayne Davis – Attorney at Law
Bubba Joe – friend of Delilah’s
Rudy – DeWayne’s cousin
Mason Andr
ews married to Ann Marie, Paul Grove’s Ranch Manager
Aikaterina: Unknown species; accepted as a Goddess to the Valdier, she is the oldest and most powerful of her kind.
Arilla and Arosa: Unknown species, still young for their kind, they are twins and thought to be Goddesses.
Prologue
Centuries before:
Aikaterina sat beside the river of gold, her fingers caressing the growing symbiots that would one day form a living companion for a dragon warrior. She drew strength from them, knowing that the essence of her blood would keep the dragons of Valdier safe for many centuries to come.
The Valdier considered her a ‘Goddess,’ but she wasn’t. Her species were wanderers, having no true home but the universe. They lived off of the energy around them. It was the essence of life to them, and without it, they would perish.
In reality, her species was probably more dependent on the Valdier than the dragon-shifting race were on them. After all, when she had first come to this world, it had been to die. The courage and spirit of the Valdier had given her new life, and in return, she had given them a touch of her essence – the living gold symbiots. In time, she had found others of her kind who were weak and dying like she had been, and she’d brought them here to heal.
A smile curved her lips when she saw Arosa and Arilla frolicking in the stream. Although the twins were thousands of years old, she still thought of them as infants. They reminded her of newborn stars. She had witnessed the creation of many celestial bodies and still found a star’s birth fascinating to observe. She had found Arosa and Arilla out in the cosmos, centuries ago, barely clinging to life.
Arilla looked up with a frown and slowly moved her hand as she tested the air. Confusion turned the young Goddess’s eyes a darker gold. Arilla looked at her and tilted her head.
“What is it that I feel, Aikaterina?” she asked.
Aikaterina looked up, feeling the disturbance as well. She closed her eyes and focused on the stream of energy flowing through the river. A great sadness filled her as she received a vision of the death of a rare set of twin dragons, the first to be born. She felt the intense pain of their symbiots as they watched the men and dragons die. They would need her now. The symbiots could not survive out there without their dragons.
Bowing her head, she allowed the wave of grief to pierce her. She called to the orphaned symbiots. Rising to her feet, she opened a portal for them to return to her. Behind them, she could see the smoke-filled remains of a village and hear the wails of grief. Two identical dragons lay dead amid the carnage.
She looked from them to the two young boys pressed against the side of one of the huts. Their words would forever haunt her, because deep down, she knew this was because of her interference. She was the one who had gifted the twins to the village for protection. She did so not long after she brought Arilla and Arosa to this world with her.
“Do you think…?” the young boy named Calo whispered, staring at the smoldering remains of the green and white dragon.
“No. You heard him. We will die in battle, like warriors, before we let this happen to us. We will do the honorable thing before we hurt another,” his twin brother, Cree, answered, his mouth tight with determination.
“We will die in battle,” Calo agreed, watching as their father’s symbiot healed him. “Or we will take each other’s life before we hurt another.”
The symbiots of Brogan and Barrack, the original twin dragons, fell weakly through the portal, unseen by the mortals in the village. Aikaterina caressed them, trying to give them comfort. The form she had taken shimmered and partially faded in response to the utter grief the symbiots shared with her.
This was a new feeling to her, one of excruciating pain and anguish. The constant search for hope only to have it ripped away time and time again – and the suffocating loneliness of knowing they would never feel the tender touch of their mate’s hand. She had never understood the loneliness that the men and their dragons felt until now.
“What is it, Aikaterina?” Arosa asked, floating over to her. “What is wrong with them?”
“Are they ill?” Arilla asked in concern.
Aikaterina gave the symbiots the command to return to the river. She was shocked when they resisted. They would surely perish if they did not return. She could already see their color fading until they were almost translucent. She gave the order again, this time a little more firmly. The creatures turned away from her, but they still did not return to the river. She watched with a puzzled expression as they retreated to a dark corner of the cavern and curled up around each other.
“The men given to them have died,” Aikaterina murmured.
“Couldn’t you have saved them like you saved us?” Arilla asked.
Aikaterina could understand how Arilla felt. It was a difficult thing to understand and accept why the species that gave them life and made their world so interesting should have to die.
“I fear that they have perished because of something I did,” Aikaterina confessed, turning and floating over to the two symbiots.
She gently stroked them, giving them a large amount of her essence. They tried to resist, but she refused to let them fade away. Instead, she encouraged them to share with her everything they had experienced while with Brogan and Barrack. The more they showed her, the more certain she was that she was the one responsible for the devastation.
Eventually, she did the only thing she could to alleviate their distress; she sent them into a deep sleep. Floating upward, she crossed the magnificent cavern to the platform where she had created a portal to the universe.
“Can we go with you, Aikaterina?” Arosa asked with a hopeful look.
“Not this time, Arosa. This journey I must make alone,” Aikaterina answered as she stepped through the opening.
Aikaterina walked through the burning village. As she did, time regressed. What she was doing would not be achieved without a personal cost. From this moment forward, the energy it would require to hold this thread of the future would place a heavy toll on her.
Her initial trip had been to the future to see if there was a way to undo the damage that she had unwittingly created. She would have to be extremely careful. The chance of affecting the fabric of time in the universe, and the destinies of others who resided in it, was one of the reasons her kind remained merely observers.
Her species had been born at the same time as the universe and was thrown outward with the explosion of the first atoms. Over millennia, they had grown powerful enough to create worlds – and destroy them. However, no matter how powerful her species became, they were also very vulnerable. They lived off the positive essence of all creatures. Most planets were devoid of life, thus over time, her species had faded away until there were only a few of them left.
Aikaterina watched Brogan struggle with an older warrior at the door to a quaint cottage. His gaze was locked on a frightened young girl standing next to her mother. Several other men from the village rushed forward to help the warrior protect his fragile family.
Aikaterina lifted her hand and ordered the twin dragons’ symbiots to restrain the brothers. Shocked expressions crossed all the warriors’ faces when the symbiots suddenly surged forward and wrapped powerful bands around the twin dragons.
“Release me,” Brogan demanded, struggling against the confines of his symbiot.
Barrack shifted into his dragon. The brilliant light green and white dragon strained to throw off his symbiot. Barrack roared in rage, trying to get to his brother.
“Barrack, Brogan, stop,” their father begged, his eyes filled with grief. “Please, my sons, do not make us kill you.”
“It is too late, Bane,” one of the warriors said. “The madness has overtaken their dragons. They can’t control them any longer. Creja, fulfill your promise. Kill them before their symbiots release them or turn on us,” one of the warriors demanded.
“Bane, they are right,” Creja stated in a harsh voice.
“Look at my
sons, Creja, but think of your twins. It will only be a matter of time before they reach this point. There are no true mates for them. It may be better to strike them dead than to let them live knowing there is no hope, but could you do it?” Bane replied in a tortured voice.
“She is our true mate! She approached us,” Brogan growled, continuing to fight against his symbiot.
Creja shook his head. “Look inside yourself, Brogan. Neither you, nor your dragon or your symbiot desire the girl as a true mate. The same goes for your brother. Mula is not your chosen one. You are trying to convince your dragon that she is your mate to placate him,” he argued, pulling his sword free from his side.
