The King Of Fire
A Dragon Shifter Romance
Brittany White
Copyright © 2019 by Brittany White
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
1. June
2. Mishal
3. June
4. Mishal
5. June
6. Mishal
7. June
8. Mishal
9. June
10. Mishal
11. June
12. Mishal
13. June
14. Mishal
15. June
Epilogue
1
June
I got out of my nineteen-sixty-four yellow mustang convertible making sure I didn’t ding the car beside me. Even though the ugly ass puke green Buick LeSabre was parked well on my side of the line. I should have hit it just for the hell of it. I had arrived at my sister’s apartment complex and the parking lot was teeny tiny.
I wiggled my way between the vehicles making my way to her apartment on the third floor of the swanky apartment building. I grumbled about the small parking lot all the way up the stairs.
I hadn’t seen my sister in quite some time. We were both busy with our careers. I missed her dearly, but we were on two different paths, career wise, and with morals and ethics.
I softly rapped my knuckles against her door and waited for her to open up. I stood outside her door for several minutes listening to the muffled sounds coming from the apartments around hers. I knocked again and impatiently shuffled my weight from my left foot to my right.
“Samantha! Answer the damn door! Don’t leave me in the hallway all day,” I yelled.
I heard rustling from behind the door and the lock finally clicked as Sam opened the door.
“It’s about time you opened the door,” I scoffed.
She grinned as she tightened her robe around her and stepped aside so I could enter the apartment. Her blond hair was piled on top of her had in soft curls. She was shorter than I was. She got the blond hair, blue eyes, and was a bit smarter than I, although I wouldn’t have told her that.
“Sorry, I had a late night at work and was still asleep,” she replied, her eyes red with exhaustion.
I shook my head and grinned at her as I walked past. She had always been a workaholic even in school. We could never get her to relax, no matter what we tried.
It had paid off though since she was a very well-known geologist and had studied some large earthly occurrences over the years…she was rather wealthy and could do just about anything she wanted and was able to travel the world.
The scariest thing she had ever studied was a volcanic eruption in Hawaii. That was six years ago, and things had been quiet on the volcano front since then. It hadn’t been long enough for it to be classified as dormant, but it had mysteriously quit spewing forth its gorgeous flow.
“What are you doing here, June? You weren’t supposed to arrive until tomorrow,” she said. “I thought I was going to get to sleep tonight, sis.”
“I decided to come a day early to get some extra time with my big sister. Is that okay?” I asked her. “Who needs sleep anyway?”
She nodded her head and smiled as we sat together on the couch. It had been ages since we had sat together and talked in person. I mean sure there was Skype, but this was better. I was looking forward to it.
I was also looking forward to telling her about an adventure I wanted her to go on with me. I had gotten word of a volcano that had become active after years of being inactive. She wasn’t as adventurous as I was, but I thought since it involved a volcano, she might have gone with me, but she had been a little shaken by them since her trip in Hawaii.
I wanted Sam to come with me more than anything to check it out but she had shied away from volcanic studies ever since Hawaii. I wasn’t sure if she would agree to go with me or not. I wasn’t sure what had gone down in Hawaii, but whatever it had been, she was afraid. I thought the trip might also let us find men. I had not been in a relationship for several years and I knew Sam had not either.
I wanted to find an island man with bulging muscles and tanned skin. A man that would put the likes of Jason Mamoa to shame. I was not sure what kind of man Sam was into. I had not seen her with anyone since her friend Thomas. He had disappeared after her Hawaii trip and she never said a word about it to me.
“So, what do you want to do today?” Sam asked.
“Let’s go explore and see some sights!” I said excitedly.
Sam smiled at me and went to her room to dress, leaving me alone in her living room. I walked around and looked at all the pictures that were scattered over side tables and her fireplace mantel. They were pictures of me and her, mostly from the four years I had lived with her.
“Are you ready to go, June?” Sam asked bringing me from my memories.
“Yeah! I’m ready when you are,” I replied.
We headed out the door and got in her responsible economy smart car, about the size of a cracker jack box. It was powered by electricity, and I had to laugh out loud. I knew the joke would be lost on her, but I didn’t mind. She unplugged the car from its charger as it started to rain.
“No!” Sam exclaimed. “Why does the weather always do this to me?” she cried.
“Well sis, you did move to the rainiest part of the country,” I teased.
“Shut up, Juniper!” she snapped, teasingly.
I laughed and patted her shoulder as she pulled out onto the highway. She knew I didn’t like my full name and only used it when I pissed her off.
“There is a new indoor dive place up on Fulton Avenue,” she pointed towards a spot on her GPS, or, we could go to the new GEO Museum off of Harford?”
“GEO it is big sis,” I said, as I watched her drive. “Got to keep the tradition alive…are we going to visit your lab too?”
“Sure thing little sis,” she said, never taking her eyes off the road.
Every time I visited her, she always took me to different museums, and she took me to her office in the geology department at the University.
I enjoyed the museum a lot, more than any other Sam had taken me to. There were lots of GEO stones that were amazing to look at. Stones that came from volcanic ash, others that were from caves like Valspar and Pyrite…I particularly loved the Rose Quartz, Amethyst, and Tourmaline that they had on display. I had become quite the element buff in my journeys, but none called to me more than the ones that derived from volcanos.
Late afternoon, we decided it was time to go get some dinner. I was grateful to give my feet some relief after the long day of walking we had.
“Where would you like to grab dinner from?” she asked as we got back to her car.
“You know this place better than I do, Sam take me where I can get something I’ve never eaten before,” I replied to her. “And some wine, I need some wine.
We both laughed a little
“I could use some wine too little sister; I know just the place.”
“You are going to love it here, June. I know the manager and he gives me whatever I want even if it isn’t on the menu,” Sam said.
We walked in the café and were greeted by the hostess, a tall dark waif looking woman with red dyed hair with high heels entirely too high to walk in. I couldn’t imagine even a streetwalker pulling them off.
“Hello ladies, do you prefer a table or
booth?” she asked in a fake Irish accent.
Before we could answer, a tall, muscular man came from the back and answered for us. I wondered if perhaps that was the connection Sam said she had?
“They want the private booth in the back,” he said as he walked up behind the hostess.
“Ernie! How good to see you!” Sam exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
“It’s good to see you too, Samantha!” He said. "Who is this stunning woman beside you?’ he asked as he winked at me.
Sam smiled at him and introduced me as her sister. He led us to the booth in the private room in the back of the café and stood to the side as the waitress took our drink order.
“As always Samantha, you may order whatever you like even if it’s not on the menu, I will find a way to make it happen for you and your darling sister here,” he said before he walked away.
“What are you going to get, June?” Sam asked, bringing me from my thoughts.
“I think I am going to get the Rock Lobster tail with snow crab legs,” I said as I scanned the menu. “Oh, and a Lobster Bisque, I believe with crudité.”
“Good choice!” she replied.
We laughed and talked during dinner and for a moment I considered not asking her about the expedition I wanted us to go on, but I knew it was something I wanted us to do together so I decided to stick to the plan of asking her during the movie.
“When we get inside my place, we can pop some popcorn and watch old movies that we used to watch as kids,” she said, excitement in her voice.
We got in her apartment and I hopped in the shower, worried about what she was going to say. I came out wearing my favorite nerdy pajamas and picked the movie while she made the popcorn. She was already in her pajamas, they said I ROCK on them, and the words were surrounded by various rocks.
“Nice pajamas Sam,” I said stifling a snicker.
I was excited for the time with her and decided that I would wait until the next day to say anything about the trip. I didn’t want to ruin the nostalgic mood.
I woke up with the sun shining on my face and realized I had fallen asleep during the movie. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and made my way to the kitchen where Sam was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.
“Hey sis, I’m sorry I fell asleep on you last night,” I said as I poured a cup of coffee. “Boy do I need this stuff after half a bottle of wine and two margaritas.”
Sitting in front of her was the paper I had in my bag for the trip along with the plane ticket. Why the hell had she gone through my bag?
“Juniper Meadow Morris! What on earth is this?” she asked with an angry look on her face.
“I was going to talk to you about that today. I want you to go with me, Sam. It’ll be a lot of fun,” I said softly. “Us sisters against the world…you know, like it used to be.”
“June, I am not going to Tokyo with you to that volcano. I’m sure you know that there has been some activity with it, and it could erupt any day now. You do not need to be going either,” she said sternly. “Matter of fact, I forbid you.”
“I get that you are concerned, Sam and I appreciate that concern, but I am an adult and I can take care of myself and this is something I want to do. I wanted to do it with you, but if you don’t want to that’s fine. I am going with or without you,” I declared. “Besides, per the above adult comment, there is no way in hell you can forbid me…I love you Sam, but this is important to me, and I hoped that spending time with me would be important to you.”
She glared at me as I made my declaration to her and I knew she was not going to give in and come with me. We sat in silence for a while drinking our coffee and I wondered if she was ever going to speak to me before I left…or again for that fact.
“When do you leave?” she finally asked quietly.
“I leave tomorrow. If you wanted to go with me, I was going to buy your ticket online tonight. I really wish you would re-consider going with me,” I said to her.
She shook her head vehemently and held her hand up.
“I do not want to talk about this anymore, June. I think you are being very stupid and selfish for doing this. The paper said you are going to climb into the volcano and repel down inside it. Is that true?” she asked. “I mean I don’t know why I am even asking, we both know how reckless you are, but is it?”
I nodded slowly and watched as she rolled her eyes at me, something our mother would have done. I knew she was angry with me and I knew she could end up being right about it, but I also knew that I didn’t want to live my life being afraid of doing things that made me happy and prevent me from having fun.
I stood from the table and stomped to the couch. I was tired of everyone always telling me I shouldn’t do this or that. It happened all throughout our childhood and it still happened in my adult life. I decided that it would probably be best if I spent the night in the hotel at the airport and started to gather my things.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked me.
“I’m going to go stay at the airport. I wouldn’t want to bother you with my selfish plans,” I said as I grabbed my things and headed for the door.
“June, you do not have to do that. I am sorry for the way I reacted, but it is dangerous and crazy. You could die you know that? Then what? Have you told mom and dad about this?” she asked.
She walked over to me and grabbed the bag from my hand and put it back where I had stored it.
“You can stay here tonight, and I will take you to the airport in the morning,” she said. “You might be doing some stupid shit, but you are still my sister and I love you,” she said as she hugged me.
We spent the rest of the day lounging around the apartment and watching movies and before I knew it, I was waking up to the sun in my face again. I was excited that I was getting to go on my trip, but a bit sad that she would not be joining me. I knew I couldn’t dwell on that and kept my mind away from that thought.
Once she got dressed for the day, Sam helped me get my bags in the car and we left for the airport.
Sam pulled her car to the front of the airport and helped me retrieve my bags from the trunk of her car. She didn’t say much, and I knew she still didn’t approve, but I still had to do it.
I gave her a hug, and then I got out of the car and closed the door behind me.
I knew it was going to be hard to say goodbye to her, but I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime and I couldn’t give it up.
I felt bad for her, but I couldn’t stop my trip based on what ifs. She was going to have to forgive me.
2
Mishal
I paced around the small stone area I had called home for centuries. I, along with four of my royal guardians, had been trapped in the volcano by the Nazca. Magic had kept us here for centuries while the war between our people continued to rage. I had felt helpless for a long time after being imprisoned, but eventually emotions began to fade. Years had flown by. I had no idea if the war was still ongoing or if any of my people were left. My four royal guardians and I were cramped in the tiny space hoping that one day we would somehow get out. We were not in the same space, but we talked to each other through the walls of igneous rock.
Loneliness had taken over and I had created imaginary friends to talk with. I also had an imaginary woman that I fucked on occasion. With all the imagining I had to do, and my imagination was pretty good, my hand felt almost like a pussy to me. It had been so long since I had emptied into a real woman that I had almost forgotten what that felt like.
My thoughts were interrupted by a rumbling sound from the volcano. I suspected there was someone else in the volcano with us but had never found any evidence. It sounded as if there was another dragon shifter living among us, but I couldn’t remember if anyone else had gotten banished with us. I wondered if the volcano was truly about to erupt. If the wall that separated my chamber and the area the magma would erupt from would melt and free us. It had been too long since I breathed
fresh air or saw the blue sky.
I had inherited the throne from my father who had been killed in the war’s first battle. I’d barely begun my rule when we were locked away in the volcano the humans called “Mount Fuji” by the Nazca. They had used our magic against us when one of our own turned against us, paying the Nazca to entrap us as the war began. I have assumed all these years that they wanted to steal the throne from me, and I am sure there have been several kings since I’ve been gone. I hoped that the activity in the volcano would cause the barrier to melt and allow us to escape. There is nothing I want more than to take back what was rightfully mine.
I had spent all these years alone trapped in the small area of the volcano while my guardians had been trapped elsewhere, but now as the volcano trembled with activity, the barriers that separated our spaces crumbled around us. We were finally able to see each other, and the surprise was evident on their faces. There would be no more talking to each other through the walls. We would be able to see each other and understand what was being said without our voices being muffled.
“Your Majesty!” they exclaimed as they clamored out of the hole the activity created.
They bowed before me. I always thought that was a silly practice, but my father insisted upon it. He thought it good for the people of the kingdom to show their submission to the king. I knew that being a good king had nothing to do with whether your people bowed to you or not, but how the king treated his people. My father never went into the kingdom among his subjects unless it was so that punishment for a crime could be handed out. I motioned for them to rise and hugged all four of them. Not only were these men royal guardians, but they were also my best friends.
The King 0f Fire: Dragon Shifter Romance Page 1
