Blood of Dragons

by Olivia Ash

  Copyrighted Material

  Blood of Dragons copyright © 2019 by Olivia Ash.

  Covert art commissioned and owned by Wispvine Publishing LLC.

  Book design and layout copyright © 2019 by Wispvine Publishing LLC.

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

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Wispvine Publishing, L. L. C.

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  1st Edition

  Books by Olivia Ash

  Dragon Dojo Brotherhood

  Reign of Dragons

  Fate of Dragons

  Blood of Dragons

  Age of Dragons

  The Nighthelm Guardian Series

  City of the Sleeping Gods

  City of Fractured Souls

  City of the Enchanted Queen

  Demon Queen Saga

  Princes of the Underworld

  Wars of the Underworld

  Sentinel Saga

  By Dahlia Leigh and Olivia Ash

  The Shadow Shifter

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  Blood of Dragons

  Book Three of the Dragon Dojo Brotherhood

  Olivia Ash

  Book Description

  Dragon Dojo Brotherhood Book Three: Blood of Dragons

  Contents

  Important Characters & Terms

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Author Note

  You’re Missing Out…

  About the Author

  Important Characters & Terms

  Characters

  Rory Quinn: a former Spectre and the current Dragon Vessel. Rory was raised as a brutal assassin by her mentor Zurie. After her first taste of freedom, Rory never wants to go back to the life Zurie forced upon her… even though Zurie is hellbent on getting her back.

  Andrew Darrington (Drew): a fire dragon shifter. Drew is one of the heirs to the Darrington dragon family. With no real regard for rules or the law in general, Drew tends to know things he shouldn’t and isn’t fond of sharing that intel with just anyone. Though he originally intended to kidnap Rory and use her power for his own means, her tenacity and strength enchanted him. They have a pact: if he doesn’t try to control her, she won’t try to control him. Drew sees her as an equal in a world where he’s stronger, smarter, and faster than nearly everyone else.

  Tucker Chase: a weapons expert and former Knight. Tucker’s a loveable goofball who treats every day like it’s his last—because it well might be. His father is William Chase, current General of the Knights terrorist organization. Tucker was originally assigned to hunt Rory down and turn her in to his father, but as he spent more time with her, she became the true family he never felt he had. After he fed false intel to his father to protect her, the Knights branded him as a traitor.

  Levi: an ice dragon shifter and feral dragon. Not much is known of Levi or his past, and no one but he knows what turned him feral. Rory saved him from a snare trap on the edge of the Vaer lands, and he has been by her side ever since. She’s determined to turn him human again, but the clock is ticking… and not even Levi thinks they can do the impossible.

  Jace Goodwin: a thunderbird dragon shifter and master of the Fairfax dojo. Jace grew up in high society and has the vast network to prove it. A warrior, he operates as the General of the Fairfax army—and his only soft spot is for Rory. His dragon marked her as its mate and will accept no substitute. Unfortunately, Rory and Jace butt heads more than they get along. If she dies, his dragon will go feral, so he has quite a bit at stake since his woman insists on running off and putting herself in harm’s way.

  Irena Quinn: Rory’s sister and current heir to the Spectre organization. A brutal fighter, Irena’s only purpose in life is to keep her sister safe. A powerful bio-weapon created by the Vaer has left her in a coma after a mission-gone-wrong, and Zurie knows more about that night than she’s letting on.

  Zurie Bronwen: current leader of the Spectres and former mentor to Rory and Irena. Zurie is a brutal assassin and holds the title of the Ghost. Cold-hearted, calculating, and clever, Zurie is determined to bring Rory back under her control. She’ll do whatever it takes to get the girl back and reprogram the insubordination out of her brain using drugs and isolation.

  Diesel Richards: a former Knight turned Spectre. With Irena indisposed and Rory out of the picture, Diesel would become the Ghost if Zurie dies. His incentive is to get rid of Zurie, Rory, and Irena. He’s helped Rory once and tried to kill her on other occasions, so Rory isn’t sure what Diesel really wants. Honestly, no one knows…

  Harper Fairfax: a thunderbird, the Boss of the Fairfax dragon family, and Jace’s cousin. Harper is friendly and bubbly, full of life and joy, but Rory knows a fighter when she sees one. The young woman is smart and cunning. As much as Rory enjoys Harper’s company, she can’t bring herself to let her guard down.

  Guy Durand: an ice dragon and former second-in-command to Jace Goodwin at the dragon dojo. Guy has always wanted power. When he lost the challenge to Jace for control of the dojo, he joined the Vaer and gave over sensitive secrets about Rory and the dojo itself. The last time he and Jace met, each man swore to kill the other.

  Ian Rixer (deceased): a fire dragon, Kinsley Vaer’s half-brother, and a master manipulator. Ian was smarmy, elitist, and arrogant. He was often referred to as honey-coated evil for his ability to speak so calmly and kindly, even while torturing his prey. He treated everything like a game, and playing with Rory cost him his life.

  Mason Greene (deceased): a fire dragon and sadistic Vaer lord tasked wit
h dismantling the Spectre organization. Someone betrayed Zurie, Irena, and Rory by giving him access to their sensitive intel. His attempt to kill Rory backfired massively and ultimately cost him his life.

  Jett Darrington: a fire dragon, the Boss of the Darrington family, and Drew’s father. Wants Rory for reasons not even Drew fully knows, but everyone’s certain it can’t be good. Cut Drew off when he wouldn’t hand Rory over, but promised Drew everything he could ever dream of—including ruling the Darrington family—if he turns Rory over.

  Milo Darrington: a fire dragon, Drew’s brother, and current heir to the Darrington family line purely because he’s older than Drew. Not much of a fighter, but an excellent politician and manipulator.

  Isaac Palarne: a fire dragon and the Boss of the Palarne family. A skilled warrior and empowering speaker, Isaac can rally almost anyone to his cause. He’s a deeply noble man, but there’s something unnerving about his eagerness to get Rory to come to the Palarne capital.

  Kinsley Vaer: an ice dragon shifter and the Boss of the Vaer family. Her power and cruelty make grown men tremble in fear. She’s absolutely ruthless, cruel, vindictive, and vengeful… the sort to kill the messenger just because she’s angry. She’s increasingly frustrated that Rory has slipped through her fingers so often, and she’s determined not to let it happen anymore.

  OTHER TERMS

  The Dragon Gods: the origin of all dragon power. The three Dragon Gods are mostly just lore, nowadays. No one even remembers their names. But with the Dragon Vessel showing up in the world, everyone is beginning to wonder if perhaps they’re a bit more than legend…

  Dragon Vessel: According to legend, the Dragon Vessel is the one living creature powerful and worthy enough to possess the magic of the Dragon Gods. Rory Quinn was kicked into an ancient ceremony pit—the one Mason Greene didn’t know was used to judge the worthiness of those who entered. With that ritual, Rory unknowingly brought the immense power of legend back to the world.

  Castle Ashgrave: the legendary home of the dragon gods, said to be nothing more than ruin and myth.

  Mate-bond: The connection only thunderbirds can share that connects two souls. The mate-bond is not finalized until the pair make love for the first time. Even before it’s finalized, however, the mate-bond is powerful. The duo can vaguely feel each other’s whereabouts and, if one should die, the other would go feral.

  Spectres: a cruel and heartless organization that raises brutal assassins and hates dragonkind. The Spectres specialize in killing dragons and are known as some of the fiercest murderers on the planet, in part thanks to their highly advanced tech that no one else has yet to duplicate. They’re a spider web network that spans the globe, all run by the Ghost. Often, Spectres are raised from birth within the organization and are never given the choice to join. Once a Spectre, always a Spectre—quitting comes with a death sentence.

  Override Device: a bit of Spectre tech. Very frail and easy to break, it fits into most USB ports and can grant access to sensitive files. Though imperfect and obscenely expensive to create, it usually works.

  Voids: a bit of Spectre tech. Fired from a gun with special attachments, a void can force a camera to loop the last 10 seconds and allow for unseen access to secured locations.

  The Knights: an international anti-dragon terrorist organization bent on eradicating dragons from the world. Run by General William Chase, they’ll do anything and kill anyone it takes to further their mission. There are some rebel Knights organizations that think the current General is too soft, despite his brutal rampage against dragons and his willingness to kill his own family, should the need arise.

  Fire Dragons: the most common type of dragon shifter. Fire dragons breathe fire and smoke in their dragon forms. They’re found in a wide array of colors.

  Ice Dragons: uncommon dragons that can freeze others on contact and breathe ice. Usually, ice dragons are white, pale blue, or royal blue. The only known black ice dragons belong to the Vaer family.

  Thunderbirds: dragon shifters that glow in their dragon forms and possess the magic of electricity and lightning in both their dragon and human forms. They’re the most feared dragons in the world, and also the rarest.

  Seven Dragon Families: the seven dragon organizations that are run like the mob. Each family values different things, from wealth to power to adrenaline. Usually, a dragon is born into a dragon family and never leaves, but there are some who betray their family of origin for the promise of a better life.

  Andusk Family: sun dragons who prefer warm climates, almost all of which are golden or orange fire dragons. They’re notoriously vain, focused on beauty and being adored. Somewhat materialistic, the Andusk dragons hoard wealth and gems and exploit those in less favorable positions.

  Bane Family: dark fire dragons who deal mainly in illegal activities. They view laws as guidelines that hold others back, while they aren’t stupid enough to follow others’ rules. They like to see what they can get away with and push the limits.

  Darrington Family: the oldest and most powerful family. Darringtons are mostly fire dragons, and angering them is considered a death sentence. They’re well situated financially, with a vast network of natural resources, governments, and businesses across the globe. They’re notorious for thinking they’re above the rules and can get away with anything… because they usually do.

  Fairfax Family: a magical family known as the only ones with thunderbird dragons. They have innate magic and talent, but sometimes lack the drive it takes to use those abilities to obtain greater power. They prefer to think of life as a game, and the only winners are those who have fun. To the Fairfax dragons, adrenaline is more important than money, but protecting each other is most important of all.

  Nabal Family: wealthy fire and ice dragons. Money and information are most important to the Nabal, and they have an eerie ability to get access to even the most secured intel. Calculating and cunning, the Nabal weigh every risk before taking any action.

  Palarne Family: noble fire and ice dragons known for their honor and war skill. Ruled by the dragon code of ethics, the Palarne family operate as a cohesive military unit. Their skills in war are unparalleled by any other family.

  Vaer Family: a secretive family of fire and ice dragons, they’re known to be behind many conspiracies and dirty dealings in the world. Some see them as brutal savages, but most fear them because they have no ethics or morals, even among themselves.

  Chapter One

  As I watch my sister sleep in her hospital bed, I can’t help but think she looks like a corpse.

  It’s freaking me out.

  I sit in the private room Jace secured for her, my elbows on my knees as I try to shake the morbid thoughts from my brain. With the door closed, no one knows I’m in here—except maybe Jace.

  There’s a bit more color to Irena’s cheeks now, and her vitals are better than the first time I saw her strapped to a slab in Ian Rixer’s fortress. I bristle at the thought of the bastard keeping her hostage, but he isn’t a threat to us anymore.

  That’s what happens when people threaten what I love. They die.

  At least Irena is safe—well, mostly. I try to keep perspective. There’s improvement in her vitals, but I just can’t bring myself to hope too hard. After all, she’s been in a coma for a long time.

  Jace wouldn’t like that I’m here. He hates it any time I leave the dojo, but today is important.

  Risk-my-life important.

  When I entered the secluded room, I unsurprisingly found a camera and switched it off to give me a few minutes alone with my sister. By now, Jace knows I’m gone—hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he himself were monitoring the camera feed when I disabled it.

  Being here is risky, but this is my last hurrah.

  “We might not get to talk again for a while, Irena,” I say softly, shoulders tense as I study the screens above her.

  Heart rate—normal.

  Brain activity—normal.

  Blood pressure—normal.
>
  And yet, she still hasn’t woken up.

  For all intents and purposes, it really does look like she’s asleep, rather than in a coma. I wonder if she can hear me, or if this will all filter through her subconscious and be forgotten.

  Honestly, I’m not sure which to hope for.

  If Irena wakes up, there’s a chance she could use all of this against me. We’re sisters until the bitter end, and she loves me. No question. She will love and protect me, but I don’t know how she’ll feel about the magic in my blood, or about Zurie hunting us both. We’ve been trained to hunt dragons, after all.