Page 1 of Galadon
Chapter 1
Galadon
For the first time in months, my mood wasn’t foul and agitated. I flew over southwest Oklahoma, enjoying the warm weather and sun on my burnt-orange scales. The fields below were a vibrant green, and flowers bloomed everywhere. Most of the winter had been irritatingly harsh and cold. Dragons such as I spent much of the frigid season nesting within our dens in a haze of grogginess and hunger, only waking when the temperature rose enough for us to hunt and eat.
That didn’t happen for some time once the heavy snow in January began falling upon us. It blanketed the region and failed to melt for six weeks, only becoming deeper with successive blizzards. Though I had some control over storms, those had been too strong to mitigate.
I’d heard the land here hadn’t always received so much snow and ice, but many things had changed sinceKederrawien—an alternate dimension where dragons used to live—melded with this one. Weather patterns had altered. It was only at the start of April, a week ago, that it had warmed enough during the day for me to venture far beyond my small territory in southeast Texas. I had left home to resume my hunt for stray Kandoran enemies who weren’t vanquished during our big war withthem last fall. Some estimated thousands remained scattered throughout the land west of us.
A rift in the ground appeared ahead—a wide gaping maw that had ripped the earth apart for hundreds of miles when the dimensions collided nearly seven years ago. It spanned from the Texas panhandle across southern Oklahoma and partway into Arkansas north of the Red River. Though state titles meant little anymore after dragons had arrived, the humans insisted on continuing to use them, so I’d learned the names to avoid confusion during the rare times I had to endure their company. The words had been annoyingly challenging to pronounce at first, but I’d always been a quick learner.
The bottom of the chasm was nearly a thousand feet deep in most places, and it was a couple of hundred feet at its narrowest to fly past. They’d finally built a bridge last year, reconnecting Interstate 35 so that the human populations to the north and south would no longer be cut off from each other. Dragons had assisted them since that helped facilitate trade and reduced the risk of people plummeting to their deaths during construction, which I supposed was a bad thing.
I continued my flight over rolling green terrain broken occasionally by brush and copses of trees. After a while, I spotted a gruesome scene of three large green dragon carcasses in the distance, surrounded by scorch marks and disturbed earth in what must have been an intense battle. I landed and moved to sniff at them, taking in the putrid scent of evil and decay from their unmoving bodies. A sneeze escaped me as the smell filled my nostrils. The only time I had ever gotten used to that horrific odor was during the war.
The bodies were dead Kandoran.
Since they hadn’t turned to dust, they must have died within the last day. Their clean and precise wounds told me they’d been killed by someone in human form who was quite skilled with a blade. Upon further examination, I decided they must have been slaughtered within the last hour. The blood-soaked earth was too fresh.
I moved away from them to clear my nose and began searching for the assailant. After a few minutes of circling the area, I picked up a familiar female's fresh and alluring scent. It had been nearly five months since I’d last seen her. My sensible side urged me to fly away and avoid her at all costs. The other, controlled by the beast within me, desperately wanted to check on the woman and ensure she hadn’t been injured during the battle. It was no easy thing taking down three Kandoran dragons at once, and she was known to be quite reckless. I’d also be lying if I said I hadn’t flown this far north just for a glimpse of her because, deep down, it was true.
A few spots of her blood on the trail made the decision for me. No matter how much I tried to harden myself against her allure, I couldn’t stand the idea of her being injured. I followed the path she’d taken for more than a mile, studying her tracks. Due to recent rain, it wasn’t difficult. Her steps had been steady, indicating she didn’t have significant injuries, and certainly not on her feet or legs.
Despite that, I couldn’t stop myself from continuing my hunt.
I spotted a strange tower ahead at the top of a hill. It was constructed of large brownish-red stones with a railed lookout at the top. A couple of hundred feet away, I spied a small body of water. I circled it until I came to a low-lying area with a cluster of trees and brush for cover. While I blended well enough withthe reddish-tinted dirt in this area, I doubted the lush green vegetation fully hid my large dragon form from view, but it would have to do.
The sounds of splashing drew my attention. I crouched low, spotting a nude female figure in the lake. In that moment, she appeared more like a siren calling to me than a ruthless slayer. She was entrancing.
Although it had to be frigid at this time of year, she stood in water that only hid what was below her waist. Everything else was bare for me to witness as she wrung out her coppery-brown hair. I took in her full breasts with hardened nipples, flat stomach marked with scars, and the faint line of a healing cut on her right arm. She held a bar of soap in her hand as she scrubbed away the last remnants of blood from battle.
I told myself I should look away.
It wasn’t right for me to watch her like this when she wasn’t aware of my presence—not after the promise I’d wrenched from her months ago—but I couldn’t forget the feeling of her soft skin. That one time nearly six months ago when I’d given into my lust for her, and our bodies had fit so perfectly that I’d lost my mind to the pleasure that came with our joining.
Even our magic had mingled ardently as if our powers called for each other. Fate was cruel for creating a woman like Rayna, who I wanted more than any other female I’d ever met despite her being my born enemy.
I’d known I could only give into my lust for her once, so that day, I’d made a point of touching every part of the slayer with my hands and tongue, needing to taste and memorize every inch of her. She’d begged and moaned for me never to stop. Against my better judgment, I’d taken her several times that dayin an attempt to rid myself of the overwhelming need she drove within me. It hadn’t been enough, but I had no choice except to be content with those few short hours. What we’d done was dangerous.
Rayna was born to kill me and every other dragon on Earth.
After dunking low to rinse, she began moving out of the lake. Water sluiced from her nude form as she chose her steps carefully. If there were a more perfectly sculpted human female, I’d never seen one. The slayer was beautiful, with a heart-shaped face, full lips, tan skin, and graceful movements that caused her shapely hips to sway as she walked.
I desperately wanted to shift into my human form and take her there on the ground.
She bent to grab a towel off a large rock, lifting the cloth to dry her hair. The movement raised her breasts with their hard-peaked nipples. I was torturing myself, and I knew it. Yet if I left now, she’d surely see me. A mere fifty feet separated us.
Rayna slowly ran the towel down her body as if she had all the time in the world. Once dry, she tossed it over her shoulder, slipped on a pair of sandals, grabbed a sword and mesh bag of toiletries, and made her way to a nearby trail. It was a mere few paces from my position, and there was no way she’d miss my large red-orange dragon form. I stiffened, waiting for her to spot me while also looking forward to the confrontation—to my annoyance.
“Enjoy the show?” she asked when she neared me, giving me a knowing smile.
I swished my tail in agitation, realizing belatedly she’d known I was here all along.
Since I couldn’t speak well in my beast form, I used telepathy.How did you know I was here?
Not once had she looked my way during her bathing ritual.
Rayna pointed at a black Friesian horse standing high on the hill near the tower. The animal was grazing on some tufts of grass as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Onyx told me. He’s my lookout when I’mtryingto have a private bath.”
