For those of you who have finished Cast by Flames and you’re ready for Galadon, I’m posting the first chapter for you. The draft for this novel is finished, and I’m working my way through revisions now. I did have beta readers go over this chapter already, so only my editor hasn’t seen it yet. The estimated release date is April 24th. Sometime soon, I’ll post the cover and summary, along with pre-order links. Hope you enjoy this peek at the book!
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 changed since my kind’s former dimension, Kederrawien, 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 with them 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 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 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 with the 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.
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