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Chapter 81: Epilogue
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Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 1
Book ONE: Mikhail: A Royal Dragon RomanceSleeping on a dragon's hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.―C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn TreaderEngland, September 1559The halls of Hampton Court Palace were quiet so close to midnight. There was no sound of laughter from the courtiers, not even the hushed murmurs of gentlemen luring young maids into dark corners for secret kisses. The tapestries lining the stone walls rippled faintly with the breeze that slipped in through half-open windows.Mikhail Barinov adjusted his black-and-gold doublet as he walked in light, quiet steps toward a bedchamber door. He ignored the prickle of unease he felt at the silence cloaking him as he saw a guard ahead. The man was posted outside the door, his hand resting on the pommel of a lethal-looking blade that Mikhail wasn't the least bit afraid of. He was, after all, not human. He was a dragon shifter, and there had been no human yet who had been
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 2
Mikhail jerked awake, the memory from half a millennium ago still lingering in his mind, the taste of Elizabeth's kiss still on his lips and her mocking smile still burned into his memory. But it wasn't 1559 anymore. Half a millennium had passed between that fateful kiss and the solitary life he led in Cornwall now.He sat up, eyes adjusting to the lack of moonlight, his thoughts still back at the moment his life had changed foreverwhen the woman he'd thought he loved had drugged his wine, stolen his hoard, and then imprisoned him behind iron bars, the one metal that could harm a dragon and which he had no power over, for half a century. The woman had taken everything that mattered to him, and centuries later, it still stung to realize the extent of his gullibility. Eyes sharpening in the darkness, his dragon senses assessed the night. A faint patter of rain against the bay windows drew his attention. The dragon inside him shifted, wanting to manifest itself and take flight. Over th
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 3
The greatest treasures were most often guarded by the slyest and cruelest dragons.?―Adam Nevill,?House of Small ShadowsDiamonds are my best friend The words hummed through Piper Linwood's head as she stood in the showroom of the Victoria and Albert Museum, staring at the glass-encased display of jewels with longing and fascination. Never in her life had she seen such an impressive and awe-inspiring collection. As one of the premier gemologists in North America, she'd seen hoards that would make a queen emerald-green with envy. But all of those paled in comparison to this.No one back home in Massachusetts would have guessed she'd end up in glittering, aristocratic London, overseeing a trove of this magnitude. After ten years, multiple jobs, double course loads for classes, and a heavy caffeine addiction, she'd clawed her way up from small-town life to cataloging this remarkable find. And I am going to help sell them. She still couldn't believe it when Thorne Auction House ha
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 4
"I should leave you to" she said, now trying to sidestep him. "My name is Mikhail Barinov," he announced, stopping her. There was a touch of pride in his tone, but it lacked the arrogance that she expected to go with it. It was almost as though he expected her to know of him, but she obviously didn't. Which begged the question, who the hell was he?"I'm Piper, Piper Linwood."Mikhail raised her hand to his lips and gave her a chivalrous kiss. His lips were warm and soft on the backs of her fingers. She shivered. It was impossible not to imagine his lips touching other parts of her. The wicked thought filled her with a wild rush of excitement and a hint of panic. She never thought about strange men like this. Was it because Mikhail was insanely gorgeous? Or was it because at the age of thirty she was still a virgin and her hormones were finally kicking into high gear?"Will you be attending the reception at the Thorne Auction House tonight?" he asked her.Surprise fluttered throug
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 5
We men dream dreams, we work magic, we do good, we do evil. The dragons do not dream. They are dreams. They do not work magic: it is their substance, their being. They do not do; they are.¨DUrsula K. Le Guin,?The Farthest ShoreMikhail walked up the steps to Berkley's Club, his skin tingling. It had been a long time since he'd scented a virgin woman in her prime. He'd stayed away from humans for so long that he'd almost forgotten how the sweet, floral scent of a naturally beautiful woman could tease his nostrils. The little virgin gemologist was as ripe as a red apple hanging low on the branch, begging to be plucked. His body hardened at the thought of getting her alone, stripping her naked, and inhaling that intoxicating, pure scent until he was drunk with the aroma.He gave his head an almost violent shake. Nohe refused to be a fool for a woman again, especially a virgin. Piper Linwood was no different than any other female, ready to betray a man the moment it was convenient. It d
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 6
Mikhail leaned forward in his chair and raked his hands through his hair. "Please, Randolph. I wouldn't ask, but""Say no more. If the promise of gems draws you out of your little cave in Cornwall, then consider it done. I'll go with you, of course. I'm rather fond of the new American gemologist they brought here. I should like to see her again."Mikhail's body went rigid. An American gemologist? His little virgin gemologist who smelled like heaven? The one he'd done a poor job of not thinking about for the last hour?"Gemologist?" Mikhail forced himself to sound neutral."Oh yes. A succulent little creature with the biggest brown eyes and legs that go on for days, as the Americans say. I'd love to have them wrapped around my hips, if you understand my meaning." Randolph grinned wickedly.Brown eyes? Not pale blue? So it hadn't been the woman named Piper Linwood. The small, curvy human with eyes like alexandrite, a bluish-gray that could change shade with whatever she stood close
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 7
But there, beneath those rings, beneath the talisman and gems and precious stones like blue eyes (lovers' keepsakes) there still remains the silent crypt of sex, filled to its vaulted roof with flower petals. Rainer Maria RilkePiper Linwood was speechless.The Thorne Auction House was nothing short of stunning. It was an old townhouse dating from the eighteen hundreds located on Curzon Street, and it had been converted into a boutique auction house and reception hall. The owner, Mr. Wesley Thorne, was an old English teddy bear who, as it so happened, looked a bit like Teddy Roosevelt, with ruddy cheeks, a bushy moustache, and rounded spectacles perched on his nose.Piper and Jodie had come to the auction house earlier that evening and had been escorted to rooms upstairs where they could change into their evening gowns. He'd even offered to let them stay the night in case they had to work late. The reception was a black-tie affair, so she and Jodie had bought evening gowns at Harrods
Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 8
Maybe tonight would be special after all. Piper fetched her black pumps and leaned against the bed to put them on. Her stomach gave another nervous flip as she exited the room and headed toward the staircase. She paused at the top when she realized guests had started to arrive early. The reception hall was filled with at least a dozen people in suits and cocktail dresses. Jodie was already engaged with some of the guests; she was a complete natural in social situations. Footmen bearing trays of champagne floated among the crowd. The glow of the chandeliers illuminated the bubbling gold liquid in the glasses. Piper soaked up the moment. She'd come a long way since she'd been a kid in Boston, studying hard instead of going out. Nights like tonight had seemed impossible. Something to daydream about, not experience. She'd come from a middle-class home and had to scrimp and save to get to college. Now it felt like her entire life had led to this moment. She rarely stopped to pat herself
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- Brothers of Ash and Fire Chapter 81: Epilogue
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