Iron Druid Audiobook Novels & Stories

My twin brother looked like a god of the sun, his white-hot fire leaking from his skin in wisps of golden steam. "The Grey Erase doesn't wait for councils, sister!" Lucien shouted over the gale. "If we don't reach the tundra within the hour, we won't be leading an army. We’ll be leading a graveyard of statues!" I took a deep breath, reaching for the golden sap in my marrow. I pushed the warmth down into the stone platform, letting the Hallowed resonance hum through the mountain. A massive silver-furred drake, its eyes glowing with a soft sapphire light, detached itself from the shadows and lowered its head before me.

But Ailduin stops in front of him and holds up his hand, his palm facing Torin, just like Madelyn did before. Torin grits his teeth, looking like he might refuse to touch hands with King Ailduin. Ailduin waits, letting Torin decide. Finally, Torin reaches up and holds his hand against Ailduin’s. It’s only a moment before he yanks his hand back like he was burned. “What was that?” he asks. “That was your ancestor. I shared a memory of one of the Ddraig dragons that I knew when dragons roamed the planet.” Slowly, as if trying to prepare himself, he reaches his hand back up. He closes his eyes and let’s Ailduin show him the past.

'His' large eyes glinting widely like black oil. 'His' lips, if I can call it that, don't move. 'His' voice don’t come from his mouth. But I hear it again, like before, loud and clear. That deep raspy tone that vibrates inside my skull, accompanied with this throbbing pain at the back of my head. "Hello there, Druiss. It’s been a while."

Now he was tempted to pull the trigger. The Druid was limping, it walked with the help of a twisted spear that was tipped with a glowing yellow crystal. It was followed by another, this one was dressed similar. But it’s helmet lacked the antler like branches that characterized most Druids. Instead a smooth collection of leaves and vines had the head like it was a full head of hair. The two conversed, the garbled speech no longer present. But instead a clear tongue was spoken, the Grove speak. The Birchman’s language, one Froster understood well.

Fury bubbles in my chest like molten lava. Then I roar. The sound tears through the forest like a war cry, echoing off the trees, sending birds screaming into the sky. A declaration. I am here. I have found you. You are mine. But she doesn't answer. I stand there for several long moments, panting, jaw tight, before I exhale slowly and force the beast back down. "She's good," I mutter, pacing the bank like a caged animal. "Too good." But she won't stay hidden for long. Because I'm Hadrian Ironpaw.

My body temperature plummeted, and I began to shiver uncontrollably. Drake did not hesitate, pulling me into his arms as he channeled his spiritual energy to warm me. In a low voice, he told me ancient legends of the deep. The mysterious, enchanting tales distracted me from the pain. As I leaned against Drake and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. … Under Drake's care, my damaged voice gradually regained its former strength. That day, sunlight filtered through the sea, casting dappled patterns across the water.

The old dwarf peers at us through hooded eyes. Chugging the glass of milk in his hand he sets it down on the throne room table. The elder glances over each of us before his eyes land on me. Placing a fist over my heart I bow to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Fimrouck. I am Chieftain Eleonora of the Perilous Horde and this is my mate Flavius. Behind me are my warriors Soren and Dovydas," I introduce.

My eyes fluttered open and I screamed my throat raw. The winged lion/horse/dragon was leaning over me, its lips pulled back showing its mouthful of huge, sharp, pointy teeth. One of its paws slapped over my mouth. The resulting silence made the blood pounding in my ears that much louder. I pushed at the paw. It would have been easier to try to push a semi truck. The beast leaned down, his face close enough that I could see its dark blue irises. They reminded me of Ransom. Ransom. With my head immobile, I frantically looked everywhere I could. Had this monster eaten him? Where was he?

Of course, he would be able to uncover the truth in everything. Much to my surprise, he didn’t seem to grow angry again, or even uncomfortable. He simply stood looking at me with his icy blue eyes, unblinking. “Yes, she is a druid.” I confirmed with a small nod, wrapping my bed sheet around me even more securely. The evenings were warm and sticky, and there was no reprieve from the heat for weeks yet. But that didn’t seem to matter in this moment, a shiver ran the length of my spine as I waited for Alexanders rage to explode.

I whispered, my voice trembling, “if you were here, you’d tell me to keep going. You’d tell me to fight. So I’ll do it. I’ll finish this, for our pups, for us, for the family we’ve built.” I picked up the journal again, my hands shaking, and carefully pricked my finger a second time, letting drops of my blood fall onto the cover. The inscriptions shimmered again, more vibrant than before. I began deciphering Draco’s secrets, his origins, his dark experiments, the anchors holding his power together, and the final mysteries I needed to uncover. As I worked, a soft chime in my mind-link startled me. Aurelia… Silas’s voice, calm and steady, cut through my panic.