"Will the Fire Dragon find his human mate in time to thwart an evil mage who's after his powers?"
Reviewed by Mandy Burns
Posted October 15, 2008
Paranormal | Romance Paranormal
A Fire Dragon is a rare, mythical creature unable to resist
the call of a Dragon Master. They can take and use a
dragon's power for whatever they desire, while making the
dragon a slave in all things. This is a fear that Seth has
been avoiding for years, but as he stands in the middle of
a dark alley in human form, he realizes his nightmares may
be coming true. The powerful magic coming from the door in
front of him is strong and can only mean one thing; a
Dragon Master has summoned him and he is not happy about it
in the least. Carol Juan is a driven business woman whose goal is to turn
her grandmother's restaurant into a multimillion dollar
franchise. If she can just convince her grandmother to make
the necessary changes, she can get additional investors to
expand even more. Late one evening, Carol opens the door to
the alley after one of those frustrating conversations and
stops in her tracks. A very beautiful and very angry man is
staring at her. When he begins to speak, all train of
thought suddenly vanishes except the knowledge of him being
very dangerous.
Oh, where can I find a Red Dragon? I want one! I absolutely
love this innovative Dragon series. Allyson James
has created a delicious story you can read more than once --
and I plan to do just that!
SUMMARY
He’s big, hot, and not of this world. The third in this
erotic paranormal series.
A Fire Dragon summoned
here by a dangerous mage inflames the passion in the human
female he has chosen to become his mate.
ExcerptChapter OneHe didn’t know where he was, or who he was, or why he
was. He stood upright in a naked human body in a dark, cold
place that smelled metallic, damp, and oily. The only light came from a crude lamp set high on a wall, a
flickering orb surrounded by insects craving brightness. He
didn’t blame them. A few moments ago, his world had been one
of heat and light and now he stood in terrifying cold and
darkness. The dim light showed dirty walls and hard stones with
letters scrawled beside a solid door. For some reason he
could read the letters, though they made no sense to him. Ming Ue’s Dim Sum. He went toward the windowless door, the dragon magic tangled
across it making him nauseous. He had been summoned by a
Dragon Master once before, long, long ago, and he tasted the
rage of it still. He moved along the wall to the door, his bare feet aching
from the sharp pebbles strewn across the ground. He heard
voices coming from behind the door, and he cocked his head
to listen . . . “I won’t do it, and that is my final word.” Tiny Ming Ue stood with her back straight, hands on her
cane, eyes flashing black fire. Carol clenched her well-manicured hands and tried not to
lose her temper. Ming Ue was half Carol’s size and wrinkled
and gray, but she wielded all the power in the room, and she
knew it. Ming Ue’s nephew Shaiming quietly sipped tea at another
table in the closed restaurant. He pretended to be absorbed
in his cup, but the twitch of his eyes betrayed his interest. Carol dropped her voice to reasonable tones, the ones that
persuaded hard-hearted venture capitalists in the financial
district to sign fortunes over to her. “It won’t be much of
a change, Grandmother. You’ll be doing the same things, and
I know you’ll welcome the help.” “I don’t need any help. I’ve run this restaurant for thirty
years, not to mention raising you nearly all that time. Your
mother entrusted you to me when she died, and this is the
thanks I get.” Ming Ue spoke in her sharp Cantonese, the language with
which she bullied the great and terrible. Carol loved her
grandmother, but sometimes her stubborn insistence in
clinging to the old ways drove her crazy. “All I ask is that you add a few things to the menu to bring
it in line with our other restaurants.” “Your other restaurants. I let you run those as you
please, but you will not turn my dim sum house into an
over-Americanized, make-believe Chinese tourist trap. My dim
sum is the best in San Francisco--the best in California.
People come from all over to try it.” It was true that the restaurant with its plain cream-colored
walls and small tables did attract those who wanted to try
real dim sum. The only pictures on the walls were artful
cut-paper dragons and flowers, and the tablecloths were all
bright red, a lucky color. Unfortunately, nowadays people expected more flash and
glamour in a restaurant, and the many-times washed white
plates and dim sum cart with the squeaky wheel didn’t quite
measure up. “Grandmother, please be realistic. You’re losing business
here. If we don’t modernize the menu, we’ll never raise the
customer base. And with a manager--one you’ll supervise, of
course--you’ll be able to take it easy. Maybe even retire
and look in on the restaurant when you want to.” “Retire?” Ming Ue screeched, and Carol realized she’d
miscalculated. “I’m only seventy-six years old, why should I
retire?” She jabbed her cane at Carol. “You are a smart
young woman, and I love you, but I will not let you turn my
restaurant into no better than a fast-food joint. I own Ming
Ue’s, not you.” Carol closed her mouth in frustration. She’d built her
portfolio to great heights by knowing when to stop arguing
with difficult investors, but Ming Ue always seemed to win.
Business at Ming Ue’s had slacked to almost half in the last
six months, never mind how much lucky magic her grandmother
claimed had seeped into the restaurant’s walls. Dragon magic, Ming Ue said. The luckiest kind of all. Shaiming only drank his tea, knowing better than to get
involved in an argument between the women of his family. “All right, Grandmother,” Carol said, trying to sound
reasonable. “We’ll talk about it later. I have an important
meeting first thing in the morning, so I’ll go on home.” Carol would bring over the proposed changes to the
restaurant after lunch, when Ming Ue was sure to be full of
tea, dim sum, and happiness. Lunch drew the best crowd, and
Ming Ue was always content after chatting with her regulars. “You do that,” Ming Ue said with a scowl. Carol turned away. Back off now, save up arguments for
later, that was the way to win over a reluctant client. “And you’ll not make me change my mind!” Ming Ue shouted
after her. Carol rolled her eyes. She walked out of the restaurant,
very carefully not slamming the door behind her. Carol made herself feel better by muttering very
unprofessional curses under her breath as she made for her
car parked a little way down the alley. She wasn’t afraid to
be out here alone--no one with any sense would bother the
alley behind Ming Ue’s. Whether it was lucky magic or Ming
Ue’s iron personality, thieves and those who extorted
“protection” from small businesses steered clear. She fished for her keys, still fuming. The investors she’d
meet with tomorrow were enthusiastic about taking Ming Ue’s
restaurants nationwide but worried about the low profits of
the original restaurant. If Carol could persuade them she
could turn Ming Ue’s around, and show them her detailed
outline to do so, she could save the day. She heard a step behind her, but she didn’t turn. “She’ll be all right, Shaiming,” she said, assuming her
cousin had come out to try placation. “I won’t push her too
hard, I know her health is frail, no matter what she says.” Another footstep, and no answer. Shaiming was ordinarily
quiet but the silence behind her made the hairs on the back
of her neck prickle. She turned around. A tall man she’d never seen before stood directly behind
her. The streetlight at the end of the alley glinted on red
hair, night-dark eyes, and the gleam of naked muscle. He was
huge and powerfully built, his shoulders massive, pectorals
hard and flat. He also wasn’t wearing stitch of clothing. Carol dragged in a breath to shout for help, but he put his
hands on her shoulders and shoved her back against the car.
He smelled like wind, sweat, and clean air, and he was
enormously strong. Carol fumbled in her purse and whipped her canister of
pepper spray in front of the man’s face. He knocked it out
of her hand, and the stray squirt she managed to get off
didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest. His eyes were pools of dark shadow, black all the way
across, and a tangle of red hair framed a harsh, hard face. “Why did you summon me?” “What? Let go of me.” He shook her. “I smell your power. Great power.” His hands
hurt her wrists, but his eyes were filled with fear. “I
won’t serve you.” She had no idea what he meant. She only knew that he was
strong enough to snuff her life out if he wanted without
breaking a sweat. Still, a spark in his eyes seemed to call to something deep
inside herself. She felt that thing inside stir and respond,
and the spark flickered. He tilted his head in surprise and
studied her, in a manner that reminded her of someone she
couldn’t think of right now. The alley flooded with sudden light, and Ming Ue marched
into the glare with Shaiming close behind. “You there. Leave her alone.” “Grandmother, go back inside! Call the police.” “Release her, now.” Ming Ue struck the ground with her cane,
a tiny thunder-crack that echoed up and down the alley. The red-haired man stared at Ming Ue and abruptly let go of
Carol. Carol slid out from under him and dashed back to Ming
Ue. The man faced them in the floodlight’s bright circle. Except
for his mane of wild hair and his not-right eyes he had a
perfect male body, like a sculpture come alive. Every limb
rippled with muscle, perfectly proportioned and raw with
strength. His phallus, as proportionate as the rest of him,
hung heavily from a thatch of red hair. Ming Ue regarded at him without fear. “Who are you?” He only looked back at her, dark eyes glittering under the
light. He made no move to run away or to attack, he simply
watched the three of them huddled together with the wariness
of an animal. “Grandmother, we should call the police.” “No, we shouldn’t. I’ve already called Malcolm.” Malcolm was a tall man with black hair and silver eyes on
whom Ming Ue doted, claiming he had powerful and lucky
magic. Ming Ue also claimed Malcolm was a dragon. Malcolm did have strength, both physically and in
personality, Carol couldn’t deny that. She’d be thrilled
right now to have his bulk between her and the large man in
the alley. Ming Ue jabbed her cane toward the red-haired man. “This is
a dragon, Li Mei,” she said, calling Carol by the pet name
she’d gone by as a little girl. “I don’t know what kind, but
he obviously has no idea where he is or why he’s here.” * * * The old human woman unnerved him far more than the other
two--the silent man and the young woman who smelled so good.
When he’d had the young woman’s body under his for a few
seconds, he’d had the strangest and strongest feeling that
she belonged there. As his mind cleared he’d realized that this was the human
world, and that he’d responded to the binding call of a very
powerful witch or a Dragon Master. Which of them had called him? The old woman glittered with
power but not enough to trap a dragon. The man had only a
glimmer of magic. There was a deep glow inside the young
woman, a flame she hid, something enormously powerful. But
when she’d looked at him with her soft, dark eyes, he’d seen
nothing of the arrogance of a Dragon Master, no evil. Of course the three of them could have banded together,
pooling their talents to bring him here. Enslaving him . . . He balled his fists and took a step forward. He shouldn’t
understand the human speak of this time and place, but magic
had quickly adapted his senses. “Why do you want me?” “We don’t,” the old woman said. “What’s your name?” She didn’t mean his true name. She meant, What should we
call you? Other dragons gave themselves human-sounding names, but fire
dragons never did. They rarely interacted with other
dragons, or even with their own kind. They lived in blissful
solitude until they chose to mate, then they knew their
mates so well, bound in thought and body, that there was no
need for names. “This one is different,” the old woman said to the other
two. “Not like Caleb or Malcolm.” “I can see that,” the young woman replied. She was nervous
and afraid, yet her voice was strong. “What kind of dragon are you?” the old woman asked. “A great
one, obviously.” The fire dragon simply looked at her without answering. If
they didn’t know what kind of dragon they’d called, it was
their own fault. They should be slaves to him, not the other
way around. “He’s coming,” the old woman announced. Lights pricked the darkness behind him, followed by a
strange squeal and a metallic taint in the air. A vehicle
much like the one the fire dragon stood next to halted some
distance away, and a large man rose from it. A black dragon. The fire dragon’s fury boiled over. Black dragons were ice-cold creatures who cared for no
beings but themselves. The ancient beasts lived inside
mountains of stone, pouring over incomprehensible and
strange calculations. They were powerful, not because of
their fighting strength, but because their minds were sharp
as steel. The black dragon’s human form was as tall as the fire
dragon’s, but he had a fall of long black hair, and his eyes
were silver. He moved with confidence toward the fire
dragon, but the fire dragon regarded him with contempt--the
black dragon had answered a summons by these humans. A woman emerged from the vehicle behind the black dragon.
She was small, but her magic burned like a bright-white
flame--a witchling. She could have summoned the fire
dragon, though he felt no binding threads from her. The black dragon cocked his head, looking the fire dragon up
and down with his bright eyes. “Damn.” His voice was soft, almost silken. “What’s the matter?” the witch behind him asked. “Do you
know him?” The black dragon shook his head. He held his hand out to the
witch, giving her a look that spoke of tenderness. He might
be talking to a mate, but dragons and witches didn’t mate. “He’s a fire dragon.” Give the mighty black dragon ten points. The old woman sucked in her breath. “Truly?” “What’s a fire dragon?” the witch asked. “I’ve never seen one before,” the black dragon said. “They
are elusive and volatile and don’t interact with other
dragons. Some dragons think they’re only legend.” “Like the silver dragon?” the witch asked him. “Not quite, but almost.” The old one clasped her hands. “How wonderful. You see,
Carol? Dragons always find me, even the rarest of them. I am
the luckiest woman in Chinatown.” The beautiful woman with the deep flame stood tall in front
of the old one. “This has gone far enough, Grandmother. I
want the police.” “That would be a bad idea,” the black dragon said mildly.
“Let me take care of this.” The fire dragon knew that the black dragon--Malcolm--was the
strongest being in this alley, the one he’d have to get past
to stay free. “Why are you here, black dragon?” he snarled. “In this form,
summoned by these mages? Do you belong to them?” “I protect them,” Malcolm answered. “Enslaved.” The accusation sounded hollow because the fire
dragon knew he’d been enslaved himself. “I protect them by choice. Why have you come here?” The fire dragon put his fists to his bare neck. “Harnessed.
Dragged here. Did you do it?” “Not me, but I know what it feels like to be ripped from
Dragonspace, believe me. So which of you summoned him?
Shaiming?” The silent man jumped, then beamed a smile and shook his head. “None of us did,” the old woman said. “We wouldn’t know how.
He just showed up in the alley.” Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. “Now that’s very interesting.” Curiosity was a black dragon’s weakness. The arrogant
creatures could lose a battle because they’d stopped to
investigate something trivial. Malcolm drew close, and the fire dragon growled, feeling the
need to challenge. He drew every ounce of power he had deep
inside himself and willed the fire to take over. His body heated white-hot, and he felt the triumph that came
with the change. Yes! The small group collectively gaped as he became living fire,
a string of incandescent light that blasted back the
darkness of the alley. Malcolm started for him, but the fire
dragon sailed out of reach. The fire dragon swooped and swirled around the tiny old
woman then the lovely, flame-filled young woman at her side.
His flame called to hers, and she stared up at him with fear
and wonder in her eyes. “What are you?” she breathed. She lifted a slim-fingered
hand toward him. The fire dragon flitted out of reach, sensing that if he
touched her, she’d bind him forever. The strange human world pulled at him, and he rose in an
arrow of flame over the glittering, odd-smelling, alien city.
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