Captive 0f The Dragons (Bonfire Falls Paranormal Romance Book 3) Read online

  Captive of the Dragons

  Liv Brywood

  Aria Hunt

  Contents

  Description

  Excerpt

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  About the Author

  Captive of the Dragons

  Copyright© 2019 Liv Brywood

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  Description

  All’s fair in love and war…

  Ariadne’s terrified when war breaks out in Bonfire Falls. Even with the ability to control fire, she’s out matched by vengeful witches and hostile shifters. Desperate for help, she travels up the mountain to the dragon enclave where she’s held by three intimidating, yet irresistible dragon shifters. Now’s not the time to fall in love, but to save her town, she’ll have to risk her heart.

  Blaze, Copper, and Ember want nothing to do with the war between witches and shifters. They’re content to live high up the mountain in harmony with the other dragons. But Ariadne’s cast a spell over their hearts. They’re willing to wage war to protect their love, but will it be enough to bring peace to Bonfire Falls, and win Ariadne’s heart forever?

  Captive of the Dragons is a complete book with a HEA, no cliffhangers, and no cheating. It’s the third book in the Bonfire Falls Paranormal Romance series.

  Excerpt

  Copper’s gaze intensifies. His eyes go dark with desire. I gasp as hands close around the small of my back. He jerks my body against his own. For a long moment, he gazes into my eyes, as if savoring the sight of me, and then he mashes his lips against mine.

  His kiss consumes me. I’m on fire and there’s a chance he’ll reduce me to ashes.

  My hands involuntarily go to his chest, as if to push him away, but instead, I slide them down his pecs, over the hard knots of muscle in his abdomen, toward the place I really want to touch him.

  I return his kiss, melting into him and tasting his hot breath as it mingles with my own.

  His hands grip my back and slide up my spine. When he runs his fingers through my hair, I moan against his lips. We’re both practically naked and I can feel every inch of his arousal pressed against my belly.

  My lips part. His tongue presses against mine before slowing to explore my mouth.

  How far is this going to go?

  1

  Ariadne

  The weighty crack of thunder shakes the walls of my parents’ house. The shockwave flings pictures that clatter on the floor. One hits close to where we cower beneath the sturdy legs of the kitchen table. It’s my college graduation photo. The glass plate has shattered, and my face is cut lengthwise.

  I hope it’s not prophetic.

  Father peers through half-lidded eyes out toward the street. His wizened lips peel back from his teeth when he speaks.

  “That was close.” He sits back onto pea-soup-green linoleum. His expression is grim. “I never expected the war to get to the center of town.”

  “There’s a powerful witch out on the battlefield, about a hundred yards due east.” My parents turn to me and astonishment twists their expressions. I shrug. “Lightning magic travels far.”

  My father’s face scrunches up as if he’s trying to understand. He pretends to understand, but never really will. It’s not his fault, he’s a normal man amongst the shifters and witches of Bonfire Falls. It doesn’t matter that he’s only human. My mother and I love him as if he were a god. He belongs here as much as anyone who wields magic.

  For the longest time, we’ve grown blasé about the impending war between witches and shifters. In the non-magical world, the threat of nuclear war is the only good comparison. It’s a possibility that hangs over a person’s head, it’s serious and deadly, but it doesn’t affect day-to-day life very much. It’s like that here too. Magical warfare was always a threat, but now it’s real.

  Bonfire Falls is being consumed by chaos and violence. It’s so terrifying that several days ago, I left my comfortable home to stay with my parents. My mother isn’t as powerful a witch as I am, but between us, we’ve managed to strengthen the protective wards that keep this house together.

  Outside, magical warfare darkens the streets. Right now, someone could lay dying on the same sidewalk where I learned to ride a bike. A friend I went to school with could be bleeding out, and there’s nothing I can do to save them. I don’t want to think about it, but when the walls shake and sorcerous lights flash outside of the kitchen window, what choice do I have?

  “Sybil must be out there.” My mother’s face is fixed with a thin-lipped grimace. “She’s one of the only witches powerful enough to use lightning magic.”

  “She uses more than just lightning magic.” I can’t help but grimace. “Sybil uses dark magic to enslave shifters. It’s just wrong, and I’ll never join anyone monstrous enough to use that type of sorcery.”

  My father scoffs, which draws our attention.

  “Who cares if she’s messed with the minds of a few shifters? Sybil and her cronies are the reason we have a war in the first place.”

  “That’s not entirely true. There are zealots on both sides who won’t be happy until there’s blood.” Another crack of thunder rattles the house. My voice is tinged with bitterness when I speak. “I suppose they’ve gotten their wish now.”

  “If only there was a way to stop it.” My mother sighs, her careworn face droops with misery. “I’m afraid that if this doesn’t stop soon, there won’t be a town left.”

  That’s my cue. I share the other reason I wanted to see my folks. “I have a plan, but you guys won’t like it.”

  Dad’s jaw sets hard. I can already tell he’ll shoot down whatever I say. My mother seems worried, but she’s also confident enough in the woman she raised to give me the benefit of the doubt.

  “I should go to the other side of the mountain and ask the Dragon Clan for help.” I speak in a rush because I’m scared. I want to fill space so they can’t raise their objections yet. “They wanted peace so badly that they retreated to the mountaintop to live in solitude. Surely, they have a vested interest in ceasing a full-blown war between witches and shifters.”

  Dad laughs ruefully, his eyes narrowed to slits.

  “The Dragon Clan? What kind of help will those cowards give us?”

  “Do you know how dangerous the forest is?” Mother shakes her head. Her eyes are full of tears. She won’t allow them to fall. “Not to mention it’s a war out there. You can’t go. It’s just not safe.”

  “Your mother’s right.” Dad nods authoritatively, as if his word is the law. “You need to stay
with us until it calms down and the war stops.”

  “If it stops.” I keep my tone neutral, but I scowl. “I can’t just stand by and watch while witches and shifters destroy Bonfire Falls and our home.”

  Mom and Dad exchange a long, silent gaze, and then turn toward me. My mother licks her lips before she speaks.

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  “But I have to stop this.”

  “It’s too dangerous, and that’s that.” Father pounds his fist on the floor for emphasis, as if we haven’t had enough loud noise for one day. “You’ll stay here until this bloody business is settled.”

  There’s no point in trying to debate this with them. My parents are both stubborn as mules. So, I hold my tongue. We sit in silence until the sounds of battle grow distant.

  Eventually, my father goes out to “scout the perimeter”. He returns to tell us it’s safe—for now.

  “Still, it’s probably best not to leave the house.” He pats my arm and tries to give me a reassuring smile, but there’s a lot of fear in his eyes.

  The sun sinks below the horizon and darkness comes to Bonfire Falls. Despite the relatively early hour, everyone goes to bed by mutual agreement, as if we could sleep. And perhaps, magically, the conflict will be done by morning. Although, I highly doubt that. It feels more like the beginning of a war, not the end of one. I can’t trust that it will be over any time soon. We need help and the dragons are our only hope.

  Once my parents are asleep, I slip out of bed and prepare for my journey up the mountain. They’re not wrong about how dangerous it is, but I have to try to stop this war.

  It takes about twenty minutes to get fully dressed in the rugged jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and hiking gear I’ll need to navigate the forest. The dragon village doesn’t have any roads that lead directly from Bonfire Falls to its gate.

  I can’t understand why they even have a gate. Why would they need one when they eschew modern technology? They can fly right over it. But I guess it’s what they use to keep people out. They don’t like intruders, so going there is a huge risk, but it’s one I’m willing to take if it means saving my family and our town.

  It will be an arduous journey for me to get to them. My mastery of lightning and fire magic won’t help much as I bushwhack my way through the wilderness, so I pack accordingly. Luckily, Dad took me on a camping trip when I was young. I still have this stuff squirreled away in my closet. I’m glad I never threw it out.

  I feel a bit guilty when I raid the pantry for a handful of Dad’s dried beef sticks. I don’t want to starve up there if I get lost. And even if I do find the place, who knows what dragons eat? I just hope they won’t see me as a tasty little snack. I don’t want to end up charbroiled.

  After I finish packing the supplies, I turn my attention to the other vital accouterments: magical gear. Simple herbs and plants, when employed properly, can be just as effective as spells and enchantments. Fortunately, my mother has maintained a prodigious garden behind our house.

  As I head outside, the neighbor’s dog starts barking wildly. I cringe and quickly cast a spell to make him sleepy. It will wear off soon. It’s just enough to keep him silent while I work.

  As I pick my harvest, I glance at my parents’ bedroom window. They didn’t stir. They’re going to be furious when they find out I’ve left, but I just hope they will understand why I had to do it.

  With everything I need, I head to my parents’ room. Their door is closed. I stand outside of it and for a second, I consider staying. But I can’t. Someone needs to coax the dragons down the mountain. It’s the only way we’ll be able to stop this war.

  I head outside and stand in my parents’ front yard. I’m too scared to take the first step. Even though it seems like combat has died down for the night, I know it’s not over.

  “It must be done,” I mutter.

  The sounds of a skirmish across town spur me into action. I begin a brisk walk for the edge of town where civilization ends, and the forest takes over. The battle continues, but it’s not near me. I’m grateful that I won’t have to deal with that too.

  A snuffle and heavy ruckus stops me dead in my tracks. I’m next to a large home surrounded by a dense wall of shrubbery. A big, burly object sits on the other side of the greenery.

  I force myself not to panic. After all, it might not be a shifter. It could be another dog.

  But what if it’s a shifter? I’m not here to fight them, but how will they know that?

  Of course, I can use my magic to defend myself, but that will escalate the conflict instead.

  Branches snap as whatever is on the other side begins to claw its way through. I backpedal a few paces. My hands go up defensively in front of me. My fingers are alight with a crimson glow as I summon my magic. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I can use a minor spell to generate a smoke screen.

  Black smoke billows and cascades out of my hands. I sweep my arms in wide arcs and blanket the street with its impenetrable inky essence. The creature I assume to be a shifter manages to break through the shrubbery, but now there’s only a wall of darkness. Best of all, the cinder and ash will block its sense of smell as well as its sight.

  I close my fists and dispel the nimbus of flame, because there’s plenty of smoke screen now. I double back, head to the end of the block, then cross between the fences.

  The only place to walk is in the concrete gutter designed to catch the runoff from heavy rainfall. I slog through dead leaves and inches of mucky water, but it keeps me off the main street. It also leads right to the edge of town in a relatively straight line.

  I say goodbye to my pristine hiking boots. They’re already spattered with a black foulness that will never go away, but at least my feet are dry.

  As I prowl behind the homes of people I’ve known my whole life, I come across a house damaged by the combat. Half of the roof has been blasted away. Tiny fires dance around the structure. I can only hope that no one was home when the eldritch storm hit.

  I call upon my magic, hold my hand out with my palm upward toward the fiery house. As I close my fist, I will the hungry flames to quench themselves. The fire smolders and whimpers until I snuff it out.

  Perhaps I can’t protect this family from the chaos of war, but at least their home won’t burn to the ground. I continue my journey along the concrete gutter and feel a bit better. Eventually, the houses grow sparse and I can walk on dry ground.

  As the houses of humanity retreat, the trees grow more numerous. Soon, the paved road winds a hundred feet to my left and I leave behind the only signs of civilization.

  Just when I’m about to leave Bonfire Falls behind and melt into the forest, I realize I’m not alone. As I silently curse, I spin on my heel and hold up my hands. I summon bright globes of white, hot energy.

  A wolf shifter crouches nearby, poised for an attack. His mouth is open, but his lupine eyes seem cloudy and distant.

  “Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.”

  I nearly jump out of my own skin at the sound of Sybil’s voice. She strides up, regal and darkly beautiful in her deep purple gown. Silver earrings, bracelets, and necklaces do more than just enhance her mature beauty, they are thickly enchanted with protective magic.

  I can throw my biggest fireball at her and it will barely stir her lustrous, midnight black hair.

  Sybil stops next to the wolf shifter and deigns to put a hand atop its furry head.

  “These shifters are so much less disagreeable once you domesticate them, don’t you think?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t use that kind of magic.” In spite of my fear, I can’t keep the note of derision out of my tone.

  Her mouth stretches in a toothless smile. I get the impression she’s both mildly annoyed and utterly unconcerned about my opinion.

  “To each their own.” I shrug.

  Sybil’s dark, impressive eyes narrow to slits.

  “Where were you when your sisters risked their lives to protect you from the blight of the
barbaric shifter clans?” she asks.

  My heart pounds in my chest. Magic wells up around her. I realize she can smite me to a mote of dust on the spot.

  “It’s my parents.” My voice shakes. All my earlier bravado flees. “I take care of them.”

  Sybil relaxes a bit, but her gaze is still full of suspicion as she eyes me up and down.

  “You’re not just on a casual stroll.” The wolf shifter she pets growls menacingly. “Where are you off to at this time of night?”

  I want to crumple up and die on the spot, rather than face her wrath. But I manage to hold it together. I even manage to keep the quiver out of my voice when I speak.

  “To the forest to gather herbs.” I gesture toward the mountain. “My parents need them. I go at night because there’s less of a chance I’ll get caught up in the war.”

  She nods, her body posture changes as she relaxes. No longer poised for a fight, she looks toward Bonfire Falls as the distant rumble of unleashed magic reaches our ears.

  “The war will be brutal, but we won’t lose. With your magic on our side, there could be a lot fewer dead witches. You should join us.”

  There’s a note of admonishment in her tone, so I tell her what she wants to hear.

  “Once my parents are well enough to manage on their own, I’ll join the fight.” I lick my lips and try to sound gung ho. “Those shifters won’t know what hit them.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Sybil smiles, but again, it’s mirthless. I can’t imagine that woman ever feels joy other than when she’s burning the flesh off a shifter. “Go, gather your herbs, get your parents back to full strength. Then come and find me. I can find many uses for a witch of your talents.”