Twilight Witch: Dragon Key Book 1 (Dragon Shifter Romance) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

A world of suave vampires, rowdy werewolves, and seductive dragon men.

That world is now where Katherine Harrow finds herself after a disastrous introduction to the handsome Tegan Arsa, a dragon man with a twinkle in his eye and a lot of trouble at his back. Kate brings her own trouble when she touches him and a magical bond is formed, one that eternally binds them together partners.

Tegan has other ideas about their relationship as they find themselves journeying through his world of magic and fantasy. Danger lurk in the shadows but those are nothing compared to that which awaits them in the cities. The imperial officials aren’t pleased to hear about their accidental bond. Dragons aren’t supposed to bind themselves magically with humans.

What’s worse is Kate’s newfound, and very uncontrollable, magic. Their bond has granted her abilities she could never dreamed of, but she has no idea how to control them. They’ve also attracted the attention of some seedy customers who want to use her newfound gifts for their own nefarious purposes.

The pair find themselves running from both sides of the law as they try figure out why fate has drawn them together before forces beyond their control pull them apart.

Leseprobe

TWILIGHT WITCH

DRAGON KEY BOOK 1

MAC FLYNN

CONTENTS

Copyright

Author’s Note

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

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Sneak Peek: Blood Wizard

A Small Favor

When’s the Next Book?

Series by Mac Flynn

About Mac Flynn

COPYRIGHT

Twilight Witch (Dragon Key Book 1). Copyright © 2024 by Mac Flynn.

Published by Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form or by any or for any use, including recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author and/or artist. The only except ions shirt excerpts or the cover image in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel or on the cover are either products of the author’s or artist’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or artist.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining me on a journey through my imagination. If you’re looking for romance and adventure with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then you’ve come to the right place. My books contain paranormal plotting and fantastical action, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

* * *

You can keep in touch with me by joining my newsletter or checking out my website for the latest updates.

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Thank you for giving my book a chance, and Happy Reading!

- Mac Flynn

CHAPTERONE

I blame those stupid birds. If they hadn’t been crapping on my windowsill, maybe none of this would have ever happened.

Then again, I wouldn’t have met him.

But I’m getting ahead of myself in my fabulous, awe-inspiring, earth-shattering story. It all started with a trip to the corner grocery store. Riveting stuff, right?

“Hey, Mrs. Gerst,” I called out as I whisked past the two checkout lanes and into the dozen aisles that made up the store.

“Good evening, Kate!” Mrs. Gerst called back from her usual position behind one of the revolving belts as she checked out a customer. “How was work?”

“Oh, so so,” I replied as I plucked out my usual assortment of quick-fix meals and energy drinks.

I carried my pile up to the register and plopped them on the belt. Mrs. Gerst gave a disapproving at my food pyramid. “You really should eat better, Kate.”

I grinned and shrugged. “That’s the benefit of being young, Mrs. Gerst. I can eat anything I want and never gain a pound.”

She clucked her tongue as she scanned my items. “You won’t be young forever, Kate. You should find yourself a nice man and settle down.”

I laughed. “I’ll have to find one first, but I’ll be seeing you, Mrs. Gerst.”

“Get out, Kate!” Mrs. Gerst shouted after me as I left with my goodies. “Go find an adventure! And don’t get caught in the rain!”

I stepped out into the cool evening air and paused on the threshold of the corner store. The city skylight blocked much of the heavens, but a few stars twinkled above me. Their beauty would soon be hidden by the dark clouds on the horizon, and the chill wind that swept past me would help them on their way.

A heavy sigh escaped me as I began the short trudge to my small apartment. The streets were mostly deserted but a few people like me hurried home to enjoy the coming weekend. Bright windows offered a view into busy homes with child laughter and coy kisses from teenage lovers left alone by their party-going parents.

Mrs. Gerst was better than any barometer and by the time I reached my building a few raindrops splattered against my head. I hurried up the stoop and into the old five-floor building. The building was the tallest and oldest in the neighborhood, and my hardened foot took the three flights up to the top with all the sturdiness of a well-worn soldier.

I slipped into my tiny apartment and could only admire the worn wallpaper and the ancient windows that looked out on the fire escape, itself a deathtrap. Building code regulators hadn’t been by in a couple of years, otherwise they would have condemned the whole thing. As it was, the rickety platforms with their rusted ladders and stairs still stood and offered the pigeons a good place to roost.

A dozen of Satan’s shitters were perched on the railing as I entered my humble abode. I tossed the bags onto the kitchen counter and stalked over to the window that led out onto the fire escape. A few of the offending fowl were perched on the wide sill and leaving their mark on the worn paint.

I flung open the window and the birds scattered in a frenzy of feathers and screeching. They left me a dozen little presents, the stench of which wafted into my apartment. I shut the window but the poor insulation meant the stink continued to float inside.

I rolled my eyes and snatched up a pitcher I had on hand just for this purpose. A quick fill up at the small sink with dish soap and I was prepared to do my nightly battle.

“Why can’t you guys just roost on the roof like the other pigeons?” I muttered as I opened the window and tossed the water onto the sill.

I was helped by a smattering of more raindrops from the dark sky. A boom of thunder rumbled from somewhere in the distance. That was quickly followed by another roar.

Wait, roar?

My mind couldn’t quite figure out what I had heard, so I leaned my head out. One of the pigeons achieved their revenge by crapping on my forehead.

“Shit,” I snapped as I ducked back inside and slammed the window shut.

That was exactly it. A quick look in the bathroom mirror told me the bird had an impeccable aim and had hit me squarely on the head. I furiously cleaned off the blotch of my shame. When I finished, I tossed the towel aside and draped my arms over the sink.

A sigh escaped me. I couldn’t even win against a bunch of stinky pigeons.

I pushed off from the sink and shuffled back into the living room. The storm that had sprinkled the fire escape now drenched it and lightning split the sky. The rumble of thunder rattled the window and a particularly close one shook the whole building.

I stumbled over to the window and leaned close to the glass. The rain had wiped away the remains of my foes’ encampment and now dripped off the grate that made up the platform. A particularly bright bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.

The brief light illuminated the sky and a huge figure in the clouds. It looked like a car with wings.

My heart skipped a beat and I pressed my face against the window. Darkness swallowed up the skies again, leaving me with my unsatisfied curiosity. Mrs. Gerst’s words echoed in my mind.

Go find an adventure.

“She also said don’t get caught in the rain. . .” I mumbled to myself.

Still, those dark skies had hidden something large. I hurried across the room, snatched my coat from its place on the floor, and put it on as I moved back to the window. A quick, practiced flick, and the window slid up. Rain pelted me and soaked the floor.

I scurried out and shut the window behind me. The metal grate was a little slick but the steps had a handrail which I grasped as I made my way up to the roof. The storm raged around me and the wind pushed against me as though attempting to drop me the hundred-odd feet to the ground.

I eased myself up the stairs and onto the rooftop. The flat area had a large box with a door that led into the building and a metal cage around the air conditioning unit. A low wall of some two feet surrounded the top.

My feet splashed through puddles as I slunk across the rooftop. The wind tore at my coat and the rain soaked me to the bone. I kept my coat close about me as I reached the middle and turned to face the fire escape. The clouds above my head were as black as coal.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. It also lit up the huge figure I had earlier seen, only now it was right on top of me. A terrible roar filled the air and a gust of wind followed. I was blown backward and partially blinded by the raindrops, but I could still see the figure that ducked out from beneath the clouds.

It was a dragon. A large, winged dragon.

My mouth fell agape at the sight of the gray-scaled creature as it swooped down toward me. Its green eyes glowed unnaturally in the weak light and my blood ran cold when our eyes met.

The dragon wasn’t alone. Three small figures dropped out of the clouds after it. My mouth fell open when I realized it was three cloaked people riding brooms. They were riding them right toward me.

A scream escaped me and I stumbled back. I misjudged how much room I had left and the back of my legs struck the low wall. The collision made me lose my balance and I tumbled backward into the abyss of the adjoining alley.

I flailed about for some handhold, but there was no fire escape on this side of the building. My failed efforts twisted me around so I faced the incoming ground. The unforgiving pavement awaited me with all the comfort of a sledgehammer to the face. I flung up my arms and prepared for a hard stop as I passed the halfway mark to oblivion.

A gust of wind pressed against my back and a set of claws wrapped around my midsection. The ground flew up and then was behind me as I coasted just a foot above the earth. The heavy flapping of wings made me look up and I saw the dragon’s scaled chest and neck were just above me.

We exited the alley in half a second and the dragon pumped hard to gain altitude. A wild cackle came from behind us and a ball of some green light flew past. The dragon took evasive maneuvers and banked a hard right down the road. The creature righted us and gained altitude but our pursers easily followed.

The dragon twisted his head and caught my attention with one glowing eye. A gravely voice came from its moving mouth. “I’m going to throw you. Grab hold of me when you land.”

My mouth dropped open. “You can-”

The dragon performed a back flip and used the momentum to throw me high into the air. I let out a scream as I passed by the rooftop of my home and neared the thundering clouds. A quick look down for any line of rescue let me see the dragon swoop back toward his pursuers and colliding into them. The trio flew off in all directions and one even ended up crashing into a garbage bin.

My upward momentum ran out and I began my descent. Again. I twisted around and watched the ground come at me as before, but soon the dark back of the dragon blocked my view. I landed hard on his scaled back but they were rough enough I didn’t slide off, even with all the rain. Still, I looked for a handhold and noticed the bumps where the wings met the shoulders. I grabbed onto those with all my strength.

A blinding light burst out from beneath my hands and surrounded us. The dragon flailed and roared. He flailed around in the air, nearly dislodging me from my seat and flying us ever higher. We flew into one of the lower clouds and were completely surrounded by the wet puff.

That is, until the top of a tree suddenly appeared in front of us. The dragon dodged that plant but ran into another of nearly equal height. The tree struck his left wing and crippled him, sending us crashing toward a wooded and very unfamiliar earth.

I shut my eyes and prepared for an emergency landing. The dragon hit the ground hard and dragged through the brush. The branch of a bush slammed into me and everything went black.

CHAPTERTWO

Wow, did I have a strange dream. I dreamed I was blown off my apartment roof and was rescued by a dragon being chased by three witches. Somehow we flew into the clouds and ran into a floating forest where we crash-landed.

I shifted atop my comfy bed and winced when a sharp pain shot through my head. The rest of my body hardly felt better, and there was a strange heaviness deep within me, like somebody had dropped a bag into my soul. Did I already need a new mattress?

I forced my eyes open and found myself looking not at the peeling paint on my bedroom ceiling, but a starry sky framed by a canopy of needle-decked trees. My heart skipped a beat and I shot up. Bad idea. The pain in my head throbbed worse than before. I sat up and clutched my head in one hand.

“Are you alright?”

The voice startled me and I whipped my head around. Again, stupid idea. The pain notched up into agony and I winced.

The question had come from an incredibly handsome man. He sported shocking short red hair and chiseled features that reminded me of a Greek god. The man was a little above average height with fair hands. He wore a simple buttoned shirt and pants with heavy boots on his feet. A neckerchief covered his throat. All his attire was in the same color, black.

He carried in his arms a pile of firewood which he dumped into a shallow hole not too far from where I sat. We were out of the woods, at least the thick brush in which we’d landed, and in a small clearing. My back leaned against the thick trunk of a tree and a long, heavy black coat covered me.

My heart skipped a beat and I moved my eyes around the clearing. “Where’s the dragon?”

The man paused in his fire building and smiled up at me. “Why? Are you worried he’ll eat you?”

A little color drained from my face. “Do they really eat people?”

The stranger laughed and began to stack the sticks into a pyramid. “Only when they’ve been very naughty or look tasty.”

I dropped my gaze to myself and looked me over. “Do I look tasty?”

He paused and perused my person with a great deal of interest. “You do look rather appealing, even for a woman from the other side.”

I grasped the edges of the coat and drew it higher up my body. “The other side?”

The man finished his pyramid and draped an arm over one knee as he returned his attention to me. “I don’t mean to alarm you, but you’ve fallen into another world.”

My frazzled mind couldn’t quite comprehend what he was saying. “You mean the dragon took me to a different country?”

He shook his head. “No, I mean another world. A completely different world from the one in which you grew up.”

A strange clamminess came over me. “You. . .you’re joking, right? Another world?”

The man raised one hand with the palm upturned. A large flame burst out of his palm and danced in front of his face which showed a mischievous smile. My mouth dropped open as I watched dumbfounded as he tossed the flame onto the pile of sticks. The wood caught fire immediately and soon a healthy fire crackled in front of me.

The man set his hand back on his leg and met my shocked eyes. “I’m not joking.”

My mouth flopped open like a fish trying to breathe on land. I finally snapped my lips shut and swallowed the growing lump in my throat. “I. . .how? When? Where?”

The man took a seat beside the fire and the light danced across his pensive face. “It isn’t too uncommon to pass into your world. Too much opposing magic can do that. As for the when, that was some five hours ago. For the where-” He lifted his gaze to the sky and studied the stars. “I would say we’re somewhere in the woods of Domhain, perhaps not more than ten miles from the settlement of Colun.”

“Domhain? Colun?” I repeated as my mind tried to wrap around these strange words and this impossible situation.

His thoughtful expression changed to pity as he studied me. “You don’t need to learn all the geography of Tellan.”

I clutched my aching head in my hand and closed my eyes. “This can’t be happening. It has to be some sort of a dream.”

“Do you believe it real enough to try to eat or drink something?” the man wondered as he drew a leather satchel with a strap out from behind him and rifled through it. “I have some stale bread and old cheese.” The offer of food made my stomach rumble and I remembered I hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch. A smile slipped onto the man’s lips as he drew out a couple of pieces of bread and cheese. “I’ll accept that as a ‘yes.’”

The man stood and moved over to my position where he plopped down on the ground beside me. He held out the bread and half the cheese.

I looked from the offered food to the stranger’s handsome face. “Why?”

He blinked at me. “Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?” I leaned in closer to him and searched his face. “Who are you?”

The man grinned. “I suppose I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? My name’s Tegan. Tegan Arsa. And you are?”

I drew my knees against my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. “Katherine.”

He cocked his head to one side. “No last name?”

I bit my lower lip. “Harrow.”

The man smiled. “A good combination. Shall we break bread to celebrate our meeting?”

“You still haven’t told me why you’re helping me.”

The stranger chuckled. “You are nothing if not persistent. As for the answer, we have a rather unusual problem on our hands.”

My pulse quickened as less-than-pleasant thoughts slipped into my mind. “What do you mean?”

He leaned backward and tilted his head back as the pensive expression returned. “How to explain to someone from your world? I suppose I would call it ‘fate’ that brought us together. Only fate could have a strange enough humor to create a key bond between us.”

I blinked at him. “A what?”

“A key bond,” he repeated as he took a bite from one of the cheeses. “It’s a situation where a witch or wizard unlocks the magical potential of a formerly normal person. The person who unlocks the power is called a ‘key,’ hence the name. They are then required to take the person under their wing and teach them about their new powers.”

My eyes widened. “I. . .you mean. . .you unlocked magic inside me?”

He nodded. “So it would seem. That is, I think that’s what happened. I’ve never experienced it first-hand, but I have seen it happen. Then there’s the sensation.”

“What sensation?”

He tapped his full hand against his chest over his heart. “I feel it in here. A strange affinity for you that your beauty alone couldn’t create.”

I carefully shook my head. “This is just insane. You can’t be serious. Me? Have magic? I can barely boil water, much less control it.”

The man chuckled. “Well, perhaps water won’t be your forte, but you must have something inside you.” He paused and furrowed his brow. “But there is the problem. . .”

My heart skipped a beat. “What problem?”

“The problem is I am no witch nor wizard. I’m a dragon.”

CHAPTERTHREE

I stared dumbfounded at him. Again.

He grinned at me. “You won’t need this food I’m offering if you keep hanging your mouth open. You’ll catch your fill of flies.”

I shook myself out of my daze and scooted away from the man. “Are you nuts?”

Tegan took another bite of cheese. “I have been called that many times, among other things, but why do you ask?”

I pointed at his person. “Because you don’t look like a dragon to me.”

He looked down at himself. “Let’s just say I prefer this skin to my scales. It’s a little easier to move around in this dense forest.”

“Then prove it. Turn into a giant lizard.”

Tegan chuckled. “I doubt I’ll need to go that far.”

He stretched out one arm in front of him. My eyes bulged out of my head as I watched the lower half of his arm and his hand swell. Scales popped out of his skin and his fingers thickened. Two of his fingers even emerged and his fingernails lengthened into sharp claws.

He drew his transformed arm back and flexed his thick fingers. “A rather useful tool for fighting in closed spaces.” He turned his attention to me and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Do I need to go further?”

My reply was swift and blunt. I scrambled backward across the ground until my back hit a tree. “W-what the hell?!” I exclaimed as I pointed a shaking finger at his arm. “What the fuck are you?!”

Tegan chuckled as he lowered his arm, and as he did so his limb reverted back to its human shape. “I told you. I’m a dragon. A shifter, to be precise. Now then-” He held up a piece of bread, “-did you want any food?”

Wow, was my mind full of half-shaped questions and panicked thoughts. My heart thumped so hard in my chest it threatened to bruise a rib from the inside. I gripped the earth beneath me as my eyes flitted around searching for the best avenue of escape.

“You shouldn’t run.”

The dragon man’s words made me freeze. He stood and sauntered over to the fire where he resumed his seat beside the flames. A pensive expression returned to his face as he stared into the fire. “Domhain isn’t a safe place to be, especially at night. One wrong step and you could find yourself in the Undergrowth.”

Oh great. I’d be out of the frying pan and into the fire. I swallowed the rock in my throat and gauged the man in front of me. He didn’t look like he wanted to eat a damsel in distress.

I managed to choke out a few words. “You. . .do you really eat people?”