by Dianna Love
She scrambled to her feet.
With a wild look in her eyes, she slashed down, cutting off a head that bounced away.
Her weapon didn’t just smell of majik, it stunk of ancient power.
Another glowing creature raced through the door, catching Daegan distracted. This one looked more troll than human. Could he kill a troll taken over by an Imortik? It slammed into him, knocking Daegan down and clawing at his chest. Daegan beat the pummel of his sword against the creature’s head.
The Imortik jerked hard and tried to reach for its back.
That’s when Daegan realized Luigsech had stabbed her sword through the troll’s back, barely missing Daegan’s privates. That woman would kill him if he didn’t get her to calm down.
“Don’t stab anythin’ I’m fightin’.”
“You ungrateful bastard! I just saved your miserable life.”
His gaze yanked to the doorway. “Close the damn door!”
“Stop yellin’ at me. You brought these things to my house.” Her blue eyes glowed and bulged with wild-eyed panic. She gasped air.
He shoved the Imortik-troll body off his lower half and pushed up with his sword in hand.
Two demons the size of bulls standing upright crashed into each other at the entrance, fighting to get inside.
What had called up demons?
Daegan lunged forward, slashing and driving his sword as he did. One demon barely glowed, but the other one shined yellow bright as the sun. That one lost a hand and spun away screeching. Daegan shoved a boot straight into the chest of the second one, knocking it out of the doorway.
He fought the demon with the sword, unsure if he could use his powers after being stabbed by that Imortik. This demon dodged back and forth, then came at him.
Daegan glanced at the second one holding his wrist, dismissed it then braced for the other demon attacking. He waited until the last second, close enough to smell the demon’s disgusting sulfur odor, but Luigsech’s sword slashed into view. She swung horizontal, cutting the demon in half. She lifted the blade high, looking like a wild Valkyrie holding off an army, then brought it down fast, slashing off the demon’s head.
No one’s head would be safe around her.
The demon turned to orange dust and blew away.
What the hell?
He’d never seen one turn to orange dust.
A snarl alerted him just before the injured demon dove at him. Daegan twisted around, bringing his blade with him.
Tristan yelled in his head in that moment. Caught ... trap ... Cavan is ... Tristan howled painfully.
The demon leaped, landing half on Daegan’s shoulder and clawing his back.
Daegan flipped forward, falling away from the door. He rolled, throwing the demon off as he did. Not stopping, he jumped up, spun around, and brought his blade down across the demon’s neck as it crawled to him.
Luigsech had the right idea with decapitation.
With the head gone, that body also turned into orange dust. Another glowing demon shot out of the dark, claws reaching for his chest. Daegan swung and missed. The creature clawed his shoulder. His energy waned. He had to kill this thing fast. Calling up his dragon, Daegan roared an inhuman sound and battered the demon to the ground, then flipped his sword to strike straight down. Another burst of orange dust and everything finally fell silent.
Heaving breaths, Daegan wiped sweat off his brow.
He drew on his dragon’s healing power. Maybe it would push out new venom the Imortiks had stabbed into him.
Ruadh rumbled and banged inside him, but energy flooded his body.
Garwyli had warned him the rift would open in different parts of the world and the venom inside him would draw in Imortiks.
His leg felt better, but throbbed. Pain burned in his shoulder.
If he didn’t find a way to clean out that venom, it could deplete his powers even more and interfere with getting Tristan back.
Luigsech would help him. To possess such a sword she’d pulled from hiding and draw on its power meant she knew far more than she’d admitted.
She probably knew how to find the grimoire as well and had done an experienced job of lying.
Maybe he had needed Storm’s lie-detecting ability after all.
Pain throbbed with every movement he made, but better that he’d been injured than Luigsech. He could not allow anything to happen to her. She was no human and that sword had come from the time of his father, but she could lose to an Imortik.
Aye, she had to live to help Daegan find Cavan.
He cursed himself for being played. Not again.
If he failed to make her tell him who Cavan was and deliver the grimoire volumes to him, he risked Tristan’s life plus that of the ones back home.
He’d saved her life. Maybe now they could work together once she accepted that she might need him to protect her from dangerous beings.
Aye, this would work.
Turning to the cottage, he started walking then paused. He could not sense her power. “Luigsech?”
No one answered. He rushed forward. The troll body lay still on the floor.
He roared, “Casidhe Luigsech!”
She was gone.
Please note: This is one big journey. I hope you’ll understand that it’s not possible to tie up the storylines in these books until the very end. The reason I started writing this series close to two years before the first book released was so that I could deliver the books a month apart (as often as possible) to release the entire series within in one year. I did not want to give you cliff hangers with a year between books. I’m a reader too and I enjoy reading an ongoing story as soon as I can just as you do.
Thank you for reading my books and joining me on my writing journey. You are the reason I step into the cave pretty much seven days a week because I love sharing my stories with you.
Dianna
MORE BOOKS:
Thank you for reading my books. If you enjoyed this story, please help other readers find this book by posting a review.
For SIGNED PRINT copies of Dianna’s books visit www.DiannaLoveSignedBooks.com where you can also preorder new books.
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The 9-book series of Treoir Dragon Chronicles in ebook and audiobooks
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 1
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 2
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 3
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 4
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 5
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 6
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 7
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 8
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 9
The hardback print versions of Treoir Dragon Chronicles
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Volume I, Books 1-3
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Volume II, Books 4-6
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Volume III, Books 7-9
*Note: Hardbacks can be ordered/preordered signed and personalized from www.DiannaLoveSignedBooks.com
Reviews on Belador books:
"...non-stop tense action, filled with twists, betrayals, danger, and a beautiful sensual romance. As always with Dianna Love, I was on the edge of my seat, unable to pull myself away."
~~Barb, The Reading Café
“There is so much action in this book I feel like I’ve burned calories just reading it.”~~ Goodreads
“...shocking developments and a whopper of an ending... and I may have exclaimed aloud more than once...Bottom line: I really kind of loved it.”
~~Jen, top 500 Reviewer
"DEMON STORM leaves you breathless on countless occasions."
~~
Amelia Richard, SingleTitles
“...Its been a very long time since I've felt this passionate about getting the next installment in a series. Even J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.”
~~Bryonna Nobles, Demons, Dreams and Dragon Wings
“As much as I am impatient for each installment these stories are so worth the wait.” ~~ Rosemary, Goodreads
“This adventure win or lose is going to change things for Evalle and her friends. Brava Ms. Love for another fantastic ride.” ~~ In My Humble Opinion
The Belador series is an ongoing urban fantasy (same characters in the same world), which is best read in order. Novellas can be read as stand alones.
Book 1: Blood Trinity
Book 2: Alterant
Book 3: The Curse
Book 4: Rise Of The Gryphon
Book 5: Demon Storm
Book 6: Witchlock
Book 7: Rogue Belador
Book 8: Dragon King Of Treoir
Book 9: Belador Cosaint
Book 10: Treoir Dragon Hoard
Book 11: Evalle and Storm
Tristan’s Escape: A Belador Novella
The League of Gallize Shifters series is stand-alone paranormal romances written in a larger urban fantasy style world.
Book 1: Gray Wolf Mate
Book 2: Mating A Grizzly
Book 3: Stalking His Mate
Book 4: Scent Of A Mate
Book 5: Wild Wolf Mate
The Slye Temp romantic thriller series is ‘completed’ (great for binging!)
Prequel: Last Chance To Run
Book 1: Nowhere Safe
Book 2: Honeymoon To Die For
Book 3: Kiss The Enemy
Book 4: Deceptive Treasures
Book 5: Stolen Vengeance
Book 6: Fatal Promise
Dianna Love and Mary Buckham created the sci-fi/fantasy Red Moon Trilogy, which is appropriate for Hunger Games readers.
Book 1: Time Trap: Red Moon science-fiction/time travel trilogy, book 1
Book 2: Time Return: Red Moon science-fiction/time travel trilogy, book 2
Book 3: Time Lock: Red Moon science-fiction/time travel trilogy, book 3
For more on this series, visit www.MicahCaida.com
AUTHOR’S BIO
New York Times Bestseller Dianna Love once dangled over a hundred feet in the air to create unusual marketing projects for Fortune 500 companies. She now writes high-octane romantic thrillers, young adult and urban fantasy. Fans of the bestselling Belador™ urban fantasy series will now have the new Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador™ spinoff. Dianna’s Slye Temp sexy romantic thriller series wrapped up with Gage and Sabrina’s book–Fatal Promise–perfect for bingers! She has new League of Gallize Shifters paranormal romance series. Look for her books in print, e-book and audio. On the rare occasions Dianna is out of her writing cave, she tours the country on her BMW motorcycle searching for new story locations. Dianna lives in the Atlanta, GA area with her husband, who is a motorcycle instructor, and with a tank full of unruly saltwater critters.
Visit her website at www.AuthorDiannaLove.com or www.DiannaLoveSignedBooks.com
A WORD FROM DIANNA...
Thank you for reading my new Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador™ World series. I have been excited to give you this spinoff series for a long time.
As always, I must thank my wonderful husband and partner in this journey, Karl. He is the greatest gift in my life and you readers are another one!
Nothing happens without a good team. High five to Jennifer Cazares and Sherry Arnold, very early super readers who help me hand you the cleanest book possible. You are so valuable.
I am fortunate to have Jodi Henley, who is an amazing content editor. She sees the books first then it goes through a gauntlet of reads before you receive the book. Judy Carney has only gotten better and better over the years. Stacey Krug is a tremendous aid with proofing and always ready to read. Joyce Ann McLaughlin is invaluable when it comes to beta reading as she listens to the audio file. Her ear is far sharper than mine, for sure. I am so happy with my wonderful audio narrator, Stephen R. Thorne, who the fans chose – they were right!
Hugs and a big thank you to Candace Fox, Kimber Mirabella, Leiha Mann and Sharon Livingston Griffiths, who are wonderful about reading whenever I need it and so supportive in other ways.
I can’t say enough great things about my awesome early review team - they just keep rocking big time!
The incredible Kim Killion never fails to create terrific covers for me (I love my covers for this series and am so jazzed to reveal them) and Jennifer Litteken has saved me more than once when it comes to formatting (a shout out to DD, too).
I could go on and on, because I appreciate every reader and would love to thank you in person. But ... I keep hearing “write faster,” so I’m jumping back into my cave.
Dianna