Claaron, Liam, and Oliver have joined us to the right, and Jai and Clifford to the left, as if my balcony railing is some dragon launch zone. I take a deep breath, not looking down. “I trust you.”
“Hold your arms straight out at your sides.” His powerful arms grasp me around the chest and waist. “Very good. Now, I will take it easy. I do not wish to frighten you.”
“No, Theo. You’re a dragon, my dragon. Be a dragon. Show me everything.” As I look up at him over my shoulder, he smiles at me rather dangerously, nodding.
“Alright, Cait, but I have witnesses. You did indeed ask for this.” His voice dances in delightful anticipation.
“I hear,” remarks Jai. “Cait fly. Cait be dragon too.”
Then the wind is in my face, Theo’s laughter in my ear, and I have a momentary sense of free-falling, and adrenaline rushing through my veins before he shifts. I’m in the arms of a massive, emerald-green dragon, sharp talons gently avoiding harming me. I can feel the movement in his body as he works his wings hard, picking up speed, soaring through the air, careening at a sharp angle, sending us barreling through an undersized gap between buildings.
“Oh, my Goddess, you are a crazy dragon,” I scream, closing my eyes for a second until I feel the wind blowing on us in the open sky again. Reaching up, I hit the softer underbelly of his dragon body, which is still tougher than leather. His chest rumbles, and Theo releases a bellowing roar followed by a series of fireballs into the air. “Show off.”
My other dragons roar around us, a few shooting fireballs, others spewing streams of fire. Looking down at the deep blue of the Atlantic, I see the darkened shadows of six dragons gliding through the cloudless November sky. Raising my face, my eyes closed, the crisp wind hits me, refreshing, leaving me feeling the most alive since my uncle’s death.
Theo unexpectedly climbed inside the walls in which I’d barricaded myself, brought them crashing down, promised to always to be here, and shielded me when needed most. But his most incredible feat, what makes me love him beyond all reason? Theo gives me the wings I’ve always wanted.
THE END
Acknowledgements
Above all, huge thanks to Jim and my kids for your patience and ability to put up with my obsessive writing. You’ve dealt with crazy hours, lost time, forgotten dinners, last minute laundry, mental absences, and blank stares while I’ve disappeared into my own world of dragons. This book would not exist without your support and willingness to deal with the insanity that comes with the desire to pursue my dreams.
Millions of hugs to my beta team lead, confidante, motivator, advisor, music supplier, willing accepter of all job descriptions and titles I place on her, but forever my sister and best friend first and foremost, Jen Streck. Thanks for letting me blow up your phone, email inbox, and Google Hangouts with every random thought, crisis, or whatever. You’ve been a lifesaver through learning how to work HootSuite with me, co-hosting my first Blog Talk Radio show, and anything I drag you into, playing the sidekick to my shenanigans while finding it amusing.
Thanks to my brother-in-law, Stu for just rolling your eyes and understanding how wrapped up in my insane writing adventures Jen gets.
My bestie, Michelle Alcorn, I swear we were twins separated at birth. You’ve been amazing as a beta reader and all around support. You’ve suffered the ups and downs of the story through all its revisions and kept going. I love ya for it, girl! Hugs and a thousand thanks for girls’ days/nights outs, keeping my stress in check and sometimes giving me a much-needed reminder there’s life outside my house.
Gary Wayne Alcorn, you are now forever immortalized as a dragon, the essence of everything that makes you awesome captured in Claaron Graywyne. Don’t ever change, G. Thanks for keeping a certain dragon from flying dangerously fast on the roads of Owen County and for being the brother I always wished I had.
Of course, I MUST acknowledge and thank the entire All-Stars Team, my amazing beta readers: Jennifer Streck, Jim Petreshock, Scarlett Petreshock, Danita Colbert, Michelle Alcorn, Gary Alcorn, Zara Hoffman, Carol Wooten, Rachel Done, Crystal Leach, Cedrix Clarke, Kelley Harvey, and Theresa Snyder. You’ve all had a hand in making my dream a reality.
A special mention goes out to Joshua J. Johnson, my first REAL author friend on Twitter who has become a true friend. Thanks for pre-reading Fire of Stars and Dragons, giving great feedback, supporting me every step of the way, and cheering me on through word count anxiety, deadlines, sleep deprivation, edits, revisions, and everything only other writers understand.
I must also mention my awesome hair stylist Jamie Riley for helping me stand out the way I want and my incredible photographer Candy Ailstock for managing to make me look good in front of a camera. You two are miracle workers.
Saving the best for last, an exhaustive string of thanks, happy dances, hugs, and high fives to my publisher Georgia McBride for falling in love with my dragons, taking a chance on something outside the box, and signing me with Swoon Romance. I hope this is the beginning of a long-lasting relationship. Erica Rose, thank you for patiently taking your time editing Fire of Stars and Dragons, ensuring what goes to print is the best it can possibly be.
Melissa Petreshock
New Adult fantasy romance author Melissa A. Petreshock lives on a small farm in rural Kentucky with her genius husband, three children, and their feline overlords.
When not inhaling or exhaling words, she subsists on unnatural doses of coffee, sarcasm, and music. Spending most of her time weaving myths, reality, and imagination into a fantasy of dragons, deities, vampires, and elves in a world she created, Melissa often forgets she lives where there are no faeries or dragons in the woods surrounding her house… but she never stops hoping.
For more info on Melissa or her writing, go to melissapetreshock.com.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Acknowledgements
Fire of Stars and Dragons Page 26