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
About the Author
Burned by Darkness © 2015 by by Debbie Raleigh.
Editor: Julia Ganis
Cover art and formatting by Sweet 'N Spicy Designs
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.
http://alexandraivy.com
Burned by Darkness
Dragons of Eternity Book One
Alexandra Ivy
To all my devoted readers who have inspired the Guardians over the years. I hope you love my dragons just as much!
CHAPTER ONE
“Are the shades lowered?”
Tayla’s lips twitched at the sound of the French-accented voice that floated from the attics.
“I’m doing it now,” she called back, pressing the button near the door that would slide thin panels over the windows that blocked out direct sunlight while still allowing her a clear view.
It was a bonus feature that she’d had installed only last week. She might be an imp who adored the warm rays shining into every room, but her current houseguest turned to stone in the sun.
She hadn’t been looking for a companion. Heck, she hadn’t been looking for a house.
After all, she’d spent the past twenty-five years on the run, constantly aware that she was being hunted.
That overwhelming sense of being stalked had been like a dark cloud hovering over her head, forcing her from one hiding place to another.
But from the second she’d caught sight of the large Victorian home just south of Chicago she hadn’t been able to get it out of her head.
The three-story house had the usual wings and bays, with a wraparound porch, gabled roof and gingerbread wood trim. It was painted a pretty pink with white shutters, and was surrounded by a large garden and rolling vineyards that gave a sense of peaceful isolation.
It was charming.
And serene.
And everything she’d ever wanted in a home.
Plus it had the added benefit of being a perfect spot to set up an elegant teahouse.
Giving in to the rare impulse, Tayla purchased the property and hired a witch to come and wrap several disguise spells around the property. As an imp, she had her own fey magic—specifically, enchanting items so her customers would crave her delicate pastries—but she couldn’t create complicated spells.
She needed to make sure she was well hidden from her stalker—or perhaps it was stalkers—if she intended to stay in one place more than a few days.
Over the past months she hadn’t regretted her choice to settle down, although she’d discovered that she didn’t enjoy being alone in the large house at night.
She wasn’t afraid. Not exactly.
She was more…restless.
Which no doubt explained why she’d given in to the persuasion of the miniature gargoyle who’d unexpectedly arrived on her doorstep two weeks ago.
She smiled as the door that led to the attic was pushed open and a tiny creature who stood no more than three feet tall waddled into the room.
He had the usual gray, leathery skin and grotesque gargoyle features, complete with horns and a long tail he kept meticulously polished. His wings, however, were anything but usual.
Larger than normal, they were as lacy as the wings of a dew fairy and swirled with brilliant blues and crimsons and gold.
He also had a charming French accent and a habit of making her laugh when he mangled the English language.
He’d requested rooms in the attic for his brand-spanking-new dating service, and she’d agreed. Why not? It would bring in additional customers, and she wouldn’t be alone every night.
It was an arrangement that’d worked out well.
Now he followed her as she moved through the front salon filled with overstuffed chairs and round tables covered by frilly doilies. With a brisk efficiency, she made sure the cups and dishes had all been returned to the china cabinets and that the floral carpets were vacuumed.
Then, together they headed down the short hall and entered the kitchen she’d had remodeled after moving in. The large room had a white tiled floor and open-beam ceiling where copper pans were hanging from long hooks. The appliances were all top of the line, stainless steel that’d cost her a fortune. And in the middle of the floor were long, wooden tables that she’d hand-carved with fey glyphs to add the enchantments to her pastries.
Best of all, the far wall had a bank of windows that overlooked the heavily wooded acreage that’d come with the property.
She paused to admire the sight of the trees in full autumn glory. Her fey blood ached to be surrounded by nature even as she appreciated all the modern conveniences.
There was a soft ding as her oven timer warned her she needed to remove the scones she’d prepared for their late tea. Since Levet’s arrival she’d encouraged him to share at least one meal a day with her. It was a genuine pleasure not to have to eat alone.
Grabbing a towel, she reached in to pull out a tray, setting it on the table just as the demon held up his hand to reveal the bottle he’d had hidden behind his back.
“Ta da.” He gave a wave of the bottle.
Tayla tossed aside the towel, studying her companion with a faint smile.
“What’s that?”
“My favorite wine.”
Tayla wrinkled her nose, watching Levet move to take a seat at the table near the windows.
“I’m not much of a drinker,” she told him.
“You will like this, I promise,” he assured her. “Besides, we are celebrating.”
Hmm. That was news to her.
“What are we celebrating?”
“I had my first satisfied customer.”
“Ah.” With a small smile, Tayla placed the scones on a plate and gathered two wine glasses. “That is of course a reason to celebrate. Tell me about your satisfied client.”
Levet’s wings twitched with pride. “I managed to find a perfect match for a beautiful young ice sprite who’d been living alone in the Arctic,” he informed her. “I connected her with a fire sprite who has been eager to start a family.” He heaved a deep sigh. “It was love at first sight.”
Fire and ice?
Tayla gave an inward shrug. Perhaps opposites truly did attract.
Moving to the table, she set down the plate of scones and allowed Levet to pour them both a glass of the amber wine. With an unabashed eagerness, the gargoyle reached for one of the delicate pastries.
“Ma belle, these are très bien,” he sighed, eating the scone in one large bite. He demolished two more before he lifted his glass. “A toast to success.”
“To success,” she murmured, taking a cautious sip of the wine. She lifted her brows as she tasted the hint of nectar that was blended into the expensive vintage. The bottle had to have cost the gargoyle a small fortune. “Yum,” she breathed, taking a deeper sip. “Where did you get this?”
Over the years she’d bought small vials of nectar, but
since she was desperately trying to save every penny she could get her hands on to keep a roof over her head, it was a rare occurrence.
Now she savored the warmth that spread through her.
The gray eyes returned to study her with an unexpected intensity, starting at the top of her dark gold hair that spilled over her shoulders and down her back with hints of fire in the silken strands. From there he moved to the pale oval of her face, lingering on the light green eyes with fissures of jade before taking in the narrow nose and the plush peach lips.
He took a minute to approve of her slender body, casually attired in a pair of ivory slacks with a cashmere sweater that she’d matched with a pearl necklace, before he answered.
“I have a direct connection to the King of the Fey.”
Tayla made a choked sound. She’d heard rumors that the rare pureblooded fey had returned to this dimension, but she hadn’t been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of one.
“How could you be acquainted with the Chantri?” she demanded.
Levet took a sip of his wine. “Not that I like to toot my own horny, but—”
“Horn,” Tayla corrected with a twitch of her lips. “Toot your own horn.”
“Horn or horny, it is all the same thing.” Levet blithely waved a clawed hand. “The point is that I have saved the world on more than one occasion and I have several VIDs who are deeply in my debt.”
Tayla blinked in confusion. “VIDs?”
“Very Important Demons.” Levet gave a preening flap of his wings. “Including the King of Vampires and the King of Weres.”
Tayla furrowed her brow. She hated to doubt the tiny demon’s honesty, but it seemed a stretch to believe that he was actually acquainted with such important creatures.
“If you have such powerful friends then why did you choose to set up your dating service in this isolated neighborhood?” she asked, truly curious. “Wouldn’t it have made more sense to be somewhere you could use your connections to attract customers?”
The gargoyle wrinkled his small snout. “There might have been the teeniest, tiniest misunderstanding when I opened my business in Viper’s club.”
“Viper.” Tayla tilted her head to the side. She’d heard that name before. “The vampire clan chief of Chicago?”
“Oui. He is a selfish pain in the derrière.”
“What happened?”
Levet hunched his shoulder. “I was considerate enough to chose his club, the Viper Pit, as the location for my dating service. I even threw a party to celebrate my new business. But did he thank me? Non. He claimed the bottles of champagne I’d borrowed from his cellar were some priceless vintage and tossed me out the door. Fah. He even threatened to have my head mounted on his wall if he caught sight of me.” Levet took a deep drink of his wine. “It seemed best to avoid Chicago for a few weeks.” He cleared his throat. “Or centuries.”
Tayla’s lips twitched. Although she found the tiny creature amusing, she knew there were other demons who weren’t quite so tolerant of his eccentric personality. Including the nearby wood sprite who’d threatened to neuter him if he caught Levet near his daughter again.
“And that’s when you decided to come here?”
“It is a lovely location,” he said, glancing toward the view of the lush countryside. “Of course I did not fully consider that it would be too remote to encourage drop-dead customers.”
Tayla blinked. Drop-dead? Zombies? Did they actually date? Oh…wait.
“Drop-in customers.”
“Oui, drop-in.” Setting aside his glass, Levet studied her with a sudden hint of curiosity. “It makes me wonder why you would choose such an isolated spot to open your teahouse.”
“I’m hardly isolated,” she pointed out, taking another drink. The wine was loosening the tension that had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. “I have hundreds of customers who visit the shop.”
Levet clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Customers are not the same as family or friends.”
She shrugged. She’d never actually had a friend. Heck, she hadn’t had a real home until she’d bought this house. And even now her bags remained packed and located next to her bedroom door.
Being ready for a quick exit seemed like a good idea.
“They are to me.”
Levet blinked at her blunt honesty, then something that was perilously close to pity rippled over his ugly little face.
“And what about love?”
She stiffened. “Excuse me?”
Levet tilted his head to the side, rubbing one of his nubby horns.
“I can accept that you have made friends with several of your customers. Many of them are quite charming,” he said. “And I, better than anyone, comprehend a desire to avoid your family. They can be…”
“Difficult?” Tayla offered when his words trailed away.
“Homicidal.”
Ummm. Okay. Tayla regarded her companion with a newfound curiosity.
She’d thought her childhood had been shitty. At least her family hadn’t actually tried to kill her.
Was that what had drawn her to the little demon?
Had she sensed they were both wounded by their pasts?
“Yeah, families suck,” she muttered.
Levet reached across the table to brush a claw lightly over the back of her clenched hand.
“But such a young and beautiful woman should have a true mate who worships you.”
With a panicked surge, Tayla was on her feet. “No,” she breathed in horror.
Levet blinked in surprise. “Non?”
Tayla’s stomach cramped with fear. “The last thing I want is a mate.”
A long silence filled the room before her companion asked the obvious question.
“Why would you say such a thing?”
“Because it’s the truth.” She shivered, recalling a pair of amber eyes that had smoldered with cruel arrogance even as his touch had promised paradise. “Why would I want some arrogant, pig-headed, ill-mannered male thinking he owns me?”
The gray eyes widened. “Are you speaking of one arrogant, pig-headed, ill-mannered male in particular?”
Tayla hunched her shoulders. Damn that nectar. It was potent enough to make her say things that were better left unsaid.
“Not just one.” She tried to divert her companion’s sudden suspicion. “Males are all the same.”
The small demon hopped off the chair, regarding her with a lift of his heavy brows.
“Not all, ma belle.”
Oh. She grimaced. The nectar had not only loosened her tongue, it’d clearly stolen her manners.
“I don’t mean you, Levet. You’re completely unique,” she assured him. And she didn’t lump him in the same category as other males.
The gargoyle might occasionally make her a little nuts, but he was the closest thing she’d ever had to a friend.
“True,” he readily agreed. “I am quite rare. But there are males who are worthy. And I am just the demon to assist you in discovering one.”
“That’s very kind, but I have no need for a well-meaning cupid to be interfering in my life,” she swiftly assured her companion.
“Fah.” Levet’s wings quivered with outrage. “Cupid is a jack.”
“A jack?” She struggled to decipher the Levet-speak. “You mean a hack?”
“Oui. What kind of love expert would shoot his victims…ah, I mean his customers…with arrows?”
Tayla couldn’t halt her reluctant chuckle. He had a point. “They claim love is painful.”
The gargoyle snorted. “Ridiculous. It is a beautiful magic that fills the world with joy. Which is why I will be so successful. Magic is my greatest talent.”
Tayla didn’t actually know if the gargoyle was going to be a success or not. So far the fire sprite hadn’t returned, threatening to rip off his wings or burn down her house. That was a bonus.
But she had deliberately avoided any interest in his services.
; The last thing she wanted was a love connection.
“Not that I doubt your talents, but shouldn’t a love expert have a mate of his own?” she instead demanded.
He gave a flick of his tail. “Alas, I am a gargoyle who is meant to fly free.”
She rolled her eyes. “Convenient.”
“But we are not discussing moi,” he continued. “I am concerned about you, ma belle.”
“I assure you there is no need.” With firm steps, Tayla crossed the kitchen, efficiently loading the dishwasher with the dirty pans. “I’m very happy with my life.”
“Non.” The gargoyle waddled to stand at her side. “You are content, but there is no happiness in those beautiful eyes.”
She stilled, battling back the memories of blistering hot passion and an overwhelming need that she’d worked so hard to lock away.
“Please, Levet,” she breathed.
“Were you hurt in the past?” the demon pressed. “Did a foolish male dare to break your heart?”
She shivered. “I would never be stupid enough to give my heart to anyone.”
A knowing smile touched Levet’s mouth. “Ah.”
Enough. Tayla slammed shut the dishwasher before turning to head out of the kitchen. Maybe a long walk would banish the sensation that a dark storm was looming on the horizon.
“Save your magic for the women who hope for a true mate,” she warned the gargoyle. “I can promise that I’m not interested.”
“We shall see,” Levet called from behind her.
###
Baine decided that being an ancient dragon had its benefits.
He had a ruthless power that terrified anyone foolish enough to cross his path. He could travel between worlds and was treated as a god by millions of demons. He had a hidden lair filled with his priceless hoard. And endless minions who devoted their lives to ensuring his comfort.
He was also a shape-shifter. Which meant that he could transform—from his ten-foot dragon with narrow, leathery wings and a long snout that breathed fire when he was annoyed, to any creature he wanted.
At the moment, he’d chosen a human form with a narrow face that had sculpted features and almond-shaped eyes that glowed in the firelight like the finest amber. His hair was as black as midnight and fell as smooth as satin to brush his shoulders.
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