by Drako
Andreas locked eyes with Kazarian as he spoke. “Before my father, the embodiment of the hottest flames, and the queen of heaven, I stand and acknowledge that you, Kazarian, hold my heart and soul. Through space and time, heaven and earth, these will always belong to you. To you, I vow to remain true and loyal, as is my nature as a dragon. No other will lead me astray and it is to you that I will always return.”
Hera smiled as her power filled the room, pleased that her vows were being spoken, and now turned to Kazarian. “And now we will hear yours.”
Kazarian’s eyes never left Andreas. “Before the queen of heaven and the father of the Black Dragon Race, I acknowledge that you, Andreas, hold my heart and soul. I vow to be as loyal as your race, from now until eternity. No other could attempt to replace you, and no other will tear us apart again. In life and in death, to you I am bound forevermore.”
Jarel’s power joined Hera’s, continuing to bind the two together. Hera now looked to Brandon.
“You may step forward.”
Brandon stepped up next to Andreas. “Here is the first sign of your union. Forged by Hephaestus and blessed by me, this is my gift to you.” He handed Andreas a silver wedding band with Andreas and Kazarian’s names engraved inside.
Hera turned to Demun. “And you.”
Demun stepped forward next to Kazarian. “I give you the first sign of your union, forged by Hephaestus and blessed by me.” He handed Kazarian a gold wedding band otherwise identical to the other.
Hera now held out both hands. “You may now place the rings upon each other’s finger and place your hands in mine.”
Andreas placed the silver band on Kazarian’s right ring finger while Kazarian placed the gold band on Andreas’ left ring finger. They then placed their hands in Hera’s hands.
“With this, I acknowledge and bless your union. And now the Black Dragon God will grant you the next sign of your union.” Hera released their hands and stepped back.
Jarel stepped forward and pulled down the straps of the two men’s chitons, revealing their bare chests. “To you, I now present the mark of bonding.” He put one hand over Andreas’ birthmark and the other over the left side of Kazarian’s chest. His hand got warmer and both men hissed as a small pain went through their chests. “With these marks, I acknowledge and bless your union.” He removed his hand.
Andreas’ mark now had Kazarian’s name written next to it. Kazarian now bore the same black dragon mark, with Andreas’ name next to it. Jarel stepped back and Hera stepped forward.
“With this, you two are forever bound and your union is blessed by the gods. You may now seal your union.”
The two leaned in and their lips met as cheers came from all guests. Aphrodite actually began to cry joyful cheers and Zeus smiled warmly as he locked eyes with his wife, who smiled back at him. Brandon’s eyes went to Adonis, who also smiled at him. And though few others noticed, Apollo and Odele locked eyes as well. Demeter raised her arms and flower petals began to fall all around the bonded couple. The two men separated, smiles on their faces and love in their eyes.
“So, what do you say we start the honeymoon early?” Andreas asked with a grin.
“That would be rude,” Kazarian replied.
“Rude maybe, but everyone probably expects us to leave early anyway.”
“All the more reason to stay. We’ve got an eternity together now.”
Andreas continued to grin. “Yeah, and I’m looking forward to it.”
About the Author
Drako resides in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, which you may notice is part of the setting of this series. When he isn’t writing, he’s busy editing for other authors, reviewing books, working, going to college, and spending time with his friends and two nieces. He blogs often and is very active on Facebook while trying to readjust to activity on twitter. His subject matter varies as he likes to talk about more than just his writing. You can check out his posts at his website, drakosden.weebly.com
Check out the rest of the series, starting with the story of Andreas’ little sister, Victoria.
The Dragon Witch
Victoria Damone is the daughter of the Black Dragon God, Jarel, and the goddess of magic and witchcraft, Hecate. Quick tempered and impatient, she strikes fear into the hearts of the rogue creatures rebelling against her father as well as the warlocks, servants of Prince of Darkness, Lucifer. Ares, the god of war, is often misunderstood. Known only as a brutal god with an insatiable appetite for blood and destruction, as well as passing flings, the son of Zeus and Hera has spent most of his time defending Olympus from any and every threat. Now the two meet and must combine forces. The Titan King, Cronus, has been resurrected by Lucifer and is quickly resurrecting his brethren to launch war against Zeus and all that stand with him. Not only this, but he's even joined forces with the legendary beast Typhon, the only creature to ever come close to toppling the Olympian god king. As the gods prepare for an unavoidable war, Victoria must hunt one of the most powerful and cunning warlocks to serve under the Prince of Darkness and simultaneously train her nephew Brandon in her craft. Her pride demands that she do this alone, but Ares is not a god to be denied. Ares clearly has his eyes on Victoria, but can she trust the notoriously wild and unpredictable god's intentions?
Book 3:
Fatal Healing
Odele, the goddess of Healing, has returned to Olympus, once again the direct servant to Hera, queen of the gods. Yet even after the defeat of Eris, her work is not done. The war of the gods is imminent now, with Cronus restored to life and the Titans back at his side. But before the battle can begin, Odele must find her mortal twin brother, who had been captured by the forces of the vampire Kalos years before. She asks Hera for her brother's whereabouts, and the god queen allows her to attempt to rescue him, but under the condition that she's accompanied by Apollo.
Apollo has waited ages for Odele's return to Olympus to heal the heart he'd broken ages before. The process of healing won't be easy, and Odele's heart is not the only heart to be healed. Both Apollo and Odele's lives are at risk, as they join the god of darkness in a battles against two children of Gaea and Odele's own brothers, Cronus and Typhon. Will Odele's heart be healed, and most importantly, will anyone survive this unique healing process?