Blurb
As the third daughter of a third daughter, dragon-shifter Christine Drachen must mate with a human.
Not
all human males are genetically compatible with dragon shifters, and
suitable matches are rare in old Charleston. Christine, though, has
identified James to be an appropriate match. Even humans who
acknowledge the possibility of dragons cannot believe that one can be
both a dragon and a human, shifting between the two. As a result,
Christine must attract James without fully revealing her true,
shifting nature until he has committed to mate.
James
gradually discovers what Christine is. She shows him the gold dragon
she always wears around her neck. He notices the prints, statues, and
tapestries of dragons that decorate her family’s home. Strange
noises emanate from behind the Drachens’ house during a party, and
James believes he actually sees a dragon, one wearing a necklace like
Christine’s. Christine’s last name, Drachen, means “dragon,”
and, while she jokes her entire family is composed of the creatures,
James begins to suspect there is more to what she says than a simple
attempt at humor.
Finally,
though, he sees her shift.
To
protect their species from persecution, dragon-shifters silence any
human who sees one of them shift, and the most practical method is
generally death. The rule is absolute. But Christine has fallen in
love with James. How can she protect her family without killing the
boy she loves?
Dragon
Mist is a story of boy-meets-girl, with a few non-human
characters, high stakes, a bit of magic, a little humor, and an
abundance of romance.
Excerpt
Had
Bing known my species, he would not be treating me as one of the
skinny blond coeds who devote themselves to jocks, helping them
celebrate their victories, consoling them in defeat, and distracting
them at all times in between.
“I
am a drache,” I murmur.
Bing
chuckles. “You’re drunk? Is that what you said?”
He
bends his head and kisses me on my mouth. I jerk my head back, and he
laughs.
“Girls
like my kisses, Dragon Lady. They truly do.”
He
places his free hand on the back of my head to hold me in place for a
second, extended kiss.
Drache
is a variant of the German word for dragon, as is my last name,
Drachen—pronounced drah-ken, with an ‘A’ as in father, rather
than drake-en or drack-en. The names were not random choices, nor is
my amulet, the gold dragon, as beautiful as it is, a random piece of
jewelry.
Our
family story tells how the Great Dragon decreed his followers should
mate with humans in the hope of creating an omnipotent species, and
the draches were their offspring. In our view, we comprise a separate
species of human being, homo sapiens draco.
When
we discuss our heritage, we speak of our “inner dragons,”
whatever it is within us that is the basis for our superior
intelligence, our great strength, our emotional intuitiveness, and
our ability to shift, to transform, to summon our “outer dragons”
in times of danger.
Bing
is truly playing with fire.
Only
he doesn’t know it.
About
the Author
I live near Charleston, South Carolina, where I walk the beaches, eat fresh seafood, and photograph the ocean, the birds, and the beautiful sunsets. Seven of my nine novels have been set in Charleston, but Dragon Mist is the first to explore the lives of the non-human residents of the “holy city.”
Find
more of my work on my website!
http://www.burnettsbooks.com/books-by-david.php
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David Burnett is giving away dragon pendant similar to the one worn by Christine Drachen in Dragon
Mist (US only)
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