Treasure of Paragon Dragon Stack

Dragon bonds can build kingdoms… or break them.

Three hundred years ago, the dragon shifter heirs to the kingdom of Paragon witnessed the unspeakable at the coronation of their eldest sibling. Overthrown by a wicked uncle in a violent coup, the eight remaining siblings fled to Earth, settling around the globe and blending in with the humans around them.

But when one of them falls in love with a witch, the wheels of fate begin to turn. In Paragon, relationships between dragons and witches are forbidden, but nothing can stop these fated mates.

Everything the heirs have been told is a lie. Destined for love and headed for war, their destinies collide with an ancient prophecy steeped in magic.

Together, they’ll face the past and take back their throne, or die trying.

Gabriel Blakemore was running out of time, which was laughable considering time had never meant anything to him in the past. As an immortal dragon, his life thus far had flowed like an endless river, each new day guaranteed by the last. Not anymore. He thumbed the emerald ring on his finger. Already the curse at its center gave the jewel the appearance of a cat’s eye in bright light, a thin black pupil visible at the center of the green. His affliction was spreading.

Hunched over the seventeenth-century Spanish baroque desk in his office at Blakemore’s Antiques, he sifted through the stack of papers in front of him, praying for a savior, anyone who had the slightest potential for breaking the curse. None of the candidates seemed powerful enough. He needed more options.

Anxiously, he tugged at the bond connecting him to his manservant. Richard appeared at the door to his office almost immediately, carrying a stack of papers that he squared on the desk in front of Gabriel. “More for you.”

Gabriel nodded at the man. Impeccably dressed, as always, in a pinstripe three-piece suit, Richard had proved a crucial asset these days, researching magical options when Gabriel could not. Gabriel had bought the former slave’s freedom in 1799, a wise choice. Not only had Richard become a close friend over the centuries, he’d retained a sharp wit and an eye for detail.

The man dusted off his hands before rubbing his sternum. “You don’t need to scream down the bond, you know. I’m in the next room. I want to find a cure as much as you do.”

Gabriel grunted.

“Are all dragons as friendly and chipper as you, or was I just lucky to be bonded to the best of them?” Richard folded into the chair across the desk, throwing a lanky arm across its back.

“How are sales today?” Gabriel asked, ignoring the man’s gibe. He hadn’t meant to cause Richard discomfort, but he didn’t plan to apologize for it either. Not when the situation was so dire.

“Strong enough that if we all live another year, we can throw one hell of a party,” Richard said. “How’s that plan coming along? You find a way for us to do that? Live another year? There must be something here. For God’s sake, we live in the voodoo capital of America, the home and burial place of Marie Laveau herself.”

A whiff of cinnamon and molasses curled off Gabriel’s coffee, and he took a long, steadying drink. “Marie would roll over in her tomb if she knew who was running this city now.” New Orleans was brimming with humans claiming to have supernatural abilities. Liars, most of them. Unfortunately, the voodoo priestess who’d cast the curse on his ring was the real thing, and she did not take prisoners. Anyone left with true power in the city was either on her side or too afraid to oppose her.

Gabriel snorted. Three hundred years in this realm, only to be turned to stone by the jealous rage of a woman who couldn’t take no for an answer.

The thought made his fingers drum against the desk. Tap-tap-tap. Always in threes. The compulsion to tap was so strong when it hit him, not doing so resulted in pain. Muscle tremors ran the length of his arms and hands. He flipped his thumb against the corner of the paper nearest him, hoping it would curb the impulse.

Richard frowned at his fidgeting. “You should rest, Gabriel. It’s getting worse. This is the third time this morning.”

“Soon.”

“That’s what you said an hour ago.”

Gabriel pulled the pile of papers toward him. His hands cramped with the effort, and the stack spilled across the walnut desk. He cursed, but the word caught in his throat. A woman’s picture had been revealed in the collapse, instantly catching his eye. He lifted the folded newspaper to get a better look.

Enchanting. That was the only way to describe her. He couldn’t look away. The woman had eyes the color of deep water and curly black hair as wild as the hint of trouble she carried in her smile. He had the sudden intense desire to kiss away that lopsided grin and further tangle that hair. Where had such an urge come from? A dragon like Gabriel didn’t often find himself drawn to human women. He closed his eyes and gave his head a well-deserved shake.

“Who is this?” he demanded.

Richard leaned over the desk in order to get a better look, and Gabriel turned the article in his direction. Richard groaned. “That, my friend, is a long shot.”