City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood Read online

  City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood

  Glossary of Common Terms and Kin Words

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  About the Author

  Other books by Adrienne Wilder

  City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood

  Copyright 2012 by Gray Zone Publishing

  The following story is a work of fiction. Any semblance to persons alive or dead and or events that have occurred is purely coincidental.

  City of Dragons Book II

  Of Flesh and Blood

  Adrienne Wilder

  Dear Reader,

  I apologize in advance for any mistakes, typos or comma misplacements as I am unable to afford a professional editor. Maybe one day I will be able to change that. I am fortunate to have the many eyes of my beta readers who help me, and I must extend a special thank you to them. I also must say thank you to the reader for purchasing the second book in the City of Dragon’s series. I hope you enjoy.

  This book is dedicated to

  Gladys, Jewel, Jessica—who always have something to say to cheer me up.

  Denise, Roz, Jill, and Crystal who have been there since the start.

  Cathy—who like Apple and their aps—has a prayer for that.

  Linda and Jon who kept the yard looking nice while I was glued to the computer.

  Annabel—fellow writer and part time “writing coach.”

  My special beta-readers and long distance pen-pals, Camilla and Ann.

  My fans—who inspire me with every email they send.

  Last but not least, my mother, who I miss every moment of every day.

  Glossary of Common Terms and Kin Words

  Alchemy: Magical Science

  Ancient: Any Kin older than three thousand years old.

  Arena Fights: A cross between gladiator style fighting and sumo wrestling where Half-Breeds are pitted against each other for sport.

  Become: The process of the Human body going from physical to metaphysical as they Shift and become Lesser-Bred.

  Belong: To be bonded to another through metaphysical means. Humans who belong are not immortal, but they live a very long time and cannot live without the Kin they are bonded too. This term also refers to metaphysical bond between a Dominant and a Submissive. This is almost exclusively between Female who ?owns? a Male.

  Blood Rage: Loss of control due to not Feeding.

  Bonded Pair: Two males who share metaphysical energy signatures. May or may not be Brothers. Always the same rank in the Food Chain.

  Brother: Males who emerge from the hatching ground together.

  Burn: Metaphysical surge. A feel good heat.

  Chela or Chelae: Claws

  Chetra or Chetrah: Humans. Olde Tongue for sweet meat.

  Clicking: A rapid fire tick-tick sound emitted by Kin and Lesser-Breds. This sound is almost exclusive to submissives within a group or white-scales.

  Dens: Territory owned by the Queen.

  Dominant: Male that has established dominance in the Dens. Dominants can be ?made? from birth or a Male can fight his way to the top. A ?true Dominant? is a Male who obtains the position because he is metaphysically potent–rather than by skill and brutality.

  dominant/dominance: social rank. One male maybe dominant over another. And may or may not be a Dominant.

  EFH: Earth for Humans. Anti-Kin Political group.

  Elder: Any Kin one thousand years or older.

  Female: A title. The highest level of dominance. Refers to Kin who take on a Human female form.

  Faerie: Singular version of Folk. Also a ?slang? word for Folk.

  Feed: The act of taking Blood, Flesh, or Metaphysical energy.

  Folk: Faerie. Proper title for the species.

  First RHage: A Queen‘s most powerful RHage. What she is imprinted with by her Mother. There are four: Fear, Flesh, Blood, and Violence.

  Food: Lower than a submissive. Sole purpose is to Feed others. Usually do not survive the hatching grounds. Also a derogatory name to reference another Kin.

  Food Chain: Dominance scale.

  food: Substance that is consumed.

  Food: When a Kin is a source of sustenance–a title.

  Gray-Zone: The multi-block area surrounding the Dens. There are no real markers for the Gray-Zone but the area is very dilapidated and the city does not enforce codes, taxes, or provide police protection. Utilities and housing are almost always free in the Zone, as well as the basic needs such as clothing and some food.

  Half-breed: Kin and female Human offspring. Always male. Half-breed is not capitalized because the species views them as an abomination. Half-breeds cannot whirr-purr-or thrum. Some can whistle and click but most are mute. Half-breeds tend to have the intelligence of the average dog at best. Fertility is directly related to intelligence. The small number who are at a Human level of intelligence are the only ones which are fertile. Half-breeds do not feed but they can feed others because they heal Kin fast. The ability to be food is also linked to intelligence. Half-breeds are most often used by Humans and Faeries in the fighting arenas.

  Halvsie: Slang for half-breed

  Hatching Grounds: Where eggs are hatched and survival begins.

  Hive: The Queen‘s domain. These are located below ground usually in major cities.

  Hot Load: Reference to blood and flesh that is not safe to consume. Usually found in half-breeds. Results vary.

  Impress: The act of acquiring phenotypic, genetic, and metaphysical, traits.

  Impression: imprint (see above).

  Kept: Term most often used when referring to Lesser-Breds who are under the protection of a particular Male. Lesser-Breds cannot belong, but they can be kept, scent marked and feed a Male giving them value and protection. Most often done by ferals who use Lesser-Breds as a source of income by selling their flesh, blood, and sexual favors.

  Kin: Dragon. Proper title for the species.

  Lesser-Bred: Half-breed and Human offspring or any generation thereafte
r. Lesser-Bred should be capitalized. Because Lesser-Breds can be safely used as Food, which means they have value. Side note: The further away (genetically) a Lesser-Bred is from it‘s half-breed sire, the more likely they are to go through physical mutations. The closer they are to their Half-Breed Sire, the more Human they can appear. This is the general rule–although not set in stone. 4-8 generations removed usually have the strongest blood for feeding, and obtain some of the ethereal appearance of their Kin ancestors.

  Link: Human Metaphysically tied to a Kin. Humans who ?belong?.

  Made: To be designed through metaphysical and genetic manipulation.

  Male: A title: Refers to all Kin who hold the shape of a Human male. Males can be high or low on the food chain.

  Mark: Male Kin marked by a Female.

  mark or marked: The scar left by a Kin, Male or Female.

  Metaphysics: The energy emitted by all Kin and Lesser-Breds. It is also studied as a science.

  MKFK: Man Kind For Kin: Kin activist group who view dragons as gods. Powerful political organization.

  Mother: Term reserved for the Female who nurtured a Female or a Prince.

  Need: The biological requirement to feed.

  Nevus: Unique birthmark found on all Kin.

  New: Same thing as the word young and more accurate because Kin are not born but made.

  Owned: To be under the control/protection of another.

  Pet: Humans who are owned by Kin often serve a Queen but are not her Link. A Female can ?own a Human and endow them with strength and longevity through her mark. A Male can only ?own a Human by scent marking them. Being owned by a Male does not increase longevity or health.

  Physical form: Most often refers to a Human shape.

  Purr: This sound is a cross between the purring noise made by a large cat like a lion or tiger and the churring sound produced by whales. It can be a continuous tone or rise up and down. Purring stokes metaphysical heat and can create a euphoric feeling. The sound has a positive effect on cellular reproduction and represses pain receptors.

  Rage: Anger caused by a loss of control over instinct also a biological boiling point due to self-neglect or deprivation of meeting ones need.

  RHage: A Queens preternatural power. There are four distinct types, Fear, Violence, Blood, Flesh. A Queen can only have one first Rhage, but she can posses all four.

  Rise: Biological surge, the wave of metaphysical power or physiological changes as the body reaches a peak. Also refers to approaching one‘s need. Rise is also a term used by Lesser-Breds who are at the peak of their Shift when they go from Human to inhuman.

  Roll: The act of a Metaphysical Feed. This is usually only done by Females. Dominant can also do it to lower ranking Males or Lesser-Breds. Lesser-Breds can perform this on Humans which is why Lesser-Breds are valuable as whores. Only the Female Roll is upper case. When a Male performs this act or a Lesser-Bred it is roll with italics.

  roll: Act of domination of one Kin over another, can result in sex, feeding or both.

  Scent: Act of drawing air over the palate to taste.

  Shift: To change from Human form to Kin (dragon). Or go through the metaphysical transformation where Humans become Lesser-Bred.

  Son: A Prince to a Queen. One Male, specifically designed for the purpose of supplying metaphysical variation, for breeding. Usually a gift to another Queen.

  Stain: The metaphysical burn mark left on a Lesser-Bred‘s body where their Kin self attempts to rise to the physical world. This happens during the first phase of the Shift. The marks can be very small and well hidden, or they can be large enough to paint a significant amount of a Lesser-Bred‘s body. A stain can be physical, to the point the Lesser-Bred doesn‘t even look Human. Most commonly, are under the skin color splotches, and eye color change.

  Submissive: Social rank within a group or pair.

  submissive: Social rank being lower than another. A Male may be dominant over one and submissive to another.

  Taste: Flavor.

  Thrum: The proper term for the sound a Kin or Lesser-Bred makes when emitting metaphysical wave pulses with the purpose to assist someone in healing.

  Thumping: Another sound which is more felt than heard. The purpose is unknown (and the dragons are not talking). It is a sound almost exclusively produced by a dominant Kin in a group. While the purposed is unknown the rate at which a Kin or Lesser-Bred thumps is in direct correlation to their heart beat. Side note: Sound is most often made when hunting.

  True Form: A natural metaphysical state.

  Ulysiss Gland: One located between the shoulder blades (upper) one located at the base of the spine (lower) under the skin. They cannot be seen. They fuel the biological engine which controls the Shift. Pushing it can have an orgasmic effect.

  Wall: Structure surrounding the Dens. Man made.

  Whirr: A higher pitched version of the purr, does not have as much of an effect on healing. The whirr is a sound usually associated with pleasure. Things that feel good will often make Kin and Lesser-Breds whirr.

  Whistle: A high pitched sound, made almost exclusively by submissives within a group or white-scales.

  White-Scale: Newly Hatched and not fully formed with a Human shape.

  Wizard: People born leaking magic.

  Chapter 1

  The buzz of chatter died off as Haley Night entered the classroom. She flashed her best welcome-aboard-smile to the room of new recruits. A few of them smiled back. Others got busy with their notebooks and survival manuals -- aka Kin Behavior 101.

  “Good morning.”

  A wave of groggy early morning replies echoed back.

  In spite of the lack of enthusiasm, this was the part of Haley’s job with the Center for Kin and Folk Relations she liked best. Here in the class room it was safe. Here people didn’t get bled on, clawed, or killed. And if these new recruits for the Civil Peace Division paid attention and used what she taught them, most had a very good chance of surviving the streets of Atlanta when they became full-fledged cops.

  Haley tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear, pulled out the list of names, and called roll. When she brought her eyes up and scanned the room, thirty-two pairs of Human eyes stared back. Most were men, but there were a few brave women were scattered in for flavor.

  Getting women involved in the CPD was always an uphill battle. Most were just too scared to take a job where dealing with dragons was part of the requirements.

  Thing is, the women had a better chance at keeping the Males under control. And when dealing with a species which could not only kill a person, but eat them, control was a must.

  Haley cleared her throat. “In case you don’t know who I am, my name is Haley Night. I’m an Agent with the CFKR. I will be your instructor for the next six weeks, and in that time you and I are going to get to know each other really, really well.”

  Scattered laughter followed, and one of the guys whistled. Tall, blond, and testosterone sitting a few rows back threw a glance at his buddies, then cast his eyes back at Haley. “Is it true what they say? That you’re one of them?” His buttered chicken scent—a flavor associated with most Humans—sweetened with the scent of sex. “’Cause I gotta be honest, you don’t look like the ones they showed us at the Academy.” Blondie’s eyes flicked up and down.

  No, and Haley wouldn’t look like them. Most Kin had an unmistakable flawless appearance. Beauty personified. It was an impossible type of perfection impressed on them by their Queen. Haley had been kicked out of the Dens when she was still a white-scale, impressed by a Human woman and practically raised by the Bureau.

  “I assure you, Mr…”

  “Daniel Crosky. You can call me Danny.” One of the guys behind Danny gave his shoulder a quick set of bumps with his fist, and they exchanged cocky grins.

  Haley pretended not to notice. There were always a few like this in every class. Mostly because of the rumors surrounding her sexual promiscuity.

  Because good girls don’t do palm lick
ing.

  “Danny then.” Haley walked around to the front of her desk and crossed her legs as she sat on the edge. Today she wore a red blouse and black skirt, with her favorite pair of Stuart Weitzmans on her feet. Three inch heels and a nice double ankle strap. “The answer to your first question is, yes. I really am Kin.” She grinned flashing fangs. There was a collective gasp. One of the guys in the first row dropped his eyes to his book and wouldn’t look back up.

  I’ll give that one two weeks.

  Danny didn’t look away. He didn’t even drop his smile.

  The dark-haired woman in the third row asked, “How come all we ever see are Males?”

  Going by the anxious sounds from Danny and his friends, they were equally curious about the answer.

  Haley looked at the woman. “The Male-to-Female ratio among dragons is roughly a thousand to one. And you only see Males because Females stay below ground and within the Hive, protected by their Harems.”

  A few women smiled and tossed eyes back and forth.

  “Harems?” That from Danny. “You mean like more than one?”

  Well, with that kind of reference the only way to go on the number scale was up. Genius.

  Haley smiled. “Actually, it can be dozens.”

  Danny and his friends made unhappy faces. While the men shifted in their seats, all the women leaned forward. This kind of reaction wasn’t unusual. Most Humans were equally curious and repelled by all things Kin. And while explaining those differences was always fun, they had to start with the basics.

  Haley pulled her manual into her lap and opened it. “We’ll cover those types of social aspects in the next few weeks. Right now, we need to go over the universal rules for dealing with dragons. Oh, and Danny…” The guy brought his eyes up. “The answer to your second question is no.”

  Danny glanced at his buddies and sat forward in his desk. “Um, I only asked you one.”

  “You did, but you’re thinking about asking me out after class, and the answer is no.”