This is a short story. Dragonfire is the name of the game, a new, totally immersive computer game set in a fantasy world. Figurative dragons lurk in hidden places, the stakes are high, and losing the game means losing your life - or does it?She paced the room, looking out the window, waiting for the sun to set. She didn't think anyone would be coming over after her father was arrested; it'd be too dangerous to pay condolences to the daughter of a warlock. Still, she couldn't take any chances. She couldn't be interrupted, and she couldn't speak to anyone until the next morning. The last rays of bright red light filtered through the curtain and left Elizabeth in the night's embrace. She opened the jar, read the spell one more time, making out letters under the moon's meager glow, and then set up the candle. She walked around the tiny flame, careful not to put it out, and began chanting, weaving a part of her own soul into the words and feeding it to the fire. “The harm to me is harm to you and all your kin and all your blood.”The flame leaped, grew larger, consuming the wax in half the time it should have. Elizabeth watched the candle burn in silence, watched energy, the soul of fire, glide through the air and hug her body. She sensed the reassurance of the spell, its protection. With a needle Elizabeth pricked her finger and let one drop of blood fall on the flame just as it was about to die. The wick hissed, and the last of the energy that smelled and tasted of vengeance came to Elizabeth.

The people of Requiem, an ancient kingdom, can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Their hearts are noble, their wisdom great, their kingdom a land of beauty and peace.This peace will soon burn. From the south, a fire rises. Birds of flame take flight. The phoenixes soar, beasts of heat and wrath, large as dragons and cruel as wildfire. Their purpose is one: destroy the land of dragons.Requiem's dragons have defeated countless enemies. Their claws are sharp and their flames bright. But how can they fight the phoenixes, creatures woven of sunfire itself?

It's a lazy mid-August Sunday afternoon. The "Nameless Detective" and his old friend Lieutenant Eberhardt are relaxing on the patio, drinking beer and shooting the breeze, when the doorbell rings. As Eberhardt answers the door, Nameless hears two sharp echoing reports—gunshots; they could only be gunshots. Rushing into the house, Nameless glimpses the bloody body of his friend sprawled on the floor—just before he feels a bullet strike his own chest. While Eberhardt lies in a coma, Nameless is released from the hospital and hits the San Francisco streets, determined to track down the gunman. Facing the toughest case of his career, Nameless doggedly pursues the secret behind his friend's shooting—only to find himself plunged into an action-packed intrigue involving murder, bribery, violence, and the forces of organized crime in San Francisco's Chinatown. The inimitable Nameless Detective, an overweight private eye of Italian descent with a penchant for pulp magazines, is in top form in this gripping, fast-paced tale. "Pronzini is a pro." —The New York Times**

Dragon Lust by Kelly Armenta My name is Lexi Helyanwe and I am a Dragon. Well actually I am part Dragon, part Elf, with twist of Lust Demon thrown in. I too was bioengineered by my parents, whose goal is to save the Dragon race and maybe the Elves, too. Of course if that secret gets out it’s likely I’ll end up sliced and diced on a stainless steel table in some underground lab. My Father somehow managed to break the DNA code and engineer ten male Dragons and little ol’ me. Not great odds when your goal is to save an entire race, but someone had killed his partners and trashed his lab. He’d had no choice but to go into hiding, which ultimately prevented any more experimentation. Lucky for me no one knew that Mom had been inseminated and I was already on a path that would lead me to this room some twenty five years later. Up until recently I’d managed to live a quiet life in which I was a mild mannered manual writer during the day. However, my nights were a different matter entirely. During the wee hours of the night I liked to skip through the highways and byways of the seedy part of town, working to ensure decent folk were safe from the local non-human underbelly inhabiting San Francisco. This just happened to be one of the reasons why at this exact moment I was sitting in the conference room surrounded by the heads of the most prominent non-human crime organizations. Of course none of them know I’m the one they’re looking for, except of course Jace and Gareth. But then , it was their conference room and their meeting. My name is Lexi Helyanwe. Less than a week ago I had been living a normal boring life, basically hiding in plain sight. Then one night I ventured out for a little fun. Fortune smiled and I discovered Gareth Blue and Jace Green, my sweeties who are shape shifting Dragons, much like me. Now my life has turned completely upside down. I’ve lost my innocence, my job, and all things boring have been transformed. I’ve taken up cohabitation with Gareth and Jace, been to Hell and back… literally, acquired an Elf, a half Goblin, a Minor God, and my very own Lust Demon. Not a bad week, all in all. I also slipped up and made the front page when my status as a Princess of Faerie was exposed. I can tell you that hadn’t made my Mom happy! She yelled at me, I yelled back and she’d gone off in a huff to see about getting the Queen to unlock the Sidhee doors. If she succeeds, it will be the first time Faerie has been accessible in over half a century! Two and a half decades before my DNA was mixed in a test tube, a deadly virus spread across America killing a good portion of the human population. The resulting death toll brought the rest of our non-human brethren out of the closet, so to speak. Now I’m awakening to my powers and am destined to save my race.

Alex Hawke, British lord and gentleman spy, is looking for the Queen's missing grandson, whose disappearance may be the culmination of a plot almost a century old in this breathtaking new adventure from New York Times bestselling novelist Ted Bell.December 8, 1941, Washington, D.C.The new Chinese ambassador to the United States, Tiger Tang, meets with President Roosevelt one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. For the next four years, China and the U.S. will be wartime allies, but the charming, sophisticated ambassador may be playing his own treacherous game.Today, The BahamasAlex Hawke is recovering from serious injuries incurred during a battle with a malevolent enemy. His recuperation is interrupted by a desperate call from the Queen. Her favorite grandson has disappeared in the Bahamas. Lord Hawke is the only man she trusts with a mission this sensitive. All she knows is that the young prince was last seen at the exclusive Dragonfire nightclub owned by the nefarious Tang brothers, grandsons of Ambassador Tiger Tang.

A call to arms. A race against time. A choice that will change the future.With her cabal divided, a price on her head, and her power put to the test, Cistine leads the desperate search for Maleck with a kingdom's worth of enemies seeking them both. Finding him might be the key to winning the war. It might also spell Cistine's doom.Risking uncharted territory, Ashe, Aden, and Kristoff seek aid from the dragon legions in wild Oadmark. Only they stand a chance of bringing down the enemy's abominable hordes. But to gain their alliance, Ashe must prove beyond all doubt who she is—as a warrior and as a Wingmaiden.Amidst a storm of schemes, missing friends, broken hearts and uncertain horizons, the cabal faces the grim possibility of a world that can't be redeemed, and Cistine fights to carry the burden no one else does: the weight of the power in her veins, and a weapon that could turn the tide of the war.A power that could demand her love, her...

Dragon Rage by Kelly Armenta My name is Lexi Helyanwe and less than a week ago I’d been a nice girl just out looking for a little fun. Fortune had smiled on me and I’d discovered Gareth Blue and Jace Green, my sweeties, both Dragons. Since then my life has turned upside down. I’ve lost my innocence, and my job, took up cohabitation with Gareth and Jace, been to Hell and back… literally, acquired an Elf, a half Goblin, a Minor God, and my very own Demon. Not a bad week, all in all. I’d also slipped up and made the papers when my status as a Princess of Faerie was exposed. I can tell you that hadn’t made Mom happy! She yelled at me, I yelled at her, and she’d gone off to see about getting her Mom, the Queen, to reopen the Sidhe doors. Something that hadn’t happened since they’d slammed closed more than fifty years earlier. That was when a deadly virus had spread worldwide, killing a good portion of the US population, and bringing the non-humans out of the closet, so to speak. My name is Lexi Helyanwe and less than a week ago I’d been a nice girl just out looking for a little fun. Fortune had smiled on me and I’d discovered Gareth Blue and Jace Green, my sweeties, both Dragons. Since then my life has turned upside down. I’ve lost my innocence, and my job, took up cohabitation with Gareth and Jace, been to Hell and back… literally, acquired an Elf, a half Goblin, a Minor God, and my very own Demon. Not a bad week, all in all. I’d also slipped up and made the papers when my status as a Princess of Faerie was exposed. I can tell you that hadn’t made Mom happy! She yelled at me, I yelled at her, and she’d gone off to see about getting her Mom, the Queen, to reopen the Sidhe doors. Something that hadn’t happened since they’d slammed closed more than fifty years earlier. That was when a deadly virus had spread worldwide, killing a good portion of the US population, and bringing the non-humans out of the closet, so to speak.

Three years of strife have passed since Kale and Bardon freed Paladin’s knights. Now, fiery dragons scorch their beautiful countryside as an evil husband-and-wife wizard duo battle one another for supremacy. The people of Amara just want to be left alone, hoping the conflict with disappear. But Paladin is dying, and Bardon and Kale–now married–must accept fateful assignments if their land is to survive. Will their efforts turn the tide against their adversaries? They face a deadly threat–and a challenging choice. Kale’s responsibility is to find, hatch, and train an army of dragons, and she tackles the daunting task–until she is shocked by a betrayal. As the Amaran countrymen seek escape, she must search for her husband, family, and friends while organizing an underground movement to weaken the enemy. But when the end draws near, Kale must choose between two dismal destinies. Prepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this stunning addition to Donita K. Paul’s popular Dragon Keepers fantasy series. From the Trade Paperback edition.

A heart-stopping military thriller from Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell – betrayed, hunted and disavowed, Sam Fisher's toughest mission has just begunInside North Korea, veteran Fourth Echelon agent Sam Fisher finds himself on the run when a top-secret covert mission goes fatally wrong. Betrayed by his allies, hunted by his adversaries, and disavowed by his own agency, Sam is stranded deep inside hostile territory – and his only chance of survival is to uncover a murderous plot that reaches into the heart of the hermit state, and beyond. Meanwhile, Fisher's estranged daughter Sarah risks everything to assemble an off-the-books effort to find her missing father before his luck runs out – but the conspiracy that framed Sam goes deeper than either of them realize...

I am Lexi Helyanwe and soon I must decide if I will take up the mantle of Princess to the Seelie, or become the Queen of Dragons. My Grandmother has called me home to court. A place I’ve never been and a welcome that isn’t guaranteed. Should I wish to keep my beloved guard at my side, I must go and plead my case before the Queen of Air and Light. I pray to the Goddess that Sidhe politics are not the end of me. There are many who want what I have, and they will stop at nothing to take it. With several new potential mates joining her band of men, Lexi must navigate dangerous territory while being forced ever closer to fulfilling her destiny. Yet duty and its pursuit are not often good bedfellows. And Lexi soon finds herself caught up in adventure much larger than merely saving the Dragon race.

Visit the Sidhe Gardens they said. It will be worth it they said. That’s all well and good, but what they failed to mention was that a harmless conversation might lead to scary red eyes and soul separation. But hey it’s just another day in the life of Lexi Helyanwe. So if I’ve got to drag a reluctant man around the Everlasting by his hair to find my way back to my men, so be it. I know I’m a girl on a mission, I just can’t seem to remember what that mission might be. Join Lexi on her fourth adventure as she gets caught up in the moment and ends up paying for it in the end. Lucky her, sexy Drakes just keep falling at her feet. And what else is a girl do, but bring them all home and have a little naughty fun. **

An uprising in the realm of dragon spirits forces the ghostly ancestors to make a choice: join the rebellion and support Tristan in freeing the Faerie races, or support the council in their desire to keep a centuries-old contract from falling apart. The stakes are high for either choice and Tristan must decide for himself, which of the races will be sacrificed for the greater good.

The people of Requiem. For centuries, they've been languishing as slaves, chained and collared in a distant desert, their homeland in ruins. For centuries, they could not summon their ancient magic, doomed to remain in human forms while once they could fly as dragons. For centuries, they suffered under the whips of the seraphim, angelic overlords with swan wings, gentle haloes, and eternal cruelty.Now, for the first time, a savior rises.Meliora once thought herself a princess of seraphim. She lived in a palace, and she too owned slaves from Requiem. Yet when Meliora learns the truth—that her father was a slave, that she too could become a dragon—she leaves her life of wealth and power. She joins the enslaved. She tells her brother, king of the seraphim: "The children of Requiem will fly again."With a handful of brave souls, Meliora seeks to escape the land of slaves, to find the mythical key that can unlock their cursed collars... that...

For centuries, Requiem's people have languished in chains, slaves to the seraphim, unable to become dragons like in the days of old.Now they fly again.They follow Meliora the Merciful, a dragon of silver and light, once a princess of seraphim and now a savior of slaves. They rise up against the seraphim, their cruel masters, demi-gods in chariots of fire. A nation of dragons, half a million strong, they seek to flee the desert of their enslavement, to fly north, to cross the sea...to find the mythical land of Requiem.Yet as Meliora leads her slaves out from captivity, the cruel King Ishtafel, mightiest of the seraphs, pursues with an army of light. His goal is no longer to enslave the children of Requiem. He seeks but one thing—to slay them all.With shimmering scales, with raining blood, with shrieking dragonfire...Requiem's exodus begins.

Erotica/Fantasy. 25820 words long.

Jump into a new adventure by fan-favorite Ed Greenwood! Florin and his friends have finally made a name for themselves--only to find themselves the pawns of both dark and noble forces in a battle for power. Together, the Swords of Eveningstar must untangle the webs of lies that surround them before the threat to the kingdom eclipses their abilities to defend it. *Swords of Dragonfire* is the second title in an exciting new trilogy by best-selling author Ed Greenwood, the creator of the **Forgotten Realms** setting. This novel is a fast-paced sword and sorcery adventure worthy of a place on your shelves next to Conan and Fafherd and the Gray Mouser. *From the Paperback edition.*

Clara and Neil have always known the MacArthurs, the little people who live under Arthur's Seat, in Holyrood Park, but they are not quite prepared for what else is living under the hill. Feuding faery lords, missing whisky, magic carpets, firestones and ancient spells ... where will it end? And how did it all start? Set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Fringe and Military Tattoo this is a fast-paced comic adventure, full of magic, mayhem and mystery ... and a dragon.

At 0500 on Tuesday 3 May 2005, a lone Antonov-32 transport flies through the dawn light over the Himalayas and approaches the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. Its destination is the notorious Drapchi Prison, where some of the most revered Tibetan leaders are being held. The aircraft's loading bay is lowered. The sky is filled with mushroom grey parachutes. In a few minutes, troops of the People's Republic of China are fighting invaders. Far to the West, Pakistani FCI multi-role combat aircraft roar across the Line of Control and pound the strategic outpost of Kargil. Heliborne troops follow to raise the national green crescent flag on Indian territory. Suddenly the three-sided war so dreaded in Asia - India versus China and Pakistan - is happening. Nuclear arsenals are being readied in all three countries...

Passion burns hot in the next Dark Kings novel from New York Times bestseller Donna Grant. It was a soul-deep longing, one that got into his bones and settled there, sending whispers of desire through him. The need, the hunger, grew tenfold with every breath. . . .As a Dragon King, Roman is sworn to protect all mortals—even though they no longer believe in dragons. But deep in the Carpathian Mountains, he discovers a beautiful and mysterious gypsy who possesses the power to see into his very soul. To reignite the fire in his heart. And to help him find the long-lost sword that could save the dragons forever...Sabina remembers the stories her grandmother told her. Legends of dragons and kings, fire and ice. And she's never forgotten the dark prophecy that filled her ancestors with fear—a fate they tried to prevent by stealing a Dragon King's sword. Sabina knows that helping Roman is dangerous. He is a dragon...