Blood and Magic by Jamie A. Waters
Series: The Dragon Portal #2
Publication date: March 26th 2020
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
A priceless treasure is hidden within the ocean's depths...
Sabine barely managed to escape from Akros with her life.
But the ocean isn't safe for someone whose power stems from the forests.
When their ship is attacked on the high seas and one of Sabine's companions is taken hostage, only an agreement forged by blood and magic may save her friend's life.
The pearl of the sea is also the key to the gods' revenge...
With the dragon portal failing and the gods' magic threatening to destroy their world. Sabine must choose between following her heart or upholding a sacred oath.
The cost of ending a centuries-old feud may be higher than anyone expected.
All magic demands a sacrifice--even if it's hers.
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Series Trailer
"I hope you know what you're doing," Malek muttered and unfastened the warding medallion around his neck. Dragon magic, both terrible and powerful, swirled around her and caressed her skin in a heated embrace. She inhaled sharply, trying to ignore the dredges of fear his magic evoked. Dragons might be her people's sworn enemy, but she'd already placed her life in Malek's hands several times. If it came down to trusting their lives to either the Merfolk or this dragon, she'd choose Malek.
He shoved the warding medallion into his pocket and took the knife from her. He flipped the blade around and repeated her action on his hand. Pushing aside her reservations about sharing blood and magic with a dragon, Sabine reached out and clasped her hand with his. She gasped and swayed at the sudden rush of power trailing upon her skin as their blood intermingled.
That gift of blood and magic would allow her the immunity to withstand the potentially devastating effects of his dragonfire, but it also stirred a suppressed need to share magic with him in a much more intimate setting. She lifted her head to meet his eyes, staggered by the longing and tenderness in his gaze. The chaos from the Merfolk's attack faded away as she got lost in the impossible depths of his blue eyes.
"Sabine," Malek said, his voice husky as he took a step closer to her. He cupped her face with his free hand and trailed his thumb across her cheek. "One day soon, I intend to do this again without the threat of enemies hanging over our heads."
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. The pressure was featherlight, more an offering of power than a show of force. Recognizing his unspoken question, Sabine parted her lips and closed her eyes. This was necessary, even if she also wanted him beyond the confines of this task.
She reached up and placed her palm against his chest. His heart beat faster beneath her touch, a mirrored echo of her own. Malek swept in closer, his taste and feel surrounding her as she explored his kiss and the nuances of his magic. From all outward appearances, it was nothing more than a kiss. But Malek's touch and power was more consuming than anything she'd ever experienced.
Malek breathed his dragonfire into her, and she gasped. An indescribable heat rushed through her, burning away all her subterfuge. She was vaguely aware of her glamour falling away as she was swept along on the wave of Malek's power. The silver markings etched into her skin glowed with an unearthly light as he fueled her power and passion to greater heights. The tiny embers of her magic flared to life, charged by the force contained with Malek's dragonfire.
Sabine leaned into him, desperately wanting more, and Malek willingly provided it. Her fingers curled into his wet shirt, pulling him even closer. Gods. He was even more powerful than she'd realized. If his magic was typical of other dragons, it was no small wonder why the battle between their people had nearly decimated the world. Malek was power, and more than a match for everything at her command.
He shoved the warding medallion into his pocket and took the knife from her. He flipped the blade around and repeated her action on his hand. Pushing aside her reservations about sharing blood and magic with a dragon, Sabine reached out and clasped her hand with his. She gasped and swayed at the sudden rush of power trailing upon her skin as their blood intermingled.
That gift of blood and magic would allow her the immunity to withstand the potentially devastating effects of his dragonfire, but it also stirred a suppressed need to share magic with him in a much more intimate setting. She lifted her head to meet his eyes, staggered by the longing and tenderness in his gaze. The chaos from the Merfolk's attack faded away as she got lost in the impossible depths of his blue eyes.
"Sabine," Malek said, his voice husky as he took a step closer to her. He cupped her face with his free hand and trailed his thumb across her cheek. "One day soon, I intend to do this again without the threat of enemies hanging over our heads."
He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. The pressure was featherlight, more an offering of power than a show of force. Recognizing his unspoken question, Sabine parted her lips and closed her eyes. This was necessary, even if she also wanted him beyond the confines of this task.
She reached up and placed her palm against his chest. His heart beat faster beneath her touch, a mirrored echo of her own. Malek swept in closer, his taste and feel surrounding her as she explored his kiss and the nuances of his magic. From all outward appearances, it was nothing more than a kiss. But Malek's touch and power was more consuming than anything she'd ever experienced.
Malek breathed his dragonfire into her, and she gasped. An indescribable heat rushed through her, burning away all her subterfuge. She was vaguely aware of her glamour falling away as she was swept along on the wave of Malek's power. The silver markings etched into her skin glowed with an unearthly light as he fueled her power and passion to greater heights. The tiny embers of her magic flared to life, charged by the force contained with Malek's dragonfire.
Sabine leaned into him, desperately wanting more, and Malek willingly provided it. Her fingers curled into his wet shirt, pulling him even closer. Gods. He was even more powerful than she'd realized. If his magic was typical of other dragons, it was no small wonder why the battle between their people had nearly decimated the world. Malek was power, and more than a match for everything at her command.
Jamie A. Waters is an award-winning writer of science fiction and fantasy romance. Her first novel was a winner of the Readers' Favorite Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance and the CIPA EVVY Award in Science Fiction.
Jamie currently resides in Florida with two neurotic dogs who enjoy stealing socks. When she's not pursuing her passion of writing, she's usually trying to learn new and interesting random things (like how to pick locks or use the self-cleaning feature of the oven without setting off the fire alarm). In her downtime, she enjoys reading on her Kindle, playing computer games, painting, or acting as a referee between the dragons and fairies currently at war inside her closet.
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