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  “That’s not who you are,” I said. “The dragons have always been peaceful. This needs to end for good. Peace needs to reign on both sides. We need to educate both sides. It’s going to take a lot of work, but we can do it. Together.”

  “She has a point, Spear,” interjected Ash. “This is what I’ve been saying all along. The people of Dronios are not going to listen to us, but they might listen to her. Without Julianna, we have nothing.”

  “If she does what she says she will.”

  The time for words was over. Now was the time for action. I lunged forward and took my mother’s sword from Spear. Before he had the chance to stop me, I ran the blade down the palm of my hand. The cut was small, but it was enough. A burst of flame shot out of the end of the sword, sending us all flying backward. The flames swirled into the air, taking on the appearance of a dragon completely made of flames. It spread its wings and flew into the sky. At the very top of the cliff, the flames rearranged themselves and turned into a howling tornado of bright orange fire. Then it disappeared over the top of the cliff.

  I picked myself up from the floor where I’d fallen from the intensity of the blast and dusted myself off. One look at Spear’s face was enough to tell me that he hadn’t expected it to work. His mouth formed a perfect O and he was filthy with dirt from falling to the ground.

  Silence rained down on us. I looked over to the others. They might not have seen how it happened, but there was no missing the escaped soul of the dragon. The gaze of the people lowered until a hundred eyes were on me.

  “That’s right!” I shouted loud enough for them all to hear. “You saw a dragon being freed. I used my own blood.” I held aloft my hand to show them the cut I’d made with the sword.

  “I’ve got an apology to make to you all. My father knew all along you were shifters. He’s not the only one. There are others. I’ve never been so angry in my whole life, but this must stop. I’m going to stand with you if you’ll let me, and fight this abomination. I’m going to save them all. We are going to save them all. I will not rest until every single dragon is freed.”

  A couple people began to clap. Then another, then another, until the air was filled with the sound of applause.

  “It’s not going to be easy,” I said when the clapping died down. “What you just saw was the soul of one of your people. That soul is now heading back to the body it came from. That person is going to wake up scared and confused. They’re going to be so weak that it will be difficult for them to escape. Fiere flew out from the prison, but I think we can assume that now the elders of Dronios know that we are freeing dragons, they will lock the bodies up more securely and make it impossible to just fly out. The good news is, there are a lot more of us than there are of them, and when the rest of the people in my village know the truth, there will be even more people on our side. Not everyone will believe us and of those that do, some may choose to fight with the elders. It’s up to us to convince as many as possible to fight for what is fair and what is right. We need to go back to the village as soon as possible, before they have time to regroup and tell more lies. We need to find where the bodies of the other dragons are kept and free them.”

  “That could take days,” shouted someone.

  “Actually, that’s going to be the easy part. We have three more swords with dragons trapped inside. You saw yourselves that the souls take the form of fire when outside the body. All we need to do it set one free and be ready to follow it. It will lead us back to the prison. You guys can fly so it should be easy. More than one dragon should go because, after last night, it will be heavily guarded. The biggest problem we face is getting the swords. Look at how many of you were injured and we only got four of them. We need to come up with a better plan.”

  I looked to where Spear was just pulling himself up from the ground.

  “I’m going to be working closely with Spear. Today we will come up with a better plan and this time, I’m going to be more involved.” I emphasized the “this time.” “Tonight, we go down to the village again and get the swords back. It’s going to take more of you than before. I know many of you are not hunters or fighters, but the ten that went there last night wasn’t enough. Everyone over eighteen and fit needs to go. We need to swamp them so there is no point in fighting. This has got to end tonight!”

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned, expecting to see Ash, but it was Spear. He had a look of grim determination on his face.

  “I admit to being wary of Julianna since she first set foot in the village. Why would a slayer help us? But now I see the truth. It takes a great deal of strength and courage to sacrifice yourself for someone else, but it takes a whole lot more courage to stand up to your family. I need those of you who were out last night to rest. The rest of you, be prepared to save our ancestors. We’re going in tonight! Who is with us?”

  Some of the dragons cheered. Some, like Edeline, looked stunned. But they all raised their hands.

  My hand instinctively found the hilt of my sword, like a moth to a flame. The sword that started it all. How quickly my life had changed. Just a few days ago I held this sword with the promise of slaying my first dragon, and today I held it as a promise to save the dragons.

  The goblin-made gold held strong as my fingers wrapped around the intricate detail of the handle. With a clean whoosh, I unsheathed my sword and held it out in front of me. The rising sun glinted off the blade as the cheers of the dragons met my ears once again.

  Tonight, I would make right all the wrong my ancestors caused. Tonight, I would stand with the dragons and bring their families home.

  About J.A. Culican

  About J.A. Culican

  USA Today bestselling author, J.A. Culican is a teacher by day and a writer by night. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of eleven years and their four young children.

  J.A. Culican’s inspiration to start writing came from her children and their love for all things magical. Bedtime stories turned to reality after her oldest daughter begged her for the book from which her stories of dragons came from. In turn, the series The Keeper of Dragons was born.

  Read More from J.A. Culican

  www.jaculican.com

  About J.A. Armitage

  About J.A. Armitage

  Born in a small town, J.A. Armitage longed for adventure and travel.

  Age 20 she moved to Dublin, then to San Diego, then Sydney and back to California where she did a brief stint working at Universal Studios being a minder to Sponge Bob.

  Once back in Britain she got married, had babies and decided to write about the adventure she was now missing out on. She works full time, is a mum to three kids and has had a surrogate baby.

  She has skydived twice (and survived), climbed Kilimanjaro and hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. She has also worked as a professional clown and banana picker amongst other jobs.

  Somehow she finds time to write.

  Read More from J.A. Armitage

  www.jaarmitage.com

  Books by J.A. Culican

  The Prince Returns - Book 1 in the Keeper of Dragons Series

  A mystical calling.

  On his 18th birthday, Cole's learns that he is a dragon fated to save all that was deemed true.

  Destiny.

  Cole's life spirals into an uncontrollable battle for life or death. First, he learns that his family isn't really his own and his birth parents are dragons. With that legacy comes a special calling; devoting an eternity to protecting all true beings from creatures bent on controlling the Earth and bringing an end to dragons.

  Danger.

  As the newly-minted Prince of Ochana, Cole is also the Keeper of Dragons and his first task is to keep the nefarious farro-fallen fairies-at bay. With no formal training, no control of his mahier-dragon magic, and fear like he's never experienced before, will Cole be able to reach outside of his human side and embrace his destiny in time to defeat the farros?

  Join bestselling author, J.A. Culican on an epic fa
ntasy adventure fans and critics are calling a world of magic, and comparing to Robert Jordan.

  The Elven Alliance - Book 2 in the Keeper of Dragons Series

  The fates have spoken.

  Cole and Eva are the Keeper of Dragons - the only ones who can save all true beings from a time of fear.

  Uncontrollable power.

  Cole finds himself unstable, unpredictable and volatile. He has no control of the tilium-fairy magic he stole from the farros. Out of options, the dragons turn to a once ally - the elves - for help.Curious about the dragon who wields both dragon and fairy magic, they accept -but on their terms only. The dragons must submit to Prince Gaber and his rules.

  A new enemy.

  Queen Tana continues to haunt Cole's dreams, as a new enemy shows his face - another fallen enemy with a bigger agenda than the farros-fallen fairies; an enemy stronger and smarter; an enemy with an army that could destroy all true beings. Enter King Eldrick of the eldens-the fallen elves.

  Sometimes evil wins.

  Join international bestselling author, J.A. Culican on an epic fantasy adventure that fans and critics are calling a world of magic, and comparing to Robert Jordan.

  Second Sight, Book 1 in the Hollows Ground Series

  What if you could foresee death?

  Mirela can prophesy the death of whomever she sees. At thirteen, Ela foretold the death of her best friend, only to watch it happen before her very eyes. Ela, now twenty-one, spends her days locked away in her apartment, avoiding the public and the gift she considers a curse.

  Until he appears.

  Luka Conway is handsome. Charming. And magical. After Ela predicts yet another death, Luka leads her to an underground city hidden beneath Atlanta, populated by empaths, telepaths, and seers. Luka is a Shade, a soldier fighting a secret war against the Wraiths, a deadly group of sorcerers who wish to take over the world. Ela is given no choice; she must prove herself a Shade, and use her powers for the light, or she will be put to death. Resolved to her fate, Ela trains as a warrior, determined to put her curse to good use.

  Then Talon Michaels appears. He’s just as dashing as Luka, and even more dangerous. A Wraith, Talon warns Ela that the Shades aren’t all what they appear. Who can Ela trust, if anyone? Should her powers be used for good…or evil? Which should she choose?

  Full of action, adventure, and romance, Second Sight is an exciting young adult epic fantasy. It’s sure to please fans of USA Today bestselling author J.A. Culican’s The Keeper of Dragons series.

  Books by J.A. Armitage

  The Labyrinthians

  When Kimberley's father loses his job and it looks like her whole family will be homeless, a mysterious old benefactor saves them by leaving his 'mansion' to them in his will. However, their new house, with its history of spooky happenings and disappearances, is not all it seems. When Kim's little brother goes missing, it's up to Kim and her new friend, Nate, to find him. The problem is... When they do - who will find them?

  The first in a new YA series, The Labyrinthians begins a story of adventure and of terror and finding yourself when everything else seems lost.

  Endless Winter, Book 1 in the Guardians of the Light Series

  Imagine falling in love for the first time, the adrenaline, the flutters. Now imagine being told you had to have a baby with somebody else...

  Trapped in an unfamiliar room with no way out, Anais has no idea just how much her life is about to change. A locked door stands between her and freedom but as she is just about to find out, the door is the least of her problems.

  Anais had never believed in demons and vampires so when she is transported into a dark world that she doesn’t understand she is forced to realise that humans can be the most terrifying monsters of all. Yet in the shade of her new life she finds light in the most unexpected place of all.

  In this occult paranormal romance, follow Anais into the realm of The Guardians of The Light and into a mystery saga filled with temptation, loss, fear and above all love.