DRAGUL DAWN - Marie Treanor

Dragul Rising, Book 1

Changeling Press - www.changelingpress.com

ISBN: 978-1-59596-701-5

April 2007

Erotic Paranormal Romance - Short Story

The Highlands, north of both the City of the Damned and Dome City - The Future

It’s been more than twenty years since nuclear war had ravaged the land. It has taken the combined efforts of many to put the land on the path to recovery. Now both the City of the Damned, home of both humans and mutants (vampire and lupi), and the Dome City want to colonize the Highlands, an empty land surrounding the tether (a structure vital to the cleaning up of the atmosphere). A scientist from each city has been sent to investigate the possibilities.

Beth is the daughter of mutants Max (a vampire) and April (a lupi). She is also a scientist looking forward to putting her skills to use to help her city (the City of the Damned). When she suggests to Niall (a scientist from the Dome) that they split up in order to get their samples in a more efficient manner, she’s not worried about encountering anyone in the countryside. After all, she’s no ordinary human, and no one lives in the area. Well, they didn’t think so anyways…

Aurel is a Dragul, an ancient race of nearly immortal winged men who can shift into dragons. His people once retreated to live under the earth as the foolish humans wreaked havoc above. But the Dragul have now come topside to help heal the land and reestablish a home where they can once again soar through the sky. As the Keeper of the Laws, Aurel will do whatever it takes to prevent the humans and the mutants from soiling Dragul land and bringing discord to his people. If contaminating the samples that Beth has taken isn’t an option, then perhaps he can influence her with passion.

When Beth meets the man who once haunted her dreams, she knows that she has to do anything possible to prevent Aurel and his people from suffering. If only that didn’t mean she’d have to leave him.

The first in the Dragul Rising series, DRAGUL DAWN is connected to the City of the Damned series (LOVING THE WOLF, LOVING THE VAMPIRE and LOVING THE MAN). Beth is the daughter of one of the couples from that series. As a daughter of two differing mutants, she has inherited the best traits from both, while she can take blood and shift into a wolf, the choice is up to her. Beth is eager to help her city, but like her parents, she has a sense of responsibility that won’t allow her to do so if it would hurt Aurel or his people in the process. Aurel and Vasil (the king of the Dragul) successfully led a rebellion against the old king to regain access to the surface. There were many Dragul who couldn’t stand living a half life underground, Aurel’s own father had committed suicide rather than face another day in the dark enclosed confines. Now that they are once again aboveground, Aurel can’t stand the thought of being forced to go back below. Meeting Beth only reinforces his desires as, though she doesn’t know it, she is his One, his soul mate, the woman he’ll fight for with all his heart.

Vasil is the king of the Dragul and I hope to learn more about him in future Dragul Rising stories. Avram is older than Aurel and believed that he should have gotten the job as Keeper of the Laws, despite the fact that the position is hereditary and, quite frankly, Aurel knows more than he does. Niall is a scientist from the Dome City and looks down on Beth as a “mutant girl” with no real training. He’s an untrustworthy snake. Rad is a young Dragul boy, the first Dragul Beth meets in the flesh.

With passion aplenty (including a scene while flying, just imagine the possibilities), action and danger, romance (of course), and an incredible new race to get to know, DRAGUL DAWN meets all the requirements for a great short story. Stop by Changeling Press today and get your copy. And hey, if you’ve never read the City of the Damned series, why not get it as well and learn the history behind this world.

Lori Ann