Dragon magic, p.1
Dragon Magic, page 1
Dragon Magic
Books by Alexandra Ivy
Guardians of Eternity
WHEN DARKNESS COMES
EMBRACE THE DARKNESS
DARKNESS EVERLASTING
DARKNESS REVEALED
DARKNESS UNLEASHED
BEYOND THE DARKNESS
DEVOURED BY DARKNESS
BOUND BY DARKNESS
FEAR THE DARKNESS
DARKNESS AVENGED
HUNT THE DARKNESS
WHEN DARKNESS ENDS
DARKNESS RETURNS
BEWARE THE DARKNESS
CONQUER THE DARKNESS
SHADES OF DARKNESS
DARKNESS BETRAYED
BEWITCH THE DARKNESS
STALK THE DARKNESS
SATE THE DARKNESS
The Immortal Rogues
MY LORD VAMPIRE
MY LORD ETERNITY
MY LORD IMMORTALITY
The Sentinels
BORN IN BLOOD
BLOOD ASSASSIN
BLOOD LUST
Magic for Hire
WILD MAGIC
ANCIENT MAGIC
ETERNAL MAGIC
DRAGON MAGIC
Ares Security
KILL WITHOUT MERCY
KILL WITHOUT SHAME
Romantic Suspense
PRETEND YOU’RE SAFE
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
YOU WILL SUFFER
THE INTENDED VICTIM
DON’T LOOK
FACELESS
UNSTABLE
DESPERATE ACTS
THE MURDER CLUB
Historical Romance
SOME LIKE IT WICKED
SOME LIKE IT SINFUL
SOME LIKE IT BRAZEN
And don’t miss these Guardians of Eternity novellas
TAKEN BY DARKNESS in YOURS FOR ETERNITY
DARKNESS ETERNAL in SUPERNATURAL
WHERE DARKNESS LIVES in THE REAL WEREWIVES OF VAMPIRE COUNTY
LEVET (ebook only)
A VERY LEVET CHRISTMAS (ebook only)
And don’t miss these Sentinel novellas
OUT OF CONTROL
ON THE HUNT
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Contents
Books by Alexandra Ivy
Dragon Magic
Copyright
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
Epilogue
Preview
Chapter 1
Dragon Magic
By Alexandra Ivy
LYRICAL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
kensingtonbooks.com
Copyright
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2026 by Debbie Raleigh
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Chapter 1
Maya Rosen was bored. A shocking realization for the powerful mage. Usually she was running around like a maniac trying to keep up with her endless to-do list.
After all, in the past few months she’d acquired a vampire mate, Ravyr. She’d taken on the training of potential mages who equally inspired and frustrated her to the point of exhaustion. And she’d completely remodeled the deep basement beneath the Witch’s Brew coffee shop in Linden, New Jersey.
The basement had started off as a barren hole in the ground, but now it was a luxurious apartment with elegant furnishings and high-tech gadgets that Ravyr used in his security-for-hire business. She’d also replaced the vault she used to protect her vast collection of magical charms, amulets, relics, and a stockpile of potions with a massive steel safe that could withstand everything from an earthquake to a magical tsunami, and even the fire from a dragon.
Not that everything had changed, of course. The Witch’s Brew still looked the same. The small bakery still had white tiled floors and lavender walls lined with shelves of pastries and round tables set near a large front window that offered a charming view of the street. It still oozed with the fragrance of freshly baked muffins that lured in customers by the hundreds. It was still attached to the shadowed bookstore where a customer could settle in a leather chair and become lost in a cozy world far removed from their own. And there was still a private office at the very back of the building where Maya negotiated contracts with the local demons.
As a powerful mage she had the ability to create curses and love potions, track down missing relatives, and create short-term illusions.
It was her main source of income and business had never been better. New York City was the epicenter of a pool of magic that throbbed deep in the earth called a Gyre. At one time the spot had been the lair of a dragon, but since their retreat from the world, it was used by both goblin and fey creatures to tap into their ancient powers.
The Gyre was currently under the rule of the vampire named Valen. The Cabal maintained control of all the Gyres spread across the world. Something that annoyed the hell out of Maya, despite the fact she was currently mated to a vampire. And why she chose to remain in New Jersey at the edge of Valen’s territory. She didn’t need the power. She had her own wild magic flowing through her veins.
Another thing that hadn’t changed was the fact that when she needed help, she reached out to the mages who were the sisters of her heart.
Peri Sanguis was currently standing next to her as she hid behind the steep stairs that led to the basement. The young mage was without a doubt the most powerful magic user born in the past millennium. The beautiful woman had lush, dark curls and vivid blue eyes and was mated to Valen, the local Cabal leader. Maya had also called on Skye Claremont, a clairvoyant who was mated to Micha, the Cabal leader of New Orleans. Skye was currently MIA. A fact that had Maya on edge. She wasn’t worried about her friend. Skye had proven she could not only take care of herself, but could prevent the world from being consumed in endless flames. But she needed Skye’s gentle soul.
Clearly as bored as Maya, Peri leaned against the side of the staircase, stifling a yawn. Peri was wearing a pair of cutoff shorts and a Green Day T-shirt with her hair pulled into a high ponytail. It had been a punishingly hot day in New Jersey and the August heat hadn’t faded as the sun set. In fact, it had thickened to an unpleasant soup of damp humidity.
“Explain again why we’re kidnapping a child,” Peri demanded.
Maya clicked her tongue. She’d chosen a loose black caftan that fell to her ankles. The air in the basement was cool and silk felt good against her skin. Besides, she had a reputation for her flawless elegance. Just because she was setting a trap for a mysterious thief was no excuse not to look her best.
She smoothed back her dark, silky hair that was cut just above her shoulders. “We’re not kidnapping anyone.”
“No?” Peri arched a brow. “When you demanded that Valen—”
“Asked,” Maya corrected. “I asked.”
“Okay, when you very aggressively asked for Valen to spread the word that an extremely dangerous artifact had been discovered in New York City and then he’d asked you to keep it hidden in your vault. And then you asked me and Skye to join you in setting a magical trap to capture a child. I’m not gonna lie, it seems weirdly close to kidnapping.”
“We’re catching a thief.” Maya made a sound of impatience. “And where is Skye? She said she’d be here an hour ago.”
“For the last time, it’s not kidnapping. It’s...an intervention.”
“Intervention. Right.”
“Look, I don’t have a choice. The supposed child has been spotted from Miami to New York stealing magical objects.”
“From what Valen could discover, they were mostly junk. The kind of stuff that you sell to tourists, not to serious magic users.”
Maya pressed her lips together. She’d been just as dismissive when she’d first started hearing the rumors about a kid sneaking into magic shops and even onto a few covensteads. Human magic wasn’t that dangerous. Not like the charms and potions that were created by mages and demons.
She remained indifferent even after she’d viewed the security video sent to her of a young girl with a round freckled face and big brown eyes. She looked like a harmless child. Who cared if she was taking a few baubles?
But when the rumors became more frequent and the vaults that she began to enter were owned by mages and demons that were heavily protected, she reluctantly conceded that she had to do something.
Which currently included crouching next to the staircase, in the dark, listening to her friend bitch and gripe.
“I don’t care what she’s stealing. I care about the fact that she’s been able to slip in and out of some of the most secure safes, vaults, and repositories in the country. The next thing she steals might not be a harmless trinket.”
“Fine.” Peri heaved a resigned sigh. “Is she a demon?”
“No one knows. She’s been captured on security video, but she doesn’t leave a trace of her presence. Not fingerprints or footprints or even a scent. Like she’s a ghost.”
“Then she must be a mage.”
Maya shook her head. A mage began life as a human with a mother who had some ability to use magic. A witch, a fortune teller, a midwife. As she became an adult, her powers would manifest as the wild magic seared through her blood, transforming her into a mage. The powers ranged from Peri, who was off the charts, to some mages who could barely sense their magic. But the one thing that was universal was the initial rush of wild magic.
“She’s too young to have come into her powers.”
“I was young.”
“In the video she looks about twelve.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Peri insisted.
Maya shrugged. She didn’t have her friend’s skill with illusions, but she understood that things weren’t always what they seemed to be.
“Which is why I want to meet her face-to-face. If we discover she’s a harmless kid, then I’ll let her go about her business.”
“It still feels excessive,” Peri groused, more out of habit than annoyance at being called to help. The young mage had always been headstrong and fiercely independent. It kept their relationship interesting. And by interesting, Maya meant snarky. “This isn’t because Sinjon has called a meeting of the Cabal in Greece and you were lonely, is it?”
Maya clicked her tongue. Although Ravyr wasn’t an official member of the Cabal, his years as a spy for Sinjon, the current leader of the vampires, meant he was often requested to attend the meetings.
“I spend my days with a half dozen mages in training who snipe and snarl and indulge in epic meltdowns on a regular basis. I swear it would be less stressful to try and tame a pack of hyenas,” she said dryly. “Certainly it would be quieter. That doesn’t include keeping the Witch’s Brew running smoothly and fulfilling the contracts I’ve signed with several impatient demons. I can promise you that I would far prefer to spend the next few nights alone, soaking in a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine and utter silence. Which is exactly what I would be doing if I hadn’t spotted the kid hanging around the shop when I was cleaning up.” She reached up to touch the perfect emerald that hung on a chain around her neck. The gem held her magic if she needed an extra boost. “The trap has been baited and the prey is on my doorstep. I have no choice but to spring it.”
Peri studied her, as if sensing the tension that vibrated through Maya. “You really are worried.”
“I don’t understand how she’s slipping through the magical barriers. That should worry all of us.”
Peri wrinkled her nose. “For once I wish Joe was around.”
“I’m not that desperate,” Maya growled.
Joe had been a part of Maya’s existence since she set up the Witch’s Brew years ago. He hung around the shop, looking like a street person with a bushy beard and velour tracksuit, but Maya had eventually realized he was the mysterious Benefactor who’d offered her protection for her business while at the same time demanding that she perform small tasks for him. Like a mob boss on steroids. More than one of those tasks had nearly gotten her killed. Eventually he revealed himself to be the Watcher, an even more mysterious creature who was the ultimate guardian over the vampires, demons, and dragons.
Whether he’d been in his disguise as Joe or the Benefactor or the Watcher, he’d been a pain in the ass.
“Come on,” Peri teased. “You have to miss him at least a little.”
“Like I miss an infected toenail.”
“That’s very...graphic.”
Maya shrugged. “He had his uses, but there is enough testosterone in my life. He’s welcomed to pester someone else.”
“I wonder where he is,” Peri mused. Then without warning her magic tingled in the air. “Someone’s coming,” she whispered.
Maya thought she heard the soft sound of footsteps, but didn’t have Peri’s talent for sensing who or what was approaching.
“Human? Demon? Mage?”
“I don’t know.”
“Damn, I wish Skye was here.”
Peri looked confused. “We’re two of the most powerful mages in the world. We could take down a vampire if necessary. Why are you worried?”
“Skye has something we don’t.”
“What’s that?”
“The patience to deal with a child.”
“Yeah. Good point,” Peri agreed. “She’s a lot nicer than we are.”
Maya didn’t know if it was Skye’s brutal upbringing at the hands of demons or the dark visions that haunted her, but whatever the cause, Skye possessed the most gentle, empathetic soul she’d ever known.
Maya’s thoughts were shattered as the steel door leading down to the basement was slowly pushed open. She exchanged a glance with Peri. Earlier they’d both cast layers of magic that would keep out a horde of demons, not to mention set off a dozen different alarms.
There’d been nothing to indicate the Witch’s Brew had been breached. Not a peep.
Maya and Peri remained hidden in the shadows as footsteps crept down the stairs and a silhouette passed by, heading directly for the safe that was built into a concrete wall. Maya touched Peri’s arm, keeping her from springing the trap. She wanted to see exactly how the girl was entering the vaults. Was it magic? An incantation? Did she have inside help? And just as importantly, how did she know the safe was hidden behind the shelf of books?
Maya barely dared to breathe as the intruder lifted a hand and waved it in a circle, as if she were conducting an orchestra. In response, the shelves swept aside and the door to the vault swung open.
There was no tingle of magic. No blast of power. Nothing.
Next to Maya, she could feel Peri tense in surprise. Was the younger mage finally realizing that they weren’t dealing with a sticky-fingered brat?
A minute passed, then another. This was no smash and grab. The intruder was taking her sweet time. After what felt like an eternity the shadow reappeared and, chanting in a soft voice, Maya released the spell she’d cast onto the floor. At the same time, Peri dropped her own spell from the ceiling, wrapping it around the shadow.
“What the...” The intruder briefly struggled against the invisible bands wrapped around her, then as if realizing that each movement made them tighter, she made a sound of disgust.
“A snare?” The girl’s voice floated through the darkness. “Really? Super original.”
Maya reached to flip on the light switch. The soft glow flooded the formal sitting room decorated in dramatic shades of black and silver with low glass coffee tables and metal works of art that shimmered with a cold beauty. It was what most people expected when they visited the lair of a vampire and a powerful mage. The private areas of the lair were far cozier, with deep couches and lots of soft, fuzzy pillows. It turned out, she liked to snuggle with her vampire. Honestly, no one was more surprised than she was.
