A Dynasty of Death

A Dynasty of Death Creatures of Scales & Savagery K.J. Jackson Copyright © K.J. Jackson, 2023 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any forms, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author. This book and series are expanded versions of original content taken from the Flame Moon series, copyright 2012-2022. First Edition: April 2023 ISBN: 978-1-940149-83-7 http://www.kjjackson.com ~ I found you and you found me—let’s not lose each other! Be sure to sign up for my VIP List for news of my next releases, sales and freebies. ~ Don’t miss my other books Fantasy Romance Creatures of Scales & Savagery The Way You Break Tear the World Down Heathens in the Shadows A Dynasty of Death ~ Historical Romance If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my historical romances—each is a stand-alone story and they can be read in any order (here they are in order of publication and series): Hold Your Breath Stone Devil Duke, currently free! Unmasking the Marquess My Captain, My Earl Lords of Fate Worth of a Duke Earl of Destiny Marquess of Fortune Lords of Action Vow Promise Oath Revelry’s Tempest Of Valor & Vice Of Sin & SanctuaryOf Risk & Redemption To Capture a Rogue, A Logan’s Legends Novella To Capture a Warrior, A Logan’s Legends Novella The Devil in the Duke Valor of Vinehill The Iron Earl The Wolf Duke The Steel Rogue The Christmas Countess Box of Draupnir The Heart of an Earl The Blood of a Baron The Soul of a Rogue Exile Exiled Duke Wicked Exile Dangerous Exile Guardians of the Bones Discreet Destruction Shadows of Scandal A Savage Deception Wicked Reckoning – For my favorite Ks Contents { 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 } { Chapter 22 } { Chapter 23 } { Chapter 24 } { Chapter 25 } { Chapter 26 } { Chapter 27 } { Chapter 28 } { Chapter 29 } { Chapter 30 } { Chapter 31 } { Chapter 32 } { Chapter 33 } { Chapter 34 } { Chapter 35 } { Chapter 36 } { Chapter 37 } { Chapter 38 } { Chapter 39 } { Chapter 40 } { Chapter 41 } { Chapter 42 } { Chapter 43 } { Chapter 44 } { Chapter 45 } { Chapter 46 } { Chapter 47 } { Chapter 48 } { Chapter 49 } { Chapter 50 } { Chapter 51 } { Chapter 52 } { Chapter 53 } { Chapter 54 } { Chapter 55 } { Chapter 56 } { Chapter 57 } { Chapter 58 } { Chapter 59 } { Chapter 60 } { Epilogue } { Bonus Epilogue } { Chapter 1 } They were born with extraordinary powers, these diversions of evolution. Panthenites and malefics. Then humans made them into gods. Worshipped them. Time passed, as did their favor as gods. But they never disappeared. They never lost their powers. ~ Aiden ~ “What the fuck?” The wet tip of a cold boot nudged into my jaw, waking me, pulling from the haze of black and red in my brain. Skye. Skye had to be kicking me. She needed me. Needed more. “What the fuck, Aiden?” A slap landed on my cheek. That wasn’t Skye’s voice. That was male. Triaten. My eyes cracked open. Or at least I think they did. The world still looked fuzzy, the red tinting everything around me. There. A face. Triaten. I blinked twice and the red haze started to clear. That had been the knocking I’d heard in the darkness. Triaten knocking on the door. His boots knocking on the floor next to me. “A—what the hell?” Triaten yelled as he grabbed my cheeks, shaking my head. He balanced on his knees next to me. Over me. Like he was floating. Like he’d learned to fly. “What happened? Who did this? Where’s Skye?” I blinked hard as Triaten loomed over me. How to stop his panic? How to tell him this was all my own doing? I pushed air from my lungs, and it hissed out like a dead man’s last decrepit breath. “Skye’s fine. She’s in the loft sleeping.” Triaten stood up and disappeared. I could hear his footsteps going up the stairs to the loft. I flopped my head to the left. A few embers still glowed orange-red from the previous night’s fire. And I was—shit—flat on my back, clad only in boxers. No wonder Triaten was freaking out. The footsteps tap-tap-tapped down the stairs again. I flopped my head to the right. Triaten came back to me and stood over me, staring down at me for a moment. I closed my eyes to his assessment. Heaving a sigh, he bent and grabbed my arm and shoulder, pulling me into a sitting position. I didn’t resist. Upright hurt, but it also felt good. Felt real. More of the red haze filtering out the world blinked away. Triaten sank down, balancing on his heels in front of me, his eyes narrowed and still looking for an answer. “Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on here, Aiden?” “Skye—did you check on her? Is she okay?” “She’s fine.” He waved a hand. “Sleeping.