Feels like a bridge story to hurry up the overall plot
MY RATING
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good
2 stars--didn't enjoy
1 star--didn't finish
Should I read books before this one: yes
Cliffhanger: Kur-Jara and Ereshkigal continue
SUMMARY
Instead of gathering surveillance, Dax leads Neo and other Demon Dragons in a battle against demon wyrms. Only Dax and Neo get away; the rest are enslaved by the Geshtianna and her ladies. Cage is angry that Dax didn't use his brain. The Troika pack has requested Dax specifically to come assist because someone's having visions of the Black Dragon.
Jules babysits cubs Tristan and Ellie. The bite marks from her previous vision are healing. Dax comes in, kisses her hand, tingle, and his necklace lights up. Max introduces him as a dragon, Jules jumps away in fear. "I don't like it, but I will work with you if I have to. But I'm telling you right now, if you murder me, I will haunt your a** until the end of time." "My a**? Could be fun." Dax asks what kind of being she is. Plain Jane human. She flashes into a vision, tries to get better details for Dax. She sees 3 shapes coming at her, a big red one in front. "If you don't drop to the ground in the next half a second, your dragon is going to singe your hair." She ducks, the figures go by. "You can wake up now, Jules. We'll see you again soon."
Dax is attracted to Jules, but knows she's not his mate even though his shard lit up because Match isn't mated yet. He realizes she's in a vision, but it's her screams that get to him. He holds her protectively. She drops to the ground, then mutters Red dragon. "I'm here, lass." She snuggles into him, not distressed any more. "Don't eat me." "I will make this promise as many times as you need to hear it. I will never harm you. You are mine to protect." That's only said to a mate. He isn't ready for a mate. Max asks Dax [say that 3x] to walk Jules home.
Jules knows a woman in her vision replaced her fear of dragons with trust. But she will not be manipulated. She'll take him home because she wants to. Though she wouldn't have taken a stranger home an hour ago. She grabs his hands and leaves. "I love that you're in a hurry to get me home, lass. It's quite the turn on." Uh-oh. His voice was a little too loud and a lot too creepy. He pulls her close, nuzzles, tells her to pretend because demon wyrms are all around. Demon worms? “You aren't afraid of heights, are you?" "No. Should I be?" He has to shift to get her to safety, call reinforcements and fight. Ready? He shifts, telepaths to grab his leg. She feels very safe. They launch, so do the things that look like an evil black dinosaur, crossed with a bat and an ostrich, with wings and beady red eyes, and also breathed fire. "Dax, look out. There's one on your three o'clock coming in fast." Dax dove and spun just like a fancy jet fighter and Jules squealed. “This is the best dragon fight I've ever been on." He laughs, and goes to work. She keeps calling out blind spot attacks. They finish, then something grabs her arms and drops her. Dax tells her he's coming, she trusts him, punches the thing. Dax kills it, grabs her, drops her at the alphas' house. The front door is open. "They are toward the back of the house. I will lead you there. You keep an eye out behind us just like you did when we were in flight." They get to the nursery. Jules quietly talks to the wolves. Gal and Max growl back, then yips. Cubs don't shift until 5yo. She goes in, the puppies howl, one sneezes, Tristan is back. Ellie attacks him. "Ellie, stop. Gwoss. Quit it." The other pup sneezed. In its place sat Ellie, but definitely not a baby either. "Hi, Juwels."
EVALUATION
It was interesting to go inside Dax's head when the warrior takes over. I didn't get attached to either character. Jules's psyche is pretty malleable, seeing how she copes with so many changes over maybe 2 days.
I'm frustrated with the White Witch and First Dragon. They're using their children as chess pieces in a game instead of strategizing with them. And why can't they fight their own fight?
RECOMMENDATION
Adults who've read the series
FAVORITE QUOTES
...pricked at her brain like a voodoo doll at an acupuncture convention.
Dax was never ever having kids. They were cute and all, but also these ankle biters were literally biting his ankles.
"I can't save the world. Even if I am a witch, I'm nothing special." "You're special to me, lass. You are to a lot of people. I know you don't see that, and that flabbergasts me. But take a look around you. You matter to us all." They needed her help. They didn't need her. "I need you. Powers or not. I need you for you."
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS)
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 43 f***, 24 Lord's name in vain, 31 s***
Violence: kidnappings, battles