Gold Fever: Magic, New Mexico

By DB Sieders

She's got a fever, and he's the only one who can break it.

 

Sienna Gold is an energy dragon. Useful gift—as long as the excess power inside her doesn't cause her to explode! When a demon kidnaps her leader, the burden of rescuing him falls on her shoulders. This rescue will to take some teamwork, and she knows exactly who she is going to invite to help her.

Declan Amari is a wizard in disguise. He hates magic, refuses to use it, and absolutely abhors the thought of exploiting dragons for their magic. Unfortunately, one alluring and persistent gold dragon sees past his disguise and drags him, literally, to another world to rescue the leader of her merry band of rogues. 

It's a noble mission, but her needs could bring out the beastly nature he's spent years suppressing. Can they come to a mutually acceptable arrangement in time to stop the demon hell bent on draining souls of Earthborn humans, or will his beastly nature cause even more devastation?

NOTE: This novella is the companion to Jody Wallace's Gold Rush and is chock-a-block full of gnomes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meankitty Publishing
• Release date: Oct 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386424826

DB Sieders

Award-winning author D.B. Sieders was born and raised in East Tennessee and spent her childhood hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains and chasing salamanders, fish, and frogs. She loved to tell stories while sitting around the campfire.   She is a working scientist by day, but never lost her love of telling stories. Now, she’s a purveyor of unconventional fantasy romance featuring strong heroines and the heroes who strive to match them. Her heroes and heroines face a healthy dose of angst as they strive for redemption and a happily ever after, which everyone deserves. You can find D.B. Sieders on her Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Join Sieders’ Sirens for giveaways, sneak peaks, bonus content, and upcoming releases!

Book preview

GOLD FEVER

by

DB Sieders

GOLD FEVER

By DB Sieders

Dragons of Tarakona #6

Meankitty Publishing

Copyright ©2018 DB Sieders

Cover by Candice Gilmer, Flirtation Designs

Contributor: SE Smith

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This ebook is licensed for the original buyer only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people at sharing sites, loops, discussion boards or through other means. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The Author of this Book has been granted permission by S.E. Smith to use the copyrighted characters and/or worlds created by S.E. Smith in this Book; all copyright protection to the characters and/or worlds of Magic, New Mexico are retained by S.E. Smith.

About the Book:

SHE’S GOT A FEVER, and he’s the only one who can break it.

Sienna Gold is an energy dragon. Useful gift—as long as the excess power inside her doesn’t cause her to explode! When a demon kidnaps her leader, the burden of rescuing him falls on her shoulders. This rescue will take some teamwork, and she knows exactly who she is going to invite to help her.

Declan Amari is a wizard in disguise. He hates magic, refuses to use it, and absolutely abhors the thought of exploiting dragons for their magic. Unfortunately, one alluring and persistent gold dragon sees past his disguise and drags him, literally, to another world to rescue the leader of her merry band of rogues. 

It’s a noble mission, but her needs could bring out the beastly nature he’s spent years suppressing. Can they come to a mutually acceptable arrangement in time to stop the demon hell bent on draining souls of Earthborn humans, or will his beastly nature cause even more devastation?

NOTE: This novella is the companion to Jody Wallace’s Gold Rush and is chock-a-block full of gnomes.

Dedication:

TO S.E. SMITH AND THE merry band of writers who make playing in Magic, New Mexico so much fun!

And to Jody, who’s the BEST writing partner!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Big thanks to S.E. Smith for letting us play in her amazing, quirky, and super fun fictionverse. Shout out to Narelle Todd for wrangling and promoting all of the authors in the Worlds of Magic, New Mexico. It’s truly a pleasure to work with this fantastic team. I want to add my appreciation of the wonderful proofreading by Christel Goedeke. Thanks also to Lulu M. Sylvian for beta reading and giving me wonderful, constructive feedback as well as a copy edit. I’m eternally grateful to my editor/collaborator and partner in crime, Jody Wallace. She writes the coolest stuff and I encourage fans of quirky, fun romance through a feminist lens to check out her work.

HUGE thanks to Candice Gilmer of Flirtation Designs for the gorgeous cover art.

DEFINITELY check out Gold Rush, the companion novella for Gold Fever. There’s an excerpt at the end of this novella. Check out the whole set! We have some fun, sexy stories for you.

I have been overwhelmed by support and love from readers, bloggers, and reviewers, and I thank each and every individual who has taken the time to read my work.

And, as always, thank you to my family and my furballs for love, cuddles, and unwavering support.

MORE INFORMATION:

At the end, don’t miss About the Author and a bonus excerpt by Jody Wallace from Gold Rush, the fifth book in the Dragons of Tarakona series that came right before this one!

About Magic, New Mexico

Imagine The Worlds of Magic, New Mexico... A series that brings together outstanding paranormal and science fiction authors to expand a town where witches, aliens, vampires, werewolves, goblins, sorceresses, pirates, time travelers, and paranormal live in harmony - when they aren’t joining forces to defeat the bad guys. A magical town where being abnormal is the norm!

I’m S.E. Smith, the creator of Magic, New Mexico and I invite you to curl up with each book now and discover all the action, the magic, and the love that makes Magic, New Mexico the ultimate go-to series for Paranormal / Science Fiction Romance readers.

For all the stories, go to MagicNewMexico.com/books/. Grab your copy today!

Chapter One

"M istress Gold, Mistress Gold!"

The high-pitched voice made Sienna Gold spin around with all the grace of a lame horse pulling a rickety wagon. Curse these heeled boots, this dress, and the necessity of feminine wiles. Why couldn’t she just tell the object of her affection that she wanted him, body and soul? It would be so much simpler.

Unfortunately, the object of her affection was a complicated man. She’d turned to a professional pleasure provider for advice on how to seduce the stubborn wizard. Now she was wandering the warrens of Valiant City, far from her home territory, wearing a tight, uncomfortable dress and ridiculous boots.

Naturally, the fates sent a messenger to interrupt her progress.

The urchin who’d called for her, presumably one of the many human children who served as messengers in the warrens, hopped from foot to foot as if in need of a privy. Ruddy faced, bundled up in worn but warm clothing, and no taller than a tavern table, the ginger-haired girl seemed barely able to contain her excitement. The prospect of coin or magic fueled that excitement, no doubt. Best complete the exchange quickly so they could both be about their business.

I am Sienna Gold. What news have you for me? Sienna smiled at the adorable girl. It warmed her heart to see healthy, happy humans. Wizards wanted for nothing, of course, as they wielded magic harvested from the dragons they owned and ruled their territories through its use. If humans needed magic, they were forced to pay the steep prices greedy wizards charged.

Unless, of course, they were lucky enough to live in the territory Sienna shared with her gang of fellow dragons and the wizard who treated them as equals.

I have a message from His Honor Wade Insbrook. He is your wizard? the girl asked, cautious.

The mention of Wade’s name and the girl’s wariness put her on edge. Sienna hadn’t heard from her best friend and wizard protector in a week. Wade had left her in charge of their gang, responsible for keeping the other dragons safe and making sure the humans in their territory received the magic they needed—along with her usual role of collecting payments and maintaining their ledgers. He’d gone off gallivanting with a new gold lady dragon in a fit of uncharacteristic chivalry, leaving her to handle the work.

Good thing she liked the loon and his new dragon.

What does his Honor wish of me? Sienna said. She had to maintain the ruse that Wade was her master and she his loyal dragon, ready and waiting to do as he commanded.

He didn’t say anything to me. My brother’s best friend’s cousin heard it from a messenger in the Blood Troll’s territory who heard it from a wizard colleague who heard it from Wade—I think. His Honor is in trouble. She cast her gaze to the sky and put a finger on her small bow of a mouth as if thinking. The thing that chased him here found him and he can’t leave the place he was born. He needs you to get him.

Sienna grabbed the girl on impulse, making the small child shriek with alarm.

My apologies, she said, loosening her grip. Where is Wade now. Do you know? Is there more to the message?

When Wade had disappeared, he hadn’t mentioned the thing that had chased him here. He hadn’t mentioned trouble. Though she’d been a bit suspicious about some wreckage in their lair, it hadn’t been that much wreckage. A broken door, some strange metal shards. In the lair of a gang in the warrens, wreckage happened. She’d decided to wait until more news arrived.

Now it had.

The girl struggled free, probably frightened that Sienna would assume her dragon shape and fly away with her. Sienna pulled a small talisman out of her skirt pocket and held it in front of the child, who paused in the process of running. Even a tiny vessel filled with magic was too valuable to resist.

Please tell me the whole message one more time, lass. I’m sorry I startled you.

He’s in the place he was born. That’s all I know. May I go now, Mistress Gold?

Of course. Sienna dropped the talisman into the child’s hand and stared absently at a spot on the hem of her skirt as the urchin ran, disappearing down a side street.

It had finally happened, what they’d feared ever since Wade had become their protector and friend. The fool had traveled back to Earth, his home dimension, and gotten himself nabbed by a demon. Sienna took a few deep, cleansing breaths—no small feat considering the tightness of her corset—and, with a clear head and mounting determination, she abandoned her scheme of seduction and set about planning a rescue mission.

SIENNA WAITED IN THE shadows, stalking her prey with the skill of a seasoned hunter, if not the patience. Time was of the essence. She needed to reach the portal under cover of darkness to avoid being seen. The location of the portal leading from Tarakona to Earth was a well-guarded secret. If another dragon, human, or gods forbid, an unfriendly wizard discovered its existence, it could be a catastrophe for both dimensions.

But if she didn’t reach Wade in time, the demon who’d taken him would steal his soul, giving that demon the power to remain on Earth and feast on the souls of the humans who lived there. Such a fate was truly worse than death. She wouldn’t wish it on the most vile and terrible of wizards, let alone her best friend and thousands upon thousands of helpless humans from his world.

Plus, Wade’s disappearance would be a disaster for her and the rest of their gang of dragons—the Sharks. The gang that wasn’t a gang.

Not only was the wizard who led their band of secretly free dragons her best friend, he was also essential to their operation. His Honor Wade Insbrook was their front man, the one who pretended to be their master so that no true Tarakonan wizards could enslave them. He conned other wizards into harvesting their dragon magic ethically, with their consent, and distributed the bulk of it to those in need. Without dragon magic, the poor humans in the warrens outside of Valiant City would be unable to harvest crops to feed their families. They would have no way to warm their homes against the bitter Tarakonan winters, no means to survive in a world ruled by greedy, callous wizards who cared only for their own status and power.

Thank the stars for Wade, she murmured, pleading with the fates for his safety.

Unlike Tarakonan wizards, Wade cared for humans and dragons. He saw them as equals, not as lowly subjects or, in the case of dragons, slaves to be used for their magic. When he’d fled to Tarakona from Earth, Sienna and a few other free dragons struck a bargain with him—they would keep his secrets and help him hide from the demon in exchange for helping them harvest their magic to help humans and dragons who could not help themselves.

She had to get him back.

She pulled out Wade’s pocket watch from her too-tight bodice and checked the time again. Its silver surface caught the shine of an enchanted streetlamp, mesmerizing