Hi there!
Like many of you I was shocked to hear about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. One of the art group friend's mom was kind enough to let us know. She was a person for whom I had a lot of respect for. RIP Your Majesty. 🇬🇧
It's been another crazy busy week where I did two jobs which would normally take a week each. Long hours for sure, which made the weekend that much more welcome. I finished my page for our art group's monthly challenge and the image was inspired by Michelle the Painter. Check out her channel if you would like to learn how to paint some interesting subjects in acrylics.
I plan to bind a few sketchbooks, but with limited time and a lot of creative projects also on the go, it has not happened yet. I was looking for something in my studio when I found a stack of small papers that I had been saving, They were the obvious inspiration to make a tiny book. It is not finished yet, but once done I will share a few pictures to show you. It is 46mm high by 32mm wide with a 5mm thick text block. The pages are blank and a bit heavier than printer paper, which makes it suitable for drawing with dry mediums.Editing my book is making slow progress but as promised you will find an excerpt from it this week. The cover is still a concept in my brain, but it is no longer a vague thought of maybes.
Enjoy the sneak preview of the book, and I will see you again soon!
💜🇿🇦 Linzé
As promised here is the Prologue of Keeper of the Dragon Key, coming (hopefully 🙄) in December. Enjoy!
The Dragon Masters: Keeper of the Dragon Key
by Linzé Brandon
Prologue
Daérini Crea sighed in satisfaction as her body relaxed after being pleasured by her mate. She dropped her head to his chest while his hands caressed her back.
“Hmm,” she purred deeply in her throat.
Adrian smiled at his mate's reaction. He still had a hard time believing how he happy he was with her in his life.
She closed her eyes and felt sleep claiming her mind under his stroking hands. He relaxed too and closed his eyes.
The couple had barely dozed off when another future being appeared.
“Li! What the hell?”
Adrian sat up as well and frowned at his brother-of-joining's rude entrance into their bedroom. He glanced at his mate, scowling at their visitor. At least she held the bedsheet up to her throat. Future beings had little concern about each other's natural state, but he appreciated that she respected his feelings on the subject.
Li bowed with a solemn face and Adrian got a bad feeling. “I am really sorry for barging in like this, but we have a serious problem.”
Before either could reply, Daérini's body shivered and slumped against her mate's chest. Adrian held her gently as they waited for the vision to pass. He glanced at Li and the bad feeling got worse when he spotted the way Li wrung his hands together. They waited in silence since he could only see her visions if they were touching before it started.
A few more seconds passed before Daérini opened her eyes. “You saw it too?” she asked in a horrified whisper.
Li nodded. “We need to go and talk to Dad. This is a disaster.”
Adrian's eyes widened, but Daérini just nodded. “Give us a few minutes please?”
Li obliged and left them alone, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Conscious of their earlier activities, the couple shared a shower and Daérini brought him up to speed at the same time.
They dried off, got dressed and tied their wet hair into ponytails – warrior style. No time to lose, not even to dry their manes with magic.
Five minutes after he left them alone, they appeared again. “Let's go,” Li said and they all jumped to the fourth dimension.
“Alu'Adr''Erinia,” they all said as they arrived in the fourth dimension to see the leader of the Order of the Future Beings – and Daérini and Li's father.
He bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Always good to see the children,” he replied with a smile, until he realised their sombre demeanours. “What have you seen?”
Daérini explained the vision and Alu's frown deepened.
“Mother,” the younger people said and smiled at the newcomer.
Alu turned to Eri'Adr''Erinia. “This is distressing news,” he replied taking her hand.
“What could have caused them to suddenly target the bridge again?” Alu asked to no one in particular.
“Or who?” Adrian added, and the faces around him got more worried.
Alu and Eri shared a look. “I will go and talk to the High Lords. I don't think it's Lucian, but it’s better to make sure,” Alu said.
Daérini nodded. The rogue High Lord was causing havoc in the third dimension, but as far as they knew, he wasn’t able to dimension jump. As Alu said, it would be better to find out.
Li looked at his sister. “We need the Future Warriors to help to restore the bridge.”
“Future Warriors?” Adrian asked looking down at his mate.
“They are our cousins,” she replied. “Three women, powerful warrior-magicians who have to protect the man with the Dragon Key.”
“The Dragon Key will choose to which future warrior to give the key. She uses this key to restore the link to the fourth dimension. They are the White Warrior for Peace, the Red Warrior for perfect Balance, and the Black Warrior for absolute Power,” Eri added quietly.
Adrian nodded. “So, what do we have to do?”
Li looked at his sister. “You need to activate their magic. I cannot help you.”
“Why?”
Daérini sighed at Adrian's question. He was not going to like this at all. “I will explain later, but now I know what we have to do.”
Adrian pressed his lips together, but did not argue as they said goodbye to their future family and returned to their own home in Sera on the planet of Xa'an.
* * *
Adrian scowled as Daérini explained to him that the future warriors' magic was activated by sharing pleasure with them and that they had to do it. “Like you did for me, when we shared pleasure the first time.”
“What?!” he exclaimed. “Daérini,” he sighed taking her hands, “I have no intention of pleasuring another woman. I love only you, and the thought of touching another woman is making me really uncomfortable.”
She stepped closer and put her arms around his waist. “I love you too, but there is no other way. We will help each other.”
“How?”
“The white warrior's magic is activated with a kiss from another woman,” she explained to his still frowning gaze. “The red and black warriors require both of us.”
She shrugged a little. “I will be with you and you with me. You are the one with the experience as I have not been with another man or woman before you.”
He wasn't happy. It was true that he was an experienced lover, but that was before Daérini and he never thought she would want him to break his joining vows to her. Looking into her aquamarine eyes with their silver rings he saw that she wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of sharing him with another woman. “Are you sure this is the only way?”
She nodded, biting her lip. “There is something else.”
He arched an eyebrow. “What?”
“You cannot tell anyone what kind of magic my cousins practice. Their magic is not like anyone else's in the third dimension. It may also create problems for other future beings if it becomes known that their magic is different.”
“Hmm,” he replied thoughtfully. “Do we need to speak to Grandmaster Géra about this?”
It was her turn to look thoughtful. “I don't know. There is nothing that he or anyone else from this dimension can do to help.”
Adrian's eyes widened. “And me? Us?”
Hugging him was no longer enough, and she pushed her body as tightly to his as she could. He tightened his arms in return.
“I don't know,” she whispered. “But I am going to pray that my cousins will be successful, because I don't want to think of the possibility of us—”
His kiss interrupted her words, because he didn't want to hear the words that would destroy the reason he had found the love he held in his arms.
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