Dragons – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Dragons – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:27:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Dragons – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 The Kraken Bride (Kings of Fury #4) Read Online Gena Showalter http://www.books2020.com/the-kraken-bride-kings-of-fury-4-read-online-gena-showalter Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:27:36 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/the-kraken-bride-kings-of-fury-4-read-online-gena-showalter Genre: Alpha Male, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Gena Showalter Series: Kings of Fury Series by Gena Showalter
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Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71403 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)

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Princess Bronwyn Drachenveil, famed ballerina of the dragon court, signs away three years of her life to descend into treacherous kraken territory, on a mission that could forever change her fate.

Sebastian Morrissey rules Krakenströnd with ruthless precision. Desired by many, feared by all. When an ancient primordial rises from the abyss, threatening the safety of his underwater kingdom, he needs someone clever, nimble—and convincing—at his side. His solution? A fake courtship with the Swan of Ashmorra. The dragon princess now bound to his land.

If Bronwyn plays the kraken king’s consort, acting as his spy, Sebastian will grant her heart’s desire. But the longer the deception continues, the more dangerous the game becomes. Because the kraken king who never believed in love…

May be falling for the woman destined to set his world on fire

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Ican do this.

Drawing a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and stepped into a doorway between worlds—a massive slab of ancient rock with a flat top and twin pillars.

Dizziness surged and vanished in a single heartbeat. Ashmorra, the realm of dragons, fell away.

I blinked and suddenly mist drifted through a clearing older than time. Though I still stood within a traveling stone, I had crossed onto neutral ground. Here, all reigned equally. Even me, a ballet dancer who preferred spotlights only when paired with music, costumes and choreography. Not this. Never this.

Ten traveling stones set in a circle, power humming from each. Every king but one had already arrived, all berserkers who had spent centuries conquering kingdoms and it showed. Even now, they radiated aggression and authority. Griffin. Bear. Turul. Wolf. Lynx. Adder. Gargoyle.

Kraken.

Only the manticore king was missing, his traveling stone empty.

He would come. And I would not falter. My eldest sister, Olyssa, sent me in her stead, trusting me to cast a vote on her behalf.

I am Princess Bronwyn Drachenveil. I can do this. I can do anything.

The turul king, newly bonded to his firebrand, had demanded a referendum: peace through union. Allowing marriage between factions. Progress through entwined bloodlines. A way to end the friction between the various kingdoms.

I’d agreed to attend for two reasons. I loved my sister–all nine of my sisters–but also, if the vote passed, performers like me, all the artists, dancers, entertainers, would be allowed into realms long closed to outsiders. Marriages led to family visits. Visits led to tourism. Tourism led to shows, programs and concerts.

Olyssa understood how important this issue was to me. That she trusted me to carry out this mission, well, it left me both proud and determined to prove her faith in me had merit. I refused to let her down.

I knew we had the manticore on board. His ambassador had assured me of it only this morning. So where was he? Surely he would not miss this.

Nervousness prickled, and I fixed my gaze on a lone flower blooming at the center of the ring. Pink. Delicate. A small echo of home that reminded me of the gown I’d chosen for this event. A costume I’d worn to portray Flameborn, a warrior queen. Layers of blush silk whispered around my legs, while tiny crystals stitched into the bodice caught the moonlight and scattered it like fallen stars.

Ash and embers, why had I chosen a gown that bared my shoulders beneath an open midnight sky that felt far too close?

“If the manticore king cannot bring himself to attend, he forfeits the right to vote.” Malachi, the griffin king, tipped up his chin and dared anyone to disagree. “Let’s get this done.”

Nein! We needed the manticore’s support. “Why don’t we postpone—” I began.

But it was too late. I was too soft-spoken, and Callen, the wolf sovereign, spoke before I could. “I say aye.”

Viktor, the turul king, offered a rough “igen.” Hungarian for yes.

I hoped the others would agree. “I speak on behalf of Queen Olyssa and all dragons,” I said, my voice steady despite pressure against my ribs. “We say ja.” Yes. Three now.

One by one, the others announced their decisions.

No.

No.

Yes.

No.

No.

My breath snagged. A tie, with one verdict remaining. The kraken king. A legend of seduction and terror, good for a night and gone before dawn. Rumored to feed on fear.

In Ashmorra, he was known as the Beast of the Seas.

He stood opposite me, framed by monolithic rock darkened by salt and age. Taller than the others, broad-shouldered, and as still as the sea before a storm. Black hair streaked with iridescent strands hung loose around his shoulders, catching the light like oil on water.

He wore a simple tunic and black leathers, casual, almost careless. Black gloves covered his hands.

When he lifted one of those gloved hands, I followed the motion and landed on his gaze.

My whole world fractured as sharp, blinding heat slammed into my chest, punching the air from my lungs. This man looked as if he’d stepped from the pages of my favorite romance novel. The last thing a careful woman should want, and every reckless thing she should forever deny wanting.

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Advertisement Mad Dragon of Chaos (Forgotten Gods #2) Read Online Jocelynn Drake http://www.books2020.com/mad-dragon-of-chaos-forgotten-gods-2-read-online-jocelynn-drake Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:27:13 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/mad-dragon-of-chaos-forgotten-gods-2-read-online-jocelynn-drake Genre: Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, M-M Romance, Paranormal Authors: Jocelynn Drake Series: Forgotten Gods Series by Jocelynn Drake
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Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 110079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 367(@300wpm)

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Haru is in trouble.

War is brewing.

And someone is hunting the minor gods to extinction.

Tyche has tossed aside his hopes for a quiet life and teamed up with Prince Shey to save the dragon, stop the war, and protect his own kind.

If he’s lucky, the virgin god will finally get his first kiss and more from the very flirty prince.

But that kiss has a price.

Tyche will have to share some secrets he’s had tucked away for thousands of years and put his life on the line to preserve the new family he has found.

Will it be enough?

WARNING: This book has a honking big cliffhanger. Are you brave enough to face it? Don’t come crying to me when it smacks you. (insert author wagging finger)

Mad Dragon of Chaos is the second book in the Forgotten Gods trilogy. This spin-off from the Godstone Saga will include royalty on the run, dragons, gods, magic, secrets, danger, angst, found family, forbidden romance, slow-burn romance, friend to lovers, two romantic couples, and a furious fight to keep the world from burning

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

ONE

SHEY THRUDESH-VO

Shey gripped the metal railing of the ship so hard, he was afraid his fingers would become embedded in it. The sky was black. Not from thick clouds, but an absence of the sun. No stars. No moon. Only a bleak darkness that tried to swallow up all light. And the closer they got to the Isle of Stone, the worse it was growing.

The trip from Bellcairn had been a disaster from the moment they’d set out. Storms had plagued them the entire route north to Caspagir, forcing him to use his gifts to calm the winds and carve out a somewhat safe passage. They’d landed in Sirelis, intending to stay one night and leave again with the morning tide, but a new storm had moved in to delay their departure.

Kaes was throwing a tantrum. Tyche had told him off, and Shey hadn’t jumped at his offer to take him as a mentor so he could grow even more powerful. Tyche had groaned that Kaes needed to pout. And possibly make the God of Luck hurl. While the crashing waves and lurching ship didn’t affect Shey much, Tyche had spent most of the voyage curled in a miserable ball with seasickness. Adrian had been slightly better.

Angry waves crashed into the side of the ship, and an ominous creak rose from the boat’s belly, sending a chill through Shey. Saltwater caught on the wind pelted him in the face and stung his eyes. His heart hammered. It was impossible to gauge how close they were to the dragon’s island home. By their estimates, they should arrive within the next hour, but there were no lights to break up the endless gloom. It wasn’t unnatural—it had to be the effect of Yesuntei’s magic slipping out of Haru’s control.

Footsteps thundered down a set of nearby stairs, and Shey twisted enough to see Adrian’s haggard face faintly lit by some lights set about the ship. It was more like a fancy yacht that had been outfitted with a couple of heavy guns and half a dozen trained sailors. Queen Noemi hadn’t wanted them to leave completely unarmed when they might run into ships from Damardor or New Rosanthe. However, it wouldn’t look good if the first Caspagir ship to ever approach the Isle of Stone was a warship. In the end, Shey had chosen this one for its speed. They had defensive capabilities, but the primary focus would be its ability to outrun anything New Rosanthe and Damardor might throw at them.

“Captain has cut the engines to a quarter. He says we should be damn close to the shore, but spotters can’t see shit. He’s afraid of running us aground.” Adrian grasped the railing along the stairs as an enormous wave pounded the starboard side of the ship. Despite bracing, Adrian’s left shoulder still slammed into the wall.

Shey grunted, naturally moving with the ship so that he kept his balance. Caspagir had always had a powerful navy, and with Sirelis positioned on the water, he’d grown up on ships. Rough seas didn’t bother him. “Makes sense.”

“This darkness doesn’t.”

“It’s Haru.”

Adrian released a rough breath and glanced away from Shey, but the prince still spotted the worry in Adrian’s eyes. The man had barely slept or eaten for the two weeks they’d been apart from Haru. It wasn’t just that he was worried about the dragon. He was terrified for him. Haru had been quite forthcoming in his intentions toward the Erya royal guard, but Shey had wondered if Adrian’s feelings ran as deep. The past two weeks of constant fear showed that if Adrian’s feelings weren’t the same as Haru’s, they were on the fast track to getting there.

“Maybe we should see if Tyche has any ideas on how we can fight this. He at least has some understanding of Yesuntei’s powers,” Shey suggested.

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Advertisement Rider of the Midnight Dragon – Mated by Flame Read Online Evangeline Anderson http://www.books2020.com/rider-of-the-midnight-dragon-mated-read-online-flame-read-online-evangeline-anderson Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:13:38 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/rider-of-the-midnight-dragon-mated-read-online-flame-read-online-evangeline-anderson Genre: Alpha Male, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Evangeline Anderson Advertisement

Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 126358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 421(@300wpm)

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Only men are allowed to become Dragon Riders…too bad I’m not a man.

When my twin brother dies before he can claim his place at the Drake Academy, I do the only thing I can. I cut off my hair, bind my breasts, steal his name…and take his place. If anyone discovers I’m really Aurora Lysandra instead of “Auri” Lysander, I’ll lose everything—including my chance to bond with a dragon.

As if pretending to be a boy wasn’t difficult enough, my Wing Leader, Ryse Skoren, keeps making my life even harder. He’s the most feared Rider in the Academy, rumored to have dragon blood in his veins, and he’s determined to whip me into shape. Every morning he drags me out to train before dawn. Every evening he makes sure I eat every bite of the Academy’s famous Dragon Custard. He watches over me, protects me…and somehow manages to make me feel safer than I’ve ever felt in my life.

There’s just one problem…Ryse thinks I’m a boy and he doesn’t understand why he feels so possessive of me.

But while I’m struggling to keep my secret, something ancient is awakening beneath the mountains. The dragons are growing restless. The Madlings—nightmarish creatures thought to have vanished centuries ago—are stirring once more. And a forgotten golden egg has begun calling my name. If I answer its call, my carefully guarded secret won’t be the only thing revealed…

Because some dragons were never meant to be ridden—they were born to rule.
And only a Queen can lead them out of darkness.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

AURORA

I never dreamed of flying until my brother died.

I nursed him through the fever that took him. It refused to take me, though I was with him night and day by the end. I had hoped we might go together into the long night—we had entered the world together as twins, after all and should leave it in the same way—but I never even felt the slightest bit unwell. Our father had ended himself the year before and so when Auren was gone, I had no one.

Death is cruel sometimes, to take the ones we love and leave us to our loneliness.

After Auren passed the dreams began. I lived through the days in a haze of grief but all night, every night, I was soaring and diving, flying through the air on the back of a dragon—a dragon with golden scales who could exist only in my dreams.

I say that because there have been no pure gold dragons in centuries but also because there are no female dragon riders. Those of the female sex simply aren’t compatible with dragons, so it made no sense that the flying dreams would come to me.

But they came anyway—those dreams that only males with the right bloodlines can have. Those who possess the blood of the ancient Dragon Riders who freed our lands from the Madlings long ago.

Auren had just begun having the dreams before the fever started—he spoke to me of them and I remember fearing that I would lose him when the Academy came calling.

And then I lost him anyway—only to the fever instead.

In the dreams, I knew just what to do—how to guide the vast beast under me, which ducked and rolled and soared through the sky on wings so wide I couldn’t see their tips as they stretched out on either side, skimming the clouds.

But how could that be? The dreams made no sense. I’m a woman—incompatible with dragonkind—why would they come to me?

I had no answers, but the dreams didn’t stop. I didn’t begin to understand the implications until a knock came on the front door a month later…

2

AURORA

I was wearing my brother’s clothes when I opened the door.

I had given up dresses during the time I nursed him—it was difficult enough climbing up and down the mountain, carrying the water I needed so desperately to bathe him and make him broth, without worrying about tripping on long skirts. And after he was gone, there was no one to see me, so I kept wearing his clothing for comfort—they smelled like him. I missed him desperately and the worn fabric made me feel closer to the other half of myself—the half that was now nothing but an aching void.

I opened the door, wondering who it could be. My ancestral home was located on a cliff’s edge—who would make the strenuous journey without a good reason? We never got peddlers or salesmen—it was just too much trouble to climb the mountainside for a fallen Great House known to be destitute. There was no money to spend—no reason to come.

The man outside was middle aged, with short brown hair going gray at the temples and a huge, poufy mustache. He was dressed in a uniform that was familiar—I had seen my father wear it when I was younger. The golden dragon crest on his sleeve made my eyes widen.

“Yes?” I asked, uncertain what he could want. “Can I help you?”

“’Course you can, lad. You can come with me—you’re of age now so it’s time.”

“Time? Time for what? What are you talking about?” I took a step back, but he took me by the wrist and pulled me out onto the broad ledge that served as our front step.

I fell forward with a gasp and saw there was someone else on the ledge—a small brown dragon about twice the size of a horse, who snorted when he saw me.

Brown—the least in size and status. Not very intelligent but can be diligent workers and loyal companions. Riders who impress a brown drake at hatching will usually end up in the Courier Service arm of the Academy, whispered a voice in my brain. And there wasn’t even a speckling of gold anywhere on his dull scales. He would hold the lowest ranking among his kind.

It was all from the Book of Drakes that my brother and I had found among our father’s things when we were younger. We had studied that book—memorizing whole passages, desperate for knowledge of the world that took our father away for so much of the year and fascinated by what we learned.

“Someday I’ll Impress an egg and bond with a dragon. Not just any dragon either—one of Royal lineage,” Auren used to boast to me. “I’ll be a rider like Father—I’m going to fly a Silver-wing dragon or maybe even a Gold-wing—you’ll see!”

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Advertisement The Dragon 6 – Tokyo Empire Read Online Kenya Wright http://www.books2020.com/the-dragon-6-tokyo-empire-read-online-kenya-wright Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:10:23 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/the-dragon-6-tokyo-empire-read-online-kenya-wright Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Dragons, Erotic, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Kenya Wright Advertisement

Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)

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Kenji has built something rare in the yakuza world—a family forged in blood, loyalty, and survival—and the Claws Cocktail Party was supposed to be a night of celebration. But beneath the silk and sake, enemies move in silence. A betrayal arrives so devastating it will shatter what Kenji thought he knew about loyalty, love, and the cost of becoming a legend.
When the smoke clears, nothing—and no one—will ever be the same

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Buried Alive

Kenji

Grief was a burial that came with no ceremony nor folded hands.

No earth disturbed once and left to settle.

While the dead rest in peace, the survivors were buried alive.

Lying flat on their backs in the darkness of sorrow. Dirt shoveling over their faces. Pressure pressing the air from their lungs and the light from their eyes.

Standing became a performance and existing became the bravest and most exhausting thing a man could do.

Tonight, I was buried alive under Yoshiwara.

Lying right next to Hiroko and every name Hiro had spoken aloud at that table in his toast to the dead.

I was buried under the weight of what I'd ordered, what I'd permitted, and what I could undo by no act of will regardless of how necessary it had been.

I should have been incapable of standing.

Incapable of eating.

Incapable of laughing at Reo's story or pressing sake to my lips or feeling anything other than the particular suffocation of a man swallowing his dead.

But the Dragon refused to grieve where anyone could see it. I was the very skeleton of this massive body called the Yakuza. The beast who hovered over Japan—jaw set, eyes calm, spine straight.

My stillness was the only thing standing between my men and their own fracturing.

They ate because I ate. They laughed because I laughed. They believed the war was survivable because I looked like a man who was already victorious.

This was the silent burden I held close to my chest.

The Dragon's strength lived inside the pain—managed, compressed, driven down through the body and stored below the sternum where it could never reach my face, voice, or hands.

Where it could burn quietly and privately.

Anxiety lived alongside the grief.

Was Yoshiwara only the first shovelful of dirt over my face?

Was more death coming?

Heavier ones.

Suffocatingly sorrowful ones that would strip away my breath and everything I thought I understood about the man I was?

I had no way of knowing.

All I could do was keep walking forward into the dark and trust that my feet knew the floor.

But I had my Tora, my sweet loving Tiger who had thought enough through her grief to welcome our return with food and comfort. She gave us space to eat together.

She had fed us all and asked for nothing back.

My Tiger.

My queen.

My love.

The only anchor stable enough to hold on in this raging storm.

The meal wound down.

Absolutely well fed, my men pushed back from the table and stretched in satisfaction of the full meal.

All the sake bottles were emptied and the chopsticks had been set to rest.

“We must do this after every battle.” Daisuke stood and rolled his neck until it cracked twice. Even after all the fighting in Yoshiwara that black mohawk was still perfect. He blinked his bruised eyes, now darkening from purple to gray and yawned. “Thank you, Tora.”

I stiffened at his using my nickname for Nyomi.

I’ll have to tell them that only I call her that.

I decided on a later time, since I knew she would protest.

Nyomi smiled. “You’re welcome, Daisuke.”

Then Kaede rose, straightened his jacket, and yawned. “I agree. In fact, we should have a meal from the Tiger before we go into battle too.”

I sneered. “Not going to happen.”

Chuckles left Toma’s split and swollen lips. He left his seat too, giving me a good view of those long gashes stretching across his neck.

Akiro’s men beat us up bad.

Everyone else followed suit, the twins were last to stand.

"I killed at least twenty." Aki held up his bandaged hand.

Yuki didn't even look at him. "It was only eleven."

"You miscounted."

"You overcounted."

Nyomi shifted on my lap.

My arm tightened.

She shifted again with more intention. "Kenji."

“Yes?” I pressed my palm flat against her hip, anchoring her there without looking at her.

"Let me up."

Shocked, I looked at her. "You're comfortable."

"You're comfortable. I want to get up and say goodbye to my Claws and Fangs."

"Your Claws and Fangs?"

She tapped my arm. "Kenji."

I exhaled through my nose and removed my arm.

That’s okay, Tora. I’ll punish you once we get to bed.

She pressed a kiss to my jaw before she stood.

Frowning, I tracked her across the room, unable to look away.

They filed toward her.

Toma reached her first and wrapped both arms around her with zero restraint, lifting her entirely off the ground.

She yelped.

The line of my jaw twitched.

"This was better than my leftover pizza in the fridge. You're an absolute legend, Tora."

"Toma, my ribs—"

"Sorry. Sorry." He set her down and smirked. "Same time next battle?"

Right when I was about to protest, she bobbed her head in agreement. “Of course. There will be food after the next battle so make sure you come back.”

Annoyed, I pursed my lips.

Toma nodded. “I will. Don’t worry about that, Tora.”

Kaede stepped forward and bowed his head to her. A few strands of his platinum blond hair hung in front of him. He shifted into his best British impression. “Milady, due to this royal feast, I am your loyal knight from this day forth and henceforth and thereafter.”

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Advertisement The Dragon’s Favorite Strays – Fireblood Dragons Read Online Ruby Dixon http://www.books2020.com/the-dragons-favorite-strays-fireblood-dragons-read-online-ruread-online-dixon Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:10:21 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/the-dragons-favorite-strays-fireblood-dragons-read-online-ruread-online-dixon Genre: Alpha Male, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Ruby Dixon Advertisement

Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)

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Cut off from his people and stranded on the wrong side of the Rift, a drakoni warrior named Murr collects strays. His home is filled with cats and kittens that need a caretaker.

His latest strays?

A human woman and her daughter who have wandered into his territory. Dakota is a woman used to being on her own. She doesn't trust or depend on anyone. She certainly doesn't trust a big naked dragon-man with a friendly smile and a kitten in his arms.

As Murr and Dakota get to know each other, their strange gathering of strays grows. Home is where your family is, and they're determined to make a new one amidst the ruins.

This STAND ALONE book features a dragon shifter hero, a world-weary single mom, found family, and all the stray animals I can squeeze onto the page. This story is low on plot and high on cozy vibes. Enjoy!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER 1

DAKOTA

“Do you have this one, Rabbit?” I ask my daughter, bringing her a postcard. “There were a few by the register.”

She looks up from the bookshelf she’s emptying, setting the precious contents on the ground. Her face brightens as I approach, and then her mouth twists in teenage disgust. “Mom, that’s not even a postcard. That’s a bookmark.”

“But it says Texas on it, and it has a little map. It’s kinda like a postcard. It would fit in with your collection.”

“No, it wouldn’t.” She sticks her tongue out at my offering. “And I’m staying with postcards for a while. If I change to bookmarks, I’ll let you know.”

I just roll my eyes at her insulted tone and tuck the bookmark into the pocket of my worn jeans. I love my daughter, but man, is she particular. When she first decided to collect things, it was DVDs. So many of them had fascinating, colorful surfaces, so she kept them all in a heavy binder and tossed out the packaging. After a while, though, the DVDs made her sad because she could never watch them. Rabbit then switched to coins, since money is useless in the After. Coins got to be too heavy, so she switched to postcards.

The day will come that the postcards make her sad, I think. The maternal side of me wants to push the bookmarks on her as a “safer” alternative, but I also don’t want to be a pushy parent. I watch as Rabbit gets back to work, pulling even more books off of the shelf in front of her. A few feet away, her pack rests next to her air mattress. “Whatcha doing?”

“I’m going to move these shelves,” she says, pausing and gesturing to form a square. “Make my own private little room.”

Smart kid. Over and over again, Rabbit’s clever mind amazes me. Her company is the only thing that’s kept me sane the last ten years. I’m so lucky I found her. Hell, I’m lucky we found each other. “You want help with that?”

“Nah, I got it, Mom.”

“Okay. I’ll just be over here.” I thumb a gesture at the rest of the store. “By myself. Hanging out.”

She makes a face at me even as she gets back to work. “You wanted books! Go read books!”

Laughter bubbles up, and I feel light and carefree for the first time in months, ever since we left Fort Lubbock. I head back to my bunk in the back of the store by where the toys were. They’re gone now except for a few broken pieces, and I blow up my mattress and unroll my bed. I pick up a hardcover that had been out on a table and admire the dustjacket, then move towards the windows for light to read by.

There’s no electricity in our big store, no furniture other than the shelves and a few metal chairs in the break room. But the toilets work, the sinks work (how, I have no idea) and the roof doesn’t leak, which makes this place 10, 000 times better than the last place we lived. I’m surprised it wasn’t occupied already. People have been spreading out since the Rift changed and the dragons stopped attacking. Forts are now just convenient instead of a necessity. It’s safe to travel.

Perhaps this place was empty because it’s full of books, which are more of a luxury than anything in the After. Or perhaps it’s because the front windows were shattered, the front doors busted out. Rabbit swept up glass while I disassembled a few shelves and screwed the large wood backs to the doors to make them secure again. They’re ugly and my hands are full of blisters from manually working long screws into the metal frame, but I’m pleased with the results. The glass windows staring out into the empty, overgrown parking lot are shattered but whole, and I’ve got duct tape that can seal off any cracks.

But that doesn’t have to be done today.

For the first time in months, I realize I can relax. There’s nothing that needs to be done tomorrow, nowhere to go, nothing to hunt down. We have food and drink. Our beds are warm and dry.

And we’re surrounded by books. It’s almost like the Before times. Back then, I loved a good juicy celebrity bio and a fashion magazine, but this book looks like it’s about shipwrecks, and I figure what the hell. I’ll enjoy it anyhow.

I settle in near one of the windows, crossing my legs and sitting on the floor in a pool of November sunlight. In summer, the heat’s going to be miserable, but right now, the weather is gorgeous. I read the first page of my book and smooth my fingers down the paper, appreciating the wistful nostalgia of holding a real, genuine printed book from Before.

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Advertisement The Order of the Black Tapestry Read Online Suzanne Wright http://www.books2020.com/the-order-of-the-black-tapestry-read-online-suzanne-wright Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:50:57 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/the-order-of-the-black-tapestry-read-online-suzanne-wright Genre: Alpha Male, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Suzanne Wright Advertisement

Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >131

Survive the tryouts. Join the Order. Defeat the darkness. Heed the Calling.

The time has again come for the kingdoms to offer sacrifices to the corrupt Sovereigns as proof of loyalty. Among the sacrifices is Anara, a human Sayer—anointed by the primordial gods at birth to be a divine instrument.

After being taken to Deimos, the Isle of the Sovereigns, she’s thrust into deadly tryouts for the Order of the Black Tapestry. Led by Talon, a living legend—a dragon soul trapped in the form of an immortal man—the Order protects Deimos from all threats. Each trial is a lesson in pain and perseverance that takes Anara closer and closer to the final test—surviving the Labyrinth of the Minotaur.

As powers awaken within her and the growing heat between she and Talon sparks a fragile bond to form, Anara must aid the Black Tapestry in defeating enemies who would otherwise claim Deimos for their own.

A dangerous undertaking for godkin.

A seemingly impossible task for a human.

But perhaps the divine Calling of a Sayer

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

CHAPTER ONE

Every nine years it happened. They came. Emissaries of the Sovereigns.

Watching dozens of them ride toward the settlement—some on horseback, some driving horse-drawn wagons—I remembered the last time they’d come. At twelve, I’d been too young to count as a possible sacrifice to the Sovereigns. Back then, more than a little terrified, I’d stood amidst the large crowd surrounding the town square, keeping a distance from the ‘offerings.’

Seven young men.

Seven young women.

Just as it always was.

This time round, I wasn’t swallowed up in the safety of the crowd. I stood shoulder to shoulder with the other offerings—my mouth dry, my heart racing, my stomach all tied up in elaborate knots.

A few sniffles and sobs rippled through the crowd. So much emotion clogged the air. Despair. Helplessness. Anger. Spite.

No one spoke up, though. It would be senseless. Because any who fled, protested, or tried fighting the emissaries only ever met a chillingly swift execution.

Things weren’t always like this. Before the primordial gods returned to their own realm centuries ago, they had lived in peace with mortals; treated us with respect and courtesy; educated and protected us. We, in turn, had worshipped and served them.

The half-bloods and their descendants, however? They weren’t necessarily cruel to us, they just massively overlooked us. We were, to them, a lesser species. Useful in our way, but interchangeable. Like a colony of ants. And so also expendable. Hence why the Sovereigns who reigned supreme over Cathadonya’s four dominions in the gods’ steed felt no guilt at using us as pawns in their power games.

The teenager beside me shifted from foot to foot. “Anara, you might want to edge away from me a little because I think I’m going to be sick,” he muttered.

I’d understand if Kemp did. My own stomach had dropped when, just half an hour ago, the Baron of our settlement had blindly plucked a fourteenth tuft of paper out of a bowl … and read aloud my name. Disbelief had smacked into me first. Then rage. Panic. Devastation. Resentment. The emotions still hissed and snapped in my belly like flames.

The reactions of the other selected humans had been mixed. Some had wept. Some had blanched. Some had fallen into a state of shock. None of the three godkin-offerings were anxious since, for them, there would be certain perks to this scenario.

Remus had only allowed us to say quick goodbyes to our loved ones before ordering us out to wait in the middle of the town square for the emissaries to arrive.

And so there we stood.

The aforementioned emissaries were clad in clothes as black as their magnificent steeds’ shiny coat. I knew that each item of clothing would have a red shield sown into them. On said shield would be a sword that had a twine of thread curled around it—an insignia that proclaimed they belonged to the Order of the Black Tapestry.

The purpose of the deadly and dangerous Order was simple: To protect not only the Sovereigns but the Isle of Deimos on which they lived.

“Aegeas isn’t bothering to hide how much he begrudges having to go along with this,” Kemp noted.

Glancing at the half-blood who governed all of Phoenixia, I noticed that his face was indeed a mask of resentment as he played escort for the emissaries. “I’d imagine it bugs all the Archdukes that they have to provide such proof of loyalty.” Particularly since it was also a punishment for how they had tried rebelling against the Sovereigns a century ago.

Stood on Kemp’s other side, Aurelia absently scratched at her arm, lightly scoring her dark skin. “Much as I’m devastated that my parents are gone, I’m glad they’re not around to see this.”

I knew exactly what she meant. Like many in our settlement, I’d lost a number of my relatives to the plague that had swept through it years earlier. It would have torn my parents apart to see me be taken away. Especially since it was rumored that the human offerings were tossed into a labyrinth inhabited by a half-man half-bull creature.

Well, it’s a hard ‘no’ from me, thanks.

“My mom’s wrecked,” said Kemp, his voice breaking. “My sister was given to the Sovereigns last time the emissaries came, and my dad’s gone. She’ll be alone now.”

My chest squeezed. While I’d known about his father’s death, I hadn’t been aware of the rest. Being an acolyte, I rarely mingled with the townspeople. My family line had been part of the retinue of the gods since the immortals first appeared in our realm. Hellyne, the Goddess of Fate and Rebirth, had settled here and named the dominion after her most favored pet, a Phoenix bird.

Kemp gave me a sideways glance. “I was surprised when your name was called out. I didn’t think they’d put yours in the bowl. The gods would want you protected, not be made a ‘sacrifice.’”

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