Ed Baker Dragon's Kiss Read Online Free
DRAGON
Osculation
Books past E. D. Baker
THE TALES OF THE FROG PRINCESS:
THE FROG PRINCESS
DRAGON'South Breath
Once UPON A CURSE
NO PLACE FOR MAGIC
THE SAL AMANDER SPELL
THE DRAGON PRINCESS
DRAGON Buss
WINGS
DRAGON
Kiss
Book 7 in
the Tales of the Frog Princess
E. D. BAKER
Copyright © 2009 by Due east. D. Bakery
All rights reserved. No role of this book may exist used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher,
except in the instance of brief quotations embodied in disquisitional articles or reviews.
Published by Bloomsbury UsA. Children's Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Baker, Eastward. D.
Dragon kiss / past East. D. Bakery.—1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.—(Tales of the frog princess ; bk. 7)
Summary: Despite obstacles, an ice dragon named Audun pursues the love
of his life—a homo girl who tin can transform into a dragon using magic.
eISBN: 978-1-59990-583-9
[1. Fairy tales. 2. Dragons—Fiction. 3. Love—Fiction. 4. Courtship—Fiction. five. Human-
animal relationships—Fiction. 6. Magic—Fiction. 7. Humorous stories.] I. Championship.
PZ8.B173Dn2009 [Fic]—dc22 2008055131
Commencement U.S. Edition 2009
Typeset by Westchester Volume Composition
Printed in the UsA. past Quebecor World Fairfield
2 iv vi 8 10 9 vii 5 3 1
All papers used past Bloomsbury U.S.A. are natural, recyclable products
fabricated from forest grown in well-managed forests. The manufacturing processes
adapt to the ecology regulations of the country of origin.
This book is dedicated to Ellie, my commencement reader and a
marvelous author in her ain correct; to Kim, my horse
skillful and the 1 who makes my Web site possible;
to Victoria, from whom I've learned so much;
and to my wonderful fans, who are so encouraging.
Table of Contents
Affiliate One
Affiliate Two
Chapter Three
Affiliate Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Affiliate Vii
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter 10
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Xviii
Affiliate Xix
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Affiliate Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
One
What do you mean, you're going subsequently that girl?" demanded Audun'due south grandmother. She set the sack she'd been carrying beside the pile of the family unit's holding waiting at the mouth of the cave and turned to look at the fifteen-year-old dragon. "You know she's actually a man!"
Audun looked at her in surprise. After everything that Millie had done for them, he hadn't expected anyone to object to his plans.
"I thought all of yous liked her," he said, glancing from his grandmother to the rest of his family unit.
"We do," said his mother while his male parent nodded. His grandfather only shrugged and looked apologetic.
"Liking her has aught to practice with this," his grandmother, Vocal of the Glacier, replied.
"Y'all can't have forgotten that she saved our lives!" protested Audun.
"Nosotros know what she did," said his grandmother. "And we appreciate information technology, just that doesn't modify the fact that she isn't a dragon. But because she has magic doesn't brand her one of the states."
Audun shook his head. "I don't understand why that'south a problem. I mean, I've heard about dragons that can change into humans. What's wrong with a human who can turn into a dragon?"
"I'm non arguing with y'all about this, Audun," said the elderly dragoness, "and I'm not giving you my permission to run after that daughter similar some lovesick albatross. Now go assistance your grandpa gather the rest of the sacks. We'll exist leaving in a few minutes."
"Then you'll be going without me," Audun declared. "I love Millie and I don't want to live my life without her!"
Audun's mother, Moon Dancer, gasped and gave her son a horrified look. In the dragon world the elderly were revered, specially the dragonesses; no i e'er talked back to them.
"I can't believe you spoke to your grandmother that fashion!" exclaimed Audun's begetter, Speedwell. "Please accept his amends, Mother. He'due south young and foolish."
Dragons were honest at centre and plant information technology virtually impossible to lie. In one case in a while, however, Audun wished that he could prevarication, but a little. "I didn't mean to be disrespectful, Grandmother," said Audun, "merely I can't apologize when I don't mean it." He stepped to the ledge that fronted the cave they chosen dwelling house and turned to look at her once more. "I just wanted to tell you lot where I was going before I left. I thought you would understand, just I guess I was wrong. Safe travels." When Vocal didn't reply with a similar farewell, Audun spread his wings and leaped into the frigid mount air.
He tried non to look back, simply he couldn't help himself. Swooping i last time around the mount-ringed valley, Audun glanced down at the ledge as he worked to proceeds altitude. But his parents had remained outside to watch him go. Seeing the pitiful curve of their necks fifty-fifty from a altitude made him wonder, for merely a moment, if he was doing the correct thing. But and so he thought of Millie and how much she meant to him. She had left only the day before, yet it already seemed like an eternity. His parents would empathize with time; it was Millie he had to go run into now.
Since the hour he was hatched, the merely fourth dimension Audun had been separated from his family for longer than a few days was when they were trapped in the walls of a witch'southward ice castle. It was Millie who had set them gratuitous. Audun had been fascinated past the lovely light-green dragon from the moment he starting time saw her, and had fallen in love when he discovered how sweet and good and dauntless she was, despite the fact that she was actually a human. Dragons often savage in love at showtime sight. His parents had done information technology so had the parents of some of his friends. It was usually with someone the dragon king had called for them, but it was true love, regardless. However it happened, once dragons roughshod in love, it was for the residue of their lives.
Audun'south grandmother often defendant him of acting without thinking first. He admitted to himself that he might have been hasty in leaving his family the way he had, merely he already knew that Millie was right for him. Information technology was truthful that she was a human being part of the fourth dimension and a dragon only when her magic changed her, just she was the well-nigh beautiful homo Audun had e'er seen and she wasn't at all what he'd expected of a creature with only ii feet. Brought upwardly to believe that humans lied, cheated, stole, and thought only of themselves, he'd been delighted to run into Millie, who was as honest as a dragon and even more caring.
Audun was certain that all he had to practice was encourage Millie and his grandmother to spend some time together and the 2 of them would get forth. Two such wonderful females would have to like each other, wouldn't they?
Dragons have an unerring sense of direction, and more than acute senses than humans, particularly their vision and sense of smell, and so it wasn't hard for Audun to locate Millie�
�s trail. Every dragon's scent was unique, but Millie's was more unusual than most. Part smoky musk of a dragon and part flavorful undertones of a human, her aroma varied co-ordinate to any class she was in. Because she'd been a dragon when she flew south, Audun smelled more of her dragon than of her human scent.
Starting out the day before would have been better for tracking her scent on the air currents between the mountains, but he hadn't wanted to leave without spending some fourth dimension with his family afterwards their feel in the witch'due south castle. Audun's long neck wove from side to side as he followed Millie'due south scent between the mountains and over the laissez passer leading to the foothills across. He circled above a large outcropping of stone where he thought he detected the scent she'd given off when she was a homo, but the scent was old and the storm that had scoured the mountains the day afterward Millie arrived had virtually erased it. A short altitude away he spotted a snow leopard, which ran in fear at Audun's budgeted shadow.
Picking up her dragon odor once again, he followed it to a higher place the foothills and across the lush forests and rolling grasslands that fabricated up much of the Kingdom of Bull-rush. The countryside was lovely, although Audun preferred the glittering ice and pristine snow of the Icy North. The air was warmer hither, as well, and uncomfortable for a dragon from a land where the ice never thawed and the snow never melted. When Audun noticed a river flowing beneath him, he didn't call back twice nearly landing at the water's edge.
Cartoon his wings to his sides, he curved his neck to the river and hunched down to gulp gallon later gallon of absurd, fresh water. He closed his optics in pleasance, dunking his caput until he was submerged all the manner to his shoulders, and didn't open his eyes until a change in the current told him that something large was close by.
A stake face with broad-open, staring eyes engulfed in a deject of some sort of green weed drifted toward him. Audun jerked his head dorsum, certain it was a drowned human. Although he didn't want to touch it, he thought he should take information technology out of the h2o in case someone was looking for information technology. The current was carrying information technology past chop-chop, and so he grimaced with distaste and reached out with 1 clawed foot, pulling information technology from the river to the soft mud of the shore.
Audun jumped back in surprise when the body jumped to its feet and shouted, "What exercise you think you're doing, y'all brute?"
"Sorry!" said Audun. "I thought you lot were expressionless."
"How dare you lot!" exclaimed the immature woman, flicking the dripping strands of her long, dark-green hair over her shoulder. "That has to be the rudest thing anyone has ever said to me!"
Audun didn't know what to practice when the adult female hurled a dodder of mud at him earlier bursting into tears.
"I know I've been looking a footling pasty lately and I accept taken to floating aimlessly, but notwithstanding . . ."
"I said I was sorry," said Audun. "I don't know very many humans. I've never seen one with green hair earlier and the mode you lot were staring at me—"
The woman stopped crying to give him a nasty expect. "Haven't you insulted me enough already? I'k non a lowly, smelly human. I'm a water nymph and this is my river!"
"I didn't realize . . ."
"It'due south non your fault. I haven't been myself ever since that horrible troll ate 2 of my favorite fish. What is the world coming to? Trolls stomping beyond river bottoms, stirring up my nice silt and polluting my lovely, clean h2o with their awful stench as they devour my petty darlings! And then humans clutter my riverbank with rafts . . ."
Audun didn't hear the rest of the nymph's complaints one time she gestured to a raft lying on the shore only a dozen yards upriver. Raising his caput to sniff, the dragon smiled as he recognized Millie'south human scent. He was sure he would have noticed it sooner if he hadn't been so distracted. The nymph was still talking when he turned away and trotted to the raft. Although the logs were old and battered, the vine holding them together looked fresh.
Audun bent down to give the raft a thorough sniff, paying special attention to the side Millie had touched. He as well found the scent of the boy, Francis, as well as that of the obnoxious troll. The nymph was right most the troll's stench.
"I've been talking to you lot!" shrilled the nymph, who had followed him to the raft.
"Right . . . ," Audun replied, still non paying attention to her. He was pleased to have establish the raft. It was a connectedness to Millie, something she had touched and used. "I've got to get," he said, as he spread his wings. Although he'd known he was on the correct track, it was expert to have the knowledge confirmed. She seemed that much closer now; his search might almost be over.
Audun took to the air and recaptured Millie's dragon scent. It took him across the river to a state of scrubby grass and rolling hills that grew taller with each passing mile until they became mountains. These were different from the mountains that he was used to; they weren't equally loftier, and in that location was snow only on the tops of the very tallest, but even there the air flowing past them seemed warm and gentle.
He well-nigh lost the scent at times, and had to bandage back and forth for it, but when he reached one of the mountains uttermost to the due south it became so strong that information technology seemed to fill his nostrils. Following the curve of the mountainside, Audun began to see signs of humans: a rough path zigzagged down the side of the mountain, following its contours to a village on one side, and a castle perched on a peak of stone on the other. Millie's scent was strongest near the castle, both as a human and as a dragon, so he descended, hoping to run into her.
He was flying over one of the squat, sturdy towers when a shout went up and arrows began to whiz by him. Dodging the arrows was piece of cake at first, only and so the archers' assault intensified and he had to wing college to get out of range.
"Millie!" he roared, turning this way and that as he struggled to avoid the flood of arrows. "Millie, are you at that place?"
A figure seated on a broom shot from the top of the tower, and Audun was sure that it was Millie. But and so some other figure joined it and the ii of them steered their brooms toward Audun. They were talking to each other equally they flew and he could hear what they were saying even before they reached him.
"Hey, Ratinki! Will you lot await at that!" said the younger of the 2 witches in a vocalisation so loud that Audun idea they could probably hear her dorsum in the castle. "I've never seen a white dragon earlier. Have yous?"
The old witch shook her head and replied in a raspy voice, "Nope. He's a skilful looker, though. I wonder what he wants with our Millie."
"He was calling her proper noun. He must want to talk to her," said the younger witch.
Ratinki looked exasperated. "You're such a ninny-caput, Klorine! Of class he wants to talk to her. Maybe we can find out why." Using one hand to shade her eyes from the sun, the old witch shouted, "You there!" and flew higher until she was facing Audun. "What do you want with Millie? None of your dragon tricks now. Nosotros're powerful witches and can turn y'all into a flea in the blink of an middle."
"I just demand to see her. Is she hither?"
"Maybe she is and maybe she isn't. We're not telling you lot a thing until you tell u.s. why yous want her. Keep, you can tell us. We're friends of the family."
"I'm not telling you anything," said Audun. "Information technology's personal."
Klorine eyed him as she flew upwards to bring together them. "She met you on her run a risk, didn't she? We were dying of curiosity, but she wasn't here long enough to tell us annihilation. Her parents whisked her abroad right after she got back."
"You simpleton!" snapped Ratinki. "I was going to brand him tell united states of america all about information technology. Now we'll never know what happened!"
"Maybe Millie will tell us the next fourth dimension we run into her, although I don't wait that to be for a good long time. I've never seen Emma and Eadric so upset."
"If she were my daughter, I'd lock her in a tower and throw away the key," said Ratinki.
"If she were your daughter," said Klorine, "she would take locked herself in the tower and thrown away the key."
Au
dun couldn't wait any longer. "Where did they take her?"
"Home, I suppose," said Klorine.
The old witch snorted with disgust. "You're going to blab everything, aren't y'all? So much for keeping secrets from the enemy!"
"I'm not your enemy," said Audun. "I beloved Millie. I would never hurt her. If you could just tell me where she lives . . ."
"Greater Greensward, of course."
"Klorine!" shouted Ratinki. "Don't tell him that! Who knows what he has in mind."
"Don't be silly, Ratinki. He said he loves her. I think truthful beloved is and then romantic!"
"Between humans! Merely he's a dragon. For all we know he might want to swallow Millie!"
Klorine pursed her oral cavity in cloy. "Now who's beingness a ninny-caput? This is a nice young dragon, not some ravening beast. Don't pay her any heed," she said, turning back to Audun. "Just caput south over the forest and the river. Millie's mother is the Greenish Witch and a Dragon Friend. Any dragon can tell yous how to observe the castle. There are lots of dragons in Greater Greensward. You'll experience right at home at that place."
"I doubt it, but thanks, anyhow," said Audun.
Ii
When it began to rain, Audun searched until he found a cavern where he could spend the night. He finally found one that was big plenty, simply was disappointed to see that a family of wolves already occupied it. Fortunately, later he went in to look around, the wolves decided to get somewhere else to sleep, and he spent the night undisturbed. Notwithstanding, he had trouble falling asleep. All he could call back most was Millie. He'd never met anyone like her before.
Every time he was ready to migrate off, Audun saw Millie'southward face up. He remembered how her eyes had lit up when she smiled at him, and how frightened she had looked when she'd found him frozen in the water ice with his own noxious gas swirling around him. He remembered how she'd melted the ice with her dragon fire and had taken the flames into herself when his ice-dragon gas exploded. After she had saved his life, fire had virtually consumed her and she'd had to dive into a valley filled with snow to put it out. The snow had melted and she was sinking in the h2o when he pigeon in subsequently her. Audun rubbed his forelimbs, remembering what it had been like to bear her. He wished he could bear on her again, if simply for a moment, and he went to slumber only after he'd promised himself that he'd be with her very soon.
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