(Note: The Druid Mages (especially Ricardo and his wife Jane) appear in several of the books because Vlad knows Ricardo is a highly advanced magic user. Ricardo studies both white and black magic of all types, and he can determine the source of the magic as well as the intent. Vlad often recommends Ricardo’s services when there is a life or death issue. Vlad is the head of the Supernatural Council, Ricardo and Jane work for him. Jane is a vampire hunter who now protects her husband. He can fight too… but often when using his mind and magic to battle the forces of evil… his body is left unguarded. Jane guards his body and Vlad protects him as well.)

Druid Mages

The family De’Angel is very old and, well…complicated. Our last name is derived from a description of our father. Michael…the angel of life.”

“So, are you telling me that you aren’t a vampire but an angel?” Jane didn’t realize she was frowning until Ricardo lightly brushed the skin between her eyes, and she smiled at the soft touch. It had been a long time since a man touched her so sweetly.

“No, Jane. We are not angels. There have been many times throughout early history that if you held any magic you were either labeled a demon or angel. If you didn’t want to be burned at the stake for witchcraft, it was undeniably healthier to make sure you were perceived to be angelic. Eventually, it didn’t matter what side you were on—all magical creatures were hunted down and killed. The De’Angels are Druid Mages. We are definitely magical. Through the ages, we have escaped those who would rid the world of our abilities.”

“But your sister was a vampire. And after all that time and whatever magical ability she possessed, Marcus could still kill Marissa,” she said sadly.

“Well. It’s a little more complicated than that. Do you know what a Druid is?”

She snorted at that. “I’ve read the history books. No one really knows what a Druid is, although popular conjecture is a priest or sorcerer of some sort. Which can also be one of the definitions for a mage. So, would a Druid Mage have two times whatever magic you’re supposed to possess?”

“Druids can be many things. To complicate matters, within the calling there are many levels of abilities as well. As Druid Mages, our family is rather high up in the hierarchy. We have the magic and resources to become anything we wish. Every so often we revitalize our essence as a different paranormal creature. This allows us to hone new skills, to experience different lifestyles and perhaps more importantly, the change keeps us from becoming bored and disinterested in the world around us. Rissa chose to spend her last incarnation as a vampire. In this century my brother Franco has chosen to be a werewolf. And I’ve been studying the magic and elementals of ancient history in our original form. To some extent, we can use magic in any supernatural body, but our abilities are stronger when we are nothing more than a Druid Mage.” He stopped to think for a minute, wondering how to make her understand.

“You mean if you’re a vampire or something else your magic isn’t as powerful? Is that why Rissa died?”

“Yes. She was probably caught off guard. But Rissa’s death may not be a final death.”

“Are you saying she may someday reincarnate?”

Ricardo closed his eyes, a look of pain on his face. He took a deep breath and raised his dark lashes. “Druid mages don’t reincarnate in the traditional sense of the word. Being born as an old soul in a child’s body isn’t how we do things. Basically, our essence transforms, and we are the adult we were before just with different powers. Our molecular structure simply reshapes—and we go on as a vampire, or were-creature, or any number of magical beings. Unfortunately, because Rissa was burnt to ashes, she can no longer evolve. But there is one hope.”

His incredible moss green eyes intently focused on Jane. “Long ago I discovered an ancient ritual that could bring Rissa back to life. This is why I wanted to know if you recovered all of Rissa’s remains. If you were able to gather her essence the spell should work. I will need your help finding the ingredients and performing the awakening. We don’t have long. Within two days the moon will be full and if we can’t bring Rissa back by midnight on the night of the first full moon after her death, she’ll be lost to us forever.”

(See below for a Meet The Family Excerpt!)

Books The Druid Mages Appear in:
Magic & Myth
Supernatural Speed Dating
Midnight’s Mystery
UnDuplicated Magic
Autumn’s Awakening
Vlad & Veronica
(UnEnding Magic – Free Book about Druid Mage and American Shaman Family Reunion.)

Magic & Myth Excerpt: Meet the Family

Naked, Marissa sat on the Florida beach under the full moon. She watched her brother Ricardo disappear into the night with her best friend Jane, held tight in his arms. The man practically ran to their cabana. The coming centuries should be a lot of fun while the two worked on controlling Jane’s newfound magic and immortality.

Although, as Marissa had just been resurrected from the dead, maybe immortality wasn’t the right word. Whatever. Jane’s mortal life had been exponentially expanded and she would be harder to kill. Since Jane was a vampire hunter, that was an important point.

Her brother was in for a wild ride.

The tropical air felt warm, yet she shivered in reaction to unseen eyes on her body. Speaking of wild rides, the unmistakable and heated gaze of a were-dragon examined her from the dark.

Which explained why she was feeling so crazy with lust. “Come out and play, little dragon,” she coaxed. She would just ignore the fact that this man must be a potential mate for her druidess. She didn’t want a mate. But she’d take whatever else he had to offer.

She so loved were-creature blood…and she needed to feed.

“Come out and play, little dragon,” Marissa called again.

She had sensed the were-dragon just after Ricardo completed the ritual that returned Marissa to…well, uninformed humans would say the dead, but they didn’t understand that vampires weren’t dead, they were just Other.

That same ritual that brought Marissa back to life had altered Jane’s molecular structure into a Druid Mage. If Ricardo hadn’t been so worried about Jane’s conversion, he would have felt the were-dragon hovering nearby and stayed to ensure his sister was safe.

So, she kept quiet. She could take care of herself. Her recent death didn’t count. She let Marcus kill her. In fact, she had baited him and tempted him for weeks before he finally snapped. All to ensure Jane and Ricardo could have their happily ever after. So that didn’t count. She could take care of herself.

Stifling a smile, Marissa took a deep breath so she could savor the spicy, rich aroma that made her senses tingle. She so loved were-creature blood. The dragon perving on her better be willing to share.

“Woman, there is nothing little about me.” The deep, disgruntled voice washed over her. The tone managed to soothe the aches and pains of her recent ordeal. The fire in her blood ignited and her stomach clenched in hunger. Lucky for the dragon she had learned control centuries ago. The steel thread of her will kept her fangs from dropping and her body in place, sitting relaxed on the sand.

What she wanted to do was jump him. Bury her fangs into the large artery in his neck and wrap her legs around him in blood thrall. Then make him beg for more.

When the dark-haired man stepped from the shadows she had to agree with his statement. Far from little, he stood several inches over six feet and had a massive chest and tree-trunk biceps. He brushed his hair—so black it was almost blue—off his face, long curls skimming the top of strong shoulders. Meeting his gaze, she fell into the amazing turquoise warmth of his eyes.

Oh, baby. This one is hot! Goddess, I love my life!

Just not right now.

Worn out, her shoulders slumped from the nightmare of being nothing more than dust one minute and pulled back to her blonde, vampy self the next. She was hungry. Hopefully, dragon-man wouldn’t take a lot of coaxing to volunteer his blood. She didn’t feel like doing sweet talk.

First things first, she needed clothes. She tried to summon the energy to create them with her magic…and got nothing. Not even a thong.

She sighed. “Will you throw me your shirt?” She really tried to make it a request, but it sounded more like a snarky demand.

“Ah, but I like the view,” the man grumbled good-naturedly. Even before he finished bitching, he grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulled it over his head and threw it to her.

Marissa raised her arms to shrug into the extra-large tank top. Not that it covered much. The armholes on the black shirt hung almost to her waist, flashing boobs every time she moved. Ah, well…never let it be said that she was shy. Besides, it was only fair. Ridding him of his shirt gave her a fantastic view. Worthy of poetry, the man’s bare chest revealed washboard abs and dancing pecs. He was beefcake extraordinaire.

“I heard the man call you Jillian.” At this, he smirked. “My name is Jack, and I would make a trade vampire.”

Jack. His name is Jack? Of course, it is.

Jack and Jill went up a hill…and Jillian was about to see if the dragon’s claims of “nothing little,” had any merit. Slowly she gathered her legs under her and thought about standing on her own two feet. She realized quickly it might not happen. If vampires could sweat, she would be doing it about now.

The man walked forward, holding out his hand in assistance. “I have a proposition for you.”

Cocking an eyebrow at him in question, she hoped it was the kind of proposition a prim and proper girl would slap him for. Since she had never been prim or proper, Marissa would consider bending over to kiss his…toes.

Just to get things moving in the right direction.

Setting her small hand in his much larger one, she allowed him to pull her up off the sand. Her legs wobbled and she swayed. It took a few moments before she could release her grip on Jack to stand on her own. She used the time to catalog his many and varied assets. Strength, yummy smell, and topping the list—flexible body parts. If she wore panties, they would be wet right now.

She would deal with his use of her hated first name, Jillian after she heard his proposal.

“Go on,” she purred. “I’m all—ears.” She grinned at him, negating this comment by flicking her tongue over her fangs.

“Blood for…”

When he hesitated, she cheerfully filled in the blank. “Sex?” she added hopefully.

“No! For escort.” The man sounded appalled at her suggestion.

Marissa narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t want sex—you want an escort?” Then why was he trying to pick up a naked vampire? If she wasn’t such a nice girl, that kind of behavior could get him killed.

“It’s not that I don’t want sex. I just can’t. But I do need a date.”

“Don’t try to tell me you can’t get a date without offering your blood. I won’t believe you.”

“I haven’t been a were-dragon for very long. I’m afraid I can’t figure out how to control the dragon when I’m aroused. And if I get tired, or angry, or wait too long between changes—I shift whether I want to or not. And once I’ve changed, I don’t command the beast, the dragon dictates our actions. A human woman wouldn’t understand that a simple touch could get her killed.” He shuddered. “I thought maybe a vampire could maintain enough personal space to stay safe, and that you would understand the things I need to avoid in order to live through a date.”

“How long?” Marissa asked.

He didn’t pretend confusion. “About ten months.”

“Oh, poor baby you’ve gone without sex for ten months?”

“I told you this isn’t about sex. It’s about a date. I’d really like to have sex, but it isn’t worth your death.”

She stepped closer, pressing her body against his and breathing in the invigorating cinnamon-clove scent of a spicy dragon. Placing a hand on his warm skin, she used his chest as leverage, stood on tiptoe and whispered in a voice ripe with possibilities, “Honey, do I have a deal for you. Blood for sex. I’ll throw in the little escort thingy as a bonus. I can teach you to control your dragon.”

“As much as I appreciate the offer, sex isn’t a good idea. What if I kill you?”

Marissa wasn’t afraid of Jack. Or his beast. She only died when she had good reason to, like hooking her brother up with her best friend. The dragon posed no threat to her Druid Mage-turned-vampire self.

“These are fairly simple lessons you should have been taught by your sire. There’s a very strict rule in the paranormal community—if you create a creature, you train it. A group that monitors this stuff hands out fairly severe penalties, so why didn’t your sire teach you how to control the beast?”

His head dropped. “I killed her right after my first change. I had dated her for a while until she went dragon on me and took a chunk out of my arm then made me drink some nasty concoction. She told me she wanted a consort, one who could handle her beast. She fell asleep on the floor beside me in human form, leaving my arms and legs bound to the wall of her lair. I was pissed.” He sounded a little sick.

She blinked, some warning going off in her head. She tried to remember something important but was caught up in feeling sympathetic for Jack. She could imagine how pissed off she would be if someone forced such a huge lifestyle choice on her without permission.

“Anyway, after I shifted, I didn’t know how to manage the dragon body. I stepped on Nadia’s head and my back claws decapitated her.” He looked mortified.

And she realized what her newly revitalized brain was trying to tell her. Nadia? He had decapitated Nadia! Marissa choked back a shout of laughter. Oh, that was rich. The dragon-bitch from hell deserved her death.

One of those Other rules was more of a biological fact…were-anything couldn’t create another creature unless there was already DNA in the new creature’s family history. Technically there had to be someone in your family tree that shifted into a were-dragon, or a werewolf, or a were-anything—before you could be turned into one. The Supernatural Council couldn’t figure out how Nadia kept turning humans into dragons. They knew there couldn’t be that many latent dragon-shifters in the world. It was one of the reasons she hadn’t been killed. They couldn’t prove that she was doing something wrong.

Nadia had been creating consorts for centuries. Kept an entire Scottish castle full of them and Nadia didn’t like to share. After training the new men were locked inside, little more than sex slaves for her perversions. The Supernatural Council had been trying to fry her ass for centuries. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get any of the created dragons to say they were changed against their will or figure out how she was doing it.

After hearing Jack’s story, Marissa figured it had to do with the nasty potion Nadia made him drink after she bit him. She would bet it was some sort of black magic.

Marissa wondered if anyone had told the boys being held captive in the castle that ding-dong the bitch is dead. Maybe she would wander over to Scotland after her escort duties were finished. Um, grateful dragon sex slaves. The mind boggled.

One more question, then she was moving this conversation back to his offer of blood. “So, what do you need an escort for?”

Jack frowned at her then slowly answered, “My parents’ fiftieth-anniversary party.”

Not much fazed Marissa but this floored her. She stumbled back a step, separating their bodies. His parents?

“Oh shit. Tell me I don’t have to dress in pastels and act like a demure lady. If that’s what you need, I’m out. Demure has never been my style.” She couldn’t keep the little tremble of nervous anxiety from her voice.

With hands on his hips and feet spread, Jack focused a confused gaze on her. “I don’t understand. You aren’t terrified that I killed Nadia, yet pastels scare you?”

“You did the world a favor. The Supernatural Council has been trying to roast Nadia’s ass for centuries.”

“What is the Supernatural Council and why did they want to kill her?”

Marissa sighed. She wasn’t feeling perky enough for an extended supernatural hierarchy lesson. She wanted blood, sex, and sleep, in that order. “The Supernatural Council is an organized body that among other things…polices the paranormal, magical and mythical communities. Nadia was a bitch. As you already know, she made were-dragons without asking for their permission. You would have become one more in a long line of sex slaves. The Council does not go after someone unless the creature has stepped over the line between rotten and evil. But in Nadia’s case, she somehow controlled her created dragons, and no one objected when questioned. As I said, you did the world a favor, Jack. And yes, the idea of wearing pastels and meeting your parents scares the crap out of me.”

His shoulders relaxed a little. “No reason to worry. Mom and Dad are ex-Hells Angels. Black leather and lace will be the uniform for the party.”