title: The Bestiary, Volume Four
author: Alaric, Julia; Powell, Alex; Kitch, Annabelle
description: Fire and Lightning | Julia Alaric | Excerpt | 30,000 | F/F Drys is the hamadryad of Zeus' sacred oak tree, tied to the grove by her tree and by her responsibilities to speak for Zeus to the temple supplicants. She knows nothing about the world outside until the beautiful Bennu bird flies into her life and teaches Drys not only about the world, but also of things that Zeus has expressly forbidden ... Across Borders | Alex Powell | Excerpt | 25,500 | M/M In an effort to help mend a long-standing rift between the Shui-long dragon clan and the Ceffyl Dŵr, Xin-jian reluctantly agrees to be the ambassador for the dragons and spend time amongst the Ceffyl Dŵr. The enemy he comes to know is nothing like he expected, however, especially Tiernan. But before he can truly begin to explore peace, he must stop those who will not give up the old hatreds. Inside the Wizard Tower | Ashley Shaw |Excerpt | 25,000 | M/M Determined to escape the tower where he is poked and prodded and experimented on daily by the wizards who captured him, Rhine makes use of his kelpie magic to steal what he needs to summon a creature that even the wizards cannot control or contain. What he gets, however, is far from what he expected ... Falling, Rising | Annabelle Kitch | Excerpt | 21,000 | M/M Jake works for the Order of Divine Human Protection, an organization that works to contain supernatural elements. Being half-demon and psychic makes him very good at his job-until he tries to read a young man suffering from amnesia and is brutally struck by an aura too powerful to be read. Curious as to what could defeat even his abilities, Jake offers the man a place to stay, hoping the time together will give him a chance to unravel the mystery. I is for Imp | India Jackson | Excerpt | 16,000 | M/M Donavan is a lowly thief, scraping by picking pockets with the help of Oriax, an imp he once helped and who now is his companion on the streets. When they learn of a tournament that is to take place a few days away, they cannot resist the opportunity. But their hopes of easy gold are soon shattered by an unexpected and dangerous presence ...