Five stories. Five formative sparks before fire takes the world. One World on Fire anthology. Dragon’s Fate When Daniel Drake’s simple, Sixth Century life shatters, he and his brothers run for their lives—and directly into the arms of the dragons. But some fates cannot be avoided, and Daniel’s uncanny ability to see the future comes with a price, and a choice: enslavement to a Roman Emperor, or the death of the person he loves the most. Conpulsio Rome presses outward. Vesuvius smokes. Ladon exacts a terrible vengeance for an unthinkable act—and sets in motion the unavoidable collision of four people: Two Fates bound by the rigidity of the past and the arrogance of the future. One Shifter with a gift too vile to use. And a man and a dragon who must save them all from the mountain’s smoldering anger—and the weight of their souls’ ashes. Pop Rocks Billy Bare’s comeback tour was supposed to set him up for a return to arena shows. Then he found himself face-to-face with a demonic creature… Dmitri and the Mad Monk Dmitri Pavlovich Romanov: Athlete. Royal. Man who would be Tsar—and the only Shifter alive capable of killing Rasputin. Scent of a Dragon When Daisy Pavlovich realizes a young boy’s true nature — and the true danger his Shifter father presents to both her and the child — she runs headlong into a paranormal fire she should have left alone. But every child deserves a chance, and Daisy’s going to get the boy his even if it kills her…. Note: The five stories of this collection were previously published in various box sets and anthologies.

In the story ñA Natural Thing,î Eric and MonicaÍs lovemaking is interrupted by an odd sound. Eric has a sinking feeling that it has something to do with his grandfather. HeÍs mortified when he sees what has entered the room: A full-grown rooster, its wattles cut, the feathers trimmed except the wings; its legs plucked to pimpled skin, strutting and bobbing its head like it owned the place. Instantly, Eric realizes that Don Epifanio has converted the basement into a cock-fighting ring. When Don Epifanio offered to renovate the basement it seemed like a blessing, something to keep him busy. Why did he bring the old man to New York City from the island, Eric wonders. Now Don Epifanio complains about everything: the cold weather, the even colder disposition of gringos, the difficulty of finding guayabas and other tropical delicacies. What will the neighbors say when they hear and worse, smell the roosters? How can he bring business associates home? What will Monica think about his family? This is the Bronx, not Puerto Rico! In this stirring collection of eleven stories set in Latino communities in the northeast, J.L. Torres crafts deft reflections of Puerto Ricans living on the mainland. A son who follows his fatherÍs wish to be buried in his beloved isla but canÍt seem to meet his fatherÍs other wish to not be covered with the American flag, a right he has as a veteran of World War II and Korea. A Nuyorican visiting his aunt in Cayey is fascinated with a run-down shack where a mysterious woman lives, surrounded by conflicting stories about her life and loves. In the Bronx, Ralph and Lou are unnerved by a spooky sight: eight red kerchiefs tied equidistantly apart on a cyclone fence. TorresÍ characters reveal the circumstances that shape their lives in these thought-provoking stories that explore machismo, family relationships, love, and even santeria.