[SPOILERS AHEAD for books 1-3]
.
They all thought he was dead. Even his twin brother. But with the end of the world looming overhead, Valerio has to step up. Now, the king is back.
As the identical twin brother of Draven Tempest, Valerio is one of only two known Archons among the Draak. Whether you want to call them alphas, leaders, or kings, they're the strongest of their race. Both over 1,000 years old, Draven (Draek'vhen) and Valerio (Vaal'he'ryo) have seen their fair share of war, destruction, loss, and change. Now they're both on Earth and after taking the world as their own with their fellow Draak brethren, they swore to change their brutal ways. With their new found dominance on another foreign world, they've sworn to protect mankind from whatever threats might come.
As genetically enhanced beings, Draak are able to shift from the form of a dragon into the forms of men. Being born with the ability to control their physical form at such a level also allows them to do other things like make females of other races compatible for mating. As their race was altered to be exclusively male, altering the DNA of other species became essential to create offspring. Since Draak were created by the Zephyre, a race dead-set on controlling Draak populations, reproducing outside of a lab was forbidden and once thought impossible... until the Draak realized their control over their genetic/physical makeup also allowed them to transfer a fraction of themselves to others. By doing this, they can make females compatible for reproduction. Without the bond, other races cannot withstand pregnancy and if their bodies don't give up before birthing a Draak child, the birth itself destroys a non-compatible body.
Valerio Tempest was never known to take mates. While his brother found a bond on the planet Kumir, Valerio dedicated himself to other things such as making sure their creators and enemies, the Zephyre, did not follow them throughout the universe. Mentally, Valerio, like his brother, inherited the telepathic abilities passed down through their mother. Physically, he is among the largest of his kind as a Draak's dragon form does not stop growing until they die. In other words, he's a big mother f*cker.
While most Ash Bringers aka "Reds" aka first generation Draak are known to be aggressive, hotheaded and generally scary, Valerio was always known as the calmer of the twins. Draven embodies all of what Reds are known for while Valerio is more keen to use words before actions. He's thoughtful and strategic, but don't let that fool you into thinking he isn't a powerhouse of destruction when he needs to be. Before becoming the quieter version of himself, Valerio was among the first to earn his kind the name "Ash Bringers." He earned many names over many centuries including the Red King and others as he and his people moved across worlds.
Now that Valerio is out of hiding and ready to throw down, things have gotten more complicated. After meeting Isla, his priorities have become mixed and he's not quite sure where he stands. And worse, he doesn't know where she stands because she's supposed to be the enemy.
Read Burning Skies: A Storm of Fire #4 now on Amazon Kindle and KU