Page 18 of Born in Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #2)

Chapter 18

D orian

I slam the Jag into third, engine snarling as I take the corner too fast. The beast under the hood’s got nothing on the one under my skin—the one that’s been crackling through my veins since leaving my apartment.

Fuck yeah!

I’m grinning like a fucking idiot, tapping the wheel with restless fingers. Like some goddamn teenager who just got his first taste of something real.

Juno hadn’t run. Hadn’t screamed. Hadn’t done any of the things humans typically do when you tell them you occasionally turn into a fire-breathing monster.

She’d kissed me instead, fingertips tracing the dragon inked across my arm. “Not just for show, huh?”

The memory alone makes my chest burn. Not with fire—with something else. Something I’m too fucking elated to pull apart right now.

I roll down the window, letting Seattle’s rain-drenched air cool my face. My dragon’s close to the surface, heating my blood to near boiling. For centuries— centuries —I’ve kept him locked down, compressed like coal under a mountain. Only letting him out when absolutely necessary, keeping him on a leash tighter than Caleb’s designer suits.

But with Juno…

Fuck . It feels like breathing for the first time after drowning.

My phone blares. Caleb’s name flashes on the dash display, and I consider letting it go to voicemail. Big Brother can wait. I’ve got a high to ride.

But something—intuition, twin connection, whatever—makes me hit “Accept.”

“Caleb,” I say.

“We have a situation,” he gets straight to the point.

“What’s going on?” I gear down as I change lanes.

“Malakai has Elena. I think he’s holed up somewhere in the city. We need to pull together on this. I think he has something up his sleeve, but I don’t know what.”

The words hit like a bucket of ice water. My dragon recoils, growling.

“ Shit! ” I brake hard, earning a chorus of honks. “Back to the boardroom for a clan meeting?”

“No. Let’s meet at your place. I don’t want to draw more heat to Craven Towers while this shitshow is going on.”

“Good thinking. I’ll head there now.”

The line goes dead.

“Shit. Shit. ” I slam the wheel, then whip the car around, cutting off a delivery truck. The driver lays on his horn. I flip him off without looking.

Just like that—fantasy obliterated, real world back with a vengeance. Part of me wants to call Juno, tell her to get somewhere safe. But what would I say? Hey, remember that dragon thing? Well, there’s a psychotic one out there kidnapping people. Stay indoors ?

I get back to my apartment and start making calls. By the time Caleb’s voice rings through the apartment block intercom, I’ve already summoned a few trusted clan members. It’s instinct, hundreds of years of training kicking in. Threat assessment. Resource allocation. The soldier in me never really died; just took a century-long nap while I played at being human.

Luke was the first to arrive, scowling like he’s been sucking lemons. Then Serena, pacing my hardwood floors like a caged cat. Farrel Ludlow showed up despite being stationed with our outlying circles. Lydia slipped in last, her sleek hair immaculate despite the rain. Old guard and new—a cross-section of the clan’s fractured loyalties.

I’m pouring whiskey when Caleb walks in, his presence changing the air pressure in the room. My warehouse always feels bigger until he’s in it—then it shrinks to fit his gravity.

“You’re here,” I say unnecessarily, striding over. “We’re ready.”

His eyes scan the room, cataloging faces, measuring commitment. Then they snag on something out of place—Juno’s scarf draped over my chair. Deep blue silk with stars and moons. She’d worn it when she came by, then forgotten it when she left in a rush. Or maybe subconsciously left it behind. A breadcrumb trail back to my door.

Caleb doesn’t miss a thing.

“I’m guessing that Dorian has filled you in?” he asks the room, mercifully changing the subject.

There are murmurs of assent around us.

“For those who are missing any details,” he continues, “Malakai has taken control of a woman we have identified as a descendant of Lyria Rossewyn.”

Someone gasps. My own surprise is muted—I’ve been expecting some kind of penny to drop ever since Elena walked into our lives.

A fucking Rossewyn.

The witch line that’s been tied to our bloodline since the time of the last dragon king.

“We thought they’d died out,” says Farrel, his voice gravelly.

“No,” Caleb turns to face him. “We simply took our eye off the ball. That won’t happen again.”

“It can’t,” I add, feeling the weight of centuries of obligation. Part of the Craven code is to protect the Rossewyns. “While we were getting on with business, the Syndicate located her with the intention of using her against us.” It’s the only explanation.

It’s a bitter pill, but we’ve been sloppy. Complacent. Too busy building empires to remember why we built them in the first place.

“They turned a Rossewyn against the Craven line?” someone asks, horror edging their voice.

“That’s not what we said,” Caleb answers quickly. “She’s unwilling in all of this. A pawn.”

I watch my brother’s face carefully. Pawn doesn’t begin to cover what Elena is to him now. If he’s formed a mate bond, and now she’s in Malakai’s clutches…

Poor bastard.

“So what next?” asks Serena, cutting through the tension. “I’m sure we’re not going to take a ‘guns blazing’ approach. This entire mess has already brought us far too much attention.”

“You’re right,” I agree, catching Caleb’s eye. “We’ll have to be cautious about how we handle this.”

Caleb nods, his jaw tight. “We need to figure out where Malakai has taken Elena.”

A shadow moves at the edge of the group. Daniel Blair steps forward, his usual cocky demeanor replaced with something that looks suspiciously like guilt. The kid’s young by our standards—barely a century old—with auburn hair and that typical redhead’s temper.

“Caleb,” Daniel begins, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. “There’s something you need to know.”

“What is it?” Caleb asks impatiently.

The kid swallows hard. “I’ve been… involved with the Circle of Fire.”

The room temperature spikes as dragons react. My own surprise is genuine—Daniel? Really? The kid’s always struck me as more interested in sports cars and human women than politics.

“Explain,” Caleb demands, his voice deadly calm.

“I joined them because I believed in Malakai’s vision,” Daniel says quickly. “But things have changed. He’s become obsessed, dangerous. I didn’t sign up for this.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” Caleb’s eyes narrow.

“Because I want out,” Daniel pleads. “And because I know where he’s taken her.”

I lean forward, suddenly much more interested. “Where?”

“There’s a network of chambers beneath the city,” he explains. “Malakai has been using them as a meeting place. He’s planning something big, Caleb. And he’s using the Rossewyn woman to do it.”

“What does he want with her?” Caleb demands.

Daniel hesitates, then: “He believes she can activate the Heartstone’s true power. That with her, he can take control of the clan and eliminate any opposition.”

“And he’s doing this with the Syndicate?” I ask, trying to untangle the threads.

Daniel shakes his head emphatically. “He despises them. Says they’ve sold out.”

“Shit,” Caleb mutters. “That means they’re both after her. And us.”

Great. Just fucking great. We’re caught between two enemies with a hard-on for destroying us. My dragon snarls in the back of my mind, eager for battle.

“You’re sure about this?” I ask Daniel, keeping my voice level despite the storm building inside.

“Yes,” he nods vigorously. “I can lead you there. Help you stop him.”

Luke steps forward, eyes flashing. “Why should we trust you? You’ve already betrayed us once.”

“Because I made a mistake,” Daniel admits. “And I’m trying to make it right.”

I exchange a glance with Caleb. Time isn’t on our side, and beggars can’t be choosers.

“Fine,” Caleb decides. “But if you’re leading us into a trap—”

“I’m not,” Daniel insists. “I just want to stop Malakai before it’s too late.”

Caleb gives a curt nod. “I want you to get us there as soon as possible,” he tells Daniel, then turns to address the room. “Who’s on board?”

Everyone steps forward. A small comfort in the shitstorm we’re facing.

“Thank you,” Caleb says, actually smiling. “We’ll keep it tight; just a small team of us so we can stay under the radar.”

“I’m going with,” Luke declares, his jaw set. “I don’t like what he’s doing to us. Dividing us like this.”

Caleb nods in agreement. “This won’t be the end of things. Elena may have fallen into Malakai’s lap, but if I know him, he’ll have more planned. This runs far deeper than what we’re seeing.”

“So what’s the plan?” asks Lydia, who’s been observing silently until now.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to charge in there breathing fire,” I say, looking to Caleb for confirmation.

“It won’t work,” Daniel adds. “The place is a maze. I’ll take you to where he’s most likely to be, but it’s going to be close-quarters fighting.”

“Good to know,” Caleb says, clearly not thrilled. “Right,” he addresses the group. “Take a few minutes to prepare yourselves. We’ll leave in fifteen.”

As the clan disperses, Caleb gravitates toward Juno’s scarf. He picks it up, running the fabric between his fingers.

“Interesting choice of decor,” he comments.

I feel a strange protectiveness rise in me. “Belongs to a friend.”

“Juno from the coffee shop, isn’t it?” He raises an eyebrow.

I meet his gaze evenly. “You always were observant.”

“Does she know about us?”

The question carries weight beyond the obvious. Us encompasses everything—dragon shifters, ancient blood feuds, the violent world we inhabit.

I shrug. “She’s… open-minded.”

Caleb sighs. “Just be careful. We can’t afford more exposure.”

“Noted,” I reply, letting a hint of irritation color my voice. Three hundred years of lectures is about two hundred ninety-nine too many.

He drops it, focusing instead on the mission. I do the same, though Juno lingers in the back of my mind like a song I can’t stop humming. I should call her. Tell her to lock her doors tonight.

“Caleb,” I say quietly, stepping closer. “We’ll get her back.”

He nods, but doubt shadows his eyes. “We have to.”

It’s not just about the clan anymore. It’s about the woman who’s somehow become his center of gravity. I recognize the look—it’s how Dad used to look at Mom in the portraits. How he looked at his mate.

We join the others, who are arming themselves with blades forged in dragonfire. Ancient weapons for modern problems. Some things never change.

“Remember,” Caleb addresses the group, “our goal is to rescue Elena and stop Malakai. We move swiftly and strike hard. No unnecessary risks.”

Daniel approaches Caleb hesitantly. “Caleb, there’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“Malakai… he’s not alone. I was just one of many. He’s rallied others to his cause. They won’t let her go without a fight.”

Caleb’s expression hardens. “Then we fight.”

Daniel swallows. “Understood.”

We move out into the night, a silent force of predators blending into the urban landscape. Seattle’s underground awaits—a labyrinth of forgotten tunnels and hidden dangers.

As we descend into the dark, I cast one last look back at my apartment. At the scarf draped over the chair. At the glimpse of a life I tasted before reality came crashing back in.

Tomorrow, if we survive, I’m calling Juno. Life’s too short, even for dragons.