Page 34 of Born in Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #2)

Chapter 34

J uno

The abandoned warehouse looms above us, its brick facade weathered by decades of Seattle rain. Dorian places a protective hand on my lower back as we approach, guiding me toward a side entrance where a young man with auburn hair waits.

“Daniel,” Dorian nods. “Anything new?”

“Nothing since I called,” Daniel replies, eyes flicking curiously to me before returning to Dorian. “The place is secure. No one’s been here since I found it.”

Caleb pushes past, all business. “Show us.”

We follow Daniel through a rusted door into a cavernous space. Light slants through broken windows, creating grid patterns across the dusty floor. The air smells of mildew and something acrid that makes my skin prickle.

“I tracked them here,” Daniel explains, leading us deeper into the building. “Lost the trail after, but they were definitely here.”

The brothers move silently, scanning the space with predatory focus. I hang back, observing. Despite my lack of memory or experience, something about this place resonates with me. Heat flashes across my skin in unpredictable waves.

“Here,” Daniel points to a section of floor. “Found these.”

Scattered across the wooden planks are what look like metal fragments—iridescent, gleaming despite the dust. Dorian crouches, picking one up between his fingers.

“Dragon scales,” he murmurs. “Recently shed.”

I move closer, fascinated. “May I?”

Dorian places one in my palm. It’s surprisingly warm, lighter than it looks. As I turn it, catching the light, something stirs in me—recognition without memory.

“Multiple dragons,” Caleb notes, examining scorch marks on nearby support beams. “At least three, maybe four.”

I drift away from their methodical assessment, drawn to the far side of the room where the floor bears a perfect circle of char. The wood within the circle is blackened but not burned through—as if intense heat was applied with surgical precision.

As I approach, the temperature around me rises. My skin tingles, tiny pinpricks of sensation crawling up my arms. The air seems to thicken, making each step feel like wading through invisible resistance.

I stop at the edge of the circle, swaying slightly. Beneath my feet, I swear I can feel energy pulsing through the floorboards. Whispers brush against my consciousness—not words exactly, but impressions. Heat. Power. Anticipation.

“Juno?”

Dorian’s voice breaks through my trance. He’s watching me with concern, having noticed my fixation.

“There’s something here,” I say, gesturing to the circle. “Something… important.”

Caleb approaches, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” I struggle to articulate the sensation. “It feels… alive somehow. Like it’s waiting.”

The brothers exchange a look I can’t interpret.

“They performed a ritual here,” Dorian says finally. “That would explain the precise burn pattern.”

“But what kind?” Caleb crouches, examining the charred wood. “And to what purpose?”

I step back, suddenly uncomfortable with the energy emanating from the circle. “Whatever it was, it’s not finished.”

The pair move around the space, examining the marks and scenting the air, but they find nothing else. As minutes drag by, I can practically feel the impatience radiating from them.

Caleb stands, brushing dust from his immaculate trousers. “This is getting us nowhere. They’re clearly not here anymore, and God only knows where they’ve gone.”

“Goddammit,” Dorian mutters, looking around the space once more, hands on lean hips.

“We should get back to Elena,” Caleb continues. “She might have found something new about the Shard’s location.”

Relief washes through me at the thought of leaving this place, though part of me remains oddly fascinated by it. As we turn to go, Dorian’s phone rings—the sound discordant in the cavernous space.

“Lydia,” he answers, putting it on speaker. “What’s—”

“They’ve taken Elena.” Lydia’s voice, strained with pain. “Serena betrayed us. She helped them.”

The atmosphere shifts instantly. Caleb freezes, his body going rigid.

“When?” he demands, voice deadly calm.

“Twenty minutes ago. I tried to stop them.” Lydia’s breath catches. “I’m sorry, Caleb. I couldn’t—”

“Are you hurt?” Dorian interrupts.

“Nothing fatal,” she replies grimly. “But Serena… something was wrong with her. Her eyes were glowing; red like the Heartstone, Caleb.”

“Fuck!” he barks, his composure fracturing. “Where did they take her?”

“Underground, I think,” Lydia says. “I heard someone mention the tunnels.”

“The Seattle Underground,” Dorian murmurs, understanding dawning. “Of course.”

“What’s the Seattle Underground?” I ask.

Caleb paces, energy emanating from him in almost visible waves. “After the Great Fire of 1889, the city rebuilt on top of the ruins. Created a network of tunnels and buried storefronts.”

“What they don’t teach in history books,” Dorian adds, “is that the fire wasn’t an accident. It was a dragon conflict—one of the last great battles.”

“The tunnels became a haven,” Caleb continues. “Natural chambers, limited access points, hidden from human eyes.”

Something flickers in my mind—dark passageways, the scent of earth, a sense of security. Not a memory, exactly, but a feeling of recognition.

“I’m going after her,” Caleb declares, moving toward the exit. “Now.”

“Not alone,” Dorian counters. “This is obviously a trap.”

“I don’t care.” Caleb’s voice is ice. “They have Elena.”

“Lydia,” Dorian projects his voice toward Caleb’s phone. “Get medical attention. Then coordinate with Luke and the others. We’ll need backup.”

“Already on it,” she replies. “Be careful. Serena isn’t herself. It’s like she’s being controlled.”

The call ends. Caleb’s already striding toward the door, a man transformed. Gone is the controlled corporate leader—in his place stands something primitive, dangerous. Even in human form, the dragon is visible now—in the flash of his eyes, the coiled tension of his body.

“I’m shifting,” he announces once we’re outside. “I’ll fly.”

“What if you’re seen?” Dorian objects.

“It’s dark.” Caleb glances at the night sky. “And I don’t give a damn who sees me. Mara can spin it on her fucking conspiracy channel.”

I watch, fascinated despite the tension, as Caleb removes his jacket and shirt with efficient movements. His skin seems to shimmer, a hint of what’s to come.

“I’m coming with you,” Dorian says, beginning his own preparations.

“No.” The word bursts from me before I can stop it. Three pairs of eyes turn to me in surprise.

“Juno?” Dorian questions.

I step forward, heart pounding. “My vision. You were surrounded by fire, captured. This is how it happens.”

Understanding dawns in his eyes. “Juno—”

“Please,” I whisper. “Don’t go.”

Dorian pulls me aside, his hands cupping my face. “Elena needs us. She’s family.”

“I know.” Tears threaten, frustrating me. “I know she’s important. But so are you. And in my vision, they were waiting for you.”

“Then I’ll be careful,” he promises. “I’ll watch for the signs.”

“It won’t matter,” I insist. “I saw it, Dorian. I felt it. They had you surrounded by fire. They were using the Shard.”

His thumbs brush my cheekbones gently. “If your vision comes true, then you’ll know exactly where to find me, won’t you?”

The statement steals my breath—his calm acceptance of potential capture, his faith that I would come for him. It’s both terrifying and profoundly moving.

“I can’t lose you,” I admit. “Not when I’ve just found you.”

Something softens in his expression. “You won’t lose me. But I can’t abandon my brother or Elena.”

I close my eyes, knowing he’s right. When I open them again, determination has replaced fear.

“Then I’m coming too.”

“Too dangerous,” he says immediately.

“You can’t stop me,” I counter. “And I might be useful. I sensed things in that building that you didn’t.”

He studies me, conflict evident in his expression.

Caleb joins in, already focused on his transformation. “Daniel can drive her. You shift with me.”

“No,” I grab Dorian’s arm. “We stay together.”

“Juno,” Dorian says gently, “Caleb needs backup. There’s no way around this.”

“Fine, I’ll go with Daniel,” I concede, “but please, please be careful.”

“Always, stargazer.” His smile is gentle, but it doesn’t help my tautly strung nerves.

I step back, allowing him space. “Be careful,” I whisper again. “Watch for fire.”

He kisses me quickly, fiercely. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

I watch as both brothers move to an open area behind the building. Their transformations begin simultaneously—skin hardening to scales, bodies elongating, massive wings unfurling. It’s beautiful and terrifying, a reminder of how little I truly understand about this world I’ve awakened into.

Within minutes, two dragons take to the darkening sky—silver and gold flashing against the darkness. They circle once, then streak toward downtown Seattle.

Daniel appears at my side, keys in hand. “We should go.”

I nod, unable to tear my eyes from the sky until the dragons disappear from view.

“They’ll be okay,” Daniel offers as we head for his car. “They’re the strongest dragons in the clan.”

I wish his words reassured me. But as we drive toward the Towers, following the path of the dragons overhead, the images from my vision burn brighter than ever.

Fire. Capture. Pain.

And somewhere beneath the streets of Seattle, enemies wait for the man I came back to give my heart to.