Page 12 of Fated by Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #1)

Chapter 12

C aleb

The first sign of trouble comes in the form of Sloane’s raised voice.

“Wait! You can’t go in there!”

The door to my office flies open, and a stormcloud barrels in.

What the hell?

I push my chair back and rise from my seat. The woman standing before me is a whirlwind of neon hair, raw energy, and righteous anger. She’s dressed in a purple hoodie with an alien on the front, ripped jeans, and combat boots that have seen one too many battles.

“Where is she?” she demands, planting her hands on my desk.

I narrow my eyes. I recognize her—it’s hard not to; she’s Jessica’s friend from the bar. Mara. Which means very little to me right now. “You have exactly five seconds to explain why you’re in my office before security removes you.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where Elena is!”

“Elena?”

“Yes, Elena,” Mara snaps, leaning in as if she can corner me through sheer force of will. “My best friend. Dark hair, sharp tongue, looks like she hasn’t slept in three days because she’s always working cases she shouldn’t take? Ring any bells?”

It doesn’t take more than a second for the penny to drop. “You’re talking about Jessica Mercer,” I reply, my voice calm but dangerous.

“Jessica,” she snorts. “As if you don’t know that’s a lie. Her name’s Elena Ross, she’s a PI, and she was here on a case.”

Before I can respond, Mara points her finger at me accusingly. “I know you know that Elena was looking into your company. She called me last night saying she was coming here and that she would be fine, but guess what? She’s not answering her phone now and she hasn’t been back to her apartment, and that means something’s not fine. So, Caleb Craven, tell me—what happened to her?”

My mind races, Mara’s words fueling a cascade of questions. I focus on the most pressing one right now: “What time did you speak to her?”

“Around 10 pm,” Mara says, folding her arms defiantly. “She said she was coming here to check out that creepy vault of yours and she’d call me as soon as she was back safe. She promised. It’s not like her to go radio silent.”

The vault. Fuck.

“Have you called the police?” I ask. “Reported her as a missing person?”

Silver flashes in her eyebrows as she frowns at me. “No. I figured I’d face you first.” She huffs a breath. “I guess this would be the one time when the human race might actually need RFID chip implants.”

“Chip implants? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” she says. “Now, are you going to tell me or not?”

“I have no idea where your friend is,” I say firmly as I make my way around my desk.

A private investigator.

I knew there was something off about that woman.

And she was at the vault. The Heartstone.

Fuck.

“Sir, shall I get security?”

I glance at Sloane, who has retreated to the doorway but still looks entirely unflappable. “No, call Dorian. Tell him I want him here… now. And get me the Security Chief on duty last night.”

Sloane gives me a curt nod before vanishing through the door.

Mara’s gaze remains locked on me. “Where would Elena have disappeared to if she came here and then went off the radar? What aren’t you telling me?”

When I don’t respond immediately, Mara’s frustration boils over. “Look, I know PI work isn’t all puppy dogs and pancakes, but I also know what kind of crap companies like Craven Industries get up to. If you’re messing with her—”

“I’m not,” I cut her off sharply. “If Jess— Elena’s missing, it’s got nothing to do with corporate politics.”

“Then why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

I don’t respond. Instead, I turn toward the window, staring out at the skyline beyond. She went to the vault. To the Heartstone. And I felt it. I’ve had an uncomfortable sensation in my gut since last night. Couldn’t sleep.

If Mara’s timeline is correct, and she hasn’t been heard from since 10 pm, something happened when she went down there. And I knew somehow. The Heartstone warned me. I should have listened. I should have checked—

I exhale. “Mara, I don’t think you understand the kind of trouble Elena might be in.”

“I understand fine. She’s in the kind of trouble someone like you could have prevented,” Mara spits back. “What are you going to do about it?”

I don’t answer her with words. Instead, I grab my suit jacket and stride out, leaving her shouting behind me.

The vault is in the sublevels of Craven Tower. Unless you’re explicitly authorized, you don’t even get the privilege of going down there, let alone setting foot inside. Security is tight, both human and… otherwise. Only a fool would try breaking in.

Clearly, Jessica Mercer—Elena Ross—is some kind of fool.

When I reach the final checkpoint, everything seems normal. But as I step into the vault chamber, unease coils in my gut.

At first glance, everything looks pristine. The items inside—precious relics, documents of incalculable value, enchanted artifacts—are all sealed behind layers of reinforced glass and protective shields. But as I step deeper into the room, that feeling grows sharper, clawing at the edges of my senses.

Something’s wrong.

I stop abruptly near the center, my gaze zeroing in on the display housing the Heartstone. The energy field around it shimmers faintly, undisturbed.

I lean in closer. That’s when I see it—a mark on the floor near the pedestal. It’s almost unnoticeable, but the faint scuff bears tiny blackened edges, like the remnants of some… reaction.

For an instant, I pick up a whisper of a familiar scent: a mix of wild thunderstorms and rain.

It’s her.

Except it’s laced with something else. Something dark. Like burned wood and overheated rock. A dark presence that’s unmistakable—subtle yet seething beneath the surface.

“Malakai,” I breathe under my breath.

When I reemerge into the corridor, Dorian is waiting, leaning against a wall with his hands in his pockets. His hair looks like he’s just rolled out of bed, and his shirt is untucked, but there’s a tension in his eyes.

“Wanna explain the pissed-off goth girl in your office?” he asks lazily. “The one whose friend you’ve been playing kissy-face with lately?”

“Not now, Dorian. You’re not helping.” I shoulder past him, and he falls into step beside me.

“This is serious.” His bearing has changed.

I grit my teeth. “Very.”

“And it involves the woman.”

I nod sharply, picking up my pace. I’m feeling a growing sense of urgency. “She was in the vault, Dorian. I picked up her scent.”

“What?” He looks at me sharply. “How the fuck could she get in there?”

I shake my head. “No idea.”

There’s a man in a security uniform hovering nearby. He hurries to join us. “Mr. Craven.” His name tag reads Mason.

“We’ve had a breach at the vault,” I snap at him. “Your people missed it. Are you going to explain to me how the hell that happened?”

“I… I…” His mouth opens and closes. “I can’t explain that, sir.” He’s holding a radio and starts jabbering into it urgently. A minute later, after a hurried exchange, he’s looking at me again. “There’s nothing on the system, sir.”

“Nothing? What do you mean, nothing?” Dorian asks.

“Aside from an electrical disturbance on the screens around midnight, there’s no sign that anyone was here.”

“An electrical disturbance sounds like a sign, you idiot.” My brother’s casual attitude has been exchanged for something else.

“It was just a brief blur on the screen, sir. Nothing that gave any indication of an intrusion.”

“That’s not good enough.” I’m barely holding it together. “I want those records examined. And send over the footage.”

The elevator doors slide open as I brush my fingertip against the scanner. How could she have bypassed this? And the retinal scanner? It makes no sense.

“Yes, sir,” Mason responds. “It will be sent over at once.”

I don’t answer. I’m in the elevator with the doors hissing shut. Dorian is beside me.

“What’s your take?”

“She was in here.”

“Jessica.”

“Elena. Her name’s Elena Ross. She’s a PI. No idea who she’s working for, but she’s gone. And Malakai’s fingerprints are all over this.”

“Malakai. Shit. No details from the Smurf on who the client might be?” he asks.

“The what?” I snap a look at him.

“Mara. The girl with the blue…” He points at his head. “You know… Don’t worry, forget I said anything.”

“This is not the fucking time for jokes, Dorian. If you’re trying to—”

“I wasn’t trying to.” He stops, his glib tone shifting to something more serious. “Look, Caleb, I know you’re going to charge off into this like the brooding dark knight you are, but Malakai doesn’t play by your rules. If he’s behind this, you better be ready to draw blood.”

I glance at him, and for once, his smirk is gone. It’s not a threat or a suggestion. It’s a warning.

The elevator doors open to my office floor. Mara’s still there, pacing like a caged animal. She whirls on me the moment I enter.

“Well?”

“She was here.” I move past her to my desk, picking up my phone. “Last night.”

“And?” Mara’s voice rises. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”

Ignoring her, I call Sloane. “Get me Malakai Steele,” I tell her when she answers.

“What happened to her?” Mara demands, slamming her hands on my desk again. “You’re not telling me something.”

I look up at her, studying her face. The fear in her eyes is real. Raw. This isn’t an act.

“How long have you known Elena?”

“We went to school together.” She crosses her arms. “Long enough to know when something’s wrong.”

“And in all that time, did she ever mention anything about… unusual abilities?”

Mara’s expression shifts. “What do you mean?”

“Things she could do that others couldn’t. Access things she shouldn’t be able to.”

Her hesitation tells me everything. “Sometimes she just… knows stuff,” she admits finally. “But that’s not important right now. What happened to her?”

I exchange a look with my brother. How much do we tell her? How much can we risk?

Sloane reappears in the doorway. “Mr. Steel is not available, sir.”

Goddammit.

“Keep trying,” I tell her. “Connect him to me as soon as you do.” I’m moving again, Dorian close on my heel. A scuff from behind tells me Mara is coming, too.

“Hey!” she says, jabbing my shoulder. “Where are we going?”

“ You are going back to where you came from,” I tell her. “I’ll deal with this.”

“But—” she starts, only to stop short as Dorian rounds on her.

“We’re going to take care of this,” he tells her. “Go back to her place and make absolutely sure she didn’t go back there. There’s a chance she’ll head home, and if she does, that’s the best place for you to be.”

“I… I…” Her eyes dart about; she’s conflicted.

Dorian sets a hand on her shoulder, that easy smile softening his expression. He’s shifted into charmer mode. “We’ve got this, Mara. Go check on her place. Give Sloane your number, and we’ll get in touch as soon as we have an answer for you.”

A flicker of suspicion sparks in her eyes, then fades away. The charm has worked its magic.

“Fine,” she says slowly. “But don’t fuck me around, okay? If I don’t hear from you within two hours, I’m going to the cops.”

“That won’t be necessary. I promise.” His smile widens. I see the fight go out of her. But I don’t watch for much longer because the elevator is opening again, and I’m heading down again.

Elena Ross found her way to the Heartstone, and Malakai caught her there. He should never have been there. For some reason, he didn’t alert me. And I am completely convinced that he took her from here.

Now, I just have to figure out why.