Page 15 of Fated by Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #1)

Chapter 15

E lena

The door to my loft slams shut behind me, and I lean against it, my pulse still racing from the insanity of the last few hours. The light from the streetlamp outside sends flitting colors across the room, and I slip off my shoes, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear.

Mara is sprawled on the couch, scrolling through her phone, but she jumps up the moment she sees me.

“Elena!” she exclaims, her hair bouncing as she rushes over. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you nonstop! I was about to call the cops!”

“I’m fine,” I say, but my voice is shaky. I don’t even sound convincing to myself.

Mara narrows her eyes, taking in my disheveled appearance—the torn blouse, the bruises on my face, the wild look in my eyes.

“You don’t look fine. What the hell happened? Did he hurt you?” She squeezes my shoulder briefly, then impulsively pulls me into a quick hug. She releases me quickly when I stiffen.

“Who? Caleb?” I shake my head, moving past her to collapse onto the couch. “No. It’s… it’s complicated.”

“Complicated?!” Mara plops down beside me, her eyes wide with concern and curiosity. “Start talking because I’m not letting you off the hook this time.”

I take a deep breath, trying to piece together the events of the night into something coherent. “Okay, but… you’re not going to believe me.”

“Try me.”

I take a deep breath, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my sleeve as I begin. “Things started getting freaky when I reached the vault. The biometric scanners—they just let me in, Mara. Like they were faulty or… or waiting for me. It was so easy, it felt wrong.”

Mara leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees, her brows knitting together. “What do you mean, waiting for you? Did they recognize you somehow?”

I shake my head, uncertainty creeping into my voice. “I don’t know. I just… I walked up, and the scanners beeped, and the doors slid open like I belonged there. And inside, there was this crystal.” I pause, my hands gesturing as if trying to shape it in the air. “It was fist-sized, red, glowing faintly, and it… it pulsed. Like it had its own heartbeat. The air around it felt strange, alive. I felt that same weird energy I first noticed in the basement that first day I went down there—that strange pull. It was like it was calling to me.”

Mara’s eyes widen, her lips parting slightly. She doesn’t interrupt, but her body language shifts—she’s fully absorbed now, her hands clasped tightly.

I continue, my voice dropping lower. “And then… he was there.”

“Caleb?” Mara interrupts.

“No. Someone else. Later, Caleb called him Malakai. I didn’t even hear him come in, but suddenly, he was behind me. We fought, Mara. He was strong—unnaturally strong. And then…” I swallow hard. “He dragged me out of there, tied me up, threw me in the trunk of a car, and took me to a place just outside town.”

“He abducted you?” Mara’s eyes are huge.

“I guess you could say that. He locked me in a cellar or something. A downstairs room that stank of stale water and mildew.” My nose wrinkles. “I thought I was in serious shit.”

“You probably were, babe.” Mara looks horrified. “How did you get out?”

“Caleb arrived. And that’s when things got really weird.”

“Oh, you mean they weren’t weird before,” she scoffs.

“He changed, Mara. This Malakai guy. He and Caleb got into a fight because he wouldn’t let me go and—”

Mara’s mouth drops open. “Caleb fought over you?”

“Yeah… um… I guess he did.” I nod slowly as I think about this. Caleb hadn’t hesitated—and most sane people would have. “He charged in, started untying me, and when the guy attacked, he’d fought right back.”

“Well, good for him. I’d pegged him as a corporate stiff. Who’d think there’d be a knight in shining armor under there?”

“I’m reserving judgment,” I mutter. “He may have saved me, but I’m pretty sure he’s involved in that shit somehow.”

“True. But tell me about the guy. You said he changed. How?”

“Into something,” I say, barely believing the words as I say them. “He… changed into something else. His skin turned scaly, like some kind of monster. His eyes—they weren’t human anymore. It was like he was a completely different species.”

Fuck. That sounds so nuts.

Mara gasps, and she leans back abruptly, her hands lifting to cover her mouth. “Oh. My. God! Seriously?”

I nod, my hands trembling now. “I know… it sounds insane. But I swear it’s true. I don’t know what he is—what it was. But it wasn’t human. And that crystal… it’s connected to all of this. I don’t know how, but it is.”

Mara stares at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair. Indigo strands slide between her fingers.

“Holy crap,” she says finally. “Do you realize what this means? You’ve just had a close encounter with one of the lizard men!”

“What?” I stare at her, baffled. “Mara, this isn’t one of your conspiracy theories. I saw it with my own eyes. He turned into a… a monster.”

“Exactly!” Mara’s eyes light up with excitement. “This is huge, Elena! Bigfoot and aliens are one thing, but lizard men? That’s next-level. I’ve been saying for years that there’s something off about corporate elites. What if they’re all secretly reptilian overlords?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, my headache intensifying. “Honestly, Mara, I don’t think he’s a lizard man. I think it’s something else. Something… worse.”

“Worse than lizard men?” Mara raises an eyebrow. “What could be worse than that?”

“I don’t know,” I admit; my voice is growing husky—stress, exhaustion, disbelief taking hold. “But whatever it was, it’s tied to Caleb. To Craven Industries. And I’m in way over my head.”

Mara’s expression softens, and she places a hand on my shoulder. “Okay, let’s break this down. Have you been in touch with the client yet? Did you tell Blackthorn about the vault? About the crystal?”

I shake my head. “No. I… I don’t know why. I just couldn’t bring myself to.” Not to mention that I’ve scarcely had time to process it all, let alone reach out to them.

“Why not?”

I hesitate, my thoughts swirling. “I don’t know. It felt like… like if I told them, I’d have to make a decision about what to do next. And I’m not ready for that yet.”

Mara nods, her brow furrowed. “Fair. But you’re going to have to do something . You can’t just drop the case, can you?”

“I don’t have a choice,” I say, my voice heavy with resignation. “I can’t go back to Craven Industries. Not after what happened. And even if I could, I don’t know how I’d get close to the vault again. It’s over.”

Mara frowns, her eyes searching mine. “Are you sure that’s what you want? I mean, I know this is nuts, but it’s also kind of… exciting. And it sounds like there’s more to this than just corporate espionage. What if this is your chance to uncover something huge?”

“Or get myself killed,” I mutter.

“Fair point,” Mara concedes. “But still… don’t you want to know the truth? About the vault? About Caleb? About your mom?”

The mention of my mother sends a jolt through me. How does she tie into all of this? And What about Caleb? The thought of him has parts of me tingling in a way that feels completely inappropriate, considering I was literally facing death an hour ago.

“I don’t know,” I say finally. “I think I’m too deep in this to walk away. But I don’t know how to move forward, either.”

Mara nudges my shoulder reassuringly. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’ve got your back. Whatever you decide, I’m here. And if you need help breaking into another vault, I’m your girl.”

I manage a small smile, grateful for her unwavering support. “Thanks, Mara. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably die of boredom,” she says with a grin. “Now… you could probably use something to eat. Pizza? Noodles?”

Trust Mara to bring food into this.

“Actually, I just want a hot shower and then to sleep.” I stretch, rolling my shoulders, which are still aching from being strapped behind me. I can’t freaking believe I was tied to a chair in a goddamn cellar today. Talk about messed-up career choices.

“Of course,” Mara says. “You must be shattered. I’ll let you get some rest.” She stands, looking reluctant to leave. “But you’d better swear on your life that you’ll call me before you do anything else, okay?”

“Babe, I don’t think I’m going to leave my bed.” I pull a face.

“Good. I’m holding you to it.” After Mara leaves, I settle at my desk and stare at my laptop screen. The cursor blinks mockingly at me, daring me to type the words I know I need to say.

Taking a deep breath, I open a new email and begin typing.

Subject: Update on the Craven Case

Body:

B.,

I’ve made progress on the assignment, but I’m afraid it’s not the kind of progress you’re expecting. I gained access to the vault at Craven Industries and found something… unusual. A crystal glowing with its own light. There was an energy around it that didn’t feel natural. I don’t know what it is, but I’m certain it’s the key to whatever you’re looking for.

The problem is, I can’t get to it again. The security is too tight, and after my last attempt, going back would be suicide. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to drop the job. I hope the information I’ve provided is enough to satisfy your needs.

Elena Ross

I read the email over once, twice, my finger hovering over the send button. A part of me wants to delete it, to shove it all aside and pretend none of it ever happened. But I know I can’t. This is the only way to protect myself—from Caleb, from Malakai, from whatever it is that’s lurking beneath the surface of Craven Industries.

With a final, resigned sigh, I hit send.

The email disappears into the void, and I feel a strange mix of relief and despair. The job is over. The case is closed.

But why does it feel like I’ve just lost something important?

Mom. My first vague hope of finding her feels like it’s been snatched away from me.

As I sit in the silence of my loft, my mind drifts back to the vault, to the crystal that seemed to call to me, to the way Caleb looked at me when he pulled me to safety. There’s a connection there, something I can’t explain, something that goes beyond the physical.

I pull out my mother’s journal, flipping through the pages until I find the word that glowed faintly: craven .

I read the sentence it appears in, but it just seems like the sort of thing a person might write in a journal: Looking back, I often wonder how craven my choices were in those early days. But thankfully, we all grow up.

Something that my mom was thinking of a lifetime ago. Innocent.

Except for that word. And what it connects to.

Craven Industries. Caleb Craven.

It can’t be a coincidence.

My hand trembles as I touch the letters, my fingertips tracing the ink. What if my mother knew about this? What if she’s connected to all of this in some way?

The thought sends a shudder through me. For the first time in years, I’d felt like I was on the verge of uncovering the truth about her disappearance. But at what cost?

I close the journal, placing it carefully back in the drawer. The answers I’ve been searching for are within reach, but the dangers are terrifying. And I’m not sure I’m ready to face either.