Page 29 of Fated by Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #1)

Chapter 29

E lena

The underground chamber feels like a tomb, its cold, damp air clinging to my skin like a shroud. The walls are jagged, carved from ancient bedrock, their surfaces pitted and uneven. Faintly glowing red symbols are cut into the stone, pulsing rhythmically, as if alive. The air is laced with the musty scent of age-old decay, mingling with a metallic tang that makes my stomach churn. It smells like blood.

My mother’s locket dangles from Malakai’s hand, the patterns on its surface catching the dim light. I can’t tear my eyes away from it—my mother wore it every day of her life. She gave it to me shortly before she left, and I’ve never taken it off. Now, it’s in the hands of the man who took her from me.

I strain against the ropes binding me to the chair, the coarse fibers digging into my wrists until I feel the warm trickle of blood. Malakai paces around me, his boots echoing ominously against the stone floor. His human form is no less terrifying than his dragon. His face is harsh, his cold, calculating eyes boring into me with a gaze that feels like ice against my skin.

“You look just like her,” he says, his voice low and deliberate. He stops in front of me, his shadow looming over me. “Same insolence. Same defiance.”

“Don’t talk about my mother,” I snap, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound strong. My heart races as his words confirm what I’d only suspected. She was with him before she disappeared. “You have no right.”

He chuckles, a sound that crawls down my spine like a spider. “No right? I knew Lila better than anyone. We worked together for years, planning, preparing. Until she lost her nerve.”

The casual way he says her name makes my blood boil.

“I don’t believe you,” I hiss, my voice thick with venom. “My mother was good. Special. She would never work with a sick bastard like you!”

His laugh is oily, grating against my ears. “You have no idea what your mother was capable of, girl. No idea at all.”

“Oh? Why not enlighten me then?” I glare up at him, my jaw clenched tight. I dare him to say something, anything , that could make me change my mind about her.

Malakai’s lips curl into a cruel smile as he begins to circle me again, his movements slow and deliberate.

“She shared my passion for doing what was right,” he says, his tone almost conversational. “Your mother and I planned together, Elena. We were going to remove those pretenders—Caleb and Dorian—from power.”

I shake my head, my mind reeling.

Mom, plotting with Malakai?

The idea is incomprehensible. My mother was kind, compassionate—she would never associate with someone like him. But equally unsettling is the thought that Mom might have encountered Caleb in her lifetime. I’m reminded that Caleb is ancient, his existence spanning centuries. It feels surreal.

“I don’t believe you,” I say, though my voice wavers with uncertainty. “My mother would never put others at risk like that. Never deliberately plan to hurt anyone.”

Malakai’s expression hardens, his eyes narrowing like a hawk’s. “I don’t care what you believe. In the end, she proved too weak to follow through with what needed to be done.” He flicks his hand dismissively. “She became an unnecessary complication.”

Cold dread washes over me. “What did you do to her?” I whisper, my throat tight.

“Do?” He stops in front of me, leaning down until his face is inches from mine. His breath smells of sulfur and wood smoke, and I recoil instinctively. “I offered her everything. Power. Purpose. A chance to be part of something greater than herself. But in the end, she chose to run.” His lips curl in disgust. “Like a coward.”

“She was protecting me from you!” I struggle against the ropes, ignoring the searing pain as they cut deeper into my skin.

Oh, Mom… I’m so sorry you got caught up in this.

“Protecting you?” He stands to his full height, a dark laugh escaping his lips. “She was denying your birthright. Your destiny.” He gestures to the cavernous chamber around us, the faintly glowing symbols casting eerie shadows on the stone walls. “This is where you belong, Elena. Among your own kind.”

“My kind?” I scoff, trying to mask my fear with defiance. “I’m human.”

“Are you?” His eyes narrow, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. “Then how did you access the vault? How did you connect with the Heartstone?” He begins to pace again, his movements steady, deliberate. “You have power in your blood. Rossewyn blood. The same blood that once bound dragons to their true purpose.”

My mind races, piecing together what he’s saying with what Caleb told me earlier.

“You’re talking about the witch. Lyria.”

“Finally, she begins to understand.” He stops abruptly, my mother’s locket swinging from its chain. My breath stops in my throat as he holds it up. “Your mother wore this every day. Did you never wonder why?”

I watch in stunned silence as he opens the locket, his fingertip tracing the intricate markings inside.

“These are runes,” he says, his voice soft but laced with malice. “This isn’t just a locket. It’s an amulet. Did you know that? An amulet to unlock your powers. To channel them.”

I shake my head, my mind spinning. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any powers. I’m just… just me.”

He laughs, the sound dark and derisive. “You’ve always had special abilities, Elena. You know it. You’ve made a business out of them. You just haven’t had any way to develop them to their true potential.”

“That’s bullshit,” I say weakly, but the words feel hollow. Deep down, I know there’s truth to what he’s saying.

“All these years, generations of Rossewyns have had those powers,” he continues, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. “That’s why they kept themselves hidden. To avoid being exploited.”

“By people like you!” I spit, my anger flaring.

“No. By the Cravens. The very clan who was sworn to protect them. They’re the ones who have abused their power.” Hatred darkens his features, his voice dripping with venom. “They’ve been corrupted by time and wealth. Grown idle. Uncaring of our heritage.”

“I think you’ve been the one corrupted, Malakai,” I retort, narrowing my eyes at him.

He shakes his head, his expression almost pitying. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, girl. What I’m holding is your heritage. This amulet was treasured, hidden away for centuries, from when Lyria sacrificed herself. Your mother was its guardian, meant to keep it safe until the time was right.”

“Right for what?” I demand, my voice trembling.

His eyes gleam with a fanatical light. “For the restoration. For dragons to reclaim their rightful place in the world. To step out of the darkness into the light.”

Horror dawns as his plan becomes clear. “You want to reveal yourselves? But why?”

“So we can do what we were born to do, stupid girl. To rule,” he sneers. “To rule everything.”

“You mean… to dominate humans?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“We are apex predators,” he says, his voice rising with conviction. “We were meant to rule, not hide in boardrooms playing at being human. The world has grown weak, corrupt. It needs cleansing. Order.”

“You’re insane,” I breathe, my voice barely audible. “There are billions of humans. They have weapons, armies—”

“Which is why we need the Heartstone.” He holds up the locket; it seems to be glowing faintly. “With its full power unleashed, amplified by Rossewyn blood, we could control them all. Bend them to our will.”

“It would be a massacre,” I argue, my voice rising in desperation. “Even if you succeeded, humans would fight back. They’d rather destroy everything than submit. And what about the dragons who don’t support you? Caleb—”

“Caleb,” he spits the name like it’s poison, “is weak. Like his father. They’ve forgotten what it means to be dragon .” He stoops closer, his eyes burning with intensity. “But I have plans for the resisters. The Heartstone can control dragons as well as humans. With your help, I’ll reshape the world.”

“I won’t help you,” I say firmly, though fear churns in my gut. “I’d rather die.”

He smiles, the expression chilling. “You don’t have a choice. The power is in your blood. Whether you cooperate or not, I’ll use you to access the stone’s true potential.”

Before I can respond, a distant explosion rocks the chamber. Dust and debris rain down from the ceiling as another blast follows, closer this time. Malakai’s head snaps up, his expression shifting from triumph to wary anticipation.

“Ah. I wondered if they’d take the bait,” he murmurs, almost to himself.

“Who are you talking about?” I ask, my eyes wide with fear and confusion. Another deafening crash reverberates through the chamber, the walls trembling as if they might collapse.

“The Syndicate,” Malakai snarls, his form already beginning to shift into the half-human creature I’d seen before. His skin darkens, scales rippling across his arms as his fingers elongate into claws. “Right on schedule.”

“Schedule?” My voice shakes as I struggle to process what’s happening. “You knew they were coming?”

He grins, his teeth sharpening into fangs. “Of course. Why do you think I brought you here? To lure them out when your white knight comes to rescue you. Let them fight over the scraps while I claim the true prize.”

Another explosion rocks the chamber, and through the chaos, I feel something stir within me. My mother’s locket pulses brighter, resonating with a strange, ancient power deep in my chest. It’s as if a dormant part of me has awakened, a force I’ve always felt but could never name.

Malakai looms over me, his clawed hands reaching for the ropes that bind me. I twist and writhe, desperate to escape, but I’m powerless against his strength. He yanks me to my feet, his claws raking deep grooves into the soft flesh of my upper arms. I cry out, the pain sharp and searing.

“Get your hands off me, you… you animal! ” I yell, my voice trembling with rage and fear.

“Animal? Oh, you have no fucking idea,” he says, his voice a guttural growl. He laughs again, the sound lifting the little hairs on the back of my neck. “Come, girl. It’s time to find out what Rossewyn blood can really do.”

He drags me forward, his grip like iron, and I stumble after him, my mind racing as the chamber shakes around us. The glowing symbols on the walls pulse faster, their light intensifying as if responding to the chaos.

Somewhere in the distance, I hear shouts and the crash of metal, but it all feels distant, drowned out by the pounding of my heart and the strange, ancient power stirring within me.

We’re heading into a war, and Malakai is planning to use me as a weapon.