Page 30 of Fated by Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #1)
Chapter 30
C aleb
Seattle erupts into mayhem above us as we emerge from the underground chambers. The city skyline, once a glittering testament to human ingenuity, is now a warzone. Flames lick the sides of skyscrapers, their reflections dancing in the blackened waters of Elliott Bay.
The cacophony of sirens, screams, and the distant roar of dragons fills the air. Our underground world, a relic of our secretive existence, feels like a distant memory as we step into the nightmare above.
Dragons wheel through the night sky, their massive forms silhouetted against the city lights. The sight is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Each beat of their wings sends tremors through the air, and their scales glint like shards of obsidian under the moon. The Syndicate has launched a full assault on Craven Tower, and the sight of their scaled bodies sends ice through my veins.
“Oh, my fucking God,” Dorian breathes beside me, his voice uncharacteristically shaky. “Look at them all.”
He’s right. There must be dozens up there, their wings blocking out the stars as they circle our headquarters. Centuries of secrecy destroyed in a single night. I clench my fists, feeling the scales beneath my skin ripple in response to the threat.
“This is insane,” Luke growls, his hands already shifting, claws elongating as his body prepares for the fight. “They’re not even trying to hide anymore.”
“Because they don’t need to,” Serena says grimly, her expression dark as she holds up her phone. The screen glows with dozens of livestreams, each showing the chaos from different angles. “Social media’s already lit up. Look. #DragonAttack is trending.”
“Fucking Mara,” Dorian mutters, his jaw tight. “If only she knew what she’d started with that bullshit of hers.”
I curse under my breath, my thoughts consumed by Elena. Through the bond, I can feel her terror pulsing stronger, a frantic rhythm in my chest. She’s close. Too close to all this danger.
“We need to split up,” I tell them, my voice tight with urgency. “Luke, get to the Towers. Protect our people there. Dorian…” I turn to my brother, but he’s already staring at Craven Towers, where three massive dragons circle like vultures waiting for their prey.
“Juno’s working tonight,” he says quietly, his usual swagger gone, replaced by something I’ve never seen in him before—raw fear.
I study him for a moment, a flicker of surprise cutting through the tension. Could it be that this woman means something to him? Fuck. It would be a first. But I don’t have time to think about it right now.
“Then go,” I bark, my voice sharp. I glance around at the others. “The rest of you, with me. We need to assume Malakai orchestrated this whole thing.”
“But he’s not with the Syndicate,” Daniel says again, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “He’s always sworn they were as bad as our human enemies.”
“Well, he seems to have drawn them out,” I reply, my gaze fixed on the sky above. I can feel the menace of their presence, the threat they pose.
“Manipulated them,” Lydia breathes the words, her eyes narrowing. “Brought them out to give us a fight, so he’d be free to put his true plan into action. The old fucker is smart. I’ll give him that much.”
A blast of flames hits the top of the Towers, and rubble explodes from the side of the building. My office has probably been obliterated. Fuck. Sloane better be out of there. But knowing her, she’s already made a plan.
Dorian hesitates, his eyes meeting mine. “Be careful, brother. This feels wrong.”
“Just go!” I shove his shoulder.
He breaks into a run, ducking into a nearby alley. Moments later, a massive dark shape launches into the sky, wings spread wide as he soars toward the skyscraper that houses the headquarters of our empire. Two of the circling dragons immediately peel off to intercept him.
“Shit,” Luke mutters, watching the scene unfold. “They were waiting for us to show ourselves.”
“Of course they were,” I respond as I watch my brother soar into the sky, followed closely by several of Lydia’s followers. “This wasn’t staged simply to create a light show.”
“This way,” Daniel says urgently, gesturing toward a service entrance. “There’s a way in through the old service ways.”
“Can we trust him?” Serena asks quietly as we follow him into a darkened doorway, her voice almost inaudible over the insanity outside.
“We don’t have a choice,” I reply, though the question has been nagging at me too. I’m ignoring it, though. The mate bond throbs in my chest, growing stronger with each step.
She’s here. Close. And she’s terrified.
The thought of it raises a wave of rage inside me, has my dragon shifting restlessly within me. He doesn’t share my inner turmoil over her or the bond. The animal inside me has waited long enough to meet his mate. I don’t think I could stop him now if I wanted to.
I don’t want to. I need her.
I turn my attention back to where Daniel is moving confidently forward. The tunnels are a maze of twisting passages, the walls slick with moisture. Deep carvings catch the flickering light of our phones, ancient symbols that glow faintly red, visible only to those who know what to look for. The air grows thicker, heavier, charged with an energy that makes my scales itch beneath my skin. Every step feels like wading through water, the oppressive atmosphere pressing down on us.
“The main chamber is just ahead,” Daniel whispers, his footsteps silent on the stone floor. “But Malakai will have guards—”
A roar cuts him off, followed by the sound of wings in a confined space. Two dragons burst from a side tunnel, their scales dull in the dim light.
Circle of Fire loyalists.
“Down!” I shove Daniel aside as one of them lunges, claws extended. The dragon’s teeth snap shut where his head had been moments before.
Lydia and Serena shift instantly, their bodies expanding to fill the tunnel. The clash of scales against scales echoes off the walls as they engage the guards. The females are smaller than I would be in dragon form, more agile in the tight space. I’d be practically useless down here.
Serena’s silver-blonde scales glimmer as she twists and darts, her movements fluid and precise, while Lydia’s darker form moves with brute force, slamming into the second dragon with a deafening crash. Her combat skills are honed; centuries of training have made her lethal. I have no qualms about leaving them to tackle our attackers.
“Move!” I order Daniel, pushing him forward. The bond pulls at me, urgent now.
Something’s wrong.
Elena’s fear surges sharply, and beneath it, I sense something else—a strange, ancient power awakening. A power we haven’t taught her to harness yet.
What the fuck has he done to her?
We sprint through the tunnels, the sounds of battle fading behind us. My heart pounds, not from exertion but from the growing dread in my gut. Every shadow feels alive, every distant drip of water a potential threat.
“What will he do to her?” Daniel pants as we run, his voice strained with worry.
“No idea. But if he hurts her, I’ll tear him apart,” I growl, the words coming out rougher than human speech should allow. My vision blurs at the edges, the dragon within clawing to break free.
“There!” Daniel points to an archway ahead, symbols blazing red around its edges. “The vault access is through there. But Caleb…” He grabs my arm, his grip tight. “You should know—the chamber, it’s different from any ordinary space. Malakai’s been… changing things. Adding old magic.”
I shake off his grip, my focus razor-sharp. “I don’t care. She’s close. I can feel her.”
I burst through the arch, Daniel at my heels, only to freeze at the sight before me.
The chamber is vast, its ceiling lost in darkness above. In the center stands a lone chair, ropes coiled around it like dead snakes. The room feels alive, the very walls breathing with a malevolent energy.
“This is the place,” Daniel says, his voice low. “This is where he would have been keeping her.”
I turn in a slow circle, taking in every inch of the room. They’re gone. He’s taken her somewhere else.
We’re too late.
“No,” I breathe, the word barely human. Through our bond, I feel Elena’s presence growing stronger, pulling me upward. “He’s taken her to the Heartstone.”