Page 102 of Forged in Fire

“You could still feel it? Even after everything?”

“Especially after everything.” I let my shadows reach toward him—not as a weapon or tool, but as an extension of myself. They brush against his own darkness, and for a moment, we’re eight years old again, practicing our abilities in secret. “We’re not the same people we were when they took you. But we’re still connected. Still family.”

Kieran’s shadows respond tentatively to mine, twining together in patterns I remember from childhood games. The contact sends warmth through our shared bond—fragile, damaged, but real.

“There’s something else,” he says after a moment. “Intelligence I gathered while under their control. Information about other facilities, ongoing operations, key personnel.” His expression darkens. “They’re not going to stop, Iris. What happened in Romania was just the beginning.”

“What kind of operations?”

“Abduction protocols for bloodline dragons. Plans for something they call ‘heritage consolidation.’ And…” He hesitates. “Projects involving hybrid experimentation. They’re not just trying to control existing dragons—they’re trying to create new ones.”

The implications hit me like cold wind. “How many facilities?”

“At least six that I saw directly. Possibly more.” His grip on my hand tightens. “The Aurora Collective needs to know. Viktor, the Cravens—anyone with resources to investigate and shut them down.”

“We’ll tell them when we’re ready. When you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now.” There’s steel in his voice, the first real strength I’ve heard since the conditioning broke. “They used me to hurt people. I won’t let that stand.”

I study his face, seeing determination mixed with exhaustion and grief. He means it. Despite everything he’s been through, he’s ready to fight back.

“All right. But we do this smart. No rushing in unprepared.”

“Agreed.”

The jet’s intercom crackles to life. “Beginning descent into Seattle. Arrival in twenty minutes.”

Twenty minutes until we’re home. Until I have to figure out how to integrate the brother I’ve found with the life I’ve built while searching for him. Until Riven and I confront what fate has in store for our future.

“I’m scared,” Kieran admits quietly.

“Of what?”

“Of not knowing who I am outside of their programming. Of disappointing you. Of never being able to make up for what I’ve done.”

“You don’t have to make up for anything. You were a victim, not a villain.”

“The people I hurt might disagree.”

“Then we find ways to help them. And I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

He looks at me with something that might be the beginning of hope. “Will you?”

“Always.”

The word settles between us like a promise. Not to go back to who we were—that’s impossible now. But to move forward as the people we’ve become.

The jet banks into final approach, Seattle’s skyline coming into view through the windows. Viktor’s voice carries back from theforward cabin, discussing transport arrangements and security protocols. Normal concerns that feel surreal after everything we’ve been through.

The jet touches down with barely a bump, engines winding down as we taxi toward a private hangar. Through the windows, I can see black SUVs waiting for us, Aurora Collective security maintaining a perimeter.

“Iris.” Riven’s voice draws my attention. He’s moved to the seat across from us, eyes intense with barely controlled emotion. “We need to talk. Alone.”

Our connection pulses with his need—not sexual, though that undercurrent runs through everything between us—but deeper. The desperate urge to confirm I’m safe, to process what almost happened in that chamber, to claim what’s ours.

“After we get Kieran settled,” I tell him.

“No.” The word comes out sharply. “Now. The bond—” He stops, jaw clenching with visible effort. “I watched them try to break you. Felt your pain through our connection. I need…”