Page 83 of Forged in Fire

“Actually, I’ve been dreaming about you,” she says quietly. “And your brother. And the king made of stone.”

Every muscle in my body goes still. About me and Keiran with the Sleeping King? My mind races through possibilities, none of them good.

“Tell me,” I say, abandoning any pretense of casual interest.

Ember’s fingers stop their restless picking at her sleeve. “It started about two weeks ago. At first, I thought they were just nightmares—dark corridors, chanting voices, the smell of old stone, and something else. Something that made my skin crawl.”

The shadows around my feet respond to my sudden attention, curling tighter against my ankles. “What did you see?”

“Underground chambers carved from black stone. Ancient symbols covering every surface, glowing faintly red like they’re lit from within.” Her voice grows steadier as she talks, losing the nervous edge. “There’s a massive room at the center, circular, with steps leading down to a raised dais. And on that dais…”

She stops, swallowing hard.

“What’s on the dais, Ember?”

“A stone figure. Huge, maybe twelve feet tall. It looks like a man but… more. Broader shoulders, longer limbs, features that are almost human but not quite.” Her eyes take on a distant quality, like she’s seeing it again. “Completely still. Like a statue that was once alive.”

“The Sleeping King.” My mouth goes dry. “You think they’re trying to bring him back to life?”

“That’s exactly what they’re planning to do.”

I lean forward, every instinct screaming that this is important. “How?”

“A ritual. Blood magic, but not the simple kind. This is old—older than the clans, older than the treaties. They need a source of immense power to bridge the gap between death and life.” Ember’s hands clench into fists. “Dragon power. Specifically, your family’s power.”

“My family’s power?”

“Your shadows, Iris. They’re powerful.”

I remember what Viktor said in the meeting. How we can bridge the gap between realms.

The pieces click into place with horrible clarity. “That’s why they took Kieran.”

“Yes, but here’s the thing—I don’t think they realized at first that you share his abilities. In my dreams, I see them discovering this later, getting excited about it. Two Asguard dragons working together would exponentially increase their chances of success.”

“Why do you think you’d be seeing these things?” I tilt my head, wondering if these are just the wild imaginings of a young woman with a vivid imagination.

“I’m not sure,” she says. “To be honest, I’ve been reluctant to mention them again, after the mess that happened the last time, when…” She doesn’t need to go on. She means the mess when I went off on my own. “Anyway, I was worried everyone would think I was just looking for attention, you know?” She gives a wry shrug. “God knows I’ve had enough of that lately.”

“But now you’re telling me?”

“Because I think this is serious, Iris.” Her expression is earnest. “And I think it’s going to happen soon. I figure that if I’m wrong, no harm done. But if I’m right, we’ll catch this thing before it can happen.”

“How much time do we have?” I ask.

“Not long. The ritual needs specific conditions—a dark moon aligned with the sun.”

I frown. “You mean, like an eclipse?”

“Yes.” She nods, holding out her phone. “And there’s one coming up. I Googled it. It’s called a Blood Moon Eclipse. It’s a total lunar eclipse that coincides with a full moon, making the moon look red. It’s said to enhance magical powers.”

“Shit,” I say. “When’s it set to happen?”

She gnaws her bottom lip. “Three days.”

“Three days?” My stomach drops. Not nearly enough time to plan a proper assault, especially when we now have an inkling of what we’re going up against.

“These visions—how detailed are they? Do you know where this is happening?”