Page 33 of Forged in Fire (Dragonblood Dynasty #5)

“Because it’s not dormant. It’s dreaming. And when it wakes up…” She shudders. “The magic that built the first dragon dynasties, that carved territories from raw wilderness—it’s all there. Sleeping but not dead.”

“Fuck,” says Viktor. “This is what they want Kieran for. Under the right circumstances, with the right tool, they can tap into that power.”

“And the Syndicate wants to create those circumstances,” Iris says, understanding flooding her features. “Using Kieran as the key.”

“A shadow-walker with Craven blood,” Caleb murmurs. “Theoretically, he could navigate whatever protections surround the chamber. Could make contact with power that’s been sealed away for centuries.”

“Not for much longer,” says Iris. “Ember’s dreams have more information.”

“Like what?” Viktor asks.

“Like when it’s going to happen.” Iris’s mouth sets in a grim line.

“There’s a timeline?” says Caleb.

“Of course there’s a damn timeline,” Iris snaps. “Which wouldn’t be an issue if you’d just done as I’d asked and helped me get him out of there!”

“Let’s keep our heads,” says Viktor, turning to Ember. “What can you tell us about this timeline, Ember?”

“They’re going to have a ritual in the chamber… on the night of the Blood Moon,” she tells them.

“The Blood Moon?” I ask.

“It’s an eclipse,” says Iris. “In three days.” Her expression is grim.

“Shit,” I say, because even with my skills, that would be tight.

“We need to move fast,” Viktor declares. “Full assault, maximum force. Hit them before they can complete whatever ritual they have planned.”

“No.” Ember shakes her head. “Not full assault. The chamber is ancient, probably fragile. Bring too much firepower and you risk bringing down the entire mountain.”

“Killing Kieran in the process,” Iris adds. I half wonder if Viktor and Caleb are particularly worried about that. Though I guess I should give them the benefit of the doubt.

“Then what do you suggest?” Caleb asks.

“Small team. Surgical insertion. Get to Kieran before they can use him, extract him before the situation deteriorates further.” I look around the table, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “Two people. Maybe three. Fast, quiet, precise.” I give a slight shrug. “It’s what I’d do, at any rate.”

“That’s insanity,” Viktor objects. “The Syndicate will have layered defenses, magical barriers, enough firepower to stop an army.”

“Then we don’t fight the army,” I say. “We slip past it.”

Iris nods. “The chamber has been hidden for four centuries. There have to be ways in besides the main approach. Paths the original builders used, emergency exits, service tunnels.”

“Ancient construction doesn’t typically include service tunnels,” Caleb points out.

“No, but it includes things the Syndicate might not expect.” I study the topographical maps, noting water sources and geological formations. “Underground rivers. Natural caverns. Cave systems that connect to the chamber through routes that were never meant for defense.”

“You’re talking about infiltration through unmapped terrain,” Viktor says. “In the dark, probably underwater, with no backup if something goes wrong.”

“But there will be backup,” Iris replies. “Because this time, you’ll be helping me.”

I watch her face as she studies the intelligence, seeing the calculations behind those sharp eyes.

“ You’re going in?” Caleb says sharply.

“Of course,” she says.

“I’ll go with her,” I say quietly, because although I’d rather swallow broken glass than let her go in there, I know there’s no stopping her. And I’ll be damned if I’ll let her do it alone.

The room goes silent. Viktor’s eyebrow rises. Caleb’s expression hardens. Ember looks between us like she’s seeing something the others miss.

“You sure about that?” Viktor asks.

“Can you think of anyone better?” Iris says. “I can navigate shadows, handle stealth insertion, get us past magical barriers. But I can’t fight my way out if everything goes wrong.”

“And I can,” I finish. “We complement each other.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Ember murmurs, and I catch the slight smile she’s trying to hide.

Viktor leans back in his chair, studying us both. “You understand what you’re proposing? Once you’re in there… in the depths of the mountain… We can’t guarantee we’ll be able to get you out.’”

“I understand,” Iris says. “But this is Kieran we’re talking about. My brother. The only close family I have left.”

“Not the only family,” Ember corrects softly. “You’ve got us now. All of us.”

Something shifts in Iris’s expression. Surprise, maybe. Or recognition of possibilities she hadn’t considered. The idea that connection might extend beyond blood, beyond the twin bond that’s driven her for so long.

“All the more reason to make sure this works,” she replies.

Viktor stands, moving to the display one more time.

His fingers trace routes through the mountain passes, calculating distances and timing.

“If you’re committed to this plan, we need detailed intelligence on the cave systems. Magical reconnaissance to identify barriers and defenses.

Equipment designed for underwater infiltration and vertical climbing. ”

“How long to put that together?” I ask.

“Forty-eight hours. Maybe less if we push resources.”

“Do it,” Iris says without hesitation. “Every hour we wait is another hour closer to their ritual.”

“And if they succeed?” Caleb asks.

“Then we’re not just rescuing one man,” I tell him. “We’re preventing the resurrection of a power that was locked away for very good reasons.”

The implications settle over the room like a weighted blanket.

If we fuck this up, the world as we know it is set to change in ways we can’t even begin to anticipate yet. And if the Syndicate has anything to do with it, the results are not going to be pretty.

The future of our kind rests on how we handle the next three days.

Just another day in paradise, Barlowe.

Time to get to work.