Page 43

V anya

The great hall hums with conversation and laughter, a sound I never thought I’d hear again. Not like this. Not with my family whole.

I watch from beside the massive stone fireplace as Ember moves through the crowd, accepting congratulations on her twenty-first birthday.

She’s radiant tonight—confident in her power, comfortable in her skin.

The hybrid abilities that once terrified me now flow through her like music, perfectly controlled.

When she laughs at something Dorian says, flames dance briefly around her fingertips before settling back into dormancy.

My daughter. Safe. Free.

The Aurora Collective’s headquarters have been transformed for tonight’s celebration.

Gone are the tactical maps and weapon displays, replaced with warm lighting and tables laden with food.

Dragons, wolves, witches, and even humans mingle freely—something that would have seemed impossible just weeks ago.

Warm fingers intertwine with mine, and I turn to find Hargen beside me. The mate mark on his shoulder peeks above his shirt collar, still new enough to make my pulse quicken. Mere days since our bond fully formed, and I’m still adjusting to the constant awareness of him humming beneath my skin.

“Quite a gathering,” he murmurs, his thumb stroking over my knuckles.

“I never thought I’d see the day when Syndicate refugees, Craven clan members, and the Aurora Collective would share the same room.” I gesture toward the far corner, where Viktor Parlance speaks quietly with Lila Rossewyn and her mate, Talon. “Without bloodshed.”

Caleb and Elena stand near the windows, their quiet authority drawing respectful nods from passersby.

Juno perches on a table beside Dorian, swinging her legs while she teases him about something that makes his ears red.

The story of her resurrection still amazes me—a phoenix born from ash and love.

Mara Jones has cornered two dragon elders near the refreshment table, animatedly explaining some piece of technology while they listen with bemused expressions. Since helping manage the exposure of our world to human social media, she’s become oddly invested in dragon culture.

“Look at her,” I say, nodding toward Ember as she demonstrates her fire magic for a group of younger Aurora members. The flames shift from gold to silver to deep blue, each color perfectly controlled. “She’s everything I hoped she’d become.”

“She’s strong because you kept her safe long enough to find that strength.” Hargen’s voice carries quiet pride. “You did that, Vanya.”

“ We did that.” I lean into his warmth. “I couldn’t have done it alone. Not really.”

The crowd parts as Viktor approaches Ember with a ceremonial dragon-scale pendant—formal recognition of her status as an adult within our community. She accepts it with grace, then steps forward to address the room.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here tonight.” Her voice carries clearly, confident without arrogance.

“A few weeks ago, I thought I was alone in the world except for my mother. Now I’ve discovered I have a father who risked everything to find me, a bloodline stretching back centuries, and allies I never could have imagined. ”

She finds my eyes across the room. “To my parents—thank you for the sacrifices you made to keep me safe. I understand now why you did what you did, and I’m grateful for every difficult choice that led us here.”

Applause fills the hall. I feel tears threaten and force them back.

No more hiding. No more masks.

“And to everyone here,” Ember continues, “thank you for proving that different doesn’t have to mean divided. We’re stronger together.”

As the applause dies down, Hargen and I make our way through the crowd toward her. She grins as we approach, her happiness infectious.

“Disgustingly adorable, you two,” she says, eyeing our joined hands. “The mate bond thing is really working for you.”

“Says the woman who just gave a speech that would make ancient diplomats weep,” Hargen replies, pulling her into a hug. “I’m proud of you.”

A flash of movement catches my eye—Iris Asguard near the windows, her face pale as she stares at her phone. She’s been quiet tonight, more withdrawn than usual.

“Excuse me for a moment,” I murmur to Hargen and Ember, concerned.

Iris looks up as I approach, quickly tucking her phone away. “Vanya. Hell of a party.”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She laughs, but it’s strained. “Maybe I have.” After a moment’s hesitation, she pulls out her phone again. “My brother. Three years ago, the Syndicate took him during a raid on our territory. I thought he was dead, but…”

She shows me the screen—security footage, grainy and dark, but showing a figure walking through what looks like ancient stone corridors.

“This was taken yesterday,” she says quietly.

I study the image, and recognition hits me. “That’s the Sleeping King’s Chamber.”

“The what?” But Iris’s question is interrupted by Hargen appearing at my side, drawn by whatever tension he’s sensing in me.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Someone’s been spotted near Kael Craven’s resting place,” I tell him, watching his face change. “The last Craven king.”

“That’s impossible,” Iris says. “Most records claim he died centuries ago—”

“He didn’t die,” Hargen says quietly. “At least, not according to Rossewyn histories. He chose dragon sleep.”

“And someone’s disturbing his chamber,” I finish. The implications make my stomach clench. “Iris, if that’s really your brother—”

“I have to go.” Her determination is absolute. “If he’s alive, if he needs help—”

“Wait, the Craven king is still alive?” Mara Jones appears beside us, her eyes widening with professional interest. “The dude who established the Oath of Fire?”

“This isn’t material for your next cover story, Jones,” Luke interrupts, materializing with that uncanny stealth all Craven fighters possess. “This is clan history.”

Mara crosses her arms. “You know perfectly well my ‘conspiracy channel’ exists to protect your kind, not expose it. That dragon battle above Seattle would’ve been all over mainstream news if I hadn’t convinced my followers it was viral marketing.”

“And you think ancient dragon kings will be as easy to explain away?” Luke counters.

Their tension is interrupted when Ember approaches, drawn by our huddled conversation. She glances at Iris’s phone, and something shifts in her expression—a flash of recognition, though she’s never seen the chamber before.

“I know this place,” she says softly, taking the phone with a slight tremor in her hand. “I’ve dreamed about it. These corridors, these markings…” She traces the carved symbols visible in the grainy footage.

We all stare at her, the implications sinking in.

“That’s… not possible,” Viktor says carefully, joining our growing circle. “The chamber’s location has been kept secret for centuries.”

“Ember,” Hargen’s voice is gentle as he studies her face. “What exactly did you see in these dreams?”

She shakes her head, frustrated. “It’s not clear. Just fragments. A man sleeping in stone. Water rising around him. And this feeling of… waiting.” She hands the phone back to Iris. “I thought they were just weird dreams, but seeing this—”

“It’s the Rossewyn connection,” Hargen explains, his expression thoughtful rather than alarmed. “Their bloodline has always maintained a psychic link to the Cravens.”

“But I’m not just Rossewyn,” Ember says, looking between us with dawning understanding. “I’m dragon, too. Maybe that’s why the connection feels different.”

“This changes things,” Viktor says quietly. “If Ember’s connected to the lost king somehow…”

“I want to help,” she says immediately. “If I’m picking up on something, maybe I can make sense of it.”

Mara looks between Luke and Iris, then back to Ember. “So… road trip?”

I catch Hargen’s eye across our small circle, seeing my own mix of concern and curiosity reflected there. After decades of hiding, of fighting for survival in the shadows, we’ve finally found our way back to each other. To our daughter. To something like peace.

And now, it seems, we’re all about to dive headfirst into another mystery altogether.

Ready to read on to the next love story in the Dragonblood Dynasty series? Forged in Fire is due to launch on August 29, 2025.