Page 50 of Fated By Fire
He shrugs. “It will be over when I say it is. But the truth is, Ms. Ross, you’re exactly where we need you. You’re the key to the Heartstone, and we’re going to use you to unlock its power.”
I shake my head vigorously. “No! I’m not helping you. Whatever you think I am, you’re wrong.”
His smile fades, replaced by a cold, hard expression. “You don’t have a choice.”
He nods at the blond man, who moves toward me with unnerving speed. I take a step back, but he grabs my arm, his grip like iron.
“Get your goddamned hands off me!” I shout, struggling against him, but he’s too strong.
“Ms. Ross, meet The Enforcer,” Blackthorn says, his voice dripping with mockery. “He’ll ensure you cooperate.”
I kick and thrash, but it’s no use. The Enforcer drags me out of the room and down the hallway toward a set of double doors. I scream for help, but the building is empty, and no one comes.
We step outside into the cold night air, and I see a black SUV waiting at the curb. The Enforcer shoves me toward it, and I stumble, falling to my knees.
“Get up,” he growls, the menace in his voice unmistakable.
I don’t move. I can’t. My body feels like it’s shutting down, my mind a whirlwind of fear and panic.
They’re going to take me. Just like they took Mom!
Oh, God… Mom…
Is this how she met her end? Did people like this take her? Hurt her? Worse…?
“I said get on your fucking feet, bitch,” the bastard behind me snarls. He shoves me roughly with a booted foot, and I sprawl forward awkwardly.
And then I hear it—a sound like the rush of wind. A low, guttural rumble. I look up… and stop breathing.
Something massive is swooping down from the sky, its wings blotting out the stars. I barely have time to register what’s happening before it’s on me, its massive talons gripping me around the waist.
I scream, my voice tearing through the night as I’m lifted off the ground. The wind blasts around me, and I look down to see the ground shrinking away with terrifying speed. Within moments, the city lights become a sparkling blanket bracketedby the glittering yellow lines of roads and highways. We’re so high up that it’s impossible to even pick out major landmarks. My stomach lurches, and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the terror.
When I open them again, I’m staring into the face of a monster.
Its iridescent scales gleam in the moonlight, each one the size of a dinner plate and rippling with an otherworldly sheen. Its eyes, vast amber orbs with vertical pupils that pulse and contract, burn with an intelligence that unnerves me almost as much as its massive jaws. Stretching wider than my arm span, its mouth is lined with rows of crystalline teeth—each one as long as my hand and glinting like forged steel. Its breath comes in smoky gusts that are hot and powerful against my skin, making my clothes flutter and my hair whip around my face.
Oh, my God! Oh, my fucking God!
I scream yet again. I keep screaming until my lungs burn, and I’m fighting for air. Until I’m lightheaded with it.
Until everything goes black.
Chapter 19
Caleb
The city shrinks beneath us as I carry Elena higher into the night sky, her unconscious form secure in my talons. Her scent—wild thunderstorm and rain—mingles with the crisp air at this altitude, stirring unfamiliar feelings in me. I hadn’t planned on revealing myself like this, but when I saw the Enforcer’s hands on her, something in me snapped.
The Syndicate. Of course it was the fucking Syndicate. Using Blackthorn as a front. The Enforcer doesn’t freelance for anyone—he’s their personal lapdog.
I bank toward the mountains, where I keep a secluded cabin for emergencies. It’s warded and protected—one of the few places I can be sure they won’t find us. Elena stirs in my grip, and I tighten my hold carefully, mindful of my claws. The last thing I need is for her to wake up mid-flight and start panicking.
The cabin comes into view, a dark silhouette against the moonlit forest. I circle once, checking for any signs of pursuit,before descending into the clearing. The moment my claws touch the ground, I feel the wards activate—a subtle ripple of ancient magic that shields us from prying eyes.
Gently, I lay Elena on the soft grass. The shift back to human form is quick but painful—bones realigning, scales retracting, wings folding into skin. It’s a reminder of how rarely I do this—shift into my dragon form. Dorian was right. I haven’t paid enough attention to my own happiness. I’ve lost touch with my true nature. The beast within me.
By the time I’m done, I’m breathing heavily, my skin slick with sweat. I grab the spare clothes I keep stashed in the cabin’s exterior lockbox and dress quickly.
