Page 83 of Fated By Fire
Somewhere in the distance, I hear shouts and the crash of metal, but it all feels distant, drowned out by the pounding of my heart and the strange, ancient power stirring within me.
We’re heading into a war, and Malakai is planning to use me as a weapon.
Chapter 30
Caleb
Seattle erupts into mayhem above us as we emerge from the underground chambers. The city skyline, once a glittering testament to human ingenuity, is now a warzone. Flames lick the sides of skyscrapers, their reflections dancing in the blackened waters of Elliott Bay.
The cacophony of sirens, screams, and the distant roar of dragons fills the air. Our underground world, a relic of our secretive existence, feels like a distant memory as we step into the nightmare above.
Dragons wheel through the night sky, their massive forms silhouetted against the city lights. The sight is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Each beat of their wings sends tremors through the air, and their scales glint like shards of obsidian under the moon. The Syndicate has launched a full assault on Craven Tower, and the sight of their scaled bodies sends ice through my veins.
“Oh, my fucking God,” Dorian breathes beside me, his voice uncharacteristically shaky. “Look at them all.”
He’s right. There must be dozens up there, their wings blocking out the stars as they circle our headquarters. Centuries of secrecy destroyed in a single night. I clench my fists, feeling the scales beneath my skin ripple in response to the threat.
“This is insane,” Luke growls, his hands already shifting, claws elongating as his body prepares for the fight. “They’re not even trying to hide anymore.”
“Because they don’t need to,” Serena says grimly, her expression dark as she holds up her phone. The screen glows with dozens of livestreams, each showing the chaos from different angles. “Social media’s already lit up. Look. #DragonAttack is trending.”
“Fucking Mara,” Dorian mutters, his jaw tight. “If only she knew what she’d started with that bullshit of hers.”
I curse under my breath, my thoughts consumed by Elena. Through the bond, I can feel her terror pulsing stronger, a frantic rhythm in my chest. She’s close. Too close to all this danger.
“We need to split up,” I tell them, my voice tight with urgency. “Luke, get to the Towers. Protect our people there. Dorian…” I turn to my brother, but he’s already staring at Craven Towers, where three massive dragons circle like vultures waiting for their prey.
“Juno’s working tonight,” he says quietly, his usual swagger gone, replaced by something I’ve never seen in him before—raw fear.
I study him for a moment, a flicker of surprise cutting through the tension. Could it be that this woman means something to him? Fuck. It would be a first. But I don’t have time to think about it right now.
“Then go,” I bark, my voice sharp. I glance around at the others. “The rest of you, with me. We need to assume Malakai orchestrated this whole thing.”
“But he’s not with the Syndicate,” Daniel says again, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “He’s always sworn they were as bad as our human enemies.”
“Well, he seems to have drawn them out,” I reply, my gaze fixed on the sky above. I can feel the menace of their presence, the threat they pose.
“Manipulated them,” Lydia breathes the words, her eyes narrowing. “Brought them out to give us a fight, so he’d be free to put his true plan into action. The old fucker is smart. I’ll give him that much.”
A blast of flames hits the top of the Towers, and rubble explodes from the side of the building. My office has probably been obliterated. Fuck. Sloane better be out of there. But knowing her, she’s already made a plan.
Dorian hesitates, his eyes meeting mine. “Be careful, brother. This feels wrong.”
“Just go!” I shove his shoulder.
He breaks into a run, ducking into a nearby alley. Moments later, a massive dark shape launches into the sky, wings spread wide as he soars toward the skyscraper that houses the headquarters of our empire. Two of the circling dragons immediately peel off to intercept him.
“Shit,” Luke mutters, watching the scene unfold. “They were waiting for us to show ourselves.”
“Of course they were,” I respond as I watch my brother soar into the sky, followed closely by several of Lydia’s followers. “This wasn’t staged simply to create a light show.”
“This way,” Daniel says urgently, gesturing toward a service entrance. “There’s a way in through the old service ways.”
“Can we trust him?” Serena asks quietly as we follow him into a darkened doorway, her voice almost inaudible over the insanity outside.
“We don’t have a choice,” I reply, though the question has been nagging at me too. I’m ignoring it, though. The mate bond throbs in my chest, growing stronger with each step.
She’s here. Close. And she’s terrified.
