Page 92 of Fated By Fire
“When we faced him last night before he ran away, he said the Heartstone wasn’t the only source of power,” I recall.
“He’ll want the shard too.” Lydia nods thoughtfully.
“So, we find it first,” I say.
“We?” Dorian speaks up from the shadows. We all turn. He leans against the doorframe. There’s an indigo scarf knotted around his neck that’s at odds with the rest of his appearance.His eyes are hollow, haunted, but his jaw is set with determination. “Bold words for a rookie,” he says.
“Dorian…” Caleb warns, but his brother just shrugs. “If he’s hunting the shard, it’s already in play,” adds Caleb.
“Then I’ll find it,” says Dorian.
Lydia arches a brow. “Alone?”
“Watch me,” Dorian says, pushing off the wall. “I owe her that much.”
There’s no doubt in my mind of who he’s talking about, and my heart aches for him.
Lydia dips her head. “The Shard answers to Rossewyn blood. It will call to you, Elena. But Malakai’s spies will, too.” She shares a look between me, Caleb, and Dorian. “This task will rest upon the three of you.” She raises a hand when Dorian opens his mouth to object. “It’s too important for your ego to take hold here, Dorian.” Her smile softens her words. He gives a curt nod, though I’m sure the argument is far from over.
I try not to shift from foot to foot as I feel the eyes of the elders upon me. I’ve passed this test; I can feel that. But I know there will be more. I’ve survived the past twenty-four hours through sheer luck… and the love of a man who seems almost too good to be true.
“I’m not sure I know what to do with my power,” I admit quietly, because, for God’s sake, it needs to be said.
“You will learn.” Lydia smiles. “We will show you. And let’s face it; it’s in your genes.” She finally rises and reaches for my bleeding hand. I give it willingly. “Welcome to the clan, Rossewyn. Try not to burn it down.”
Caleb smirks, his voice dripping with pride. “Too late.”
***
Elena
Later, we stand on Craven Tower’s shattered roof, the city sprawling beneath us like a wounded beast. The Heartstone shard warms my palm, its pulse syncing with Caleb’s heartbeat. The building has weathered a firestorm, but we’re not afraid to be up here. Why would we be? We’ve faced far worse and come through it. Besides, my boyfriend’s a dragon.
“They accepted me,” I say, my voice carrying on the wind. “Kind of.”
“They’re terrified of you,” he corrects, nuzzling my hair. “Smart move.”
I lean into him, breathing in his familiar smoky scent. “This shard… You think Malakai has it?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Caleb murmurs, his lips brushing my ear. “We’ve got this one.” He pauses, his voice softening. “And I’ve got you.”
“Cheesy,” I mutter, but I’m smiling.
The wind shifts, carrying the faint scent of rain and ash. The Heartstone flares, casting our shadows across the skyline. A dragon, a witch, and a legacy too stubborn to die.
I squeeze Caleb’s hand, my resolve hardening. “Let them come.”
He laughs, and for once, it’s bright, unburdened. “Oh, they will.”
The Next Chapter
Dorian
The forest is too quiet. No owls. No fucking crickets. Just the creak of pines bending under the weight of this goddamn rain and the crunch of pine needles under my boots. I stare at the pyre, its cedar logs stacked too neatly, toodignified, like a shrine for someone who deserved better than a dragon’s send-off.
Juno lies on top, wrapped in linen the color of cream. The clan says it’s traditional. Bullshit.Shehated white—said it reminded her of sterile hospitals and stale coffee filters. She hated hospitals. Too much connection to the night she lost her parents. She’d have picked red. Blood-red, bold and unapologetic, just like her shitty latte art.
But no one asked me. I simply had to be grateful that they allowed this ceremony at all.
