Page 117 of Born in Fire
Trap. Creed. Betrayed. Shard.
I don’t know if he receives it. The Shard’s energy overwhelms everything, driving into my mind like icy needles.
“Don’t worry,” Creed says conversationally. “We don’t want to kill you. You’re much more valuable as bait.”
“Bait?” I narrow my eyes, my breath hissing through my teeth.
“But of course. Your brother needs a compelling reason to hand over the Stone.”
“Caleb won’t trade the Heartstone for me,” I growl. It doesn’t hurt to say it; we’d both lay down our lives to see that the Stone doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
“We’ll see.” Creed nods to his followers. “Bring him. We have a special place prepared.”
They drag me through tunnels, my resistance earning brutal efficiency. A blow to the head leaves me dazed, awareness fading in and out. I’m vaguely conscious of ascending, the damp underground giving way to cooler air. Blood trails behind me in a smeared crimson swathe—my blood from wounds that won’t heal properly while bound in dragon-forged chains.
When clarity returns, I’m outside, in what appears to be a construction site adjacent to Craven Towers. The night sky stretches above, stars obscured by city light. I’m surrounded by Syndicate dragons—some fully shifted, others in partial form.
Creed stands before me, the Shard glowing in his hand. “Your brother will come for you,” he says. “And he’ll bring the Heartstone to save you and his precious witch.”
“You’ve miscalculated,” I say, voice rough with pain. “Caleb’s duty to the clan comes first. He’ll come… to end you.”
“Perhaps.” Creed gestures to his followers. “But we’ve added insurance.”
The dragons move in perfect synchronization, inhaling deeply. As one, they exhale—not just fire, but something hotter. Flames erupt in a perfect circle around me, a barrier of fire that no human could survive.
The heat is intense but not unbearable to dragon physiology. It’s not meant to harm me—it’s meant to contain me. And to keep rescuers at bay.
I grit my teeth as I strain against the bonds holding me, but I know it’s pointless. I’m not getting out of here… not alive, at any rate.
“It’s only a matter of time now,” Creed says. “Soon, the only Cravens left will be the ones who join our order.”
“Not going to happen, fucker,” I bite out. I narrow my eyes; he’s swimming in and out of focus. I blink hard and lookaway. And then I see it. Through the wavering flames, there’s movement at the perimeter. A small figure approaching with determined steps.
No. Impossible.
“Juno!” I choke out, struggling uselessly against the chains. “Stay back!”
She doesn’t stop. Her face is visible now through the fire, set in lines of fierce determination. She looks directly at me, then at the wall of flame.
And steps forward.
“NO!” I scream, lunging against my restraints, blood slicking my wrists as I use the last of my strength to try to reach her.
Juno walks into the fire.
For one terrible moment, I think I’ll watch her die a second time. Then something extraordinary happens.
The flames don’t consume her—they embrace her. Fire curls around her body like a living thing, responding to her presence. Her skin begins to glow from within, illuminating her delicate features.
Creed turns, sensing the disturbance. His eyes widen in shock. “What the—?”
Light explodes outward, blinding in its intensity. Through squinted eyes, I see Juno at its center, her body transforming in ways I’ve never witnessed. Not dragon—something else entirely.
Something ancient. Something reborn.
Something that walks through fire unharmed.
I continue to stare as her features grow finer, her skin sprouts feathers, and wings extend. And one defining word springs into my head:
