Page 61 of Born in Fire
“Oh, you have no idea,” I scoff.
“I can show you evidence, if that would help.” He tilts his head, completely serious.
Now this I gotta see.
“Please do.” I try not to roll my eyes.
He retrieves his phone, pulling up a video. “This video has been doing the rounds on social media. It’s of… Well, see for yourself.”
I take the phone, watching grainy nighttime footage of what appears to be winged shapes circling the top of a skyscraper. The forms are indistinct, could be large birds or drones.
“This is a TikTok video, Dorian.” I set my jaw. “What do you take me for? Some kind of idiot?”
“Of course not.” His chest heaves as he exhales. “But it’s been circulating after someone found out about us.”
“This proves nothing,” I say, though something in my throat tightens at the sight. “Could be digital manipulation.”
“Fair enough.” He takes back the phone, scrolling to another video. “This went viral briefly before we contained it. A woman named Mara Jones captured it on her phone.”
This footage is still grainy, but it’s accompanied by a voiceover telling of an actual encounter with a dragon.
I hand back the phone. “Still not conclusive. That could be just another nutjob.”
Dorian studies me for a long moment, then stands, one hand on his hip, the other rubbing the back of his neck.
“Words and videos aren’t going to be enough, are they?”
“No,” I admit. “They’re not.”
He scrubs a hand over his face, then rolls his shoulders as if he’s made some sort of decision.
“Fine.” He moves to the center of the room, creating distance between us. “What I’m about to show you—this isn’t something we reveal to humans. Ever. There are ancient laws against it, punishable by exile or worse.”
The gravity in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. “Then why show me?”
“Because you’ve already seen too much to dismiss and not enough to understand.” His eyes hold mine. “And because I can’tbear the thought of you believing I’m manipulating you like he did.”
The reference to Tyler stings, but I shove it away. This isn’t about him now.
“Show me,” I say quietly.
“Don’t be afraid.” He takes a deep breath. “I would never hurt you.”
“Sure,” I say, skepticism coloring the word.
What happens next defies everything I thought I knew about reality. Dorian’s eyes begin to glow from within, the same eerie light I witnessed during his confrontation with Tyler. His skin shifts subtly, a ripple passing over his forearms as scales emerge—burnished gold and copper catching the light. Heat radiates from him in almost visible waves, warming my face despite the distance between us.
I should be terrified. I should be running for the door, calling for help, questioning my sanity.
But I don’t.
Instead, I rise slowly from the couch, almost drawn toward him by something I can’t explain. My heart races, but not from fear—from a strange, inexplicable recognition. As if some part of me has been waiting to see this, to confirm what I somehow already knew.
My eyes widen as his chest seems to expand, his shoulders filling out until the fabric of his shirt rips, the crisp cotton falling away to reveal more scaled skin beneath it.
Scales. Honest-to-God scales!
“Holy shit,” I whisper, my hand hovering near my mouth. “Holy fucking shit!”
