Page 70 of Born in Fire
Seattle is on fire. Literally.
The city skyline, which should be a postcard of lights against the night, is now a warzone. Flames lick the sides of skyscrapers, their reflections dancing in the blackened waters of Elliott Bay.
Dragons wheel through the air, massive forms silhouetted against the moon.Dragons. In plain sight. Flying over a major American city like it’s fucking medieval times.
“Oh, my fucking God.” I can’t keep the shock from my voice. “Look at them all.”
There must be a dozen, their wings blotting out stars as they circle our headquarters. Centuries of secrecy destroyed in a single night.
“This is insane,” Luke growls beside me, his hands already shifting, claws elongating. “They’re not even trying to hide anymore.”
“Because they don’t need to,” Serena replies grimly, holding up her phone. Multiple livestreams show the attack from different angles. “#DragonAttack is trending.”
My stomach drops as I follow her gaze to the screen. This is bad. This is extinction-level bad. Humans aren’t ready for us—they never have been.
“Fucking Mara,” I mutter, thinking of Elena’s tech-wizard friend. “If only she knew what she’d started with that bullshit of hers.”
Caleb curses, his expression taut with concern. I know he’s thinking of Elena, feeling her terror through their bond.
“We need to split up,” he says. “Luke, get to the Towers. Protect our people there. Dorian…”
But I’m not listening anymore. My gaze is fixed on Craven Towers, where three massive dragons are sweeping in ever-tightening circles. The lower floors are intact, but flames lick at the upper stories, black smoke billowing into the night.
The coffee shop. Juno’s coffee shop is on the ground floor.
And she’s in there!
The thought hits me hard enough to suck the air from my lungs. Ice floods my veins, followed by a wave of heat so intense my vision blurs at the edges. My dragon surges forward, protective instincts roaring to life with a ferocity that stuns me.
“Juno’s working tonight,” I say, surprised at how calm I sound because I feel like I’m speaking from a long distance away.
“Then go,” Caleb barks, reading my expression. He glances 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 is saying. “He’s always sworn they were as bad as our human enemies.”
“Well, he seems to have drawn them out.” My brother is staring up at the towers grimly. I’m staring too, dread unfurling as I feel my shift taking hold. Temperature rising, scales erupting. The transformation into my beast moving too slowly for my tautly strung nerves.
“Manipulated them,” says Lydia. “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.”
There’s another explosion as flames sear the top of the building, and rubble erupts from it. Much of it is already destroyed. My focus narrows to a single point: I need to get to Juno. Now.
“Be careful, brother,” I manage through barely human vocal cords, meeting Caleb’s eyes one last time. “This feels wrong.”
“Just go!” He shoves my shoulder.
I don’t need to be told twice. I break into a run, ducking into a nearby alley. The moment I’m hidden from human eyes, I let my dragon free.
The shift is exhilarating—bones cracking, muscles stretching, skin giving way to scales. My spine elongates, wings unfurling from my back with a satisfying snap. In seconds, I’m airborne, my powerful wings carrying me toward the Towers.
Two dragons immediately peel off from the circling group to intercept me.Fuck. They were waiting for us to show ourselves.
I don’t slow down. If anything, I accelerate, a roar building in my chest. They want a fight? I’ll give them a goddamn war.
The first dragon—slender, with copper scales—dives at me from above. I bank hard, twisting in midair to avoid its claws. As it passes, I lash out with my tail, catching it across the jaw. The impact sends it spinning, disoriented.
The second is more cautious, circling me warily. Its scales are a dull green, eyes glowing with malice.
Move! Or burn, motherfucker!
