Page 79 of Born in Fire
“Your pain is valid, Dorian,” she says after a measured pause. “And justice will come. But first, we must ensure our kind survives this exposure. Then we hunt.”
I want to argue, to rage, to transform right here and burn this sterile room to cinder. Instead, I clench my fists until my knuckles turn white, my dragon ring cutting into my flesh.
“Fine,” I growl. “What’s the plan?”
Caleb taps a command on his tablet, changing the main display to show social media analytics.
“Current situation: We have approximately thirty-seven confirmed videos of dragon sightings during the attack. Facial recognition has identified forty-three Craven Industries employees who were present and witnessed supernatural elements. The building’s security systems were compromised, giving us limited control over internal footage.”
“Traditional methods are still viable,” Luke interjects. “Media suppression, political leverage—”
“This isn’t 1950, Luke,” Elena interrupts, earning a glare from the traditionalist. “We can’t just call a newspaper editor and kill a story anymore. Once something hits social media, it exists forever in some form.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Luke challenges. “Allow centuries of secrecy to end because of modern inconveniences?”
I tune out their bickering, my attention caught by security footage playing on a smaller screen. The lobby of Craven Towers during the attack—chaos, debris, smoke. A glimpse of the coffee shop where Juno worked. The counter where she stood every day, now crushed under concrete and steel.
My vision blurs red. Something inside me cracks, dragon heat leaking through. The conference table begins to smoke where my hands rest.
“—need a different approach entirely,” Elena is saying as I force my attention back to the room. “Someone who understands viral media and how to manipulate it.”
“You’re not suggesting—” Caleb begins.
“Mara,” Elena confirms. “She created this dragon conspiracy theory online before she knew what she was getting into. She understands how to work within that world.”
“Absolutely not!” Luke stands, indignation radiating from him. “Another human with conspiracy theories? This is exactly the kind of modern nonsense that—”
“Call her,” I interrupt, surprising everyone, including myself. “If she can help us resolve this faster, then we can focus on what matters—finding those responsible for the attack.”
“But she’s the one who fucking started this shit,” Luke blisters.
“Then let her finish it,” I tell him.
Caleb studies me for a moment, then nods. “Elena, make the call.”
While Elena steps aside to contact Mara and explain the situation, I move to the window overlooking the city. Seattlecontinues its normal rhythm below, oblivious to the war that’s begun. Somewhere out there, Malakai is planning his next move. The thought makes my blood boil, dragon fire rising in my throat.
“We’ll find them,” Caleb says quietly, joining me at the window. “And they’ll pay for what they’ve done.”
“The question is, will they pay enough?” I respond flatly.
“Dorian.” His voice softens. “I know what Juno meant to you.”
“Do you?” I turn to face him. “Do you really understand what it’s like to find your other half only to lose her before—” I stop, the words catching in my throat.
Before what?
Before we got married and got the house with the white picket fence? I’m a fucking dragon. Any future with me would be mired in violence.
Fire. Destruction. Death. This is the world we inhabit. It’s not fit for humans. Juno learned that the hard way.
Before Caleb can respond, the doors open to admit a whirlwind of electric blue hair and clashing patterns. Mara Jones arrives like a color explosion in the somber room, multiple devices clutched in her arms, a backpack slung over one shoulder.
“Holy shit, you guys are in deep trouble,” she announces without preamble, dumping her technology onto the conference table. “Have you seen Twitter? Reddit’s dragon forums have exploded. There are three separate YouTube channels doing frame-by-frame analysis of the footage.”
Luke physically recoils from her presence, his expression suggesting she’s tracking mud on sacred ground. Lydia, by contrast, watches with undisguised fascination.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Elena says, resuming her seat as Mara plugs in various devices.
