Page 18 of Surge of Heat

There’s one long sidewalk that leads to a tiny, solitary building. Beyond that, the fence that surrounds this place has stopped. What’s left behind is a cliff that overlooks the ocean. The view is honestly incredible.Hadn’t Evander told me about the view here?

My gut tightens and I feel that terrible emptiness inside of me. It’s not as painful now that Granger and Aydan are close to me, but when I even have a second to breathe, it’s all I can focus on. If Evander is dead, I feel like the sensation will never go away, and I have no idea how I’ll live with it.

“You okay?” Aydan asks me softly.

I nod.

He reaches up and wipes a tear from my face I hadn’t even known had fallen. He’s studying me, looking worried. I know he wants me to tell him what’s bothering me, but he won’t like me talking about Evander, so I just don’t say anything.

Dr. Tiro pauses on the sidewalk. “It’s this way.”

I avoid Aydan and Granger’s concerned glances and follow after the scientist until he leads me to the tiny building. There’s only one door with no handle. The only way I even know there’s a door in the side of the white, sleek metal structure is because of the light outline of it. Dr. Tiro waves the card on his neck in front of the door, and it beeps and opens. I look inside, confused.

“It’s an elevator,” he explains.

Okay. Weird, but alright.

We all load inside, and Dr. Tiro clicks 4 on the elevator. I note that it has level 1 through level 10.Ten underground levels?What the hell is this place?The doors shut and we go down until the door opens again, and we see a massive laboratory.

We all step inside and… stare. It’s obviously a lab designed for large animals, with huge cages in the back, and a bunch of testing equipment in the main part of the room. But to our surprise, Dr. Benjamin Williams, Doctor Hannah Abigail, Doctor Dean Griffin, and Doctor Henry Duncan are in the center of the room.

“How did they get all the way from the Phoenix Institute to here before us?” I ask in shock.

Our guide says, “They arrived just a couple of hours ago by chopper.”

The scientists come closer to us, looking excited but hesitant. Dr. Abigail, the woman I respect most in the world, and my wildlife teacher. Dr. Duncan, the very man that led us into that cavern that awakened the green dragon. Dr. Williams, the head of the Phoenix Institute. And Doctor Griffin, Aydan’s fire science teacher. It’s… bizarre to see them here.

Doctor Abigail clasps her hands together. “Samantha? You’re the dragon?”

I don’t know what to say. Specter Inc. already knows. I already told them, but it feels like a weird thing to admit out loud. Maybe even a dangerous thing. But denying it would only waste time right now.

“Yes.”

She smiles in triumph, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth becoming more prominent. “So, my theory that the dragons could be awakened in humans was correct.”

Is that why they had students at the institute? As human test subjects?I push the thought away but promise myself to ask about it again later.

“But that’s not all, right? There’s more you have to tell us,” Dr. Duncan says, studying me. His voice is low, perfectly fittingthe man who looks like a blond-haired dwarf, down to his long beard and stout figure.

I take a second to answer. “That’s correct. A green dragon appeared to have been slumbering under the surface of the cavern. An earthquake awakened him.”

Dr. Griffin snorts, drawing his large frame up taller. “Well, which was it, lady? Do humans shift into dragons or are there just sleeping dragons under the earth?”

“Both,” I say.

Instantly, a gut feeling hits me. I don’t like Dr. Griffin. Something about him before made me think he was just relaxed and fun, but I also remember him mocking Dr. Duncan. This guy… he’s not a nice guy. He’s just good at pretending to be one.

Dr. Williams runs a hand over his bald head, looking lost. “None of our theories involved both ways being correct. This changes so many things.” Shoving his glasses up his nose, he reaches for me, grabbing my wrist. “We need to get the tests started immediately.”

Aydan pulls his hand off of me. “Don’t fucking put your hands on her.”

Tension suddenly sings between us and the scientists, crackling in the air like lightning. I eye each of them for a minute, trying to decide what intentions they have for me. Can I trust them? I thought I could at least trust Dr. Abigail and Dr. Duncan, but I don’t really know for sure. Dr. Duncanwasfighting with the head of the Phoenix Institute about something being dangerous. Maybe he suspected something like this would happen? But, even if he did, he seemed to be in the camp to protect people, so who knows who I can trust?

“I’m a person,” I tell them slowly. “Not a science experiment.”

Dr. Williams glares. “But surely you understand the many benefits you offer as the first dragon test subject.”

“Smooth,” Dr. Abigail says, shooting him a dirty look before giving me a gentler one. “You’re absolutely a person and not a science experiment. Dr. Williams simply has all the tact of a cat in heat. Sam, you’re never going to have to do anything you don’t want to do here. You can come and go as you please. You are not just a test subject to us. However, with your permission, there are certain tests we’d like to conduct, both for scientific purposes and for the well-being of the world.”

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