Page 75 of Born in Fire

Lydia considers her for a second, then continues, “The bond is forged. The Stone accepts her. But loyalty must be earned.” When she slides our ritual dagger toward the woman, I watch with something bordering on interest.

My brother growls, but his mate stops him.

“It’s fine,” she says, picking up the blade. Her jaw tightens but she gives no other indication of the heat that must be coming off the hard steel. It’s dragon-forged, made to burn. “What’s the play? Blood oath? Trial by combat? Tea ceremony?”

“A simple question,” Lydia says. “Why do you fight?”

The room falls silent, all eyes on this human woman who’s somehow inserted herself into our world. Into my brother’s soul.

“Because someone has to burn the rot away,” Elena answers.

Blunt. Brave. Something in my dead heart twitches in recognition.

With a nod, Lydia instructs her to put blood onto the Heartstone. The pair had taken it from the chamber when Caleb saved Elena from Malakai, and now they seem reluctant to let it out of their sight, bringing it with them to this meeting. Without hesitating, the female slices a cut across her palm, allowing blood to stream onto the crystal.

And the Stone reacts.

Light flares, blinding and intense. Images shimmer in the smoke—ancient battles, fractured crystals.

Elena’s eyes widen with shock, and she gasps, jerking away from the Stone. “What the hell was that?”

Caleb looks ready to go to war at the sight of his mate showing signs of distress, but I cock my head, interest piqued.

“What?” Luke presses her.

“I saw… I saw…” She swallows hard. “It cracked.” She stares at the Heartstone and then back at Caleb.

She saw it crack?

Interesting.

How could she possibly know that?

The energy in the room shifts, tightens.

“She has the gift of sight,” someone whispers from among the group.

“The Lost Shard,” Lydia confirms, her face grave. “A fragment split during the First War. Its location died with Lyria.”

Caleb steps closer to Elena. “But now?”

“We know Malakai’s attack wasn’t random. He soughther.” Lydia nods at Elena.

“When we faced him last night before he ran away, he said the Heartstone wasn’t the only source of power,” Elena says.

“He’ll want the Shard, too,” Lydia says.

“So we find it first,” Elena says with that naive human confidence.

“We?” I say from the shadows, feeling every eye turn to me. Let them see what grief looks like on a dragon. Let them see what’s coming for our enemies. “Bold words for a rookie.”

“Dorian…” Caleb warns. I shrug at him, waiting for more fall-out, but it doesn’t come. I guess I get a special pass today. He addresses the others, “If he’s hunting the Shard, it’s already in play.”

“Then I’ll find it,” I say, the words burning in my throat like venom.

Lydia arches a brow. “Alone?”

“Watch me.” I push off the wall, shoulders tight with purpose. “I owe her that much.”

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