Page 98 of Born in Fire

“I don’t need to be taken care of,” I hear myself saying. “I can look after myself.” My chin is raised as I lock eyes with Caleb, who is glowering.

“You arrive here barefoot and half-naked with no idea of who you are, and you expect us to believe you’re not some kind of liability?”

“Caleb!” Elena says sharply. Beside me, Dorian’s shoulders tense, and his biceps bunch. I put a hand on his arm.

“I took care of myself when Tyler found me,” I say firmly. I’m growing increasingly certain that he was not a good person. It goes some way toward easing the guilt of what I did.

Dorian glances at me sharply. “Tyler?”

“He knew me. Said I belonged to him.” My stomach turns at the memory. “He tried to take me. I got angry. There was light, and then…” I look at my hands. “He was gone.”

The room goes silent.

“Who’s Tyler?” Elena asks.

“Her ex-boyfriend,” Dorian says, his voice clipped. “Fucking asshole. He was stalking her.”

I shrug. “I don’t remember him being my boyfriend. I just remember his hands on me. And then I made him disappear.” I don’t know much about myself, but I am certain of one thing: trying to hurt me is a mistake.

“You killed Tyler?” Dorian’s voice is carefully neutral, but something like satisfaction flickers in his eyes.

“I think so.” I frown. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted him to stop touching me, and then there was this heat inside me, and…” I trail off, remembering the shock on Tyler’s face as he disintegrated.

Caleb steps forward. “Show us.”

“Caleb,” Dorian warns.

“If she killed a man with some kind of power, we need to know what we’re dealing with,” Caleb says.

“I don’t know how I did it,” I admit. “It just happened.”

“Try,” Elena suggests gently. “What did you feel before it happened?”

I close my eyes, remembering Tyler’s cruel smile, his fingers digging into my arm. The rage that built inside me, different from normal anger—hotter, brighter.

“Heat,” I murmur. “Like something burning under my skin.”

I open my eyes, looking at my palm. Focus on that feeling—the spark of defiance, the need to protect myself.

For a moment, nothing happens. Then heat rushes through me, flowing down my arm into my hand. A small flame appears, dancing above my palm.

I gasp, nearly extinguishing it in my surprise. The flame wavers, then steadies, casting golden light across my face.

“Holy shit,” Elena whispers.

Dorian stares, wonder replacing concern. Caleb takes an involuntary step back.

“I don’t understand,” I say, watching the flame dance. There’s silence from the others as the flame grows brighter, responding to my emotions. I should be terrified. Instead, I feel… right. Complete in a way I haven’t since waking in the forest.

“She’s not human,” Caleb says quietly. “At least, not entirely.”

“Then what?” says Elena.

“She’s Juno.” Dorian moves closer. “That’s all that matters.”

“That’s not all that matters, Dorian,” Caleb says coldly. “We need to understand this. She could be dangerous.”

“Says the dragon,” Elena counters.

---