Page 104 of Born in Fire

“What happened to me?” I whisper. “What was that?”

He hesitates, choosing his words carefully. “It sounds like a vision. A glimpse of something that might happen.”

“A vision?” I clutch the blanket tighter. “How is that possible?”

“The same way this is possible,” he says gently, gesturing to the space between us. “The same way your return from death is possible. There are things in this world beyond conventional understanding.”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Tell me. All of it.”

He sighs, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I’m not human, Juno. Not entirely.” His eyes meet mine, steady and serious. “I’m a dragon shifter. My brother, too. Our clan has existed for centuries, protecting our kind and the artifacts that give us power.”

I should be shocked. Terrified, even. But something in me accepts his words as if I’d always known them.

“The creatures in your vision,” he continues, “were likely dragons too. Enemies of our clan.”

“Enemies,” I repeat, shuddering as I remember the wide smear of blood he’d left as they dragged him.

“Yes.” He heaves a breath. “Our world is… complicated. There are factions. Our clan has been at war for as long as I can remember.”

I frown. “But why?”

He shakes his head. “Different forces looking for power, I guess. There’s the Syndicate, which is made up of dragons who have lost their clans over time—generally through war, betrayal, or extinction—they’ve been trying to reclaim territory and power by infiltrating and dismantling existing clans. And the Circle of Fire, which is made up of traditionalists who want to go back to the old ways.”

“The old ways?” I tilt my head.

He gives a nod. “There was a time when dragons ruled the world. Humans along with it. Some of them did this ruthlessly. Through fear.”

“Like… like the old stories?” I have a sudden flash of childhood storybooks. “Fire-breathing dragons and stuff like that?”

“Pretty much.” He glances away, then back at me.

“And they want to do that again? Dominate mankind?” My eyes are wide.

“Not all of us.” He shakes his head. “We’re not all like that, Juno. In fact, very few are. We’ve kept to ourselves for hundreds of years. It’s been good that way. Making ourselves known to humanity would only expose us, change the world we’ve created. Risk bloodshed. We don’t want that.”

“So you’ve stayed hidden. Secret.” I press my lips together. “Nobody knows about you. Even me.”

He studies me with renewed intensity. “Before the attack, before you died, you had just learned what I am. We hadn’t been together long, but I told you everything. I couldn’t keep lying to you.”

“How did I take it?” I ask.

A smile touches his lips. “Better than I deserved. You were disbelieving at first, but you weren’t afraid. You never feared me. In fact, you seemed to like the idea.”

“I’m not afraid now either,” I realize, the truth of it settling into my bones.

“You should be,” he says softly. “My world is dangerous. It got you killed once already.”

I reach for his hand, needing the connection. “Yet here I am.”

“Here you are.” His fingers tighten around mine. “A miracle I still don’t understand.”

“What was the crystal in my vision?”

His expression darkens. “Part of an artifact called the Heartstone. It’s the source of our clan’s power but also our greatest vulnerability. A piece broke off centuries ago—the Shard. In the wrong hands, it could be used to control dragons. Even kill them.”

“They were using it on you,” I whisper, the image still vivid. “You were in pain.”

“It was just a vision,” he says, though uncertainty flickers in his eyes. “Not necessarily what will happen.”

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