Page 122 of Born in Fire

“What do you think? Silly!” I swat his arm.

He puts a hand to his chest in mock relief. “Thank God. Because we have a lifetime of loving ahead of us. And dragons live a really long time. You know that, right? Are you up for that?” A flash of concern colors his expression.

I smile back at him. “Dorian, we just learned that I’m a phoenix. And I’m pretty sure we live forever.”

“Forever?” he says.

“Yep. Think you can cope with me for that long?” I tilt my head.

The smile he gives me is radiant. “Yeah.” He kisses me. “Yeah, I think that might just be a good start.”

His lips are warm and soft against mine, and my heart swells as I lose myself to that kiss… because I know that I’m going to need a million answers to a million questions before I truly understand just who and what I am. But I’m pretty sure that I’ll find my path with this man at my side.

And I can’t imagine anything I’d love more.

Chapter 37

Dorian

The mate bond thrums between us, a constant warmth in my chest as Juno and I make our way to the kitchen where Caleb waits. She’s wearing one of my brother’s guest robes, the silk making soft sounds as she moves. Even in borrowed clothing, she carries herself differently now—more certain, more powerful. Subtle golden light seems to emanate from her skin, barely noticeable unless you know to look for it.

The kitchen smells of fresh coffee, the aroma soothing after the supernatural intensity of the past hour. Caleb stands at the counter, his back rigid with tension as he pours four mugs. Elena sits at the dining table beyond, surrounded by maps and documents, her dark hair falling forward as she studies something intently.

“Well?” Caleb asks without turning, his tone deliberately neutral. “Care to explain why the Heartstone nearly blew out every window in the building?”

I clear my throat. “Juno and I have completed the mate bond.”

That gets his attention. He turns, eyebrows rising as he takes in our matching marks, already healed to silvery scars. “About damn time.”

Elena’s head snaps up, a genuine smile breaking through her exhaustion. “Congratulations! Both Craven twins mated—who’d have thought?”

“Not me,” Caleb mutters, but there’s warmth beneath his gruffness. He hands us each a coffee, gesturing toward the table. “Now, can we discuss the actual crisis at hand?”

We settle around the table, Juno naturally gravitating to my side. Under the table, her knee presses against mine, the contact sending pleasant ripples through our new bond.

“What happened back there?” I ask, noting the fresh cuts on my brother’s knuckles, the tension in his jaw.

“Found Elena in the old merchant district tunnels,” Caleb says, voice clipped. “Minimal resistance. I imagine the bulk of their power was centered around you.” His fingers tighten around his mug. “Mara’s already working on a cover story in case anyone spotted anything… unusual during the extraction.”

I nod, then share my own capture—Serena’s betrayal, Alastair’s arrival with the Shard, telling me that they planned to use me as leverage to get Caleb to hand over the Heartstone. My brother laughs darkly at that, though I don’t take offense, carrying on with my story. Juno’s hand finds mine as I describe being chained and dragged to the construction site.

“I would have died there if it weren’t for Juno.” I raise her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “She walked through fire to save me. Blew them all away.”

“And I’d do it again,” she reminds me, our eyes locked.

“Wait a bit,” Caleb interrupts. “Walked through fire?”

“She’s a phoenix,” I say simply. The words feel right, explaining everything from her rebirth to her power over flame.

Elena’s eyes widen. “But phoenixes are myths. Legends.”

“So are dragons, to most people,” Juno points out. “And witches.” Her fingers trace patterns on the table’s surface, leaving faint trails of light that fade quickly.

“Fair point,” Elena concedes.

“Fuck.” Caleb is looking at Juno thoughtfully. “A phoenix. You don’t see those every day.”

“You don’t see themever,” I correct him. “Juno is amazing. A miracle.” I feel my heart go warm again and press another kiss to the back of her hand. “I love you,” I murmur to her.