Page 39 of Firedrake Betrayal
“Charmed cold iron,” Meliah says.
Atticus chained Dominik to stop him from escaping from his cell. For twenty years, it trapped him in his human form, leaving him as Atticus’s prisoner.
“What is cold iron?” I ask to distract myself from the damage that metal must be doing to Dad’s insides.
Dominik was going to tell me—or I was about to ask him—back in the compound, but we ran out of time. Asking him now comes with the possibility he will tell me the truth, or, more likely, lie to get what he wants: me back in New York.
“Iron that has never been worked with fire,” Dominik answers.
His expression is thoughtful as he stands in the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets. I’m surprised he made it to the doorway at all with how close Patten was to strangling him.
That might have something to do with the fact that behind Dominik, Shep is gripping Patten’s right arm as Patten glares at Dominik’s back. Isaiah is at the window, his expression distant as he studies Patten and Shep.
Dominik steps into the room. My eyes snap back to him and my muscles tense as he slowly approaches Dad’s other side.
Meliah’s gaze bounces from Dominik to me, likely reading my tension. “Is there a problem?”
Dominik doesn’t respond. He doesn’t seem to even notice her as he stops beside Dad and peers down at him. Despite the silver veins on Dad’s neck, Dominik’s expression is blank, as if there’s nothing unusual about a man with silver veins.
He rests his palm on Dad’s forehead for a beat before rubbing it on his pants. As if that brief touch alone hurt him. “Iron sickness. If Atticus had a witch charm it, it could do a lot of damage while it was inside him.”
“But how did Atticus…” My voice trails off when the answer hits me.
Atticus Chira came from a family of collectors, and one that had a fascination—or obsession—with all things firedrake. He learned enough to chain one. He must have learned how to kill one as well, making him even more dangerous than I believed he was before.
“It’s not safe to stay here,” Dominik warns me.
“Do you think he won’t just hunt us down wherever we go?” I ask. “You might not mind waiting for someone to attack you when you least expect it, but I do.”
When you stop being the hunter, you become the prey.I had years of Dad telling me that, and Atticus does not strike me as someone who would give up his obsession for anything. We have to stop him.Permanently.
When Dominik doesn’t respond, I refocus on Dad’s unconscious form. “Will he be okay?”
“The bolt splintered and tiny fragments spread. If I had gotten to him sooner, maybe it wouldn’t have been this bad, but I don’t know.” Meliah pulls up the pale blue sheet covering the grayish-silver veins running over Dad’s chest and neck. “The spell I’ve used is working, but it will take time.”
“How does it work?” I ask.
“The way doctors can use charcoal can stop a body from absorbing certain types of poison,” Meliah explains.
I look up at her now. Maybe because of the talk of spells, or because of the tiredness in her voice. “You said he asked about me?”
She nods. “I did. He woke briefly, looked around for you, and then fell asleep again. That he woke is a good sign. Means he’s healing.”
It looked like Shep, Patten, and Isaiah had slept at the dining table. Meliah doesn’t look like she slept at all. “How do you know so much about us, and why would you want to help?”
After Dominik’s betrayal that I didn’t see coming, I can’t help but wonder whether this help is going to end up costing me—or Dad—more than we want to give up.
She smiles. “I understand your suspicion, but there’s no need for it. I don’t mean your father any harm. Several years ago, he saved my life. If I can help save his, then I will.”
“But you knew who I was,” I say.
“He mentioned he had a daughter called Jade.”
My eyes pop. “Dadtoldyou about me?”
“He did.” She glances over her shoulder when Shep and Isaiah’s argument gets louder. “It’s not safe to keep him here.”
I rise from the edge of the bed, frowning. “What do you mean?”
