Page 97 of Forged in Fire
“On the contrary.” Vex gestures to the surrounding operatives, who move to flank my position. “Everything requires his absolute cooperation. And yours.”
The circle of soldiers closes around me before I can react. Not to kill—to capture. Binding spells designed specifically forshadow magic, restraints that cut me off from the darkness that’s defined me since childhood.
Pain shoots through my nervous system as the bindings lock into place. It’s like losing a sense, like being struck blind and deaf simultaneously.
The moment the wards snap into place around me, something in my chest explodes.
Not pain—connection. Raw, overwhelming, impossible connection that makes every nerve ending catch fire. My heart hammers against my ribs so hard I can’t breathe, can’t focus, can’t do anything except feel Riven’s absolute terror as he realizes I’m trapped.
His terror. Not my own. His emotions flooding through me like they belong in my veins.
“No!” Riven’s roar echoes across the chamber, but I feel it from the inside too. Feel his rage and desperation and the way his dragon fire builds to levels that could melt steel.
Mate bond.
The words slam into me with terrifying certainty. That’s what this is—the connection every dragon dreams of and fears in equal measure. The recognition that goes deeper than choice, deeper than logic, deeper than everything I thought I knew about myself.
My chest burns like someone carved out my heart and replaced it with molten metal. Every breath tastes of smoke and fury—his smoke, his fury, bleeding through a bond I never saw coming. Why didn’t I see it coming? Everything has been pointing to it.
“Impossible,” I breathe, but even as I say it, I know it’s not. Dragon and dragon-touched. Unconventional but not impossible.
“Take her to the secondary circle,” Vex commands, clearly ready for my arrival. “She’ll speed things up.” He looks aroundus, seemingly calculating how much time he has before the attackers arrive.
They drag me toward a smaller ritual space carved into the chamber wall, and every step away from Riven feels like tearing flesh from bone. The mate bond stretches between us, singing with pain and promise and absolute certainty that we belong together.
Ancient symbols pulse with recognition as they sense my ancestry. The same bloodline that makes Kieran valuable as a conduit—traces of connection to power that’s slept here for four centuries.
Behind me, combat intensifies as Circle forces press deeper into Syndicate territory. The air crackles with magic. Blood-curdling growls tell me some are tapping into their dragon powers. And through it all, I can sense Riven like he’s part of my soul. Feel his rage and frustration as he fights toward me. He’ll die trying to reach me. I sense that too, as clearly as if it’s my own thought.
This changes everything. The bond, the recognition, the way his desperation feeds my strength—I’m not the same person who walked into this mountain. And I never even realized what was happening.
God, you’re such an idiot, Iris!
“I’ll let you have your powers back if you tap into the circle, Iris,” Vex instructs me. I stare at him in horror, realizing he expects me to channel my shadows into the ritual.
“Go to hell!” I snarl back at him. “I’ll die first.”
Vex produces a ceremonial dagger, its blade gleaming with dark enchantments. “Your cooperation, Miss Asguard, or your brother loses his hand. Slowly.”
“No!” I strain against the bindings, desperate to protect Kieran, to tear this bastard apart. But I’m helpless against the wards.
“Please,” I say desperately, hating myself for the word. “Don’t hurt him.”
But something in Kieran’s face stops me from surrendering completely. His eyes—they’re not the cold, calculating stare from the compound. There’s pain there. Desperation. And beneath the Syndicate conditioning, something that looks like…
Warning.
Ember’s words echo in my memory:I’m sorry. He says ‘I’m sorry.’
Kieran’s power continues flowing into the ritual circle, feeding the ancient magic that pulses through the chamber. But his gaze flicks toward something behind Vex—a slight movement, barely perceptible.
A message.
“I won’t—” I start to refuse, and Vex raises the dagger.
The chamber explodes into madness as Circle forces breach the ritual space, dragon fire erupting from multiple directions at once.
“Stop them!” Vex roars at his guards. “Another minute. We need more time.” He spins to face me. “Do as I say, bitch!”
