by Zoe Chant
Driven by an urge she couldn't understand or control, Alyx reached out.
She couldn't say why she did it; she just knew that she needed to touch. She needed to understand, to feel for herself that what he'd claimed was true.
That he was fire—but that he wouldn't hurt.
As soon as her palm rested on the bare skin of his wrist, she felt it like an electric shock. Heat rushed through her, so much that she felt dizzy.
But instead of letting go, she clenched her fingers around his wrist—and there, she saw, flames were dancing now.
Flames were dancing on his skin, rising everywhere they touched. And they didn't hurt. They enveloped her own hand, and Alyx felt nothing more than comforting heat.
Intrigued, she let go of his wrist at last, curiously moving her fingers. The flames moved with her, not hurting, not burning, like ribbons of orange-red silk trailing from her fingers.
“Well, well,” Zena murmured.
At the reminder that they weren't alone, Alyx flinched. A heartbeat later, the flames were gone.
Her hand looked as it always had. There was no redness, no burns.
Had it all been an illusion? But she remembered feeling the fire—it just hadn't burned her.
Braeden looked a little wary as he met Zena's gaze, and the firebird in turn looked strangely unsettled.
Alyx hadn't ever seen her lose her composure before. But now, Zena looked back and forth between them, frowning, as if she'd just come to a conclusion that confused her.
“Are you—” Zena began.
“No time for this now,” Braeden said hastily.
He didn't meet Alyx's eyes. What had Zena been about to say? He looked almost—embarrassed?
“Will you help us?” he asked. “Steele isn't who you think he is. You know that. We need to get out of here.”
Zena frowned again, and then she nodded with sudden understanding. “You came here to fight Steele—but now you need to rescue Alyx first.”
“Yes,” Braeden said softly. “As quickly as possible. It's too dangerous for her here. I know I can take on Steele. But I can't protect her at the same time.”
“What about your friends?” Zena asked.
Braeden tensed. “What friends? What do you know about me?”
“A little. Steele is alarmed, it seems. Some conflict with the council of elements?” Zena hesitated for a moment when Braeden remained silent. “If you tell me more, I can help you. If you've got the council on your side, we could all escape together. Are air, water, and earth nearby?”
Something had changed all of a sudden. Alyx still didn't know what the hell was going on or how she knew these things, but something in Braeden had gone tight and sharp, like a blade being cautiously unsheathed.
This is insane. Unlike them, I'm just human. I can't read minds. As nice as that would be...
Maybe it was just that he was so powerful. Alyx could still feel his power radiating off him. Or maybe the fire dragon potions had fucked her up way more than just giving her endless nightmares.
“You don't have to tell me, of course,” Zena said quietly. “I understand. You have no reason to trust me. I only want to help—there's not much time left...”
And then, like a cloud of darkness that suddenly crept into the room, Alyx felt the lights dim slightly. The air felt just a little bit colder, as if she'd stepped into the shade.
Only there was no sunlight down here...
“Shit. You've betrayed us.” Braeden jumped up so quickly his chair toppled over.
He paid it no attention. He grabbed Alyx's shoulder and pulled her behind him, shielding her with his body.
And then the door banged open. A terrifying man strode inside.
Alyx had only seen him in those terrible nightmare visions when they’d forced her to drink their potions, but she knew immediately who he was.
Steele.
The leader of the fire dragons. The most powerful—and the most dangerous of them all.
That's it. I'm dead, she thought, her heart hammering in her chest.
Zena had immediately retreated, the firebird shifter now pressed against the wall at the back of the room.
She was still looking cool, even now, as she looked at them.
She betrayed me. She told Steele I was here. She betrayed me... The only person I trusted down here...
Alyx's heart was aching, but now wasn't the time. Perhaps they'd all be dead in a minute, and then it wouldn't matter anymore that the other woman had sold her out.
She always seemed aloof, and like she didn't want to be here. Maybe it was all a game from the start. Maybe they wanted her to win my trust...
“Braeden.” There was a cruel smile on Steele’s face as he looked at them. “We meet again. Only this time in very different circumstances.”
“This time, I'm no longer a prisoner,” Braeden said calmly. “No dragonsbane. No obsidian cuffs. Are you ready to take on the master of fire, Steele?”
Steele laughed in derision. “Don't flatter yourself. You're nothing special. I know exactly who you are. I made you. I made hundreds just like you. Loyal fighters for our cause. Fighters for revenge. For the world we deserve after centuries in darkness.”
“There's no one like me,” Braeden said. There was the crackling of fire in his voice. “And I come to warn you. Do you think we'll let you destroy the world without a fight? What good is revenge when everything is dead? We've hidden in the darkness for too long, Steele. But it isn't too late yet. Leave the darkness. Come into the light. Let our children taste the freedom of blue skies—let's give our families the life of peace they deserve.”
“Ah,” Steele said with a dark chuckle. “It's just as I suspected. They've brainwashed you. Or maybe it's just that you're a coward, and rather than fighting for our cause, you've accepted the bribes of the council of elements. There will be peace for our families, Braeden, and blue skies for our dragonets. And that time will come when the council of elements is wiped out. When fire reigns. And it won't be a time for you.”
Braeden laughed in Steele's face. Alyx saw fire crackling along his fingers.
“You're wrong. Fire has chosen its allegiance. And it's not on your side anymore.”
And then Braeden shifted.
Chapter Six: Braeden
The rooms of the firebird shifter were large and luxurious, but even so there wasn't much space for a fight between two powerful dragons.
Even worse, Alyx was trapped in here with them.
If Braeden wanted to defeat Steele and make his escape together with Alyx, the first thing he had to do was to get them out of here.
Fortunately, Braeden was stronger than ever before—and he'd taken a good look at the walls of the corridor when they'd made their way to Zena's rooms.
Before Steele could attack, Braeden turned. With all his strength, he slammed his tail into the wall closest to the corridor.
And the wall collapsed.
Steele had come prepared, Braeden saw. He'd brought guards—but those were now on the other side of the heap of rubble that completely blocked the corridor.
He hadn't bought them more than a few seconds.
But that was all Braeden needed.
He grabbed Alyx, waiting just long enough for her to scramble onto his back before he raced through the opening he'd made.
Now, at last, he didn't need to hide his powers anymore. The flame inside him sprang into fiery life at this threat to his mate.
Where he'd stood a moment before, a wall of white-hot flames rushed up, burning so high and bright that they touched the ceiling. Even as he rushed through the corridor now with Alyx holding on for dear life, he kept a part of his mind focused on that fire.
Steele was trying to cross it to come after them. Braeden could feel it, the moment Steele threw his own powers against Braeden's fire wall. There was a dark, distinct sensation that overwhelmed his senses: a feeling of shadow and the acrid taste of smoke on his tongue.
For a moment, th
e fire wall flickered, darkness threatening to extinguish the flames.
Braeden pushed back with his own powers, feeding the flames until they burned brightly again. And then he withdrew.
The wall of fire would give at Steele's next attack. Using fire against a fire dragon wasn't very effective, after all.
Still, he'd gotten what he wanted. The precious seconds he'd needed to get through the corridor with his mate on his back.
Before them loomed the opening they'd come in from. Braeden could already see the shine of the fake dragon fire sun burning in the vast cave beyond.
And he could also see the dark silhouette of more guards blocking their escape.
Braeden didn’t even stop. He opened his jaws and breathed a huge ball of fire at them. The large projectile hurtled towards them so fast that they couldn't get their defenses up in time. A heartbeat later, the fireball hit them like a bowling ball.
The dragons were pushed out of the opening, surrounded by flames that would do them no great harm. Still, the way was free now, and that was all that mattered.
Without a second of hesitation, Braeden flung himself into the huge cave beyond, spreading his wings to break his fall. Behind him, he could hear an enraged roar, and then the sound of claws on stone.
Steele had broken through his flame barrier, just as he'd known he would.
But before Braeden, the vast cave spread with its pale trees and mushroom fields. There were dragons on the ground, alarmed by the fireballs that had singed the tunnel guards.
Braeden paid them no mind, because there, on the other side of the cave, was the exit.
It was still guarded—and the dragons stationed there must have been warned by Steele. There were ten dragons instead of two, and they were all facing in his direction.
Can't take them by surprise.
There was no time left for anything but brute force now anyway.
Behind him, a loud and extremely angry roar echoed through the cave. Steele had made it out of the narrow tunnel.
But Braeden had always known his distraction wouldn't give him more than a few seconds. And a few seconds could be enough—if he could make it past the ten guards.
Again Braeden inhaled.
He was close enough now that he could see the dragons guarding the exit roaring in alarm. Behind him, there was an answering, enraged roar.
But he couldn't turn and face Steele, not yet, as much as he wanted to end the reign of the dragon who'd dishonored the eternal flame in Braeden’s heart.
The guards opened their jaws. Flames flickered within. Then they exhaled.
Braeden didn't even flinch. Instead, he kept flying straight into the fire breathed his way.
And then, at the very last moment, he called up a shield of fire. It surrounded him like a red-hot ball, blazing a hundred times brighter than the fire breathed at them.
Like a cannonball of pure lava, he barreled straight into them.
Through the faint connection between them, he could feel Alyx's utter terror. She wasn't harmed—the shield protected her within, and his element would never harm his mate. But even though she was sitting atop a dragon surrounded by a shield of sizzling fire hot enough to melt stone, she held on for dear life.
His mate was strong, and Braeden knew he couldn't disappoint her. He'd get them both out of here, no matter what it took.
At the moment of impact, the guarding dragons were bowled out of the way. They never even touched him; his shield of fire protected him.
Behind him, he heard roars of pain and dismay, but he didn't dare to stop.
Steele was still behind him. Braeden could feel his presence. If he slowed down even for a heartbeat, they'd be lost.
And then he could feel a sensation that made the skin between his shoulders prickle.
Behind him, energy was gathering. There was a sudden surge of power. Part of it was familiar—there was the burning heat of fire.
But there was also something darker. Something his own element couldn't penetrate.
That's not possible. He's a fire dragon, and I'm the master of fire...
The attack came so suddenly that he barely had time to throw up another shield. A projectile of flames was breathed at them from behind, a lance of fire so hot it burned white—hot enough to melt stone.
But there was more than just the fire.
Fire belonged to him. Fire obeyed him.
But as Braeden desperately raced towards where the tunnel led into the huge, old volcano vent, something bitter and dark twined around the projectile coming towards them.
Shadow. Smoke.
For a split second, he felt Steele's attack crash into his shield, fire burning fire.
Steele had wounded the ocean dragon before—but in a battle of fire against water, why shouldn't fire win?
Braeden’s shield was strong. He was the master of fire.
And still he felt the attack cut through his shield.
Something dark and cold touched him, coiling around him like a tendril of smoke.
Impossible!
At the same time, something struck his leg.
He gasped for air—and the smoke entered him, burning in his throat, acrid and stinging.
His leg ached fiercely. He didn't falter even once as he ran towards the exit as fast as he could, but now every step was accompanied by a stab of pain. Agony pierced his leg every time he put his weight on it.
His heart was pounding in his chest. Alyx was still clinging to his back—and Steele was still behind him.
Steele, who was a fire dragon, and who'd nevertheless managed to wound Braeden, who was the master over all fire.
Braeden had counted on his element to hold off Steele and make his escape. But now, as he hurtled towards the volcano vent, he began to realize that his situation was way worse than he'd expected.
Steele could break through his defenses.
And that meant that Braeden couldn't protect Alyx. Not if they'd have to make their way back through the small tunnels to the sunlight.
He made his choice in a split second. There was no other way now.
I have to keep Alyx safe.
He raced through the tunnel, his diamond-hard claws digging grooves into the stone. Before him was the old vent where thousands of years ago, magma had forced its way to the surface.
And Braeden threw himself into it, at the same moment as he allowed the eternal flame within him to burn brighter than he had thought possible, bright enough to consume him.
For a moment, all thought was gone. There was only the heat that flowed through his veins like molten metal—and an answering heat, far below.
His dragon called out to it with a fierce battle cry, and the earth answered.
At first, there was only an ominous rumble, echoing through the darkness.
Then, all around them, the rock began to vibrate, as if a giant hand had taken hold of the mountain itself and was shaking it.
Braeden beat his wings as hard as he could, ignoring the biting of the smoke in his lungs and the angry pain of his wounded leg.
A second later, Steele came roaring out of the tunnel, spreading his wings to soar after them through the large vent.
Braeden could feel it, the second Steele realized what was happening.
There was no further warning, only an incredible sensation of pressure and unbearable heat, stone singing out in agony to his dragon's senses as it melted into glowing red magma.
Braeden kept beating his wings, climbing as quickly as possible despite the pain.
And Steele roared in rage. But he didn't come after them. He rushed back into the tunnel that led to the secret fire dragon lair.
And then the volcano erupted.
The volcano that had slept for thousands of years rumbled and groaned. Braeden kept flying as fast as he could, feeling Alyx's terror as she clutched at him.
Below them, the formerly dark and empty vent was now filled with boiling magma that rose so quickly that Braeden could already fe
el its heat.
Gritting his teeth, he used more of his power to keep Alyx shielded. And then he rose, higher and higher, every muscle in his powerful body aching as he forced himself to fly faster than ever before.
At last he found the small opening from which he'd entered. He raced straight towards it, shifting as soon as he'd reached the ledge.
There had been no time to warn Alyx, but he managed to catch her as she stumbled. Grabbing hold of her hand, he pulled her with him.
She didn't protest; she didn't even try to ask him what was going on.
There was no time for talking now—not when an entire volcano's worth of magma was currently forcing its way after them, melting rock and stone as it tried to make its way out.
There was no way they'd be able to outrace a volcano. Not on human legs, at least.
Fortunately, Braeden was still the master of fire, even though for some reason, his shield had not protected him from Steele.
The volcano, on the other hand, had answered his call. And even though the molten rock that now came pouring after them through the narrow tunnel was hot enough to melt stone and flesh, it still belonged to him.
As they ran, Braeden reached out to it.
It was difficult to stop a volcano in the process of erupting from doing just that. Now that he’d woken the volcano, he couldn’t just tell it to stop.
But he could stop the magma from coming after them.
It took most of his strength, but he managed to force the magma to a halt.
Keeping a tight grip on the fire that had brought the rock to melting point, he clenched his hold on it, tighter and tighter, forcing the fire within to burn down until, at long last, it was snuffed out.
The magma had slowed its pursuit of them and now began to cool into black, smooth rock.
And yet, behind the plug of stone that now blocked the tunnel, magma was still rising from the bowels of the earth, forcing its way to the top of the mountain.
Then the rock around them shook. Braeden's senses told him that the magma had finally found an outlet.
Far above them, molten rock exploded from the top of the mountain. More importantly, lava was beginning to ooze down the sides, at the same time as a shower of sparks and burning stones came down like fiery hail.