Marked By Fire

by Meg Ripley

  An older man in his fifties with wild gray hair and several threadbare backpacks and duffel bags waited patiently in the hall with a smile on his face. It was Uncle Wade.

  Sabrina threw the door open and ushered him inside. “Uncle Wade! I’m so happy to see you!” As soon as she could slam the door and engage every lock, she threw her arms around him.

  He smelled of incense and gunpowder, and he reached his thin arms around her. “Sabrina, my girl! I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome. I thought your old uncle would be nothing but a burden to you.”

  “It’s been so long! I’m really glad to see you.” She examined his thin frame, and thought there was a lot less of him than the last time she’d seen him. “It doesn’t look like you’ve been eating very much, Uncle Wade. Here, let’s get your bags into the guest room, and then I can whip up some brunch.” She still felt exhausted from her experience the night before, but she was ready to find some semblance of normalcy. Besides, it was good to know she would have someone staying with her over the weekend. She didn’t need to be alone right now, and there was no telling when Lance would come back.

  Or if he ever would.

  “No, no. Don’t worry about that!” Wade tossed his bags in a careless pile near the door and pulled Sabrina to the couch. “Have a seat. I have so many things I want to tell you, and some of them simply can’t wait.”

  “Well, alright.” She sat next to him hesitantly, not exactly sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

  Wade’s pale green eyes glittered in the sunlight. “You know I’ve been working hard to find proof of dragons, Sabrina, and I think I might have finally found it!”

  Her stomach churned as the images of Max and Lance flooded her mind. “Is that so?”

  “Oh-ho, yes, it most certainly is!” He leaned toward her conspiratorially. “You see, there have been rumors for years about a secret society of dragon-men right here in New York City. Nobody could ever prove anything, though, and it seemed unlikely that creatures with such a vital secret to hide would choose one of the biggest cities in the world as their home. But, you see, technology is on our side. One of the other hunters decided to use a drone to hunt for dragons. I wouldn’t have thought much of that, but I’ve seen the footage!” He dug a battered smart phone from of his pocket and flicked at the cracked touchscreen. “Here!”

  The video showed something that looked like a courtyard. It was nighttime, but there were several large shapes lying on the grass. Sabrina squinted at the screen, wondering if she would catch a glimpse of Lance. But how would she tell him from the other dragons? He had told her a lot the previous night, but it seemed there was still a lot they hadn’t covered. “That could be anything.”

  “That’s what everyone says, but that’s exactly why we must pursue it! If this is nothing but some young kids playing games, then fine, we’ll know. But if it’s more, well my dear, then we’ll know that, too.” He held his finger in the air as though he’d already been successful in finding the dragons.

  “We?”

  “Of course! You know you’re a dragon hunter, Sabrina. It’s thrumming in your veins even as we speak. I can’t think of a better partner to help me with this.” He jumped up from the couch, retrieved one of his bags, and then began digging through it as he returned to his seat.

  “Look, Uncle Wade. I’m delighted you’re here, and you’re more than welcome to stay with me, but I’m just not interested in hunting dragons. It’s…I’m sorry to have to put it to you like this, and I know you’re so passionate about the subject. But there’s no such thing as dragons.” The words were easy to say, since she had believed them her entire life. But now she knew they were a lie. Of all the people in the world, Wade was the one who would have appreciated the truth the most.

  But her protests didn’t deter him. Instead, he pointed at the tall shelf across the room. “You say that, but I know that isn’t true. That’s the corporate world, digging into your soul and taking out everything that’s important to you. Why else would have you have kept all those statues I’ve sent you over the years? You even have them out on display.”

  “Because they’re from my beloved uncle,” she explained impatiently. “And they’re neat. Anyone who comes over here asks me about them, so they’re great conversation pieces.”

  “Just wait until you see what I’ve brought you this time.” Uncle Wade dug in the bag once again. His hand closed around something, and he smiled at her for a moment before he pulled it from the bag. The object was long and slim, wrapped in old, cracked leather. Wade flicked back the covering to reveal a long dagger, its blade intricately carved with scenes of dragons and its handle covered in metal scales. “This is an ancient dagger I found over in England. It was once used to slay dragons.”

  Sabrina looked at it skeptically. “It seems like it’s in pretty good shape to be ancient.”

  He bobbed his head. “I know! It was hidden in a dry cave for many centuries, which preserved it very well. You see, dear, this blade can kill a dragon almost instantly if it’s pushed up under the scales that protect its heart.”

  Even though she knew dragons were a real thing, the conversation was getting out of hand. “That sounds like something you saw in a movie.”

  “Where do you think they got the idea?” He held the knife up to the light and watched as it danced across the blade. “This is what I’m relying on. There are some other techniques that are supposed to work, but I’m not nearly as confident in them.”

  “Such as?”

  He laid the dagger on the end table and rummaged through his bag once again. “I have this book of spells.” He produced a leather-bound volume that had cracked around the edges; the pages were well worn and smelled musty as he flipped through them. “Some of these spells are supposed to control the dragons. I have to be careful that I don’t let anyone else have this, because controlling dragons opens the door for weaponizing them. I don’t think any of these spells will kill them, but even if they did, I’ve discovered that I’m just not very good at magic.”

  Sabrina studied the words, which were written in a language she didn’t understand. She wanted to laugh out loud at her uncle, but she wouldn’t dare. “That’s too bad.”

  “So, what do you say? You want to try some spells? Or try your hand at the dagger?”

  She cast her eyes to the floor. He looked so excited, but she just couldn’t. She had seen the very creatures he was trying to track down, and she couldn’t kill them. Especially not if they were like Lance, but it had become very clear to her that they couldn’t all be that way. Max had proven it. “I don’t think so, Wade. I just don’t think I have the time.”

  “Oh, do you have a date?” he asked excitedly.

  This, at least, was a line of thinking she could work with. “I might, actually. I had one last night, and we hoped to do something else this weekend if…if his work schedule allows it.” She and Lance hadn’t made any definitive plans, but she had a feeling she would be seeing him again soon.

  “Well, good for you!” Wade slapped her playfully on the knee and clapped his hands, genuinely delighted. “I’d like to meet this young man of yours.”

  “We’ll see.” Sabrina had told Lance about her uncle before the incident on the rooftop, and he hadn’t seemed concerned. If he’d had second thoughts once she knew his secret, he hadn’t said so.

  Uncle Wade’s stomach rumbled audibly. “Perhaps I should take you up on brunch, after all.”

  She smiled and gave him another hug. “You’ve got it, Uncle Wade. Coming right up.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Max groaned, squinting his eyes as he rubbed his forehead. The previous night seemed as though it had been nothing more than a bad dream, but the pain that racked his body told him otherwise. He blinked at the dark walls around him and the stone floor underneath him. Somewhere on the other side of the room, he heard the screeching sound of rusty metal.

  Bruno stood over him, his ugly face twisted with anger. “Whe
re the fuck were you last night?”

  “What?” Max couldn’t quite make sense of it all. How had he ended up back at The Club?

  “You came flying in here half-cocked, landing in the courtyard like a downed airplane. It doesn’t matter that it was dark. You put everyone at risk.” He flexed his arm muscles, and Max knew he was fighting to keep his human shape. When Bruno morphed, he became a very large dragon. It wasn’t safe for him to shift anywhere but outside.

  “I don’t even remember.” Max put his hands to his head as he recalled the scenes perfectly. He knew exactly what had happened. He could have lied and claimed the other dragon attacked him first, but Max had apparently made the mistake of potentially exposing himself as well as the other members of the Darkblood Society. He didn’t need anyone else to know the truth, nor did he want the other members going after Lance; that was a kill he wanted to claim for himself. “I think I was in a bar fight.”

  “Then you should be fighting in this bar, where I can keep an eye on you.” Bruno hauled him to his feet and shoved him out the door of the chamber. The basement of The Club served as a makeshift lockup for shifters who had gotten out of hand. It wasn’t often that anyone was held in there, but Max had seen the inside of the cells more than once.

  “I’ll try that next time, thanks.” Max staggered against the doorway as he straightened, wishing he could return to his dragon form. But that would require too much effort at the moment.

  “Mia has a tonic waiting for you upstairs; just drink it and go home. Mr. Cross said you aren’t to come back until you’re yourself again.” Bruno pushed him toward the stairs.

  Max ascended obediently. “Will do. You’re a peach, Bruno.” Creeping into the quiet bar, he found the bubbling black drink waiting for him. Mia was nowhere to be found, which was just as well. He had never asked her what was in the stuff, and he didn’t plan to; he was sure he didn’t want to know. All he knew was that it worked miracles for anyone who had been injured or was exhausted from excessive shifting, so he slugged it down and left.

  After going home long enough to shower and change his clothes, Max found himself heading toward Sabrina’s apartment. Last night hadn’t gone the way he had planned, but that didn’t mean he had lost the battle yet. Lance had bested him, but he had been stupid enough not to destroy him. Max was tired of playing games. He wasn’t going to waste his time any longer trying to win Sabrina over; he’d just take her and be done with it.

  An old man answered the door, a friendly smile stretching his wrinkles. He looked at Max with extreme interest. “Hello?”

  “Um, I was looking for Sabrina. Is she here?” If he had to find that there was another man at Sabrina’s apartment, he was glad that at least it wasn’t Lance. The asshole had probably gone home to nurse his wounds.

  “She stepped out to get a few things from the grocery store. Are you the boyfriend I’ve been hearing about?”

  “Yes. My name is Max, Max McLaughlin.” He extended a hand, and the old man offered his bony one in return.

  “I’m Sabrina’s Uncle Wade. How nice to meet you! Come on in; I don’t think she’ll be gone too long. Here, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?” He arched a fuzzy eyebrow at the newcomer.

  Max waved him off. “No, that’s okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she had company this weekend. I can leave.” It had been foolish of him to come here in the middle of the day, anyway. He would come back another time, at night and after the geezer had left. Of course, he would have to make sure Lance was out of commission first.

  Wade gestured wildly at him. “You don’t have to go! I’m just a lonely old man who loves to talk. Sit down, please. Did Sabrina tell you about the dragons?”

  Max paused on his way to the couch. “I’m sorry. What?” Had Sabrina been foolish enough to tell her uncle about what she had seen? If so, Max knew he might not be able to just keep her for his own. He might have to kill her instead.

  The old man smiled and shook his head. “No, no. Of course, she didn’t. She’s been rolling her eyes at me her entire life. I know better. You see, I’m a dragon hunter. It’s in my blood, just as it’s in Sabrina’s. I guess she might not want me to tell you this, but it’s too late now, isn’t it?” He cackled and slapped his knee. “You might as well know now, though. If you’re going to be with Sabrina, then it would be wonderful if you were working with the hunters. It would really help her understand her heritage. And,” he leaned forward, glancing over his shoulder even though they were the only two there, “things are about to change. I’ve got evidence of the dragons.”

  “And…where did you get that?” Max was careful not to make it seem as though he didn’t believe him.

  “A friend of mine.” He pulled up the drone footage and showed it to Max. “Great stuff, isn’t it?”

  Max nodded enthusiastically and hit the replay button. “Very good. But if those really are dragons, then you have a lot on your hands. What if I told you that I know where one of these shifters lives?” Max watched with pleasure as the old man’s eyes illuminated and his mouth worked uselessly for a moment.

  “You…You don’t mean…Really? You know, for sure, where one lives? That’s incredible!” Wade got up and paced the apartment. He ran his hands through his frizzy gray hair. It slicked down under his touch but bounced back to life immediately afterwards. “Where?”

  “Right here in the city, actually.”

  Wade paused to stare out the glass doors that led to the balcony. “All this time, I’ve been searching so hard. I’ve been traveling the world and studying ancient texts, and now you’re telling me there’s one right here. Right here.” He turned back to Max. “This is exactly why I’ve been trying to get Sabrina to embrace her destiny as a hunter. I don’t dare to think what might have happened if she had run into this dragon. Have you told her anything about it?”

  Max negated this with a shake of his head. “I didn’t dare. It’s not the kind of thing you can just go telling anybody, and I’m sure you know that most people don’t listen when you start talking about dragons. To be honest with you, I’ve wanted to go after him, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I didn’t have the knowledge or the weapons, but I know he has to be taken down.”

  With a surprising amount of energy, Wade skipped across the room and clapped his hands on Max’s shoulders. “Ha-ha, I see I have another hunter on my hands! Just you wait, my boy! I can show you an entire world of dragon hunting like you’ve never seen before. Give me the address, and we’ll plan it all out together.”

  The two of them seated themselves on the couch once again and bent their heads together.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Lance yanked his suitcase out of his closet and flung it on the bed. He went to his drawers to begin emptying them, but stopped; no matter how he tried to think about it, he couldn’t come to a decision that would work for everyone.

  He had thought about leaving. He could pack up his essentials and disappear for a while. Maybe the Darkblood Society could help him, but only if they didn’t know about the feud between him and Max. He would be doing the right thing by cutting himself out of Sabrina’s life. The look of fear and horror that had come over her when she had seen him shift was permanently etched in his mind, and he was only going to put her in more danger if he stayed.

  But then again, she’d be in just as much danger if he left. Max was still around, and surely, he’d come back for revenge. If he couldn’t find Lance, would he take it out on Sabrina? He had been cruel to her even when he’d claimed to like her, so Lance didn’t want to think about what he would be like now.

  That left him with the idea of running away and taking Sabrina with him. But would she want to run off into the sunset with a dragon? Could she really accept who he was? If she left with him, she might be missing out on a much better—and simpler—future that awaited her with someone else.

  Someone human.

  Lance stared at the open suitcase and he jumped as his phone buzzed in his
pocket. It was Sabrina, but he ignored the call and set the device on his dresser. There were so many things they still needed to say to each other, but he was at a loss for words at the moment. It was time for action, despite not knowing precisely what that action should be.

  It was growing dark outside. Lance crossed the room to look out over the city as the sun slowly faded on the horizon. He had known it was a mistake to come to the city, but he had done it anyway. Now, he was going to have to pay for it; he just had to make sure Sabrina wouldn’t as well.

  He turned back to his dresser, yanked out a drawer, and dumped it in the suitcase. “I’ll leave,” he muttered to himself. Saying the words out loud made them more real, more concrete. “I’ll get out of here, but first I’ll tell Mr. Cross everything. He can take care of Max, and Sabrina will be safe. She’ll move on, and she’ll find some human man who can truly make her happy.” Lance opened his small safe and pulled out the title to his car and his birth certificate, the latter of which had been faked. “She won’t need me, and I won’t be in her way.” His phone buzzed again, but he didn’t even look at it. He couldn’t.

  With the hope that he could come back later for the remainder of his things, Lance zipped up his suitcase. He picked up his phone to call his landlord and explain that he would be out of the country for a week or two, but he saw the missed calls and texts from Sabrina, who had been trying desperately to get a hold of him. His finger hovered over the screen, nearly calling her back, but he cleared the notifications instead, deciding it would be better if he made a clean break of it.

  Just then, a knock sounded at the door, booming loudly through the apartment. His body tense, he moved slowly toward the front door. It was tempting to morph so he could check the heat signature of whoever was on the other side, but he knew he was just being paranoid. It was more likely that a neighbor had dropped by because their mail had gotten missorted.