Page 54 of Fated for his Flame

Thunk.

“We’re all good now,” I told Chloe, my hand returning to its human form, even as I reached for the wheel and spun it counterclockwise, retracting the hidden bolts. Then, when I could turn it no more, I braced my feet and pulled on the wheel with both hands.

The door groaned and came open slowly.

“Wow,” Chloe said as she saw just how thick it was. “That’s massive.”

“This is the family vault,” I explained. “Most of the old families have one. Lots of important things kept in here. And since we have to keep dragons out, it has to be a bit more robust than you might be used to.”

“Just a bit,” she said, reaching her arms out to either side. Her fingertips just barely wrapped around the ends of the door. “Goodness.”

As she did that, however, she got her first glimpse inside the vault.

“It’s like Fort Knox,” she observed, rocking backward on her heels. “Look at it all.”

The vault stretched out into the distance, the lights flicking on slowly.

Row upon row of gold bars could be seen disappearing down the length of the vault. Stacked against either wall, they ran the length of the vault until the end, where they were simply stacked up against the wall itself hundreds of bars deep.

“We dragons like our treasure,” I said, my dragon gazing contentedly at the huge heaps of glittering precious metal.

My eyes, however, strayed to Chloe.

“I can see that,” she laughed. “But there’s no way you brought me here just to brag about your money. Right?”

“Not at all,” I said in a rush. “That was the last thing I had any intention of doing. It’s just sort of a byproduct. Plus, it’s fun to look at. My dragon is all fat and content and happy right now, like I just ate a dozen huge steaks or something. Huge dose of endorphins. But what I want is over here.”

I led her between two stacks of gold to a side door, which opened to another section of the underground vault. The walls in there were lined with doors of varying sizes. Each of the family had a slew of lockboxes where they could keep their valuables. I walked up to one specific one, keyed the code in, and opened the door.

“What’s that?” she asked as I retrieved something.

“It’s for you,” I said, handing her the sheath-encased knife, its creamy white handle sticking out of the protective case. “In case I’m never not around.”

Deftly, Chloe slid the blade from its home and admired it, turning it over with a confidence I hadn’t expected from her.

“Thank you,” she said. “But I don’t get how a knife is supposed to protect me from one of your kind. They won’t penetrate your scales. Probably not your skin either, though I don’t know if the military ever tried that. But if bullets can’t stop you, how will this?”

I grinned. “You’re right. Metal won’t. But this isn’t metal.”

“It’s not?” she held the blade up, looking at the dark material. “What is it?”

“Dragon scale,” I said. “It will pierce my skin or the hide between scales on a dragon.”

Her eyebrows shot up, then back to the knife, looking it over with sudden intensity.

“Why?” she asked in a whisper.

I shrugged. “So you’ll always have a way to defend yourself. Even if you choose to no longer have me around.”

“I don’t think I said anything about that. Did I?”

“Your eyes did,” I said, gazing into them.

“Oh.” She glanced at me. Then away. Then back. “I’m just hurt, Silas. And rattled from being ambushed earlier. It hasn’t been easy for me. I’ve never felt so powerless since coming among your people. It’s humbling and very unsettling.”

“I will protect you,” I said instantly. “Always, Chloe. Always. I will be there for you.”

She smiled awkwardly. “I know. That’s not my point, Silas. My point is I’ve always been able to protect myself in one way or another. I taught myself how to do that. Now, everything I’ve done is useless with your kind. It’s not a pleasant feeling and not one you will ever be able to understand, I’m afraid.”

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