Page 49 of The Heart of the Dragon

I narrowed my eyes, leaning in, studying him. My pulse raced, and I felt sweat bead on my brow. “I don’t see anything.” But that wasn’t exactly true—I felt something simmering just under the surface, a crackle of energy that whispered of secrets I couldn’t quite name.

“Then open your mind. Think about the possibilities,” my father urged.

I blinked.What possibilities?This was starting to feel like a cruel game, and I wasn’t in the mood to play. The air around me buzzed with tension, and every breath felt heavier. I pulled back, hands trembling slightly as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Why won’t you just tell me?” My voice cracked. “I can’t handle this dancing around the truth anymore.” I was starting to get scared.

Magnus reached over and took my hand, his grip firm but comforting. “You’re safe with me,” he murmured, his voice low and steady. “No matter what happens, I would never hurt you. Not even if the dragon takes control.”

Everything inside me constricted as I wrestled with my emotions. Even as I soaked in his words, I couldn’t shake the feeling of insecurity. I slowly unlaced our fingers, pulling away. “That’s nice to hear, but it’s hard to forget the rage that boils inside the dragon.”

"You might as well just tell her. What's that human saying? Rip the band-aid?"

"Tell me what?" I insisted, barely able to hold back a scream.

“Rose, we’re not human,” my father declared, his voice firm, breaking through the haze of confusion.

I blinked, trying to process what he'd said. “What? What do you mean?” I stuttered, my heart pounding an erratic rhythm in my chest. “Are you talking about you identifying as witches? That’s nothing shocking! I’m fine with it!”

My mother’s fingers gently brushed against mine, trying to anchor me. “We. As in me, your father—and you.”

A heavy stone dropped in my stomach, and I shook my head vehemently. “No. I’m human. You adopted me! My biological parents died in that car accident years ago! You told me the whole story!” I could feel hysteria rising, the air in my lungs constricting. “They were on vacation. That’swhat you told me!”

My mother's lips pursed, and she continued to shake her head. A trembling sensation worked its way through me as I started to panic. This was too much. It couldn't be real. Was I dreaming? Had I been in a dream ever since I went to the homeless shelter?

That had to be it. I was stuck in an incredibly long dream, and everyone here was part of it. All I needed to do was make myself wake up, and it would all end.

My heart raced. I pushed away from the table and stood.

"Wake up," I said, pinching my arm hard, searching for a sign that this could all be a dream—or a nightmare I could shake off. This couldn't be happening. Not here, not in the only safe place I had left.

"What are you doing?" Magnus asked, his voice edged with confusion.

"She's having a panic attack. She thinks she's dreaming," Kitra added, glancing between my parents and me.

"Rose. It's not a damned dream. This is all real."

The room spun, my mind racing as I shook my head frantically. "No. It's not real. You don't exist." I pointed at Magnus, then whirled to Isaac. "Dragons. Are. Not. Real."

"Oh boy," Kitra murmured, her expression shifting to concern.

"Roger. We have to do something."

I didn't even trust they were real.

"This is crazy," Isaac said, pointing down at his arms. "The hair on my arms is standing on end! Is she channeling energy somehow?"

"It's trapped inside her," my mother half explained.

Magnus jumped up, concern etched on his face as he grasped my arms. "What can I do to fix this? How do we make it stop?"

A sudden pain shot through my stomach, hot and relentless, and tears streamed down my cheeks. Each wave of hurt felt like another part of my humanity fracturing, leaving nothing but raw anguish in its wake. "It's too much," I gasped. "I can't… handle this!"

"Breathe, Rose! Just breathe!" Magnus said, his grip tightening.

"What is wrong with her?" Isaac glared at my parents, his voice sharp. "What exactly is trapped inside her?"

"That's the easy part," Kitra interjected. "Whatever magic she possesses is stuck and it's burning to get out. Can't you feel it? It's bound so tight, it could take me days to unravel it! Between that and— well, it’s too much."

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