Page 41 of Fated By Fire

“He changed, Mara. This Malakai guy. He and Caleb got into a fight because he wouldn’t let me go and—”

Mara’s mouth drops open. “Caleb fought over you?”

“Yeah… um… I guess he did.” I nod slowly as I think about this. Caleb hadn’t hesitated—and most sane people would have. “He charged in, started untying me, and when the guy attacked, he’d fought right back.”

“Well, good for him. I’d pegged him as a corporate stiff. Who’d think there’d be a knight in shining armor under there?”

“I’m reserving judgment,” I mutter. “He may have saved me, but I’m pretty sure he’s involved in that shit somehow.”

“True. But tell me about the guy. You said he changed. How?”

“Into something,” I say, barely believing the words as I say them. “He… changed into something else. His skin turned scaly, like some kind of monster. His eyes—they weren’t human anymore. It was like he was a completely different species.”

Fuck. That sounds so nuts.

Mara gasps, and she leans back abruptly, her hands lifting to cover her mouth. “Oh. My. God! Seriously?”

I nod, my hands trembling now. “I know… it sounds insane. But I swear it’s true. I don’t know what he is—whatitwas. But it wasn’t human. And that crystal… it’s connected to all of this. I don’t know how, but it is.”

Mara stares at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she exhales sharply, running a hand through her hair. Indigo strands slide between her fingers.

“Holy crap,” she says finally. “Do you realize what this means? You’ve just had a close encounter with one of the lizard men!”

“What?” I stare at her, baffled. “Mara, this isn’t one of your conspiracy theories. I saw it with my own eyes. He turned into a… a monster.”

“Exactly!” Mara’s eyes light up with excitement. “This is huge, Elena! Bigfoot and aliens are one thing, but lizard men? That’s next-level. I’ve been saying for years that there’s something off about corporate elites. What if they’re all secretly reptilian overlords?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, my headache intensifying. “Honestly, Mara, I don’t think he’s a lizard man. I think it’s something else. Something… worse.”

“Worse than lizard men?” Mara raises an eyebrow. “What could be worse than that?”

“I don’t know,” I admit; my voice is growing husky—stress, exhaustion, disbelief taking hold. “But whatever it was, it’s tied to Caleb. To Craven Industries. And I’m in way over my head.”

Mara’s expression softens, and she places a hand on my shoulder. “Okay, let’s break this down. Have you been in touch with the client yet? Did you tell Blackthorn about the vault? About the crystal?”

I shake my head. “No. I… I don’t know why. I just couldn’t bring myself to.” Not to mention that I’ve scarcely had time to process it all, let alone reach out to them.

“Why not?”

I hesitate, my thoughts swirling. “I don’t know. It felt like… like if I told them, I’d have to make a decision about what to do next. And I’m not ready for that yet.”

Mara nods, her brow furrowed. “Fair. But you’re going to have to dosomething. You can’t just drop the case, can you?”

“I don’t have a choice,” I say, my voice heavy with resignation. “I can’t go back to Craven Industries. Not after what happened. And even if I could, I don’t know how I’d get close to the vault again. It’s over.”

Mara frowns, her eyes searching mine. “Are you sure that’s what you want? I mean, I know this is nuts, but it’s also kind of… exciting. And it sounds like there’s more to this than just corporate espionage. What if this is your chance to uncover something huge?”

“Or get myself killed,” I mutter.

“Fair point,” Mara concedes. “But still… don’t you want to know the truth? About the vault? About Caleb? About your mom?”

The mention of my mother sends a jolt through me. How does she tie into all of this? And What about Caleb? The thought of him has parts of me tingling in a way that feels completely inappropriate, considering I was literally facing death an hour ago.

“I don’t know,” I say finally. “I think I’m too deep in this to walk away. But I don’t know how to move forward, either.”

Mara nudges my shoulder reassuringly. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’ve got your back. Whatever you decide, I’m here. And if you need help breaking into another vault, I’m your girl.”

I manage a small smile, grateful for her unwavering support. “Thanks, Mara. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

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