Page 76 of Fated By Fire

Silence answers me. My heartbeat thunders in my ears as I scan the darkened paths. Then, faintly, I hear a muffled cry coming from the direction of the picnic pavilion near the pond.

I take off running, feet pounding against the gravel path. As I approach, I see Mara struggling against two shadowy figures, their faces obscured by hoods. One of them has a firm grip on her arm, while the other rifles through her backpack.

“Get your hands off me!” she shouts, trying to twist free.

“Hey!” I yell, adrenaline surging through me. “Leave her alone!”

They jerk their heads up at my approach. Without thinking, I grab the nearest loose branch from the ground and brandish it like a bat. “I said, leave her alone!”

One of them steps forward, chuckling darkly. “Look what we have here. Another little bird.”

“Elena!” Mara cries out, panic lacing her voice. “Run!”

But I’m not about to abandon her. I swing the branch at the man advancing toward me, but he dodges easily, grabbing it and yanking it from my grasp. He smirks, tossing it aside like it’s a toothpick.

“Feisty, aren’t you?”

The second man tightens his hold on Mara, clamping a hand over her mouth. Fear spikes through me. I need to do something—anything.

Before I can react, a gust of wind whips around us, leaves swirling in sudden turbulence. I look up just in time to see a massive shadow blotting out the sky.

“Caleb?” I breathe, a flicker of hope igniting.

But as the enormous figure descends, illuminated by the park’s dim lights, dread curls in my stomach. This dragon is different—its scales a duller hue, wings ragged around the edges, and most notably, it’s missing a rear leg.

“It’s not Caleb,” I whisper, backing away slowly. I know exactly who this is.

Malakai Steele.

The dragon lands with a thud that shakes the ground, its tail lashing out and knocking over a lamppost, which crashes in a shower of sparks. The men release Mara, stumbling back in shock. For a second, I feel a sense of irony that of all the people they could choose to mug, they picked Mara… who was heading to a meeting with their very worst nightmare. They both turn tail and run screaming for cover.

Mara looks at the dragon, eyes wide with terror, then back at me. “What the—?”

“Run, Mara!” I scream, snapping her out of her stupor.

She hesitates for a second. “But you—”

“Now!” I put real force into my voice. “I’ve got this!”

God. If only that were true.

She doesn’t need to be told again. She bolts in the opposite direction, disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

The dragon’s gaze locks onto me, its eyes gleaming with a cold intelligence. Fear floods through me, but before I can move, it lunges forward. Massive claws encircle my waist, and I’m lifted off the ground as if I weigh nothing.

“Let me go!” I shout, struggling against its grip. The air whips around me as the dragon beats its powerful wings, lifting into the night sky.

Below, the park shrinks rapidly. The city lights blur as tears fill my eyes, the icy wind biting at my face.

“Caleb!” I scream into the darkness, knowing it’s futile, but some sort of instinct drives me to reach out to him.

The dragon emits a low, rumbling growl—a sound that resonates deep within my bones. I twist in its grasp, trying to see its face, but it’s no use. Overwhelming terror threatens to consume me.

“Calm down, Elena, think!” I tell myself, forcing down the panic. I need a plan.

I reach into my shirt, fingers closing around my phone. With difficulty, I pull it out, the screen illuminating with a touch. If I can just call him. Just let him know where I am…

Come on! Please, please, please!

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