Page 49 of Embers of Fate
But even as I try to deny it, even as I cling to the fragile hope that Bram is lying, a terrible certainty settles in the pit of my stomach.
I killed my parents.
The knowledge crashes over me like a tidal wave, dragging me under, drowning me in a sea of grief and guilt and self-loathing.
A roar of anguish tears from my throat, raw and primal, a sound of pure, unbridled agony. And as I sink to my knees on the cold, hard ground, I feel something inside me shatter, something vital and irreplaceable.
Because if Bram is telling the truth, if I’m really the one responsible for the death of the two people I loved most in this world... Then maybe I am a monster, after all.
And maybe I deserve to be alone, to live with the weight of my sins for the rest of my miserable life.
Maybe losing Sam, losing everything that ever mattered to me...
Maybe it’s no more than I deserve.
29
NIK
Aweek has passed since I last shifted into my dragon, since the night that changed everything. Bram left that very evening, taking a handful of loyal clan members and his Enforcer with him. But the majority chose to stay, to pledge their loyalty to me as the new head of the Draken family. The time has come to forge my own legacy worthy of pride.
I sit at the desk, my eyes scanning the long list of expenses and investments that Bram made in the last month alone. The numbers are staggering, the sheer amount of money he’s blown through enough to make my head spin. I smooth a hand over my mouth, a deep sense of dissatisfaction settling in the pit of my stomach. How could he have been so reckless, so irresponsible with our family’s legacy?
One of my first acts as leader was to fire Bram’s accountants, to rid our clan of the incompetent fools who not only failed at their jobs but actively stole from us, lining their own pockets while our coffers dwindled. The betrayal stings, but not as much as the knowledge that I let it happen, that I stood by and did nothing while my brother ran our family name into the ground.
I close the ledger with a snap, the weight of my new responsibilities settling heavily on my shoulders. Tomorrow, I’ll meet with a new team of actuaries, professionals who will treat our finances with the respect and diligence they deserve. From now on, I’ll be supervising only, delegating the day-to-day tasks to those better suited to handle them. The gods know I have enough on my plate as it is, enough commitments to keep and grudges to fix, all thanks to Bram’s quick temper and poor judgment.
Word of my transformation has spread like wildfire through the magical world, whispers of the Last Dragon Shifter, the Draken Firebreather, reaching the ears of every major family. In a matter of days, I’ve become a legend, a figure of awe and fear and respect. It’s a heady feeling, knowing that I’ve done right by my lineage, that I’ve owned up to who and what I am.
But even as I bask in the glow of my newfound power, even as I relish the way the tables have turned in my family’s favor... I can’t shake the weight of my sins, the burden of the secrets that Bram laid at my feet.
His last words to me, the accusation that I killed our parents... It haunts me, echoing in my mind like a twisted lullaby. I try to recall that night, to dredge up some memory of what happened, but all I find are brief flashes, hazy images that slip through my grasp like smoke.
Did Bram speak the truth? Was the lethal firemagic that took my parents’ lives born from my hands? Or perhaps my dragon, the beast that’s lain dormant inside me for so long, somehow broke free that fateful evening, unleashing the blaze that destroyed everything I held dear? Is that why I can’t remember, why the events of that night are nothing more than a blank void in my mind?
A low growl rumbles in my chest, frustration and self-loathing warring within me. I shake my head, trying to banish the grim thoughts, but they cling to me like a second skin, tormenting me with possibilities too horrific to contemplate. This is exactly what Bram wanted, I realize with a sinking feeling. He may have lost the reins of our family, but his final blow was a masterful one, a poison that seeps into my very soul, corroding me from the inside out.
The chime of my phone snaps me out of my dark musings, and I glance down at the screen, seeing the reminder for tomorrow’s meeting with the new accountants. I heave a sigh, swiping away the notification... and that’s when I see it.
The photo memory section, a collage of images from my weekend with Sam. My breath catches in my throat as I flip through them, each one a bittersweet reminder of the happiness we shared. There we are, walking hand in hand on the beach in Brittany, the sun setting behind us in a blaze of orange and gold. And there, blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, Sam’s face lit up with laughter and love.
I linger on a selfie of us kissing, my heart clenching with a longing so intense it steals the air from my lungs. Gods, I miss her. Miss the warmth of her smile, the fire in her eyes, the way she fit so perfectly in my arms. My fierce Little Bear, the woman who taught me what it means to love with every fiber of your being.
I was a fool to let her go, to push her away in some misguided attempt to protect her from the chaos of my life. I see that now, with a clarity that borders on painful. I should have fought for her, should have done everything in my power to be the man she deserved, the partner she needed by her side.
But is it too late? Have I lost my chance at happiness, at the future we might have together?
A knock on the door shatters my thoughts, and I look up, startled. “Come in,” I call out, my voice rough with emotion.
The door swings open, and there, standing on the threshold, is my sister. Clarissa. I sent for her, summoning her from London where Bram had settled her, far from the heart of our family.
I rise from my seat, my heart pounding as I take in the sight of her. She’s grown so much in the years since I last saw her, no longer the little girl I remember, but a young woman, beautiful and strong. But there’s a wariness in her eyes, a guarded look that speaks of the pain and loneliness she’s endured.
“Clarissa,” I murmur, my voice thick with emotion. “Thank you for coming.”
She nods, stepping into the room with a hesitance that breaks my heart. “Nikolaas,” she says, my name sounding strange and unfamiliar on her tongue. “You wanted to see me?”
“I did.” I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words, the ones that will bridge the gulf between us. “I know we don’t really know each other, that we’ve been apart for so long. But you’re my sister, Clarissa. My blood. And I want you to come home, to be a part of this family again.”
