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~CHAPTER ONE: XANDER~
My fire coiled through me. It was always there, swirling, simmering, pulling me. The first weekend in May and the cold had finally left Chicago, hopefully for good. Runners crowded the trails along Lake Shore Drive, desperate for the bright sun on their faces after so long indoors. No one knew. No one even guessed what was inside me.
I turned away from the lake and made my way toward Seminary Street. My dragon stirred, pulled first by the sound of laughter. A young couple walked arm in arm, sipping iced coffee from the chic little shop at the corner. I stretched my reach, taking a deep breath as the man straightened his back. He was just a normal man though. I sensed no shifter blood in him. Still, he sensed something in me. He kept his smile in place, but tightened his grip on his girlfriend. I nodded as we passed on the sidewalk.
I pulled out the tiny scrap of paper my brother Gideon had given me. He’d written the address in his scrawling cursive that no one outside the family could read. I crumpled the paper again and crammed it in my suitcoat pocket. I was overdressed for the neighborhood. The Lakeview District was made up of hipsters and young people now. It thrived with new, reborn energy. I’d seen it transform from generation to generation. Thriving. Dying. Coming back to life.
I nearly walked right by the little bookstore as I scanned the other shops and people on the street. There was no reason to think anyone out here would threaten me. I knew my power. It crackled through me, coiled strength and burgeoning heat. My dragon was on edge. I’d controlled him for three hundred years. Today should have been just another day. Another dead end or wild goose chase Avelina sent one of us on.
Dragonstone. I wasn’t even sure I’d know it when I saw it. Part of me questioned whether it ever existed. I wasn’t the only one.
Gideon, Kian, and Loch spent their lives chasing shadows. If Dragonstone had survived, we would have found it by now. Still, Avelina had her visions. She sent me here. She said there was something special about this place. Something dangerous too. She wasn’t wrong.
The scent hit me first. It shouldn’t have been possible. A low growl rumbled from deep in my chest. I turned the knob and went inside.
I wasn’t the only predator here. My dragon surged beneath my skin, hammering for release. My breath came in tight, shallow bursts. I clamped down hard, keeping him under control.
“Hello?” I called. The little bell on the door had rung when I came in. The place felt empty. It was dim and the air hung heavy with dust. The shadows cast from the tall shelves made it darker still. This place was too small to carry this much stock. Books lay stacked three deep on every shelf. Tattered covers and mildewed spines lined the walls. It reeked of age, but underneath it all was something else.
I moved through the aisles. As I passed, a book fell from a high shelf and landed with a thud at my feet. My dragon’s growl pushed at me again. I was not alone. Not by a long shot.
“Can I help you?”
Her voice cut through me, clear and strong as a bell. I turned and saw her for the first time. My dragon went completely still.
She wasn’t beautiful. Not exactly. Her face was too sharp. Her hair too wild. But her bright, intelligent eyes pulled at me. They were the palest green I’d ever seen, like new grass after a rainstorm. My dragon stirred. He clawed to the surface. Mine. He said it before I could stop him.
“Well?” she asked. Her hands settled on her hips. “You just gonna stand there all day, or can I help you?”
She looked me up and down. I realized then that I probably looked insane. My fire was probably glowing in my eyes. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, centering myself again. My dragon quieted, for the moment.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Who says you startled me?” Her brow went up, but she smiled, softening her tone.
“I’m looking for something. A book, actually. I was told you might have it.”
“We have a lot of books. You’ll have to be more specific.”
She moved closer. A hint of cinnamon and something sweet swirled around her. My pulse hammered. She was human. Entirely human. And yet...something about her called to me on a primal level.
“It’s a rare book. It’s called The Fire Within.”
The woman’s pale green eyes widened just a bit. She turned her face, tucking a loose strand of fiery red hair behind her ear. She knew something. I was sure of it. She quickly masked it, forcing a polite smile.
“Sorry,” she said. “Never heard of it. Are you sure you have the right place?”
“I’m sure,” I said, stepping closer. I lowered my voice. I had no intention of scaring her, but I needed answers. My dragon was too close to the surface. I couldn’t stop him from growling.
“Are you okay?” she asked. Her cheeks flushed and she took a step back. For just a moment, I saw a spark of something deep in her eyes. Not fear. No. It was something else. Recognition.
“Please,” I said, keeping my voice even. “The book. I need to know if you have it.”
“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her voice quavered just a little.
I didn’t believe her. Neither did my dragon. That was going to be a problem.
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