The storm passed, leaving the world damp and heavy. Morning light filtered through the curtains of Jim's room, pale and cold. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands. They looked human now — skin pale, smooth. But he could still feel the weight beneath them: scales itching just under the surface, ready to burst forth at the slightest provocation.
Cassie lay curled on the couch, asleep but restless, her breathing shallow and uneven. She'd refused to leave last night. He hadn't argued.
He barely slept.
In the quiet hours before dawn, dreams had come — fragments of burning skies and roars that shook the world. He'd seen eyes like molten gold watching him from the darkness. Cold. Dispassionate. His father.
A dragon who had left his mother broken and alone. A dragon whose blood twisted inside Jim's veins, marking him as something that didn't belong anywhere.
He stood, walking silently to the window. The streets below glistened with rainwater. The world continued as if nothing had happened.
But he felt it in his bones: something had shifted.
Cassie stirred, sitting up slowly. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes were bloodshot. But when she looked at him, she smiled — soft and sweet, but with that dangerous edge.
"Morning," she whispered.
"Morning." He forced the word out.
She stood, walking over to him barefoot, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his back.
"I dreamed you left me," she murmured.
"I wouldn't." His voice cracked.
She squeezed him tighter. "Good."
They stayed like that for a moment longer, wrapped in silence.
Then his phone buzzed.
News alert.
"Three bodies found in an alley near Westbridge High. Cause of death unknown. Police suspect animal attack."
His stomach twisted.
Cassie didn't even glance at the phone. "I cleaned up."
He didn't ask what that meant. He didn't want to know.
---
School felt suffocating.
The whispers had started before he even made it to class. The three men — older boys who always hung around the school, causing trouble — found dead. Faces torn apart. Bones shattered.
No witnesses. No leads.
But eyes flicked toward him in the hallways. Suspicion. Fear.
Cassie walked beside him, fingers brushing his arm occasionally, a silent reminder that she was there. She glared at anyone who looked too long.
In class, someone muttered under their breath. Something crude about dragonblood freaks.
Before Jim could react, Cassie was out of her seat. Her hand shot out, grabbing the boy by the throat and slamming him against the wall so hard the plaster cracked.
"You say one more word," she hissed, her voice low and trembling with fury, "and I'll rip out your tongue."
The boy's face turned pale. He nodded frantically.
She let him go, turned, and sat back down as if nothing had happened.
Jim stared at her.
She smiled sweetly. "No one talks about you like that."
The rest of the day passed in tense silence.
---
After school, he didn't go home. He slipped away, walking through back streets and alleys, heading toward the edge of the city where the old parts lay forgotten — places where people whispered about dragons and ancient bloodlines.
There was one man who might have answers.
The old bookstore sat wedged between two crumbling buildings, the sign faded and half-broken.
He pushed the door open, the bell jingling softly.
The air inside was thick with dust and old parchment.
From behind the counter, an old man looked up. His eyes were sharp despite his age.
"You shouldn't be here," the man said softly.
"I need to know," Jim replied.
The old man studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "Come."
They went into the back room, lined with books so old their spines crumbled at a touch.
"You're dragonblooded," the old man said. It wasn't a question.
Jim nodded.
"You carry more than just blood," the old man continued. "You carry a mark."
Jim's pulse quickened. "What do you mean?"
"Your presence… it calls to them. You're a beacon to things that should stay far away."
Jim's throat tightened.
"Your father left because he knew what would come for you," the old man said quietly. "But it's too late. They've already found your scent."
Jim swallowed hard. "Who?"
"Dragons. Those who hunt their own. And those who use dragonblood for power."
The old man reached into a drawer and pulled out an old, cracked mirror. "Look."
Jim stared into it. His reflection stared back — but behind his eyes, something glimmered. Gold. Bright. Burning.
"You are marked," the old man whispered. "Your blood will draw them to you. Stronger dragons. Older ones. And they will not show mercy."
Jim's hands trembled.
"Find your father," the old man said. "Or be consumed."
---
The sun was setting when Jim stepped out of the shop. The city lights flickered on, casting long shadows down the empty streets.
He walked quickly, his heart pounding.
A whisper of movement behind him.
He froze.
Something snarled in the alleyway.
He turned slowly.
It was not human.
The creature slithered from the shadows — long and sinuous, scales glistening dark red, wings folded tight against its back. Its eyes gleamed yellow.
A drake. Low-ranked, but dangerous.
It hissed, baring fangs.
Jim's pulse slowed. He felt the shift beneath his skin — scales rippling up his arms, horns twisting from his skull. His eyes narrowed into slits.
The drake lunged.
He sidestepped, claws raking along its flank. Blood splattered the pavement.
The drake roared, spinning, its tail lashing out. It caught him in the ribs, sending him crashing into a wall.
Pain flared bright and sharp.
Jim growled, surging forward. He ducked under the next strike and drove his claws into the drake's throat.
It screamed, flailing.
He didn't stop. He tore through scales and muscle, his claws ripping deep.
The drake collapsed, convulsing.
As it lay dying, its eyes met his.
A whisper — faint, broken.
"He… is… waiting…"
The light faded from its eyes.
Jim stood panting, blood dripping from his claws.
His scales retracted slowly. He stumbled back, chest heaving.
A shadow fell over him.
Cassie.
She rushed to his side, grabbing his face in her hands. Her eyes were wide with panic and fury.
"Are you hurt?" she breathed.
"I'm fine," he rasped.
Her hands shook. "Who did this?"
"Just a drake."
Her eyes darkened. "Sent by someone."
He nodded.
Her breath hitched. "I'll find them."
"No," he said firmly.
She grabbed his arm. "I won't let anyone take you from me."
He exhaled shakily. "Cassie—"
She kissed him hard, desperate and trembling.
"I'll burn the world for you," she whispered against his lips. "I swear I will."
He closed his eyes.
And for a moment, he let himself believe she could.
End of Chapter 2