A Deal with fire

The dragon's golden eyes narrowed, locked onto Anne with an intensity that made her breath hitch. It inhaled, its nostrils flaring—scenting her.

Then, its lips curled back over razor-sharp teeth.

"Blood of the Betrayer."

The words rumbled through the cavern like an earthquake, shaking the ground beneath Anne's feet.

Lucian tensed, his hand instinctively going to his weapon. Anne, however, stayed perfectly still, her heart pounding.

Blood of the Betrayer?

The dragon knew.

It knew what she was.

Anne swallowed hard, stepping forward cautiously. "I'm not your enemy."

The beast let out a low, rumbling growl, its massive wings twitching against the chains. "Lies. You stink of the one who cursed my kind."

Anne's pulse slammed in her ears. The one who cursed them? She didn't know what that meant, but she had no doubt—this dragon hated her.

Lucian took a slow step beside her, his voice low. "Maybe we should rethink this whole 'powerful friend' thing."

Anne ignored him. She didn't have time for hesitation. The hunters were still up there, and once they figured out where she and Lucian had disappeared to, they'd send everything they had.

She lifted her chin, meeting the dragon's burning gaze. "If you want to kill me, you'll have to wait. Right now, we have a common enemy."

The dragon huffed, a sound filled with disdain. "You expect me to trust you?"

Anne crossed her arms. "No. But I expect you to want revenge."

That made the dragon pause.

The cavern filled with silence, save for the distant, muffled echoes of the hunters above. Anne pressed forward.

"They locked me up too," she said, motioning to the broken cage. "They were scared of my power. Just like they were scared of yours." She took another step. "We both want to burn this place to the ground. So, what do you say? You help us, and I help you."

The dragon's tail flicked, knocking loose a pile of ancient rubble. Its massive claws scraped against the stone floor. Then, finally, it spoke.

"Free me, Dragire."

Anne stiffened. The word rang through her like a bell—loud, undeniable.

Dragire.

It knew exactly what she was.

Lucian let out a low whistle. "Well. No point hiding it now."

Anne ignored him. Her focus was on the chains binding the dragon's limbs and wings. They pulsed with ancient runes, the same kind that had caged her.

She clenched her fists. I broke mine. I can break his too.

Without another word, Anne unleashed her fire.

It erupted from her hands in torrents of gold and crimson, crashing against the enchanted iron. The runes flickered, resisting for a moment—

Then they cracked.

The chains shattered, bursting apart in an explosion of molten metal.

The cavern trembled. The dragon roared, its massive wings unfurling for the first time in centuries.

Anne staggered back, her breath short.

The beast shook itself free, golden eyes gleaming as it towered over her. Then, it bent its head lower, until its snout was just inches from hers.

"You have my fire," it rumbled. "But do you have my loyalty?"

Anne's lips curved into a smirk.

"Let's find out."