Controlled Burn

Chapter 24: To Disappear

The chill of the containment cell had become a part of Cade, an ever-present reminder of the constant battle between his flames and Lucian's ice. His body had learned to endure the cold, but tonight, something different stirred in the air. A quiet unease, an unsettling tension that made his chest tighten, made his breath come faster as he lay on the frost-coated floor. His muscles twitched with the dull ache of exhaustion, his mind heavy with the strain of his most recent submission to Lucian.

But even in his exhausted state, Cade felt it—something was coming.

The door creaked open, the soft metallic sound slicing through the cold silence like a knife. Cade's heart jumped in his chest, his body instinctively tensing. Lucian. Cade knew it was him. He could sense his presence, cold and commanding, the air seeming to freeze around him as he stepped into the room. But this time, something felt off. The usual calm control that Lucian exuded was tinged with urgency, an intensity that sent a shiver down Cade's spine.

Cade struggled to sit up, his muscles trembling as he fought the fatigue weighing him down. His breath came in short, shallow gasps as he blinked away the haze of exhaustion clouding his vision. "Lucian?" Cade's voice cracked, barely more than a whisper, his throat raw from the earlier lessons, the constant strain of trying to maintain control over the flames that threatened to consume him at every turn.

Lucian stepped forward, his boots making soft, deliberate sounds against the icy floor. His sharp blue eyes gleamed in the dim light, the cold severity in them sharper than usual. Cade could feel the shift in the air—something was different tonight. Lucian wasn't here for another round of training. This was something else. Something...desperate.

Lucian knelt down beside him, his expression tight, unreadable. He was close enough for Cade to feel the cold radiating from him, but it wasn't oppressive this time. It wasn't meant to control Cade's fire. It was meant to steady him. To comfort him.

"Get up, Cade," Lucian whispered, his voice low and urgent. "We're leaving. Now."

Cade's heart skipped a beat, confusion and fear crashing through him in an instant. Leaving? What did Lucian mean? His mind raced, still foggy with exhaustion, but the urgency in Lucian's voice cut through it, sharpening his senses. Cade's body tensed, his flames flickering erratically under his skin as anxiety clawed at him.

"What?" Cade managed to rasp, his throat dry, his heart pounding faster now. "What do you mean, leaving?"

Lucian's hand was cold as it gripped Cade's arm, pulling him up with a strength that sent another shiver through Cade. There was no hesitation in Lucian's movements, no uncertainty in his eyes. He was certain. Certain that they needed to leave, certain that this place wasn't safe anymore.

Lucian leaned in closer, his breath cool against Cade's skin as he whispered, "You're not safe here anymore, Cade. They'll come for you. And if they do...they'll destroy you."

The words hit Cade like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of him. Destroy him? The thought sent a wave of fear crashing through him, his flames flaring in response, but Lucian's grip tightened, the ice that clung to his fingers spreading up Cade's arm, instantly calming the fire.

"What—what are you talking about?" Cade stammered, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion. Destroy him? He had always known the dangers of being a fire demon, especially one who was unstable, especially one who had lived on the edge of combustion for so long. But Lucian had always been there, keeping him from tipping over that edge. Lucian had always been the one to save him.

Lucian's jaw clenched, his eyes darkening with something fierce—something protective. "You've seen what they do to fire demons, Cade. You've lived it. If you stay here, they'll keep using you until you're nothing more than a tool—a weapon. And when you burn out, when you're no longer of any use to them, they'll throw you away. Just like they've done to so many others."

Cade's heart raced, his body trembling as he processed Lucian's words. He had seen it. He had seen the way the other fire demons in the underground circuits were treated, like animals, like weapons to be used for the amusement and greed of the ice demons who ran the fights. He had seen the blank stares of those who had taken too much Accelerant, their flames burned out, their bodies frostbitten and broken. It was a fate worse than death.

"You're not safe here," Lucian repeated, his voice low, but filled with a cold intensity. "I'm taking you away from this place. We'll disappear, Cade. They'll never find you."

Cade's breath hitched in his throat, fear mixing with a sudden, desperate hope. Disappear? Could Lucian really make that happen? Could he really take Cade away from all of this—from the danger, from the control, from the endless struggle for survival? Could Lucian really save him?

"I'm taking you home with me," Lucian continued, his voice softer now, almost gentle. "Where you'll be safe. Where no one can hurt you."

Cade's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing as he stared at Lucian, trying to understand what was happening. This was real. Lucian was offering him a way out. He was offering Cade safety, protection—something Cade had never dared to hope for.

"I can't—" Cade started to protest, his voice breaking. His body trembled, his flames flickering weakly under his skin. He wasn't stable. He wasn't ready. He knew that. His control was fragile at best, and without Lucian's constant presence, without the ice to keep him steady, he would lose himself. He would burn.

But Lucian's cold hand gripped his chin, tilting his face up so their eyes met. There was something fierce in Lucian's gaze—something that made Cade's breath catch in his throat.

"I don't care if you're not ready," Lucian growled softly, his voice low and filled with determination. "You're not stable, but you don't need to be. I'll help you. I'll be with you every step of the way."

Cade's chest tightened, his breath trembling as he stared into Lucian's eyes. Could he really do this? Could he really trust Lucian to keep him safe, to keep him from burning out? Lucian had always been there, always known when to stop Cade before his flames consumed him, but this...this felt different.

"You don't have to carry this burden alone anymore, Cade," Lucian whispered, his voice soft but filled with conviction. "I'll take care of you. I'll protect you. But we need to leave now."

Cade's heart raced, fear and hope warring inside him. He wasn't ready. He knew that. He wasn't in control, not completely, but Lucian was offering him something more than control. He was offering him safety. A way out. A chance to be free.

Without hesitation, Cade nodded, his breath coming out in a shaky exhale. "I trust you, Lucian," he whispered, his voice filled with certainty.

Lucian's gaze softened, just for a moment, as if relieved, but there was no time for hesitation. Lucian stood, pulling Cade to his feet with him, his cold hands steadying Cade as he swayed from exhaustion. Cade's muscles trembled, his body weak, but Lucian didn't let go. He kept Cade upright, kept him steady, his cold presence wrapping around him like a shield.

He held Cade before lowering him back to the cold floor, Cade's heart pounded louder in his chest. They were really doing this. They were leaving. He was leaving behind everything—the containment, the control, the constant threat of destruction. But most of all, he was leaving behind the fear.

Lucian stopped at the door, his icy gaze locking onto Cade's. "You're coming with me. We'll disappear, and they'll never find us."

Cade swallowed hard, his heart racing. Disappear. The weight of that word settled over him like a thick fog, but instead of fear, there was something else—relief. Cade had spent so long fighting, so long on the edge of losing control, but now...now he didn't have to do it alone. He didn't have to be afraid anymore.

Lucian opened the door, and Cade watched as he stepped into the familiar hallway his jaw set with determination. Lucian was gone, but for once Cade didn't feel the usual panic that came with the thought of losing control and losing Lucian's security. He didn't feel the overwhelming terror that had haunted him for years.

Because Lucian was coming back for him; Lucian was risking everything to save him.

And for the first time in years, Cade felt hope burn in his chest—not like the raging inferno that had always threatened to consume him, but like a steady, controlled flame. A flame that Lucian would keep burning.