by Resa Nelson
A tall and wide cage had been built, and a young dragon raged inside.
Astrid stood between the cage and Gloomer, who crept toward it with Drageen standing a few paces behind. “Let it go!” Astrid yelled at Gloomer. “It’s done nothing wrong!”
“Dragons are dangerous,” Gloomer said in a patronizing voice. “If we don’t keep it caged, it will kill all of us.”
“You’re the one who’s killing!” Astrid said. Her voice strained with anger. “You’re killing all the dragons. You say they’re alive below the tower, but I know better. I went down there. I saw the dead ones. And the others are locked up in chains and shackles.”
Gloomer took slow steps toward her while Drageen watched in horror, unable to make sense of what he saw.
“Little girls shouldn’t go where they’re not allowed,” Gloomer said.
Astrid cried tears of fury. “I tried to let them go. I don’t know how to do it. But you won’t get this little dragon. I won’t let you!”
Buoyed by his sister’s anger, Drageen shouted at Gloomer. “Stop! Stay away from Astrid!”
Gloomer halted, and his shoulders tensed. He then turned to face Drageen.
Drageen felt the alchemist beside him, panting from the exertion of climbing the tower stairs.
“Careful,” she whispered to Drageen.
Gloomer gave a warm smile. “Dearest nephew,” Gloomer said. “The time has come for us to talk.” Gloomer’s smile widened. “Please. Let’s go to your alchemist’s chambers. I believe she still has some of my honey mead that we can share.”
CHAPTER 27
While Gloomer and Bee descended the tower stairs toward her chambers, Drageen knelt next to Astrid. More than anything else, he wanted to sweep her away from this island and get them both to a better place where they could live in happiness and without fear.
Although Drageen’s memories of his mother had faded so much that he could no longer remember what she looked like, he recalled the sound of her voice and the urgency it held on the day she asked him to take care of his sister.
Knowing that for once he couldn’t stay by her side made Drageen sick at his stomach. It twisted while he tried to figure out what to do.
The small dragon inside the cage hissed. When it clawed at the iron bars, its skin sizzled and the dragon pulled its paw back with a yelp.
Drageen said, “Are you sure you want to stay here? You’d be safer with Bee.”
Calmer now, Astrid nodded. “I’m sure. Someone has to help. It has no mother or father here to protect it.”
Drageen didn’t understand his sister’s compassion toward the animal. “It can kill you.”
“I know.” Astrid held her chin up high. “It won’t. I can tell it doesn’t want to hurt me.”
Drageen removed the dagger he kept tucked under his belt and gave it to Astrid. “Do you remember how to use this?” Since the dragons attacked last year, Drageen had made sure Astrid knew how to use the most basic weapon that every mortal carried.
She nodded and took the dagger from him. “But I won’t use it against the dragon. I won’t have to.”
“What if someone tries to hurt you?”
Astrid stared into his eyes. “Someone like Gloomer?”
“Someone like Gloomer. Do you think you can stab people in our family if they try to hurt you?”
The expression in Astrid’s eyes became as hard as metal. “Yes.” She frowned. “But it’s your dagger. Now you don’t have a weapon.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Drageen grinned and held up his fists. “I’ve got these weapons.”
Astrid stared at him with solemn eyes. “If you need to hit Gloomer, don’t feel bad. Hit him as hard as you can.”
Matching her solemn gaze, Drageen nodded. “We’ll each protect ourselves. Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
Seeing Astrid’s strong grip on his dagger and the determination on her face gave Drageen strength. He knew he couldn’t convince her to leave Tower Island and abandon the dragons. Somehow, he’d have to convince Gloomer to set the last dragons free.
By the time he entered Bee’s chambers, Drageen found her sitting across from Gloomer at her table. She sipped from a mug cupped with shaking hands.
Gloomer poured a mug full of honey mead and pushed it toward Drageen.
Drageen let it rest in his hands. “Astrid is right. Those dragons pose no threat to us. What’s the harm in letting them go?”
Gloomer gave a hearty laugh and then stopped. “You can’t be serious.”
Drageen fiddled with the handle on the mug. “The dragons tried to take over Tower Island. We stopped them. Now they know it can’t be done. If what Astrid says is true and there are few dragons left, letting them go makes sense. None of them will ever return.”
“You forget there is a greater threat at hand,” Gloomer said. “Now is the time to ready ourselves for that threat. Keeping the dragons at hand could help us. There may come a day when we can let them loose on attackers. Dragons alone won’t be enough to protect us, but they can help.”
“Bloodstones,” Bee murmured. Her half-lidded eyes hinted that she’d already had more than her fill of honey mead.
“Your alchemist brings up a good point,” Gloomer said. “We need to talk about Astrid.”
The sweet aroma from Drageen’s mug filled his nose and made him feel relaxed and warm. For a moment, he couldn’t remember why he’d felt so upset moments ago.
Then he remembered Astrid. “Leave my sister out of it,” Drageen said.
Bee leaned forward and rested her head against the table. Moments later, she snored.
Gloomer nodded toward Drageen’s mug. “Drink up.”
“It’s too early in the day.” Drageen had no intention of falling apart like Bee. “And I won’t let you use Astrid in any of your plans.”
“But I must,” Gloomer said. “Many years ago, I learned enough about alchemy to use it to glimpse the future.” He held up his hands in defense. “Don’t accuse me of portents, because I don’t have them. I can’t see the future. But I can get brief impressions of what’s to come. And the impressions I’ve seen lately are the worst I’ve ever experienced. We’re lucky Astrid can help. She might save us all.” Gloomer stood and gestured toward the shelves and benches at the opposite end of Bee’s chambers. “Come. I’ll show you.”
Glancing at Bee, Drageen saw he couldn’t rouse her.
What harm can it do to let Gloomer yammer? If nothing else, it’ll give Bee time to recover.
Drageen followed Gloomer and watched him pick and choose a few containers of ingredients from Bee’s organized shelves. Gloomer lined the containers on a bench and then opened the pouch hanging from his belt.
“I call upon the father of all Northlander gods to guide me,” Gloomer said. One by one, he pulled small, flat stones out of the pouch, each no larger than his thumb.
Drageen noticed that the stones were polished on one side and had a runic symbol carved into the other. He knew no details about the symbols, but he recognized one when he saw it.
Gloomer placed each stone polished-side up on the bench. He then opened a small glass bottle containing a fine white dust.
When Gloomer removed the bottle’s stopper, Drageen caught a whiff of the sweet smell of dandelion blooms.
Deep in concentration, Gloomer poured a circle of the white dust around the stones. He then removed the lid of a small earthen jar, removed spiky bramble balls, and placed one ball between each stone.
Finally, Gloomer opened a tiny wooden box filled with dried stardust blossoms. Despite his stout fingers, Gloomer picked out some of the blue flowers and placed a few at the edge of the circle made of dandelion bloom dust. Reaching into his pouch again, Gloomer withdrew a piece of flint and then took the dagger out from beneath his belt. Holding it near the circle, he struck at the flint with his dagger until sparks flew.
The fine dust lit up like overheated iron sparking white. It flooded the chambers with blinding li
ght that faded and formed into clouds.
Drageen felt as if he’d walked outside and the sky had fallen down upon him, leaving him walking among its vapors.
The dried stardust flowers exploded and turned into shadowy figures that lurked among the billowing clouds, ever moving, ever changing.
The spiky bramble balls sizzled and popped. Cracking open, they emitted blue smoke that twisted and turned like a dragon devouring its own tail.
Gloomer spoke in a hush. “Mighty All-Father, show us how to protect Tower Island. Instruct us in the ways of saving our lives and our home.”
The blue smoke shifted its dragon shape into a ball, and the shape of a girl sprang from it.
“Astrid,” Gloomer whispered. “That’s supposed to be Astrid.”
Another strand of smoke took its own dragon shape and wrapped around the smoke girl, squeezing her tight.
“No!” Drageen said. “I will not let you harm her!” Drageen lunged at the image, but Gloomer held him back.
“Quiet!” Gloomer clamped a sweaty palm over Drageen’s mouth to silence him and then hissed in his ear. “Respect the All-Father and what he shows us!”
The smoke girl sizzled and popped like spiky bramble balls. Like falling stars, tiny bits exploded out of the girl and turned brilliant red.
The remaining stardust flowers exploded, and bright light flooded the chambers again. In an instant, the light and the smoke faded until no images remained. An acrid scent hung in the air, but no more than a burning candle had been extinguished.
Gloomer released Drageen and gestured toward the bench, now littered with the debris of burned and exploded ingredients. “That proves it. If we stand any chance against invaders, we must take action now.”
Drageen glanced back when he heard the alchemist Bee give a faint moan. He saw her shift as if coming awake. “What action? What do you mean to do? And what does my sister have to do with it?”
“Under the right circumstances, she can produce bloodstones.”
Drageen frowned. “Bloodstones?”
“Powerful things.” Gloomer jerked a thumb in Bee’s direction. “An alchemist like her knows how to draw out the power from them and put that power into liquid. Smear it on your skin, and no weapon can harm you.”
Drageen stood still, stunned by the implications. “We could fight in battle and kill every enemy without losing a man.” The memory of the smoke images haunted Drageen. “But what does Astrid have to do? How can she make such stones?”
Gloomer pursed his lips. “I will cage her with the dragon she’s so intent to protect. Dragon bites will start the process.”
“Dragon bites?” Drageen raised his voice. “They’re deadly! No one survives a dragon bite. The poison in the dragon’s spit will kill her!”
“No,” Gloomer said. “It won’t. Her bloodline will protect her.”
“Bloodline?” Drageen’s thoughts raced. “We’ve got the same bloodline, Astrid and me. The exact same bloodline. Put me in that cage instead.”
Gloomer stared at Drageen for a long moment before answering. “I can’t.”
“Of course, you can. If Astrid can produce bloodstones, then so can I.”
Gloomer cleared his throat. “The dragon bites would kill you.”
“Nonsense. If Astrid can survive them, I can survive, too.”
“I don’t think so.”
Drageen gathered his courage and readied to go upstairs and put himself in the cage. “I’ll prove it to you.”
Gloomer grabbed Drageen by the arm and held him in place. “To survive the dragon’s bites and produce bloodstones, you would have to have the same father as Astrid.”
Drageen yanked free of Gloomer’s grip, but his words kept him from leaving the room. “Astrid and I have the same parents. We’re brother and sister.”
“And yet you look nothing alike.” The expression on Gloomer’s face turned to pity. “Astrid, like all the Scaldings, looks like a typical Northlander. We have blond hair and fair skin. Unlike you.”
Drageen glanced at his skin. “It’s browned from the sun.”
Gloomer shrugged. “The rest of us burn. We don’t brown as easily as you.” He pointed at Drageen’s hair. “Nor is our hair brown like yours.”
“I take after my mother.” But as soon as he spoke the words, Drageen realized he couldn’t remember what his mother looked like. Or his father.
Gloomer lowered his voice. “Not all women stay faithful to their husbands. Some act like stray dogs instead.”
Infuriated, Drageen grabbed Gloomer by the throat. “Do not speak against my mother!” Although Drageen couldn’t remember what she looked like, in that moment his memory of her love for him ignited like a flame. “She did nothing wrong!”
Gloomer’s advanced age betrayed him. His strength proved no match against Drageen’s youth and anger. Unable to speak, Gloomer clawed at Drageen without success.
“You will not hurt my sister!” Drageen shouted. “And you will not speak lies about my family! You don’t deserve to be a Scalding!”
Driven by wrath, Drageen reached for his dagger only to find it missing.
I gave it to Astrid.
The thought of his sister being put in a cage by Gloomer drove Drageen to the brink of madness. Remembering that Gloomer had used his own dagger to conjure up the smoke images, Drageen dragged the old man toward the bench, found the dagger, and drove it between Gloomer’s ribs.
“Drageen, no!” Bee shouted.
Gloomer stared at Drageen with wet and rheumy eyes. The old man dug his fingers into Drageen’s arms, but his weight deadened and pulled him to the floor. Gloomer gasped for breath a few times and then stopped.
Startled by his own actions, Drageen looked at Gloomer as if his uncle were playing a cruel and humorless prank. Everything had happened so quickly that Drageen wondered if he’d imagined the whole thing. He nudged Gloomer with the toe of his shoe, thinking the old man would spring to his feet with a smirk.
“Gloomer!” Bee hurried to the body. Her pale and fallen face made her look as if she’d had a rough night’s sleep torn apart by nightmares. She gave Drageen a stunned look. “What did you do?”
Still unsure himself, Drageen could do no more than shrug.
Bee’s eyes widened as she looked over Drageen’s shoulder. “No,” she whispered. “It can’t be.”
Drageen turned to follow her gaze but saw only the faint remnants of blue smoke hanging in the air. “What can’t be?”
“It’s everywhere,” Bee whispered.
Drageen couldn’t find enough patience to listen to the alchemist. He nudged Gloomer’s body again, still surprised to see no response.
Drageen felt a sick feeling sink through his entire body. His head became so light that it made him dizzy.
Gloomer is dead. I killed him.
It had to be done. Now we’re free.
“I’ll go get Astrid,” Drageen told the alchemist. He willed his head to clear and his mind to think straight. “We must leave Tower Island this minute.”
“We can’t,” Bee said. She stared all around the room as if surrounded by ghosts. “Don’t you see what has to be done?”
“I do. That’s why we’re leaving.” Drageen looked down at his dead uncle.
When Bee clutched his arm, Drageen shifted his gaze to her.
“Not him,” Bee said. She swept her arm across the room. “What he conjured.”
Drageen took another glance around her chambers but saw only what he’d noticed moments before: hanging wisps of smoke. “It’s just smoke, Bee.”
Her voice became hushed, and she sounded frightened. “You don’t see it.” She pointed at the room again. “It’s a prophecy. It tells what will come.” She tightened her grip on his arm. “It shows why you can’t leave Tower Island. Not now. Not until certain things have been resolved.”
Drageen wrenched his arm free and walked toward the door leading to the stairway that would take him to Astrid. “There’s nothing you
can say that will stop me from taking Astrid away from this place.”
“She will die,” Bee said.
Once again, Drageen felt a sick feeling wash over him. “What?”
“If you and Astrid leave Tower Island, she will die. And so will you.” Bee’s voice quivered. “If you leave, the Northlander gods will destroy the Northlands. They will kill us all.”
CHAPTER 28
Drageen stormed up the staircase that wound inside the tower. He didn’t know whether or not he could trust the prophecy that the alchemist Bee claimed to see. He thought about Bee’s warnings about Astrid.
She will die.
Drageen struggled against that thought. He wanted to leave Tower Island forever and forget it existed. He wanted to take Astrid with him so they’d never have to see another Scalding for the rest of their days.
If you and Astrid leave Tower Island, she will die.
Fighting the warnings that echoed in his head, Drageen pushed open the door to the top of the tower and found Astrid standing alone in front of the cage containing the young dragon.
And so will you.
Drageen flinched. His stomach twisted into knots. Still, he pressed forward.
Astrid blocked the door to the cage. Although its lock hung open, the door stayed in place. “I won’t let Gloomer hurt the dragon!”
Striding toward her, Drageen said, “You never have to worry about Gloomer again. It’s just you and me now.” He swept Astrid up in his arms and held her tight.
If you leave, the Northlander gods will kill us all.
The alchemist’s words fell like a weight on his shoulders.
Astrid clung to him with her arms wrapped around his neck.
If the alchemist’s warning proved to be true, he didn’t want the deaths of all the people in the world on his shoulders.
None of this should be happening. Astrid and I were supposed to leave with Bruni. We were supposed to become dragonslayers. We were supposed to work for the greater good.
A memory of Grandpapa Sven came rushing back. Drageen remembered the day that Bruni tried to take Astrid and him from Tower Island. He remembered the way Grandpapa Sven explained that a dragonslayer didn’t kill a dragon for the sake of killing it.