Enchanted Ivy

by Sarah Beth Durst

  296

  "Tye?" she whispered. Her throat hurt, as if she had swallowed flames.

  "He's toying with them," Tye said grimly.

  The swords ricocheted off the dragon's scales. He breathed fire, and a knight screamed as orange flames engulfed him. He dropped to the ground, and other knights piled on top of him, trying to smother the fire. The dragon soared back into the air, out of reach.

  "It'll take the Air Force to bring him down," Tye said. "And then ... the secret will be out. Despite everything we did ... this is it."

  She looked up at the dragon. "But we have our own air force."

  Tye frowned at her.

  Jumping to her feet, Lily grinned. She felt magic vibrating inside her. Her bones sang with it. "Come on--ride a dragon with me?"

  Quickly, Lily and Tye crossed to the magic world.

  The tiger man was in the yard, coordinating the aftermath of the battle. He listened to Tye's explanation and then ushered them to the concrete stadium across campus.

  A few minutes later, Lily was ready. She was strapped to a ruby red dragon's back with leather belts, and she held reins in her hands. On the back of a second dragon, Tye signaled that he was ready too.

  Tye's father yelled to them, "Keep them over campus! We

  297

  have to limit exposure!" He slapped Tye's dragon on the leg. "Now, fly!"

  The two dragons flapped their enormous wings and then leaped into the night air. Pumping, they shot upward. Lily felt the wind hit her face, and the trees' song fell away. Flanked by griffins, the dragons flew toward the gate. At Nassau Hall, the griffins peeled away, leaving the two dragons with their riders alone for the final approach.

  Tye's dragon flattened his wings, extended his neck, and tucked up his talons. He shot down toward the gate. Lily's dragon dove after him.

  Seconds ahead of her, Tye's dragon bashed through the iron decoration, sending the Princeton seal spinning through the air.

  Lily's dragon flew right behind him. She felt the impact as the dragon's flanks scraped against the stone pillars. The pillars cracked. White light flashed. And then they were through.

  On the other side, the dragons veered up over Nassau Street, silhouetted against the backdrop of the starry sky. Lily spotted the Chained Dragon instantly. He was weaving between the chapel spires, a gray shadow against the dark blue sky. "There!" Lily shouted, but the dragons had already seen their kin.

  Talons extended, the Chained Dragon dove toward the plaza. Lily screamed. Her dragon echoed her scream with a trumpeting roar. Below, she saw figures: Grandpa, Jake, other

  298

  Old Boys. All of them were looking up at the three dragons.

  The Chained Dragon broke his dive. Rearing back, he rose in the air in front of one of the chapel's stained-glass windows.

  Lily's dragon took the lead. Blasting flame from his jaws, he seared the air in front of the Chained Dragon. Lily felt hot wind on her cheeks. Dodging, the Chained Dragon fired back a burst of orange red flame.

  Shooting fire back and forth, the three dragons spun in a spiral higher and higher over the chapel. Lily saw stars spin above her, streaking into circles of light. Suddenly, the Chained Dragon broke out of the spiral and shot away from the cathedral plaza. Lily's and Tye's dragons chased him.

  They flew over the classrooms, the gardens, and the dorms. Ahead, beyond several fields, Lily saw a string of car headlights on Route 1, the highway that marked the border of campus. She thought of the tiger man's warning. They couldn't let the dragon leave campus.

  Red sparkles burst over a soccer field. A stream of silver white chased them. Fireworks! She heard a band playing John Philip Sousa below them.

  As they flew over the field, the sky lit with umbrellas of silvery sparkles. Fireworks whistled and screamed. All three dragons veered away.

  Lily yanked on her dragon's reins. "Listen for the whistle, and watch for the streaks!" she shouted to her dragon. She pointed toward a thin strip of sparks that then exploded into

  299

  a white burst of light. "Drive him toward those!"

  Tye followed. Together, they chased the Chained Dragon over the soccer field. Using the reins, Lily guided her dragon around the about-to-explode fireworks. With no one to help him watch for the telltale streaks, the Chained Dragon spun erratically through the air, twisting and turning to avoid both the two dragons and the umbrellas of embers and hot ash.

  As the Chained Dragon flailed in the air, Tye and Lily circled around him and began to drive him back toward the chapel. A crinkling sparkle of white yellow light singed one of the Chained Dragon's wings. He screamed and dipped, and the two dragons closed in.

  Talons extended, the two dragons flew above the Chained Dragon's back. They forced him into a descent. He twisted and spat flame at Lily. Lily's dragon veered away, skimming the tops of the trees. Song from the trees burst into Lily's head.

  She had an idea.

  "Drive him toward the gardens!" she shouted to Tye. Snapping the reins, she urged her own dragon faster. They overshot the Chained Dragon and beelined for Prospect Gardens.

  As they flew, Lily unhooked the harness belts from around her waist and wrapped them around her arms. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over the side of the dragon's neck. She reached out one hand and touched the treetops.

  Leaves brushed her palm, and she felt song crash through

  300

  her so loud and strong that it felt as if the notes were ramming themselves directly into her veins. She put a picture in her mind of the Chained Dragon and of the trees reaching up to him. "Grab him!" she ordered the trees. "Bring him down!"

  Approaching rapidly, Tye's dragon rode above the Chained Dragon, driving him lower and lower. Circling the gardens, Lily slapped at treetops, repeating her command until every tree she touched now strained toward the stars, branches reaching.

  Just before the gardens, Tye's dragon slammed down hard on the Chained Dragon's back. The Chained Dragon jolted lower. As he hit the top branches of the evergreens, the trees snapped together. They knocked into his wings, they battered his stomach, and they caught his legs.

  The Chained Dragon tumbled out of the night sky.

  "Land!" Lily cried to her own dragon.

  Her dragon abruptly dove. He skidded to a landing on the walkway outside the gardens. Lily was tossed forward into his neck. Tears sprang into her eyes as her chin smashed into a scale. She didn't let it slow her, though. She flung herself off the dragon and ran into the gardens.

  Above, in the treetops, the Chained Dragon thrashed. Lily heard the trees scream.

  Dropping to her knees at the base of the trees, she plunged her hands into the ivy that wove between the evergreens. She pictured what she wanted: vines growing and wrapping

  301

  themselves around the beast's legs. "Grow to him," she ordered the vines. "Tangle him."

  Obediently, the vines stretched and wound their way up the trees toward the suspended dragon. The ivy snaked around the dragon's body as he opened his jaws and spurted fire. The nearest trees burst into flame.

  Lily grabbed more vines. "Smother the flames," she commanded. Again, she formed the clearest picture she could in her mind: the vines weaving into a mat and blanketing the fire. She didn't wait to see if they succeeded. Jumping to her feet, she ran to the trunks of the trees that held the dragon. She threw her arms around the closest tree. "Pull him down!" She repeated her order with all the nearby trees. "Capture him!"

  Mimicking the image she had sent them, the trees began to enclose the dragon's legs in bark. As the bark thickened, vines crept around his torso. The tree trunks creaked as the dragon fought.

  Lily ran to the flower beds. Bending down, she touched the tulip petals with her palms as she ran through. "Block his eyes!" she said. "Fill his mouth. Blind him. Gag him."

  Pulled by the branches and the vines, the dragon tumbled to the ground. He crashed into the fountain in the center of the gardens. The tuli
ps shot toward him. Brilliant yellow and red petals filled his eyes and mouth. Above, Tye's dragon hovered, silhouetted by the moon, blocking the Chained Dragon's escape.

  302

  The dragon thrashed, and the force of his flailing snapped trees and crushed flowers. Lily saw the vines strain. She needed more!

  Lily sprinted up the hill to the rosebushes. She thrust her hands into the leaves. Thorns scraped her palms, but she ignored them. "Pierce him," she ordered. She felt her muscles shake as the magic flooded out of her and into the roses.

  The rosebushes spread down the slope toward the heart of the gardens. They wove themselves around the fallen dragon. He fought them off, breaking the branches. Lily concentrated, picturing the magic pouring out of her and into the rosebushes. "More!" she cried.

  Filled with her magic, the roses multiplied as they flowed down the hill, over the gardens, and to the dragon. Blossoms burst into red and white bloom as they snaked around the beast.

  "Thorns, grow," she commanded. She imagined the thorns thickening and stretching until each was a living sword.

  The thorn swords stabbed the dragon.

  She heard the dragon scream, and for an instant, she faltered. The roses felt her hesitation and withdrew.

  "Don't stop!" Tye shouted down at her. "He killed your father! He killed my mother! You have to end this now!"

  Closing her eyes, she sent more thorns into the dragon.

  Rose thorns pierced the dragon's heart.

  In the distance, dimly, she heard men and women shouting. The dragon screamed as the Princeton knights

  303

  burst into the gardens. Releasing the roses, Lily sagged to the ground.

  The rosebushes retreated up the hill. The tulips fell out of the dragon's mouth and slipped from his eyes. The vines shrank and slithered back to their trees, and the trees themselves rose to stand tall around the gardens like silent, broken sentinels.

  Swords raised, the knights, led by Jake, raced toward the downed dragon.

  In the center of the gardens, covered in petals and blood, the dragon lay still.

  304

  CHAPTER Eighteen

  Six months later

  Lily straightened her sword arm. "Is this right?"

  On the benches behind Vineyard Club, Tye lounged as he bit into a cheesesteak. "Sure," he said around the oozing ketchup, "if you want to topple over."

  She glared at him. "Very funny," she said. She pushed her hair out of her eyes. She'd been sweating so much that it had started to frizz. She wished she'd worn short sleeves, but she hadn't expected to sweat so much in December. It was all Jake's fault, of course. He thought she needed extra practice.

  "Jake, wanna show her?"

  Flashing her a smile, Jake rammed his shoulder into hers.

  Naturally, she flew sideways. She landed on the frozen

  305

  grass with a thud. "Ow," she said. "Totally proves nothing. He could topple an elephant."

  Always the gentleman, Jake held out his hand to help her back onto her feet. "You are nothing like an elephant," he said gravely.

  As compliments went, it wasn't impressive, but she'd accept it. She dusted flecks of dirt off her shirt and jeans as she smiled at him. "Thanks, Jake."

  Tye scowled. "You're flirting with my girlfriend again," he complained.

  Jake's ears turned pink as he blushed. "I'll, um, get the practice swords."

  Putting down his cheesesteak, Tye jumped off the bench and crossed to Lily as Jake went inside the club. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Just so you know," he said, "I am planning on sweeping you away tonight, feeding you ice cream, and then taking you to watch a phoenix rise."

  Lily grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Not the traditional dinner and a movie?"

  "No dinner. Just an ice-cream cone," he said. "Your grandfather thinks I'm a bad influence. I have to maintain my reputation."

  "He said that?" She'd have to talk with him. Again.

  "Not in so many words." Tye wound his fingers through Lily's hair and then cupped her cheek in his hand. She felt the familiar tingle as their magic fizzed over her skin. He drew

  306

  her closer and kissed her. His lips were soft and gentle and wonderful.

  A familiar voice interrupted them. "I do think you're a bad influence. Please refrain from slobbering over my granddaughter in public." Tye and Lily jumped apart as Grandpa strode out of Vineyard Club. "Jake said I'd find you back here."

  "Thanks, brother o' mine," Tye muttered.

  "Grandpa ...," Lily began.

  He held up a hand. "You have a letter," he said.

  Lily felt her heart hammer faster. "Oh?"

  "You're delivering--," Tye started. "Ooh. Right. The letter."

  Lily wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and told herself to quit being nervous. The Old Boys had promised, and her application had been solid. She'd transferred to Princeton High School for senior year in order to be closer to Mom, but she'd kept up her grades and even taken on an extra AP class. "Big envelope or small?" she asked.

  Grandpa's face was blank as he handed her a business-size envelope. She held it to her chest for a moment, trying to force her heart to calm down. It couldn't be a rejection, could it?

  "Seriously? You're nervous?" Tye asked.

  It was such a small envelope!

  "Lily, you're amazing," Tye said. "Any school would say yes."

  She studied the seal on the return address, and then she

  307

  flipped the envelope over and ran her fingers over the back. Just open it, she told herself. Quit it with the melodrama. It has to be a yes. Unless the Old Boys didn't have the pull they thought they had ... Unless that "unprepared" in gym class hurt her GPA too much ...

  Tye rolled his eyes at her. "Bet you submitted other college applications, too," he said. "Just in case."

  She blushed.

  "Lily!"

  "Only Harvard," she said.

  Grandpa frowned. "Why?"

  "Well ... everyone needs a safety school."

  Grandpa guffawed, slapping his thigh.

  Tye plucked the envelope out of Lily's hands, ripped it open, and handed the letter to her unread. Taking a deep breath, she read the first sentence, and then she punched her fist with the letter into the air. "Yes!" she yelled.

  "Congratulations, Princeton girl," Tye said. He grabbed her and kissed her forehead.

  Brushing Tye aside, Grandpa scooped Lily up and swung her in a circle exactly as he had when she was a little girl. "I am so proud of you, my tigerlily."

  She beamed at him.

  "Never mind the ice-cream cone," Tye said. "I'm buying you a banana split."

  Over Grandpa's shoulder, she said, "You're on."

  Lily read through the entire letter to make sure the first

  308

  sentence hadn't lied. She couldn't stop smiling. Everything inside her was singing, not just the trees.

  It was finally really, truly, irrevocably real.

  "I need to tell Mom. Want to come?" she asked Grandpa.

  He hesitated. "Love to, but I can't. We had another emergency--some alum has sold his photos to an obscure tabloid. We're maneuvering to buy the tabloid." Since June, the Old Boys had had their hands full pulling strings, leaning on the media, and planting information to try to bury the truth of what had happened. "Sometimes I wish I'd never left the flower shop," Grandpa said, making a face. Lily knew he didn't mean it. He was the new leader of the knights, and Lily had never seen him so happy. He whistled all the time, often starting at six a.m., which was less than charming, especially since her new bedroom was next to his. "Tell your mother that I'll come on Sunday."

  "Will do," she said. She hugged him.

  He frowned at her. "Put on your coat. Your mother would never forgive me if I let you freeze."

  Obediently, Lily fetched her coat. She kissed his cheek, and then she grabbed Tye's hand and headed across campus. He laughed a
s she dragged him faster down the sidewalk and through the 1879 Hall arch.

  Both of them waved up at the monkey gargoyles, and the monkeys waved back. One of them skittered down the brick. Tye paused to scratch him under the chin, which made a sound like scraping stone. Lily waited for him impatiently.

  309

  They crossed the rest of campus in less than three minutes.

  Together, they plunged through the gate. Tye waved up at the gold eagles. "Hey, guys. Guess what?" He pointed to Lily's letter. She grinned as the eagles screeched approval. "You go ahead," Tye said. "You should tell your mom the news without interlopers."

  "You're not an interloper," Lily said. "She likes you."

  "I'll report to the council," he said.

  "Thanks," she said. This time, she pulled him closer and kissed him. Above, the gold eagles whistled. Both Lily and Tye laughed as they moved apart.

  She headed into the forest. Touching the bark of an evergreen, she felt its song whisper through her. The ferns and underbrush spread away to create a path for her. Lily broke into a jog and then a run as the path opened before her, leading to Mom's grove.

  Mom was waiting for her. She looked as beautiful as a green goddess. Her pale green hair wreathed her head like a crown, and flowers clung to her skin and her dress. Ivy vines were twisted around her arms and calves, and tiny rosebuds filled her pockets. "Lily, is anything wrong? The trees told me--"

  Lily barreled into her and hugged her. "It's real! I'm in! Look!" She waved the acceptance letter in front of her.

  Mom laughed.

  Without knowing exactly why, Lily began to cry. She hugged her mother, and her mother hugged her back and laughed and cried, too.

  310

  "Your father would be so proud of you," Mom said.

  Lily wiped her eyes. "You remembered more?"

  Mom's smile lit the grove like a mini sun. All around, leaves burst out of the trees in defiance of winter. "Oh, yes," Mom said. "I remember him perfectly."