Vixen

by Finley Aaron

  “I don’t believe this.” I mutter aloud, turning the paper over in hopes of seeing an addendum that will somehow cancel out the rest.

  It’s blank.

  “I was starting to wonder, myself.” Mom’s voice is accompanied by the sound of her approaching footsteps behind me.

  I turn around just in time for her to clamp her palm over my forehead.

  “That’s better.”

  “I thought you were helping Zhi?” I’m confused about a number of things, and on the verge of panic about the note from my dad. Also, I’m pretty groggy. “Do we have any coffee?”

  “Zhi laid her egg yesterday, just after she successfully changed into dragon form. Your father brought us the iron pills. I think they made the difference. Speaking of, your color is better, too.” Apparently satisfied that I’m not running a fever, Mom pulls a canister of coffee from a cupboard.

  “Wait—yesterday? What day—”

  “You slept for two days straight.” Mom cuts off my stilted questions. “I was starting to worry. But Ion said you were weak after the yagi thing—he explained about the attack and going to Madagascar for the cure. Did you get a good look at those plants? I want to try to grow some here.”

  “They only grow in Madagascar.” I don’t want to talk about the plants. I want to talk about Ion and my dad and whether there’s any chance we can catch up to them before something bad happens. I dismiss Mom’s request quickly. “Eudora said she tried to grow them—”

  “In Siberia.” Mom cuts me off. She pours water into the coffee maker reservoir and flips on the machine. “Azerbaijan has a much more temperate climate and different soil types. It’s worth a try, I think, all things considered.”

  I lower myself into one of the bar stools that line a side counter. I want to talk about Ion. “It doesn’t sound like you’re too optimistic about Ion’s chances destroying the yagi works.”

  “Even if he destroys it, that only cuts off Eudora’s ability to make new yagi. It doesn’t get rid of any of the hordes of yagi that are already out there. They’ll die off in time, but who knows how long that will take?” Mom puts the coffee grounds back in the cupboard and heads to the fridge. “Are you hungry? There’s a chicken in here.”

  My stomach is roiling with concern for Ion, so even though I’m technically hungry and probably also iron deficient, I don’t know how I could eat anything—not until after I get some answers. “When did Dad and Ion leave?”

  “This morning. Ion insisted. He said if he didn’t get back to Eudora within a ten-day period,” Mom makes a face and shrugs. “Something. Life for life, crazy threats.”

  “What time is it now?”

  “Almost supper time.” Mom slides an empty platter across the countertop toward me.

  “They’ve been gone for several hours?” The panicked feeling is getting worse. I focus on breathing slow, deep breaths.

  “They left maybe eight hours ago?” Mom pulls a large zipper baggie from the fridge and dumps a roasted chicken onto the platter in front of me. “Do you want this warm or cold?”

  I’m staring at the chicken. A tiny part of my brain is wondering where the liver is, and if it really has that much iron, and if I should maybe rip apart the bird and look for it. But mostly, I’m thinking about the fact that Ion has been alone with my father for eight hours.

  Alone.

  With my dad.

  Who wants to kill him.

  Mom sticks her face directly in front of mine. “Are you hyperventilating?”

  “Maybe. They flew during the day?” Dragons try to avoid flying over inhabited land in daylight because we can’t allow ourselves to be seen. It’s a very basic rule, one neither Dad nor Ion would choose to break if they had any option otherwise.

  “There’s rain and fog all the way to Russia today. Your father checked the radar first. They had to hurry if they were going to have any chance of reaching Eudora by the end of the ten day window.”

  I’ve got my elbows on the table and my face pointed downward, and I’m gripping my hair like it’s the last link to my sanity.

  “Are you okay?” Mom sounds sincerely concerned. “Do you have a headache?”

  “I don’t know.” I tell her, which is true on so many levels. I don’t know what to think or how to respond, or anything. When I first saw Dad’s note, my instinct told me to fly after them before Dad could hurt Ion. But if they have an eight hour lead, there’s no way I’m going to catch up to them.

  And that’s assuming I can change into a dragon.

  Which last I checked, I can’t.

  But on top of all that, and maybe even more importantly, I’m confused about Ion’s intentions. Did he not tell me that he lied when he promised Eudora he’d be back within ten days? Was I so delirious from the neurotoxin that I imagined he told me he was a liar?

  He told me he lied to Eudora about coming back, didn’t he?

  Or did he only lie about bringing me back?

  What was it they said, exactly?

  Life for life…

  “Oh no!” I shoot to my feet and head for the door, but then I don’t know where I’m going, so I circle back.

  “What? Are you going to vomit?” Mom looks like maybe she’s starting to freak out a little.

  Which is cool, because I’m freaking out a lot.

  “Maybe.” I let go of my hair for a second, then grab it again because I don’t know what else to do. “You have to call Dad. Can you call Dad? You have to call him and tell him to turn around. Turn around, bring Ion back. He has to bring Ion back.”

  “Why?” Mom does not reach for her phone. Instead she takes hold of my shoulder and gently leads me back to the barstool by the roast chicken.

  “Because Ion is going to die.” I’m reviewing every conversation I’ve had with Ion up to this point, and suddenly it’s very clear. Ion had no intention of bringing me back to Eudora, but he knows she’ll flip out and attack my family if I’m not back in ten days, so he’s going in my place, isn’t he? It’s life for life, but it’s not my life.

  It’s Ion’s life.

  “Whoa, whoa, Honey Bear,” Mom rubs my back gently. Don’t ask me why she sometimes calls me Honey Bear. It’s weird and embarrassing, though right now, it makes me feel the tiniest bit less freaked out.

  “Ion’s going to be okay.” Mom continues, and I don’t argue with her because I’m trying to breathe normally. “I know your dad flew into a fit of rage when he first saw you two kissing, but he’s not actually going to kill him. They’re working together for once. They both want the yagi destroyed. This is a good thing. It’s a good trip.”

  I could correct Mom and tell her that I’m not as much worried about Dad killing Ion as I am about Eudora killing Ion, but Mom’s words have reminded me of another nagging question I’ve never had properly answered. “Do you think Ion is evil?”

  Mom sighs and sits on the stool next to mine.

  I stop pulling my hair and face her.

  “That’s a question I’ve asked myself many times, over many years.” Mom pulls the platter of chicken closer and tears off a hunk of meat. “I was wary of him from the start, and never sure whether I should trust him. Your father refused to trust him. He had his reasons. It didn’t help that Ion tried to steal me away from your father. But having heard more of Ion’s side of the story, and after thinking about it for the last two days, and comparing his version of what happened to my memories of what happened…” She pops the chicken meat into her mouth and chews.

  All while leaving me awaiting her verdict.

  Finally, she swallows. “I know he can be charming. Persuasive, even. But whether I’d trust him with my daughter…” She shakes her head. “No.”

  The word stabs through me like a knife. “I think I’m in love with him.”

  Mom doesn’t look surprised. “Are you in love with him, or in love with love? You’ve always wanted to marry, but don’t settle for the wrong guy just to fulfill that dream. We’ll see if he’s trustworth
y. Your father’s test should prove his allegiance.”

  Right. As long as Eudora or the yagi don’t kill him first.

  “Chicken?” Mom pushes the plate toward me.

  “Thanks.”

  For a while we eat in silence while I think through the craziness that’s happened. Dad went with Ion. As a witness to make sure he destroys the yagi? I guess so.

  Ion doesn’t know where to find the yagi operation, but Eudora’s expecting life for life, so what, maybe he’s going to offer a trade in exchange for information? He’s cunning and deceitful. Might as well use those skills for good and not for evil.

  I don’t like any of it because none of it bodes well, but there’s not a thing I can do but wait to see how it all ends up.

  I’ll have to trust Ion.

  And I do trust him. I do. It’s just this is a bigger test of my trust than I was expecting.

  Finally the chicken is mostly gone and I even found the liver and ate that, too. Take that, stupid iron levels.

  Which reminds me. “Hey Mom?”

  “Yes?”

  “Dad said the shackles he used on Ion were able to hold him because they’re magnetic. Something about how dragons need iron to take on dragon form? Then we realized maybe that was Zhi’s problem, and we got distracted and he never finished explaining how the shackles work.”

  “Shackles. Iron. Right.” The coffee is done now, so Mom hops up and gets us both mugs. “I don’t know if anyone understands exactly why it works, but the way it was explained to me is that the iron in our bodies plays a significant role when we change into dragon form. Magnets, of course, pull iron and other metals toward their magnetized poles, or whatever. You want cream?”

  “I’ll get it.” I head for the fridge and find a container of cream.

  “Just a splash for me, too.” Mom holds out the filled mugs. “The magnets in the shackles are very strong—much stronger than, say, a refrigerator magnet.”

  I put the cream back in the fridge and we both sit, sipping our coffee, while I try to summarize what I think I’ve heard my mother say. “So, the magnets in the shackles hold the metals in a dragon’s body in place, so he can’t turn into a dragon?”

  “That’s my understanding. Functionally, it ends up being a lot like Zhi’s problem—her iron levels were low, probably because she had such terrible morning sickness, and hasn’t been able to eat much more than peppermints and crackers for months. I gave her iron, and she was able to change. Once your father unlocked Ion’s shackles, he was able to change, too.”

  “Were there any iron pills left?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

  “I put them back in the cupboard.” Mom nods her head at the same cupboard Dad pulled the pills from two days ago. “Do you need anything more? Otherwise I’m going to call and see how Zhi is doing.”

  “I’m great. Thanks for the chicken. And the coffee.” I raise my cup to her like a toast, and she raises her mug in return before leaving the room.

  Once her footsteps have faded away, I place my mug on the counter and tip toe to the cupboard. There are still several pills in the jar.

  For a second, I debate whether it’s a good idea to take so many pills in a short time. Obviously, if I was just a human, it would be a terrible idea. Humans can die painful deaths from iron overdose.

  I bite my lower lip and think. Did the yagi venom turn me into just a human? Eudora made a serum that could turn dragons into only humans. When Eudora tried to use it to turn my mother human, my mom got hold of it and used it on Eudora instead.

  Eudora also made the yagi that inflicted me with the venom. I wonder if the venom and the serum are related, then? What if I’m now only human?

  I check my reflection in the glass of the oven door.

  My eyes still look bright magenta, like dragon eyes.

  I’m still a dragon. For a second, I focus all my energy on sprouting wings or talons—anything.

  Nothing.

  I’m a dragon who can’t turn into a dragon.

  I am a liar and a failure.

  Ion’s words from the other day echo through my thoughts. I believe he meant them sincerely, but just as sincerely, I’m sure they apply to me more than they ever could to Ion. Quickly, before I can second-guess myself, I dump half a dozen pills into my hand before placing the bottle back just the way I found it.

  Then I wash the pills down with a big swig of coffee and check my reflection in the oven door again.

  I don’t know if the iron pills will work. For all I know, they might make matters worse. But you know what else? Ion’s on his way to face our mutual enemy, and I can’t even fly to him until I’m able to turn back into a dragon.

  What else am I supposed to do?

  For the next three days the house is painfully empty. Rilla and Felix are still in Siberia. They had traveled there with my parents to search for me when Jala called them to report my disappearance. Even when my parents returned to Azerbaijan, hoping to find some other clue to my whereabouts, Rilla and Felix stayed behind to continue the search.

  My sister Wren is, of course, in Scotland, at Nattertinny Castle with her husband, the water dragon Ed, awaiting the hatching of their first egg. My brother Ram and his wife Nia are in Tanzania, in her homeland, waiting for their egg to hatch.

  The only dragons left in Azerbaijan are my grandfather, Elmir, and his second wife, Zhi, but they live in my grandfather’s village, in the neighboring kingdom. Under normal circumstances, I could fly there in a matter of minutes to visit them. But given the mountainous terrain and lack of proper roads, it’s a good half day journey by foot.

  And foot is all I have anymore.

  My mother has gone several times to check on Zhi. She’s concerned that Zhi wore herself out too much in her efforts to lay the egg. Mom’s determined to help her get her strength back up before the baby hatches.

  That leaves me alone with my thoughts, which are mostly of regret. I don’t regret meeting Ion. I don’t even regret bringing him here. In fact, there’s only one moment I regret.

  If I hadn’t stopped still when the yagi attacked me—if I’d fought instead of freezing—I could have easily defeated them myself. I’m a trained fighter. Even without my swords, I should have been able to defend myself or turn into a dragon and fly away.

  Because of that tiny lapse, everything has gone from bad to worse ever since.

  So I spend the next three days in serious training, rigging up nylon stockings filled with hay, and attaching them to this training module my brother recently built in our weapons storeroom. It’s the old train set from his childhood, hung on a suspended track from the ceiling. The nylon stockings (which we ordered hundreds of online for crazy cheap because they’re flawed or something), stuffed with hay, hang from the train as it circles the track.

  Okay, so it’s a lot more predictable than real yagi movements, but at the same time, the nylons are difficult to cut. Unless a sword is razor sharp, wielded with a quick hand at just the right angle, the nylons don’t get sliced, they just get batted out of the way.

  So I rig up dozens of these nylon monsters, and I blast loud music and leap about the weapons room, slicing stockings with a vengeance, as though each one was the enemy that stole my skills. It makes a mess, but it also makes me a better fighter.

  And that’s all I’ve got going for me right now.

  When I’m not training, I’m standing in front of the mirror trying to change—one talon, one scale, anything. The closest I come to transforming into my dragon self, is the magenta-hued flush which comes to my skin. Sadly, I fear the flush is more the result of over-exerting myself, and not a sign of any actual.

  I think my mother half expects me to turn into a dragon and fly off after Ion and my dad. Every time she sees me she looks startled, as if she can’t understand why I’m still around, never mind that she told me not to go after Dad and Ion.

  Of course I haven’t told her about not being able to change. I haven’t told anyone besides Ion, and I
don’t plan to, not if I can help it. My hope is to get my skills back and change into a dragon before anyone ever realizes I couldn’t.

  With every passing day, that hope grows more tenuous.

  Early in the morning on the third day, as I’m in the memory garden practicing trying to breathe fire, and failing, and feeling frustrated by the irony that my grandparents supposedly died in this place and incinerated with dragon fire, burning away the rooms until there was nothing left—yet I, their granddaughter, can’t even breathe fire—the shadows of dragons fall across the garden and I look up.

  Dad’s true blue scales and Felix’s scarlet red catch my eyes first. Rilla’s robin’s-egg-blue and Ion’s silvery gray nearly blend in to the early morning sky. They circle once, but do not land on the King’s Tower across town, where dragons typically land before parading through the village to celebrate with the villagers their return home.

  No, they swoop above me toward the wide balcony outside my parents’ bedroom. I run up through the house to meet them and arrive just as they’re landing and turning back into human. Ion looks weak but slightly triumphant and most importantly, still alive.

  For a second, I think he’s done it. He’s destroyed the yagi operation and we can all live happily ever after. Except that would have been really fast. And his face doesn’t look that triumphant.

  And then I realize my brother Felix is still in dragon form, kneeling down as a person gets off his back. For a second I think maybe it’s Jala, except with everyone else returned she probably needs to stay up there and keep spying, which must be what happened, because this person, though female, is clearly not Jala.

  It’s a blond woman, tall and slender and beautiful. She appears to be in her early thirties or so. Her golden hair is very nearly the same color as her eyes, which are a strange sort of yellow with maybe a tinge of green, but not jewel-toned like dragon eyes.

  She meets my eyes for a second and I realize a bunch of things at once. One is that, even though I’ve never seen her before, only heard stories about her, and technically been in her presence once though I couldn’t see her then, I know who this woman is.