dragons breath 02 - dancing with flames

by Illene, Susan

  Aidan took one final backward glance, relieved to see no one behind him, and entered. The overwhelming scent of musty tombs assailed him right away. His toriq’s history was recorded here on special fire-resistant parchment, along with various fictional tales their people had written and human texts they’d copied during their previous time on Earth. Aidan passed rows and rows of shelves crowding the rear of the library as he made his way toward the front.

  “Uncle Kade,” he called out.

  Shuffling footsteps came from the right. Aidan turned and spotted his uncle ambling down an aisle overflowing with books haphazardly placed on the shelves and floor. His father’s younger brother still had a full head of long black hair he left hanging in waves to his shoulders. There were a few lines creasing his forehead, but otherwise, he didn’t appear much older than fifty in human years. In reality, he was closer to nine-hundred.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” Kade said, his yellow eyes flashing with annoyance.

  “Everyone is at midnight meal. They’re too busy to worry about me,” Aidan assured him.

  His uncle stopped at the edge of the aisle. They were the same height and of similar build, though Kade had a few extra pounds of softness from not getting enough exercise. That happened when one was considered an outcast among their toriq and consigned to a life in the library and adjacent living quarters. On the other hand, his very status kept Kade alive and living in the fortress when the rest of his siblings—excluding Throm—either died or they were banished. Aidan never had the chance to meet his aunts and other uncles. He’d always wondered what they must have been like, and how much of a role his father had played in their downfalls. It wasn’t something anyone dared discuss.

  “I told you not to come here again until he is dead.”

  Aidan shifted on his feet. “My father has called for the Bitkal ceremony. It will take place in less than two weeks.”

  Kade frowned. “That is rather sudden.”

  “He wishes to ensure his heir is named before he dies.”

  A myriad of emotions crossed his uncle’s eyes. “So his reign will finally end soon.”

  Aidan loved his father, but he could also understand Kade’s point of view. He had been an outcast for most of his life thanks to his elder brother. Throm had known about Kade’s visions of the far future with predictions no one could understand, and used it against him. The pendragon had his younger brother restricted to the library ever since the last Bitkal almost five centuries ago. Aside from one designated servant, no one was supposed to speak to Kade. Aidan could be severely punished if anyone found out he was talking to his uncle.

  “My father’s death won’t free you,” Aidan pointed out.

  His shoulders slumped a little. “No, at least not yet.”

  “The pendragon is sending me to negotiate a treaty with the Faegud clan.”

  “He…” Kade froze, and his eyes glazed over. “Former allies, turned enemies, shall become friends once more.”

  Aidan took an involuntary step back. He had heard that line from his uncle before, but it was back when he was a boy. In those days, he’d snuck into the library frequently to see his uncle. He had been caught once, but Aidan had been young enough back then that his punishment was light. His visits became infrequent after that, though. His father and siblings had begun to watch him much closer.

  “Uncle,” he said, grabbing Kade and shaking him from his trance.

  The older man’s eyes slowly cleared and focused on Aidan. “This is the beginning.”

  “Are you certain?”

  Kade nodded. “I felt it was getting close. I told you as much the last time we saw each other.”

  That had been six months ago, shortly before they returned to Earth. “Is there anything else we should watch for?”

  “If only I could find that book.” His uncle looked about them, his gaze turning a little wild. “Everything I ever predicted is in there.”

  During his youth, Kade went through frequent blackout periods where he had visions of the future. He wrote each of them down, but once he committed the details to parchment, he promptly forgot them. The only thing he could recall afterward was that he had seen visions. When the blackouts slowed to only one or two a year and he no longer recorded or remembered them, he only had the final bound book for guidance. It went missing a century ago. That was during another blackout period, so Kade had no idea if he had been the one to hide the tome or if someone else did. He’d been searching for it ever since.

  “I’m certain you’ll find the book when the time is right,” Aidan said, hoping to calm his uncle.

  Kade was quiet for a moment and then his eyes lit up. “Did you find the dragon slayer?”

  His uncle had believed Bailey would be the one they needed. He’d pointed her out to Aidan back when they could see into the human dimension, but not enter. Kade had specifically told him to target her, though his uncle couldn’t explain why. Aidan followed his guidance because he remembered seeing something in the missing tome relating to a dragon slayer and how she’d be the one to help save his toriq. That had been shocking enough to stand out in his mind, but for some reason, he could not recall how it would happen. For now, all he could do was keep Bailey busy until they figured it out.

  “Yes, she has completed the rite of passage, and she is becoming stronger every day,” Aidan said, proud of her even as he worried. It wasn’t going quite as smoothly as expected. He wasn’t supposed to like her so much or develop feelings for her.

  “Has she learned to control her instincts?” his uncle asked.

  “Only when Donar and I are in human form,” Aidan sighed. “It will take more time to overcome her need to kill when she sees us as dragons.”

  “Keep working with her. She must learn control if she is to help us.” Kade patted him on the arm.

  Aidan didn’t need to be told. The burden of it sat heavily with him every day. “I promised her once she is done helping us that I will take her home. Her family has land far to the south of here.”

  “You shouldn’t have made a promise you may not be able to keep,” his uncle scolded.

  Aidan took a step closer to him. “She will survive this, won’t she? You’ve never said otherwise.”

  “That I don’t know. Without the book…” Kade’s voice wandered off.

  “I will return her to her family,” Aidan vowed.

  His uncle closed his eyes. A full minute passed before he opened them. “You must negotiate this treaty first. Without that, you won’t stand a chance of fulfilling your promise to her.”

  “So there is a chance?”

  Kade lifted a shoulder. “There is always a chance. Now go. The midnight meal is nearly over.”

  Aidan nodded to his uncle and hurried from the library.

  Chapter 8

  Bailey

  I was just finishing my breakfast of crackers and jam when the sound of wheels crunching on gravel outside drew my attention. It had to be Conrad, but I still made myself peek through the curtains first. These days, I couldn’t take anything for granted.

  Blinking against the early morning light, I caught sight of my familiar black, four-door Chevy Silverado. Conrad was guiding it toward the house. He didn’t get many opportunities to drive my truck, so it was a little strange seeing him behind the wheel. I left the window and went to grab the few things I needed to take with me. There was no time to waste if I wanted to see the sorcerer and get back before the dragons started roaming.

  “Hey, man,” I said, giving Conrad a fist bump as I met him outside. “Thanks for bringing my truck.”

  He handed me my keys. “You’re lucky Earl ain’t with me.”

  “What does he want?” I asked. The older man, who was a friend of my stepfather’s, felt an obligation to watch over me, but I didn’t make the job easy for him.

  “You know how he is.” Conrad shrugged. “He worries about you.”

  “You can tell him I’m fine. Just got places to be.” I gestur
ed for him to move away from the driver’s side door.

  Conrad didn’t budge. “Goin’ to see Javier?”

  Damn Danae for telling him about that. “Maybe.”

  He stuck his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants. Somehow, they were always free of wrinkles despite being hand-washed. He had a trick for that, but he refused to tell anyone.

  “I’m goin’ with you,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.

  I smiled. “Of course you are. I’ve got to give you a ride back to town, silly.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

  “Get in the truck. We’ll talk about it on the way.”

  Conrad didn’t move, other than to cross his arms. “Bailey, I ain’t playin’ with you. If you’re gonna see a sorcerer powerful enough to make people forget downtown Norman exists, then I’m goin'.”

  “And if this guy attacks us, what do you plan to do? Use your crossbow against him?” I asked. Why couldn’t anyone understand I didn’t exclude them from things to be rude, but to protect them? I already put Conrad in enough danger when we hunted dragons without adding this to the list.

  “I might.” He set his jaw in a stubborn line. “What do you plan to do? If you can’t resist Verena’s spells, how do you think you’re gonna resist Javier? He could do anything he wants to you, and all your badassness won’t be able to stop him.”

  He had a point, though I hated to admit it. “Fine, you got me there, but there’s still no point in both of us putting ourselves at risk.”

  “Yeah, there is—for the same reason you always let me come with you when you hunt dragons. Because I got your back, and I’m your good luck charm.” He polished his fingernails on his shirt and gave me a cocky look. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

  My lips twitched. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “Girl, you know it’s true.”

  We were wasting time arguing. When Conrad had his mind set on something, there was no changing it. I would hate that quality about him if I didn’t appreciate his help so much.

  “Fine.” I worked my way around him and jerked the driver’s side door open. “You can come, but don’t blame me if you’re missing fingers or toes afterward. Or worse, every time someone says ‘dragon,’ you hop up and down like a bunny.” Actually, I liked that last one. Maybe I should test Javier’s skills by asking him to do that.

  Unaware of my evil thoughts, Conrad got around the truck and settled onto the passenger seat. “By the way, your sword is in the back. Why did Aidan give it to me, anyway?”

  “Wasn’t it obvious?” I started the engine. “He didn’t want me stabbing him with it while we were flying through the air.”

  “Oh, right. That would have been bad—for your pet dragon,” he said, heavy sarcasm in his voice.

  I didn’t bother responding. Conrad and Aidan were going to have to work out their differences without my help. I wasn’t getting in between them. Instead, I flipped on the radio to see if Hank had any updates for the day. His voice immediately filled the cab of my truck.

  “…road block on Lindsey Street, just past southeast 12th Avenue. They’ve already ambushed one unlucky traveler, so I suggest you go around. Alameda Street has also been shut down with multiple obstacles to keep you from getting through. When I went by to talk to them this morning, they said that unless people want to get shot, they had better stay away. I won’t speculate why they’ve taken such extreme measures, but it might be best to avoid that area for a while,” Hank said, speaking in the friendly yet informative voice all professional radio announcers used when reporting news.

  “Damn,” Conrad cursed. “We’re gonna have to go the long way around.”

  I sighed. “It won’t be the first time.”

  ***

  “Do you feel that?” I asked, clutching the wheel and fighting the urge to turn the truck around.

  We were heading east on Main Street toward downtown after going the long way around because of the road blocks and other difficulties along the way. One would think that without traffic laws to obey, traveling would be faster instead of slower.

  “Yeah,” Conrad said through gritted teeth. “It’s all I can do not to leap out of here right now.”

  “I’m gonna park. It’s probably safer to go the rest of the way on foot.” I pulled into a small parking area for a glass repair shop.

  Seeing the place, I wished it was open so I could get the back window for my truck fixed. A couple of months ago, it got shot out when Conrad and I were ambushed by the same people who were blocking Lindsey Street now.

  Though we’d managed to get away, the truck had taken some damage. We’d put a clear plastic sheet over the opening, but the constant billowing sound it made drove me crazy. Not to mention it wasn’t easy to see through. The windshield was only in slightly better condition with just a couple of holes in it that we’d patched with duct tape. With so many abandoned vehicles around town, I could have grabbed something else, but this was my truck. I’d had it before everything in the world went to hell in a handbasket, and as long as it kept running, I planned to keep driving it.

  Of course, that was only one of the many things that made life more difficult these days. The list grew longer all the time. More than once I’d woken up in the spare bedroom at Earl’s, hoping it had all been a dream. I’d lie there for a few minutes and plan my day like it was a normal one. Go shopping, drink coffee at Starbucks, pay my cell phone bill—average, everyday things that were no longer possible. Then I’d force myself to get up and either forage for food or hunt dragons. God, how my life had changed.

  “Before I left this morning, Danae told me a trick for resistin’ the magic barrier,” Conrad said after we got out of the truck.

  “What’s that?” I asked, resisting the urge to scratch my skin. The longer we stood there, the harder it became not to run the other way.

  “You have to imagine you’re somewhere else and concentrate on that place real hard. It’s supposed to trick the spell,” he explained.

  “Okay.” Together, we turned and faced northeast—the direction Main Street took into downtown Norman. At this juncture, there were mostly small shops and offices ahead. “What place should we think about?”

  “The beach?”

  Conrad shook his head. “Nah. Ain’t neither one of us gonna believe we’re at the beach enough for it to work.”

  He was probably right. Without the scent of an ocean breeze, I didn’t think I could make myself believe it. We needed a place that smelled close to the same. “How about the university campus? It’s not far, and we’ve walked through that thousands of times.”

  “Yeah, that’ll work. Now just picture the South Oval the way it looks the first week of classes with all those groups trying to get you to join them and givin’ away stuff.”

  I could remember that well enough. “Got it.”

  “Now imagine walking through it.”

  We began moving forward. Our footsteps sounded on pavement, but I pictured the green grass of the oval and didn’t let myself see my real surroundings except to avoid walking into a street pole or something. We chatted about the various organizations and stuff they gave away to lure you to their booths. Flyers, pamphlets, food, drinks, and even first-aid kits.

  “Really wishin’ I’d saved all those Band-Aids and shit they gave me now,” Conrad mused. “Never would have guessed they’d come in handy someday.”

  “I know, right?” I glanced over at him and smiled. For a moment, our world was normal and we were students again. I didn’t think about the fact I’d graduated two days before D-day or that I should have been home with my family right now, helping run our ranch.

  “Stop!” A woman ordered, breaking our concentration.

  We stumbled to a halt. I gazed around and discovered we’d made it all the way to the railroad tracks. Just beyond them at a street corner was the Sooner Theatre. The Spanish Gothic-style building had been around since the late 1920s where i
t first showed movies and had since been repurposed to feature plays and concerts for the community. Trish had dragged me there a couple of years ago because a friend of hers was performing in a production. It didn’t appear any different on the outside, so maybe no one had messed with it since the dragons arrived.

  I turned my attention to the woman aiming a pistol at us and the man beside her who held a shotgun. Both of them appeared to be in their late twenties or early thirties. They had hard expressions on their faces and looked like they meant business. I took a step in front of Conrad. If the couple started shooting, it was better for me to take the bullets. I had a much better chance of surviving.

  “We’re here to see Javier,” I said, choosing to meet the woman’s gaze. Something told me she was the leader between the two.

  She adjusted her gun. “How did you get this far?”

  “We clicked our heels three times and recited a special incantation.”

  The man with the shotgun ducked his head and coughed. I didn’t miss the slight grin on his face before he hid it. At least one of them had a sense of humor.

  “The sorcerer doesn’t see anyone who isn’t invited,” the woman said, lifting her weapon a little higher, so it was aimed at my head. “You need to leave.”

  If she was using weapons, she had to be human. Maybe I could appeal to the softer side of her—if there was one. “There’s a dragon taking small children from their homes. I’m trying to stop it, but I need some help from Javier to locate the kids. That’s all I want.”

  “Wait.” She lowered the pistol a few degrees and squinted at me. “Are you the dragon slayer?”

  Great. She’d heard of me. “Yeah.”

  A man wearing a sharp suit came walking toward us from up the street. He had short, dark hair that he’d slicked back, and tan skin. I estimated him to be in his mid-thirties, though he appeared to take such good care of himself he might have been a little older. The structure of his features told me he was likely of Hispanic heritage.