by Rachel Aaron
By the time she finished, Katya sounded utterly defeated, but Julius was less convinced. “Are you sure that Estella’s unbeatable?”
“Of course,” Katya said. “She’s still a seer.”
“But she’s not the only one on the board,” Julius said, pointing at the crumpled up piece of paper with his address that Katya was still clutching in her hand. “If she was actually watching you all the time, there’s no way Bob’s pigeon would be able to bring you notes, and definitely no way you’d be able to run all the way up here to talk to us.”
“Unless this is part of Estella’s plan, too,” Marci pointed out.
“If we go around thinking everything is a seer plot, we’ll never be able to do anything,” Julius argued, turning back to Katya. “You told me back at the mountain that Estella was different. Is it possible that she’s not as in control as she used to be?”
“Maybe,” Katya said with a thoughtful frown. “It’s obvious she still sees the future, but defeating Brohomir is all she talks about. It’s like she’s let her grudge against your clan completely consume all of her other ambitions.”
Julius had noticed that himself when he’d watched Estella lord her knowledge over Bob in the hallway. At the time, her obvious obsession had terrified him. Now, though, it gave him an idea.
“Just because she’s still capable of seeing everything doesn’t mean she’s looking,” he said quickly. “Dragons who let themselves get hyper-focused on a single goal can fall prey to tunnel vision. I bet Estella’s no different. In the hallway, she claimed the future was bought and paid for and that nothing could change it. I don’t actually know what she meant by that, but if she’s really that confident, she’s probably not keeping as close an eye on things as she should.”
“But what does that matter?” Katya said sadly. “Even if you’re right, and she’s not paying attention to the details, she still knows how everything ends. I see what you’re saying, but if there’s any lesson I’ve learned in my life, it’s that you can’t escape Estella. The best you can hope for is to enjoy the run before she catches you.”
“But this isn’t Estella,” Julius said. “You said so yourself—she’s not the dragon she used to be. How do you know you can’t beat her now if you won’t try?”
“Because I have tried!” she cried. “Do you think I stayed locked in my mothers’ glacier all those years out of choice? It doesn’t matter how clever I am or how far I run, Estella always gets me in the end, because she’s already seen where I’ll be. That’s still true. Even if she is deteriorating, one month doesn’t change centuries.”
“Then I guess you’re screwed,” Justin said. “Sucks to be you.”
“Justin!” Julius hissed, but Katya looked more depressed than ever.
“He’s right,” she said miserably. “For all I know, my escape tonight is just Estella’s way of getting rid of me. Even if I did actually manage to get free, what would it matter? I’m the magic-stunted failure of my clan.” She glanced at Julius. “Could you stop Brohomir if our situations were reversed?”
“Not alone,” Julius admitted. “But I wouldn’t try alone, and neither should you.” He moved closer, walking around the table and crouching down until he could see Katya’s lowered face. “You’re not alone,” he said quietly. “And you’re not a failure.”
Katya glowered. “Don’t try to nice your way out of this. It’s insulting.”
“I’m not trying to nice my way out,” he said. “I’m telling the truth, and the truth is that you’re wrong. Yes, you’re the youngest of your clan, and yes, you don’t have the famous Three Sisters’ command of magic, but that doesn’t change the part where you’re still a clever, ancient dragon strong enough to fly all the way to the DFZ from New Mexico faster than a jet and savvy enough to slip past Algonquin’s defenses. Those aren’t the actions of a failure. And if a dragon like you is the bottom of your clan, then I also think you’re giving your sisters far too little credit. I mean, have you even tried to contact them?”
“No,” Katya admitted, looking away. “But they won’t listen.”
“Then make them,” Julius said firmly. “This isn’t something they can afford to ignore. We don’t know what’s going on with Svena, but it doesn’t take a seer to see that if Estella isn’t stopped, she’s going to take you all down with her. You might not be able to take Estella on your own, but the Daughters of the Three Sisters are some of the most feared and powerful dragons in the world. If you worked together, even a seer wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“And I’m just supposed to tell them that?” Katya scoffed “This isn’t a novel, Julius. I can’t just go to sisters who’ve despised and looked down on me as weak our entire lives and ask them for help. They’d laugh in my face, assuming they’d see me at all. Worst case, they’d give me back to Estella to curry favor, because they know as well as I do that the seer always wins.”
“But she doesn’t,” Julius cried. “And you’re the proof! She tried to kill you just last month, and she failed so hard she had to run to another dimension. That’s a pretty compelling argument that Estella’s not the infallible force she used to be. I’m not saying it’ll be an easy sell, but aside from you, Estella, and Svena, there are still nine Daughters of the Three Sisters out there. Surely one of them will listen.”
Katya sighed and sat back in her chair. “Assuming you’re right,” she said grudgingly. “How would I reach them? A conversation like this can’t be had over the phone. Some of my sisters don’t even have phones. If I’m going to convince them, I’m going to have to go to each one myself, which is impossible since Estella can still see every decision I make. Wherever I go, she’ll just be waiting there to pick me up the moment I arrive.”
“Then we’ll just have to send you in a way she can’t see.”
Katya turned to him in confusion, but Julius was already searching through his phone. “Estella can see your decisions,” he said, pulling a whole cluster of travel booking services into the glowing field of his AR. “But I’m Bob’s brother, which means she can’t see mine. Give me five cities you want to go to, and I’ll pick one at random and buy the ticket. We’ll do it all by flight numbers, that way you won’t even have to know where you’re going until you’re actually boarding the plane.”
Julius was pretty proud of that plan, but Katya was staring at him like he’d just suggested they go to the moon. “Why?”
“Because you don’t make any decisions this way,” he explained. “I mean, obviously you’ll know where you’re going once you get to the airport, but all the actual choices will be mine instead of yours, which means there should be no way for Estella to look into your future and see what you’re up to until it’s too late.”
“No, I understand that part,” she said. “I meant, why are you doing this for me? I’m not even your clan. Doing this puts you directly into Estella’s line of fire. Why would you take that risk for me?”
“Because you’re my friend,” Julius said without hesitation. “And because it’s the right thing to do. I’ve been bullied by more than my fair share of dragons, but Estella’s stolen your entire life. I don’t want her to get away with that. Also, I really do think this will work. Whatever Estella’s planning, the most likely time for her to do it will be at the mating flight tomorrow night. My mother thinks so, too, which is why she’s planning a trap for that same—”
“Julius!” Justin roared. “Don’t tell her that!”
“Why not?” he said. “Katya’s not dumb. Attacking while Estella is guaranteed to be on her home turf is obviously Bethesda’s best move. Estella has to know that, too, and I’m betting she already has a counter plan in place for every one of Bethesda’s traps. But what she’d never expect is for the Heartstriker to have help from the other Daughters of the Three Sisters.”
“Wait,” Katya said, eyes wide. “You want me to go to my sisters and convince them to help Bethesda the Broodmare take on Estella?”
“Pretty much,” Julius
said with a grin. “It’s the next logical step. Svena wanted peace between our clans, but she was in a bad position to push for it while Estella was in hiding since, without your own seer to balance things, the Heartstriker clan’s size advantage gave Bethesda the power in any negotiation. But, if your family comes in at the last second to rescue her, my mother will owe all of you her life. That’s a much more even starting point for a negotiation between our clans. If you can convince your sisters to help us, there’s a good chance we can stop Estella, save my clan, save Svena, and get a fair peace treaty all in one swoop. That’s a win-win for everyone.”
“Everyone except Estella,” Katya said. She wasn’t smiling yet, but there was a hardness in her voice that Julius liked a lot more than the defeat he’d heard earlier. “You do realize this is an extreme long shot? Even if I could convince one or more of my sisters to show up at the mating flight, there’s zero chance I could get them to attack. And if things start looking bad for the Heartstriker, they might even join in and help Estella take Bethesda down just to prove they were on her side all along.”
Justin was growling by the time Katya finished, but Julius refused to let him ruin this. “That’s not going to happen,” he said firmly. “I don’t know your sisters like you do, but I’ve never met a dragon who would attack an outside threat before punishing a traitor, and a traitor is exactly what Estella became when she turned on you and Svena. If your sisters could see what you’ve seen, do you think they’d side with Estella?”
Katya shook her head.
“Then you have to try,” Julius finished. “Even if you get out there, and they say no, it’s not like your situation with Estella can get worse.”
“Things can always get worse,” Katya said bitterly. “But if I can save Svena, it’s worth it. She’s the one who’s protected me from the others since I was small. I owe it to her to help now, before Estella drags us all down forever.”
Julius grinned. “So you’ll let me get you a flight?”
She nodded, her face growing determined. “I will, and I swear on all three of my mothers that I will repay you. No one can offer two life debts, but—”
“You don’t owe me a thing,” Julius said firmly. “Like I said, you’re my friend, and doing this helps us as much as it helps you. I won’t accept a debt.”
Katya shook her head wildly. “No! I can’t let it be so uneven. I already owe you my life, and that was before I ran to you. The debt between us—”
“Is all in your head,” he finished with a smile. “I told you back in the diner: I don’t play dragon power games. I’m helping you because it’s right, I want to, it could very well prevent a war, and it makes me happy. End of story. Now,” he glanced down as his phone. “Where do you want to fly?”
Katya didn’t answer for a long time. She just sat there, staring, and then she ducked her head. “Thank you,” she whispered, furtively wiping her eyes.
Julius answered just as quietly. “You’re welcome,” he said, stepping back to lean on the counter again, giving Katya her space until, at last, she began naming cities.
Fifteen minutes later, Katya’s flight was booked and she was on her way out the door. Julius had also gotten her a cab and some money to cover food and other expenses. It was more than he could really afford, especially given what he’d spent this month already, but helping Katya was more important than money, and he’d made sure to take it out of his personal account so Marci wouldn’t suffer. Marci herself had already gone up to her attic workshop to get started on the curse, and Justin had refused to take part in any of this, which meant Julius and Katya were alone when the auto-cab arrived to take her to the airport.
“I know you won’t accept it,” Katya said as the tiny, automated car pulled up. “But I swear I will repay you.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I do,” she said sternly, looking him up and down. “You are a very nice dragon, Julius Heartstriker, but you are still a dragon. You hide your cunning under the guise of kindness because it differentiates you from those who tried to crush you, but tonight proved that you are every bit as clever and conniving as any Heartstriker, and I am proud to call you my ally.” She smiled. “That being true, though, you said yourself that alliances should always be fair and equal, which is why, assuming I get out of this alive, I’m going to repay you whether you like it or not.”
She put her hand out as she finished, and Julius, unsure what else to say, took it. “You really don’t have to.”
Katya laughed. “And you really have to learn to stop throwing away people’s gratitude.” She released him and climbed into the cab. “I’ll call you if I get news. Good luck.”
“You, too,” he said, stepping back as the little taxi took off into the night. He was watching the last glimmer of its taillights vanish around the bend when something behind him growled.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
Julius sighed. “Did what?” he asked, turning to face his brother, who was waiting on the porch.
“Any of it,” Justin said, arms crossed over his chest. “You told her Bethesda’s plan, gave her advice on how to tear down our negotiating position for a treaty, and then you financed her escape.” He bared his teeth. “You’ve betrayed the clan so many times tonight, I don’t even know where I’m going to start when I call Mother.”
“Tell her whatever you want,” Julius said. “Just don’t forget to mention that Bob was the one who sent Katya here in the first place.”
“Don’t hide behind him,” his brother growled. “Bob’s motives have always been questionable, but he didn’t tell you to blabber clan business to the enemy’s sister.”
“At least we’re doing something!” Julius cried. “From what I saw at the mountain, Mother’s acting like this whole seer business is a done deal already. She doesn’t even seem to care that she’s walking into a trap.”
“Of course not,” Justin said. “When someone attacks you, you don’t sit around fretting and wringing your hands. You attack them back without hesitation. It’s called audacity. If you want to win, you have to be willing to go for it, even if that means eating some losses.”
“Losses?” Julius cried. “Justin, you’re talking about us. When Mother takes losses, we’re what she loses. Not pawns, not assets. Us, her children, and it’s wrong. We’re individuals with our own goals and feelings. We’re not pieces to be thrown away.”
Justin rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just being dramatic.”
“Oh yeah?” Julius said. “How would you like it if she threw you away?”
“We both know she won’t throw me away. I’m too good.”
He said this like it was undeniable fact, and Julius bet that, to Justin, it was. He also bet it was what every other self-important Heartstriker thought right before Bethesda maneuvered them into position. Too bad his brother had a vested interest in never understanding that. Bethesda was the source of all his importance: the head of his clan, the queen to his knight. He’d be loyal to her right up to the moment she stuck his head on a spit. Being at the bottom of the clan, Julius had grown up with a very different view, and having already avoided being his mother’s fall guy once before, he was dead-set determined to never let himself, or anyone else, be put in that position ever again.
“Well, I’m not waiting around to get used again,” Julius growled. “Conrad’s already paid the price for Mother not taking this seriously. If we don’t want to—”
“Funny thing, about that,” Justin interrupted, folding his arms over his chest. “I just got off the phone with Frieda back at the mountain, and she says Conrad’s fine.” He gave Julius a superior look. “Looks like your friend lied to you about that one. Wanna try again?”
That didn’t add up to Julius. Why would Katya have lied about the attack? But while he was sure something funny was going on, he was too angry to even contemplate what that might be. He loved Justin, he really did, but his brother could be a world-class jerk sometimes. He certainl
y seemed to be going for a record today, and with everything else falling apart around his ears, Julius had officially had enough.
“You know what? I don’t even care!” he yelled. “You’re always going on about how I should be a dragon and stand up for myself, but all of that starts with refusing to be a pawn!”
“You didn’t stand up for yourself!” Justin yelled. “You told an outsider secret information to help her engineer a situation where Bethesda is forced into a life debt with another clan! That’s not refusing to be a pawn. That’s just selling out your family to the enemy.”
“When are you going to get it through your head that Katya’s not our enemy?” Julius cried. “She’s fighting against Estella just like us. That makes her our ally, and we need those more than ever.” He clenched his fists. “The clan is my family as much as it is yours. I want to keep it safe just like you do, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit around protecting Mother’s secrets while she decides which one of us she wants to throw under the bus. And you know she’ll do just that, because it’s what she always does! If she goes ahead with her plan to trap Estella, who knows how many of us will go down with it? At least my way doesn’t call for losses except for Bethesda’s pride, which we can both agree is no loss at all.”
“Oh, please,” Justin sneered. “Would you get over yourself already? You’re not some special snowflake, Julius. We’re in a clan war here. Dragons are going to die, that’s just how it is. It’s not Mother’s job to save our lives. It’s her job to win—surviving to enjoy the victory is our responsibility.”
“Maybe it shouldn’t be,” Julius growled. “Maybe, and I know this sounds crazy, but just maybe if we worked together and helped each other instead of always going every dragon for himself, we wouldn’t get into these kind of doomed, eat-or-be-eaten situations in the first place!”