The Dragon's Song

by Claire Fogel

  “No, of course it doesn’t. I just assumed it would be because I’ve done so well in sports. I hadn’t even thought about anything else, but my grades have always been good, so there might be a chance there. That’s a really good idea. I’ll talk to my dad about it. What are you doing after school tomorrow?”

  “I only have one job tomorrow. I have to stop at Van Horn’s and pick up Mom’s wedding dress. Amy has handled everything else for us. When it comes to parties, she’s an expert. Give me a call tomorrow night and let me know how you make out with Coach.”

  “Okay, Beautiful. Pleasant dreams. See you in school.”

  “’Night, Sean.”

  Some of my dreams that night were pleasant, mainly dreams of Adam shirtless. But the others were horrible. In one, Gaynes, dressed like a nun, dragged me into an empty, spooky-looking house with a knife at my throat. He kept raving about making my father pay for not selling him the section of Blackthorne Forest he wanted to develop, which would have made him rich. He kept complaining that everyone had been against him all his life, that no one had ever wanted him to succeed and that no one had ever loved him.

  In my dreams, Gaynes captured me in many different ways, kidnapped at school, grabbed at a football game, pulled from my car, and on and on. I don’t think my subconscious got any rest at all that night. Which is probably why I was anxious and irritated when I got up in the morning.

  I had a bad feeling about today.

  Mom treated us to pancakes that morning. She must have sensed my mood. She and Dad talked about the wedding over breakfast and I tried to look cheerful. The last thing I wanted to do was project doom and gloom. Adam wasn’t saying much, but he was watching me closely.

  When I got up from the table, Mom smiled. “Don’t forget to pick up my dress after school, honey. But be sure your father doesn’t see it.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll get it home safely.”

  My father looked confused. “Why can’t I see it, Alicia?”

  “It’s supposed to be bad luck. I’ve never been superstitious, but I’m not taking any chances this time.”

  He smiled and winked at me.

  Thankfully, my father seemed to be tuned in to Mom right now, not me. I was grateful. I didn’t want him looking into my mind this morning.

  Adam thanked Mom for the pancakes and followed me through the living room to the front door. He grabbed my hand as I was reaching for the doorknob.

  “What’s wrong, love?” His deep blue eyes were full of concern as he looked down at me.

  I shrugged. “Bad dreams plus the usual tension, I guess. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” I put my hand back on the doorknob. “Ryan and Jason are waiting for me.”

  Frowning, he whispered, “I wish I was going with you.” He wrapped his good arm around me and surprised me with a kiss on my head. “Be extra careful today, all right?”

  I tried to smile. “Premonition?”

  He shook his head. “No. How about you?”

  Shrugging again, I said, “No, just bad dreams. See you later.” Opening the door I walked out to the porch. Ryan and Jason were waiting for me.

  Adam was right behind me. “Good morning, boys. I want you both close enough to touch her today, no farther. Understood?”

  They had been smiling when I opened the door, but they weren’t smiling now.

  As we ran down the steps to my car, Jason asked, “Did you get another message from Gaynes, cousin?”

  “No. Just a bad night. I’m okay.”

  As we climbed into the car, Ryan was looking at me closely. “You look tired, lass. Maybe you should have stayed home today to get some rest.”

  “Nope. We have to pick up Mom’s wedding dress at Van Horn’s after school. That’s not something I can put off. I think I’ll ask Amy and Neal to come with us. Amy’s dying to see Mom’s dress.” Amy’s usual enthusiasm was just what I needed.

  I drove around the corner and picked up Kevin and Patrick. When we got to school, Sean, Gabe, Amy and Neal waited for us outside Mr. Weiss’ office. I was wearing another sweatshirt with my knife holster underneath, so it didn’t bother me to hand over my other knives to Mr. Weiss. Sean and Kevin both noticed that I looked more subdued than usual.

  Kevin asked, “Is there anything I can do, babe?”

  Since I was more worried about what Gaynes might do outside of school, I asked, “Can you go to Van Horn’s with us this afternoon? I have to pick up Mom’s wedding dress, and I’ll feel safer in a crowd.”

  He shook his head. “Sorry, Cara. For some reason, my mom’s coming home early today. She said she has something important she wants to talk to me about. You can drop us off before you go to Van Horn’s, can’t you?”

  “Sure, Kev. Any idea what she wants?”

  “Not a clue, unless she spotted my dad behind the house. He’s been really careful to stay out of sight, but who knows?”

  Sean said, “You know I’d go with you if I didn’t have the meeting with Coach.”

  Amy had a big smile on her freckled face. “Well, I’m available! Neal and I can go with you. That’ll make five of us. Will that help?”

  “Thanks, Amy. I know you want to see Mom’s dress anyway.” Amy could always make me smile. She was so excited about the wedding, you would have thought it was her parents who were getting married.

  Sean was especially attentive all day, probably to make up for not being able to go with us after school. “If I could reschedule my meeting with Coach, I would. You seem on edge today. Is there anything you’re not telling me?”

  “No. I didn’t sleep well. That’s probably why I’m not myself today. Tired, you know?”

  He squeezed my hand. “Well, with three bodyguards plus Amy, you should be fine.” Grinning, he added, “I wouldn’t mess with Amy for any reason. Anybody who does would have to be nuts.”

  He seemed satisfied when he saw me smile.

  “No worries, Sean. I hope your meeting goes well.”

  After school, I picked up my knives in the Principal’s office and after dropping off Kevin and Patrick, we headed downtown to Van Horn’s. I was lucky to find a parking spot near the main entrance, even though the department I needed was located at the rear of the first floor.

  Naturally, getting through all the departments we had to pass through slowed us down a bit. Amy didn’t want to miss anything, and the store had just begun displaying their new winter fashions. Neal was accustomed to the way she shopped, so he just smiled, taking our slow pace in stride.

  Jason seemed fascinated by Amy’s ongoing review of all the new fashions. Too much exposure to Amy could make even an Elf fashion-conscious. He seemed as interested in the styles she singled out as she did. I groaned inwardly. At this rate, we might reach the Alterations department by nightfall.

  I finally spotted the Alterations desk at the rear of the store. Naturally, there was no one there. Amy, Neal and Jason stopped at the edge of the Men’s Sportswear department, only a few feet away, bordering Alterations. Ryan was closer, at the entrance to the men’s dressing rooms.

  I looked over the desk, hoping for a bell I could ring to bring someone out to help me. Of course, there was no bell. For some reason, my stomach began to tighten up. I’d been on edge all day, and that edge just sharpened.

  Calling out “hello” didn’t bring anyone out of the workroom either. I felt my muscles tightening. I turned toward my friends and noticed that Ryan was no longer where he’d been. I didn’t see him anywhere.

  Instantly alarmed, I was about to call out to Jason when I felt something hard pressed into the middle of my back. A soft male voice said, “This is a gun, Miss Blackthorne. If you try to get the attention of your friends, I will shoot each one of them. Now come around the desk and make a right-hand turn into the hallway behind you. Do it quickly.”

  His voice was so pleasant, it was shocking because his words were so horrible. I quickly turned into the hallway, the gun still pressed firmly against my back. I was now out of sight of
my friends. It felt as though he wanted me to hurry, but I walked as slowly as I could, my heart pounding, at the same time sending mental messages to my father and Adam.

  Dad - Adam - Gaynes is here in Van Horn’s. He’s got a gun and he’s forcing me away from my friends. Ryan disappeared, and the others didn’t see me leave. I don’t know where he’s taking me.

  The hallway seemed to run the length of the building, ending at a door marked “Employees Only.” We stopped and Gaynes came around to face me. He held the gun in one hand and a pair of handcuffs in the other.

  “Fasten these on your wrists. Do it quickly.” He pressed the gun against my chest. I hadn’t had a chance to pull one of my knives, not with the gun pressed into my back. And now I wouldn’t be able to. If I tried to use Vox, I knew he’d pull the trigger.

  He pushed the Employees Only door open. It took us outside to the loading dock behind the store. Beyond the loading dock was a wide parking lot and a dark blue SUV, with blacked out windows. The motor was running. I sent another mental message.

  Dad, we’re on the loading dock behind the store. He has a dark blue SUV parked here. There’s no one around, no trucks or cars anywhere.

  I looked up at the sky, which had darkened since we entered the store. It wasn’t even cloudy; the sky was totally overcast, dark gray. Then I remembered my secret weapon.

  Rowenna, the evil man has me captured behind the big store on Main Street. There’s a large parking lot in the back that’s empty. It’s big enough for you. I need your help.

  Gaynes pushed me down the stairs, the gun still in my back. At the bottom, I stopped.

  “Get in the car, Miss Blackthorne. I won’t tell you twice.”

  There was no way I was getting into his car. I knew I’d never get out alive. I felt cold as ice inside. My heart was beating double time. If I could just reach one of my knives . . .

  I walked to the SUV, put one foot up on the running board, bent over quickly and pulled a knife out of my boot. Immediately I whirled around and stabbed him in the wrist. He dropped the gun, looked at me in amazement, then using his good hand, he punched me in the face. Hard.

  I saw stars, but stayed on my feet, leaning against the car. He backed away and reached down to grab the gun from the ground with his left hand, and I brought my foot up and kicked him in the head as hard as I could. He went down on his knees and I reached into my other boot for another knife.

  Rowenna, where are you? No sooner had I completed the thought, she burst through the gray overcast and sent a burst of flames into the SUV. Gaynes looked up in shock as I quickly moved away from the car. I was done with non-lethal defense. He was only a few feet from where I was standing. I aimed my knife and with both hands cuffed together, I threw it, hitting him in the throat. He fell to the ground. All I heard was a gurgling sound as blood poured from his throat and mouth. I felt both satisfied and sick, at the same time.

  I heard sirens and three police cars sped around the corner into the parking lot. Six policemen leaped out, their guns aimed at Gaynes.

  I was still on my feet as an ambulance roared into the parking lot, followed by the Chief’s car, lights flashing. I looked up but Rowenna had retreated behind the heavy cloud cover. I could still feel her magic wrapped around me. Thank you, Rowenna. You saved my life.

  I will always protect you, Cara.

  Then I felt her moving away as two fire trucks rolled into the lot. Firemen turned hoses on the flaming SUV, putting out the fire quickly.

  Suddenly there were familiar arms wrapped around me and I heard my father’s deep voice. “Did he hurt you, my Cara?”

  The tension suddenly flowed out of my body as my heartbeat slowed. I took a deep breath and leaned into his chest. “I’m all right, Dad. Rowenna was here,” I whispered.

  “I know, dear. I heard her too.”

  I looked beyond my father’s broad chest and saw Adam standing there, his arm still in a sling, and unmistakable relief in his blue eyes.

  “Adam . . .” I waved him over.

  “Did he hurt you?”

  I pointed to my face, which felt swollen.

  My father pushed me away a few inches to look at my face. “Sweetheart, I’m afraid you’re going to have a black eye for our wedding.” He kissed my aching face and whispered, “It could have been so much worse.”

  Looking relieved, Adam said, “You did far more to Gaynes than he did to you. Nice work with your knives.” He smiled. “Best student I’ve ever had.”

  “Dad, Ryan is missing. He may still be in the store. Someone needs to look for him. I know he wouldn’t have left voluntarily.”

  My father looked around, spotted the Chief, and called out, “Tom. We need you.”

  The Chief jogged over to us. “Cara, do you need an ambulance? I can call for another one.” The first one had just taken Gaynes away. I wondered if he was still alive. In truth, I hoped he wasn’t.

  I held my handcuffed wrists out to him. He shook his head, muttered, “Police issue handcuffs.” Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocked the cuffs and stuffed them in his jacket pocket.

  “I just need an ice pack, Chief. But one of my bodyguards is missing inside the store.”

  Chief O’Donnell called over two of his men. “Search the store. One of Cara’s bodyguards is missing. Find him.”

  I asked the Chief, “Where are Amy, Neal and Jason? They were in the store with me when Gaynes grabbed me, but they never saw me leave. They must be worried sick.”

  The Chief finally smiled. “They were, Cara. Amy called the station when she couldn’t find you. I don’t think my men have quite recovered from her call. She and the two boys are out in front of the store in one of the police cars. She said they weren’t leaving until you were found. Come on. I’ll drive you out to them.”

  The three of us got into the Chief’s car and he drove us around to the front of the store where my friends waited. When she saw me, Amy flew out of the patrol car like a shot.

  Throwing her arms around me, she was in tears. “It was all my fault, Cara. If I hadn’t been looking at all the new clothes, I would have seen him. We all know we let you down.”

  Jason and Neal were right behind her, looking guilty and ashamed. But I couldn’t deal with them now. “Has Ryan been found?” I asked the closest cop.

  He nodded. “We found him in one of the men’s changing rooms. He’d been knocked out. We have a doctor in there checking him out.”

  With that, the last knot in my stomach dissolved. We were all okay. At least until Amy got a good look at my face.

  “Oh, Cara, you’ve got a black eye and a swollen cheek. That really won’t go with your new dress. We’re going to need a lot of ice and a ton of concealer to make you look decent for the wedding. I’ll get some and bring everything over to your house.” She grabbed Neal, who looked back and said, “I’m sorry, Cara,” and they left for the closest pharmacy.

  That left Jason standing alone, looking as though he was ready to face a firing squad.

  My father said, “Jason, you and I must have a serious talk very soon.” Jason just nodded. He looked at me and said, “Cousin, I will never forgive myself and I don’t expect you to forgive me either.”

  “Jason, we’ll talk about it another time. Right now I just want to go home and put an ice pack on my face. Dad, my car’s still parked in the other parking lot. I don’t trust myself to drive home.”

  “I’ll ask the Chief to bring your car when he stops by this evening to take your statement. I’m sure he’ll drive us home.” Using his good arm, Adam took my hand and squeezed it.

  We walked over to the Chief and my father asked him to take us home. As soon as I was in the Chief’s back seat, it hit me. “Oh no! Oh, crap.” I put my hands over my face. My head was aching and I had forgotten to do the one thing I was supposed to do today.

  My father put his arm around me. “What is it, Cara?”

  “Mom’s dress. I never picked it up.”

  I could hear him bre
athe a sigh of relief. “Sweetheart, we can get it tomorrow. It’s not a problem. I’m sure your mother will forgive you.”

  He laughed softly, patted my back, and Chief O’Donnell drove us home.

  Five minutes after we arrived home, Amy came by with the promised ice packs and a lot of concealer, enough to cover at least a dozen black eyes.

  We were all sitting at the kitchen table, as I held one ice pack after another to my swollen face. Finally, I just put an ice pack on the table and laid my face on it. Every last bit of energy had finally drained out of me. I felt like a rag doll.

  Adam went to the stove, turned it on, and boiled water for tea. When it was ready, he handed me a cup of his pain-killing tea. “This will make you more comfortable.”

  I looked up at him and saw so much affection in his dark eyes, I would have smiled if it hadn’t hurt so much. “Thanks.” I lifted my head and drank down the tea. While I waited for the tea to do what it was supposed to, I put my face down on top of the ice pack and closed my eyes.

  I didn’t even feel my father pick me up and carry me to my room.

  Not a single dream, thankfully.

  When I woke up Friday morning, the sun filled my bedroom, so I knew it was late. I was surprised to find I was still wearing the jeans and sweatshirt I’d been wearing the day before. At least someone had pulled my boots off.

  I sat up, trying to get my eyes fully open. When I could focus properly, I was shocked to see blood spatter on my blue jeans. It hadn’t been noticeable the night before, but in bright sunlight, the spots were unmistakable.

  Pulling off my jeans and sweatshirt, I threw them on the floor. As far as I was concerned, they weren’t even fit to be washed. I knew whose blood was on them. They needed to be burned.

  There was a soft knock on my bedroom door and Mom stuck her head in.

  “Are you finally awake, sweetheart?”

  I stood there next to my bed in my underwear, feeling disgusted.