Dragon Awakened

by Jaime Rush

  Jay got up and dug through his backpack, extracting a glass tube. He killed the lights, grabbed a black light, and mounted it on clips over the aquarium. The ribbons were visible as they undulated in the water. He lowered the tube into the water, and the ribbons began to pull toward it. “This is a weak example. There are formulations that would need to be figured out to do it properly. But you get the idea.”

  “What’s in the tube? It looks empty,” Ruby said.

  “Deus Vis. There’s only a trace amount in the tube. Deus Vis isn’t magnetic, per say, but it acts like one, drawing more of the essence toward it. Your father did it, Ruby. He found a way to free us, to make Deus Vis portable. He would have been a hero if it hadn’t ended up being such a bad thing.”

  “How?” Cyn asked, studying the vial.

  “It stems from hydrogen and helium,” Jay began, “the two most basic—and prevalent—elements in the universe.”

  Ruby leaned forward for a closer look at the tube. She saw just the tiniest flicker of silver. A trick of the light or the Deus Vis? Hydrogen brought to mind water, H2O. And helium. She thought of how she used to suck air out of balloons backstage at Mon’s magic shows. Gosh, she really should’ve paid more attention during her tutoring sessions.

  “Mundanes would kill for this technology,” Jay muttered. He pulled the vial from the water and set it carefully on a towel. “To date, there is no practical fusion reactor in use. Justin discovered a way to harness the energy of these basic elements. No small feat.”

  “How does it work?” Cyntag asked.

  “Hydrogen plasma is superheated. The isotopes collide and combine, then fuse. In labs, it takes massive electromagnets to confine the plasma. It took some time, but I figured out how your father did it. He used an orb.”

  Magick and science, a dangerous combination.

  Jay ran his finger down the tube. “What I can’t figure out is how the orb is maintained for any length of time. Eventually they disintegrate.”

  “The device we saw in Darren’s lab was metal,” Ruby said.

  Jay tapped his temple. “Ah, titanium, maybe. It’s one of the few elements that resists magick, meaning it can maintain the energy of the orb for an extended time. And thus the fusion process. The fusion draws in the Deus Vis, channels it.” He frowned. “And that fits in with Brom’s vision of doom. The process isn’t stable. Think about it. This fusion is the same reaction that fuels stars. It’s how our sun works. The fusion gives off massive amounts of energy and heat.” Jay raked a hand through his hair. “Combine it with the upcoming coronal mass ejection, and we’re talking the perfect storm, so to speak.”

  “Smith—Purcell used that phrase about the ejection,” Ruby said. “What is it exactly?”

  “That’s the blast of charged particles that hits the Earth a couple of days after the eruption. It bombards our magnetic field, disrupts communications, and, unbeknownst to most of the scientists studying this, distorts our Deus Vis—”

  “And a device that acts like a magnet for Deus Vis is going to draw all that instability into one place.” Cyn’s dark eyes were bleak.

  “That kicks off a chain of events. If the Deus Vis within the reactor isn’t dismantled, it will fuel a fusion process that won’t stop. The heat and energy released will cause massive damage.”

  “Like killing every Crescent in Miami?”

  Jay shook his head. “Beyond that. The blast will obliterate the entire state.”

  Ruby slapped her hand to her chest, Jay’s words thudding heavily inside. “That can’t be what Purcell’s goal is. Otherwise he’d be leaving. And seriously, what would he gain by doing that?”

  “He may not know that will happen. He probably has no idea what he’s dealing with. This has got to be stopped.”

  Cyn pinched the bridge of his nose. “So how do we dismantle this thing?”

  “Very carefully. Your inclination will be to destroy it with your Dragon fire, but you’d detonate it instantly. Which is what Brom saw.”

  Ruby snapped her fingers. “When Garnet defeated the monster, she didn’t lob flashy orbs at it. She used a gentle, beautiful orb. Maybe Brom had the answer and didn’t even know it.”

  After she explained who Garnet was, Jay said, “Yes, gently release the orb’s energy, the way air releases from a punctured tire. You’ll need something that’s strong enough to penetrate the metal but leaves you with enough control to pull it back before crushing the tube.”

  Cyn bared his teeth. “Like a Dragon’s fang, maybe?”

  Ruby’s mouth dropped open. “You’re going to bite an explosive canister? No, I’m going to bite it. Because it’s my destiny.”

  Cyn got to his feet, pulling her up with him. “We have to go.”

  Ruby wrapped her fingers around Cyn’s arm. “When Brom was trying to talk, he said ‘J-J.’ We thought he was saying ‘Justin,’ but he was probably saying ‘Jay.’ If we hadn’t come here, we would have blown the damned thing up.”

  Jay leaned back against the desk. “Should you approach the Concilium?”

  Cyn’s expression shadowed. “Purcell has connections in the Guard. I don’t know who else might be involved.”

  “If the solar storm is the key factor, you only have until tomorrow to destroy this object. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Cyn clapped his hand on Jay’s shoulder. “How long since you’ve fought?”

  Jay rolled his eyes in thought. “Fifty or so years. But it’s like riding a bike, right?”

  How weird to hear guys talk about that kind of span of time so casually.

  “You’re out of practice dealing with demons and the like. But keep your phone with you. I may need your guidance.”

  Cyn called Grayson once they said goodbye. She packed her bag while Cyn retrieved his clothes. When he returned, he wore the black pants and white shirt he’d had on before. He closed the door behind him, but his gaze went right to her. To the way she was taking him in, no doubt.

  “You’re right, there is something magic here,” she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder as she came closer.

  He skimmed his hands over her shoulders. “Does that mean you’re going to go back to hating me when we get to Miami? I’m not sure I could bear that.” He was serious.

  “No, I meant that there’s something magic…here.” She gestured between them. “Us.”

  A sound drew their attention to the sight of Grayson appearing out of nowhere. Holy…well, not holy exactly. Black, ethereal wings shimmered. He took them in with a curious expression. “Your energy has drastically changed from a few hours ago.”

  She said, “It’s called forgiveness. You should try it.”

  His eyes frosted over. “Holding on is a good reminder not to make the same mistake. Ready?”

  All righty then. No forgiveness happening for him.

  Cyn took her hand and led her over to him. “Let’s go.”

  Seconds later, they were in Grayson’s condominium. She couldn’t stop staring as his wings shrank down to the tattoo on his back. His shoulders drooped, and he braced his hands on the back of his couch for support.

  “Does Leaping take a lot out of you?” she asked.

  He stepped away from her, bowing his head and running his hand back over his hair. “Leaping by itself is taxing. Bringing two people even more so. Twice in a short period of time…definitely.” He looked at Cyn. “But if you need help—”

  “I’ll let you know. We’ve been having demon trouble. We’ve handled them so far. But be on call. And if you start to feel unusually fatigued, or fluish, get out of here. Tell the other Caidos. The clerk at Sanctum said the place was fully booked starting tomorrow, solar storm panic.”

  “I can already feel the difference,” she said. “In Chena, the energy was alive. Invigorating. Not here.”

  The first faint hints of dawn lit the sky. They reached the car, and she pulled out Brom’s book as soon as they’d closed the doors. “There’s a new entry. Hopefully something
useful.”

  Her finger followed Brom’s scribbled words. Cyn dies. Ruby must Breathe his power. But enough to defeat???

  The words clutched her throat. “No.” She looked at Cyn, whose face had gone pale. “No.”

  “The Dragon Prince died in Mon’s story,” he said in a low, careful voice.

  “But that’s because he hated you. He made it up.”

  “His stories were based on Brom’s vision, Ruby. We can’t ignore what’s right in front of us.” He tapped the picture. “This is why you need me. You will need my power to succeed.”

  She grabbed his arm, her fingers twisting the material of his sleeve. “Kade said visions were an approximation of what could happen.”

  “Maybe so, but everything Brom saw has come true so far.”

  “Cyn, you can’t die. Not now that I…” Loved him? Isn’t that what giving him her heart meant? “Not now,” she finished.

  His mouth turned to a wry grin. “Would have been easier if you still hated me.” She could see his mind working as his embers became jagged sparks.

  “Well, it’s too late for that now, Cyntag Valeron. What I’ve given you, you can’t give back.”

  “Your forgiveness?”

  “My heart.”

  He reached out, his palm on her cheek. His mouth opened, but he seemed to struggle with the words. She suspected he changed them when he said, “Remember what I said about Breathing Dragon. Just in case,” he added, when she was going to protest. “You’ll see the Dragon’s essence hovering above the physical body. It’ll look like heat waves over sunbaked pavement. The stronger and older he or she is, the more power. I’m old and I’ve killed a lot of Dragons, so if you Breathe me, you’re going to get overloaded. This is where you really have to put logic over emotion.”

  “Can’t I heal you? Like you healed me?”

  He shook his head. “You’re not strong enough yet. If I’m killed or mortally injured, you have to Breathe me, Ruby. Because if Magda does it, you’ll never win. Promise me.”

  She nodded, tears making her eyes tingle. She remembered feeling Garnet’s pain at being so alone and lost.

  “Afterward, you should be able to tap into my Obsidian qualities. But if you let your emotions drive you, you’ll be killed. It’s as simple as that. And if we both die, so do a lot of other people.”

  “But you’re not going to die.”

  “I’ll do my best.” He rubbed his thumb against the side of her mouth. “Before you came into my life again, I didn’t care about living or dying. But now I have a lot to live for. So believe me when I say that I’ll fight like hell to stay alive, and to keep you safe.”

  She kissed him fiercely, her hands gripping his face. “Don’t you dare die, Cyn. Don’t you dare.”

  “No matter what happens, know that you brought me to life again.” He rubbed away tears she didn’t know she had shed.

  She pressed her hand to his chest. “I want you to know something, too. You have a good heart, despite everything you’ve done. When I looked past my anger, I saw everything you really are. Not just a cold, badass Dragon warrior, but a man with integrity and a sense of right.”

  He curled his fingers around her hand. “Would it make any difference to tell you not to have those feelings about me?”

  “No. You don’t know the half of what I feel for you.”

  His fingers pressed against her mouth. “Don’t tell me. It’ll mess with my head, make me fight under a red haze of emotion. Let’s find Purcell and finish this.”

  Chapter 23

  Cyn called Fernandez. “Are you at home?” He didn’t apologize for calling at one in the morning.

  Ruby leaned close to his shoulder, listening in.

  Fernandez’s voice was low, hard to hear. “Yes. I’m with Celia. She’s sleeping.”

  “I’m in your driveway now. Does she know what’s going on?”

  What you did for her? Ruby wanted to shout.

  “No, I haven’t told her anything. Not until I have to. I’ll meet you outside.”

  Cyn disconnected, giving Ruby a nod. She leaned on the passenger door and watched between half-closed eyes.

  Cyn got out as Fernandez approached the car. “I need to get Ruby to whatever this device Purcell has. Now. She’s been feeling the effects of the fracturing, but now she’s barely hanging on.” She could hear his fear of losing her in his voice. “Purcell said to get in touch with you.”

  Fernandez glanced her way, though he could only see the top of her head for the most part. He pulled out his phone and started touching buttons.

  Cyn rammed his fingers back through his hair. “I understand how you felt now, when Celia almost died a long time ago. And recently. I understand why you set me up to save her.”

  “I’m glad, because it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” He focused on his call. “Purcell? It’s Fernandez. The woman who was with Cyntag, she’s very ill… Yes, I’ll put him on.” He handed the phone to Cyn. “He wants to talk to you.”

  Cyn took the phone, looking for all the world like a man distraught. “She started out feeling lethargic but went downhill fast. She…she can hardly breathe now. She hasn’t eaten in hours. I’ve been keeping her alive by using my healing power, but I’m so weak I don’t know how much longer I can do it. You promised if we backed off, you would save us…I’ll be right there.” He shoved the phone at Fernandez. “Thank you.”

  “Where is he sending you? Is it where we’re all supposed to go?” Panic punctuated Fernandez’s voice. “He won’t tell me.”

  Cyn didn’t answer, running to the car.

  Ruby sat up as soon as they were out of view of the house. “What if it’s a trap?”

  “The vision says you have a chance to defeat the monster. The only way we’re going to do that is to get to the reactor.”

  She didn’t want to think about the other part.

  “I think I was pretty convincing,” he said.

  “Very. You broke my heart.”

  “All I had to do was remember watching you walk away from me yesterday.” He let those words settle for a moment. “Purcell wants to meet at a gas station north of here. We’re to follow him. Remember, he can reach into your mind, so you have to think ‘sick.’”

  “All I have to do is remember walking away from you. As much as I wanted you to hurt…damn it, I was hurting, too.”

  He looked at her, his expression softening. “Ruby…”

  “Don’t say anything.” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “It’ll mess with my head.”

  Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to the Chevron. It was closed, but the lights were on. Purcell waited by a Rolls-Royce, his arms loosely crossed in front of him. He approached the Thunderbird, and Cyn got out.

  Purcell glanced into the passenger window where Ruby sprawled. “She seemed fine earlier.”

  “She’s been complaining about stomach pains for the last day or so. I convinced her that you were telling us the truth. That we had to look out for ourselves. It was soon after that”—he pinched the bridge of his nose—“she got so fatigued she could barely move. I think it’s hitting her hard because she’s newly Awakened. Save her, and I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

  She could hear the strain in his voice as he begged. Cyn was not a man who was used to begging.

  Purcell said, “I will hold you to your word, as you hold me to mine. But I insist that once you are there, you remain until the fracturing passes.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “Follow me.”

  Cyn got back in, closing the door with both hands, like he was too weak to do it with one. “We’re on.”

  They wound through the city, busy even at this time of night. Ruby remained slumped but watched the buildings go by. Finally he pulled into a nearly empty parking lot. A sign pronounced the place closed for renovation.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “The Devil’s Ray nightclub, one of the private clubs for Cresce
nts only.”

  He parked near the entrance, going around to the passenger side and helping her out. She let her body go limp.

  “In here,” Purcell said, leading the way to the back entrance of the three-story building. “I’ve commandeered one of the clubs to gather the Chosen. You’re the first to arrive.”

  Cyn pretended to stagger, though when Purcell put his arm out to help, he stepped back. “I’ve got her.”

  “Can you still become Dragon?”

  Cyn sounded weary. “I doubt it.”

  He stepped into the cavernous space, and the door closed behind them. More ominous, she heard the locks click. She felt an immediate difference in the energy, similar to how Chena felt. The reactor was definitely here. She met Cyn’s eyes, and he gave her a subtle nod.

  Some lights were on, though they didn’t illuminate the space well. She heard two men talking somewhere nearby. Stacks of cots lined the outer wall. So that part was true, anyway. Two bars flanked the large space, and in the back, an open space she guessed was a dance floor. This would be the place where the Chosen would hunker down while all the other Crescents died.

  Bastards.

  Purcell gestured, and a man rushed over and set out a cot.

  Cyn laid her down, whispering, “You’re going to be all right, baby.”

  Another man came over and both remained a few feet away from Purcell. No doubt security.

  Purcell held out his hand. “I will require your cell phones. No one can have access to the outside once they’re here. It’s for your own safety. When friends or acquaintances call, panicked about how people are dying, some will weaken and give our location. We can’t allow any more than are planned for.”

  Cyn slowly pulled his phone out. He wouldn’t be able to call in Grayson.

  “Hers, too.”

  She wasn’t sure how he knew she had one, but Cyn dutifully dug into her pocket and retrieved it, handing both over.

  “Stay with her,” Purcell said. “I’ll be right back.”

  Cyn knelt next to her, but he watched the man retreat. She couldn’t see from her vantage point. They agreed that as soon as they were inside, they were completely in their roles. The two guards had remained, preventing even a subtle exchange.