by Holly Hook
He would stay on the surface. I realized I hadn't met the entire den yet. There were supposed to be a dozen dragon shifters in town, total. The Mustersons had died, leaving ten. That meant that besides me, Dirk, the Machers, Steve, and Adler, there might be four to six more.
"I'll help if you want me to," Sven said. "We won't be able to move so much treasure with just our hands, though. Will I anger anyone if I touch any of it?"
"Only if you intend to steal it," Mr. Macher told him. "It's something we can sense. There are smaller chambers underground we can use to store some treasure, but it won't be as effective once it's all separated. It's better than nothing. We can also move it to our houses."
I imagined that gigantic hoard. It wouldn't fit anywhere hidden on the surface if everyone in town opened their houses to it. Praying that the Slayers wouldn't blast a hole right to it, I followed the others down the spiral road to the bottom of the quarry as Mr. Macher placed frantic phone calls.
I could see the hole in the wall now. Sven still couldn't. It was one of Adler's tricks.
"There's a cave entrance down here?" Sven asked.
"Yes," I said, taking his hand. "I couldn't even see it when I came down this way the first time. Dirk could. It was right after you and him had your near-fight."
Dirk looked at our intertwined hands again. I feared the guy would never get over this. I also feared the only reason the Machers weren't trying to tear us apart was that we were at war and we needed Sven's help. Once all this calmed down, they might change their minds. Dragons and humans could only have human children according to them. It wasn't what a dying species wanted.
"I trust you, Felicia," Sven said with a smile.
I led him into the opening that looked like a quarry wall to Sven. It was hard to remember that the illusion was there, tricking all non-dragons. Sven closed his eyes and slowed for a moment before stepping out of the sun and into the dark.
Meanwhile, the distant explosions followed.
The further we walked into the cave, the better my heat vision got. The cave walls turned gray, though they were brighter farther in and closer to the hoard where the braziers always burned. How visible things were must have depended on their temperature. Dirk and I could see fine as we led Sven towards the hoard. As we got closer, Mrs. Macher insisted that she walk in the front.
"But we can't hear the explosions anymore," Dirk said. "It's possible they're blasting a hole in the wrong place."
"Or we can't hear them from down here," Mrs. Macher said. "Our hearing is no better than that of Normals."
It confirmed my suspicions.
But at least we could see. The walls brightened as we neared the hoard, and at last, we turned and walked down a narrow tunnel towards the sight of a burning brazier.
Sven squeezed my hand and then let go.
"What's wrong?" I whispered although I already knew.
Sven looked down at the ground. "Felicia, I almost killed you down here."
The guilt would not leave him. "You didn't know it was me. And I was about to hurt your sister." I hadn't thought about it much because the memory of him charging me was unbearable, no matter how much of it wasn't his fault. But now that we were back at the scene of the fight, it was all coming back with every awful, painful detail. We were both guilty.
"But I should have known!" Sven put distance between us as we walked.
"How could you? It was Adler's fault. And you were just trying to protect Sofia."
We entered the hoard. All the treasure was still here, and the magic flowed through my limbs, nourishing me, but I felt no better. Sven hung back, not wanting to enter the room even though it was quiet except for the flames.
"Come in," I said.
Mrs. Macher and Dirk walked through the treasure, leaving us alone. Dirk cast one last look at us as he circled around a pile of coins.
"I can't, Felicia," Sven said. "You saw what I used to be. If Adler does another mind trick on me, then I'll be that Slayer again."
"But now that you know what she can do, we can avoid it," I said. "I'll stay with you and cure you if you need it."
Sven faced me, blue eyes full of terror. "That Slayer is still in me. With the right magic, it comes back out. And it's something I can't control."
He needed me. I stepped over to him as the others went to collect Sofia. "Sven," I said. "In case you haven't noticed, I have the same problem. I know what it's like to fear something in you. Don't leave me. Please." Tears choked my throat. "It wasn't the Sven I know who did that. It was the one your father created. We can't let him or Adler win." I took Sven by the arms and held him there, but not hard enough to restrain him if he wanted free. My heart raced, waiting for his reaction.
"I would have hurt you." Agony compressed his words.
"That was a different person."
"It was another part of me. You don't know what it's like to become a killer because of something you don't even control. It's the most terrible feeling you can imagine."
I thought of Jens and his smoking wounds. "I might," I rasped.
"What do you mean?"
A faint explosion rocked the chamber. Bits of rock fell from the center of the room.
I let go of Sven and whirled. Dirk shouted something from the piles of treasure and Mrs. Macher emerged from behind an antique pile, leading Sofia by the arm. Sven's sister was still bound and Steve was walking behind her. Neither appeared hurt.
"What's going on?" Steve asked, eyeing the ceiling far above.
"Grab as much treasure as you can," Mrs. Macher shouted. "We won't be able to fight well from below. The Slayers will have an advantage on us."
She was right. It was why they were attacking from above.
"Get me out of here!" Sofia shouted. "Sven, why are you working with them?"
"Don't you want me to get kicked out of the family?" Sven asked. "You got your wish."
Sofia looked at him as Mrs. Macher led her into the tunnel. Even with all this treasure here, Mrs. Macher was putting the prisoner first. I was glad. She looked at me as she guided Sofia through the tunnel entrance and out of the main chamber.
"Get Sven out of here," Mrs. Macher warned. "It's possible that Adler will arrive."
"I'm not leaving you to face these guys by yourself," Sven said, taking my arm. He lowered his voice so only I could hear. "Not after what I did."
"That wasn't you."
"It was me. The old me."
"But it isn't you now," I said. "Stop beating yourself up and just forgive yourself." What was I saying? I couldn't do that for myself. And unlike Sven, I couldn't even admit the truth. I was worse than him.
Mrs. Macher vanished into the tunnel with Sofia, leaving me, Sven, Steve, and Dirk. I prepared for the blow to come. Sven would say that he didn't deserve me. But instead, he nodded at the ceiling as another, closer explosion followed. The rock muffled it, but not as much as before. "I'm helping you. Felicia, I'll work off what I almost did if it means my life." He spoke with an intense need to alleviate the guilt.
"You already have," I insisted.
"No."
He wouldn't go until his guilt eased. I knew what it was like. It ate at you until there was nothing left.
Steve nodded and marched to us. "Grab sacks," he said. "Start evacuating the treasure. Even if we only manage to get it in the tunnels, it'll become much harder for the Slayers to find."
I eyed the piles upon piles. We'd never move it all in time.
Another explosion followed. More pieces of stone rained into the chamber, some landing in a brazier. The Slayers were drawing closer. No one was stopping them.
Maybe no one could.
Steve grabbed a money sack, which was already bulging with bills, and placed handfuls of coins inside. I joined him as footfalls ran into the chamber from the far end. I looked up to see the owner of the Freezer, Ed Sharon, bolting into the room with a bunch of black garbage bags under his arm. He was joined by his daughter, Ellie, who did the same. I hadn't
spoken to either of them much and now I knew the truth about them. Ed nodded at Steve and unrolled a garbage bag, not bothering to look at Sven. In fact, he didn't acknowledge that Dirk and I were there. There were more pressing matters.
"Give me one," Sven said. "I'm here to help."
"He knows where the Slayers are keeping what belongs to us," Steve added.
Ed hesitated before handing a bag to Sven. The explosions had stopped for now. The Slayers must be assessing the situation or the hole they'd blasted into the ground. We still had precious little time.
Sweat poured down Sven's brow as he worked, shoving trinkets and gems into his bag before handing it to Steve. He panted as he worked, trying to cast away his horrific guilt. This was the Sven I loved, and I hated that he was hurting. I wished that I could tell him right now that I was no better than him. That we were the same.
"Don't give yourself heat stroke," I said. The red glow coming from Sven intensified as his body gave off more of it. "Don't hurt yourself doing this."
"I'll be okay."
"Stop doing this to yourself." We worked side by side, filling bags. Even with dozens of people, we'd never clear this space in time. It would take an army to remove all the treasure from this chamber. All we could do was minimize the damage as much as we could. The hoard would still become much smaller after the Slayers came through.
And then what?
Would I still be able to use my magic?
I placed my hand on Sven's arm. His skin was hot. His pulse, fast. He shoveled antique goblets into a bag before tying and it and passing it to Ellie, who ran with it into the dark tunnel. Steve and Ed did filled and passed bags down the line as well. The pile we were working on collapsed into a shallow mound. There were dozens of treasure piles in here.
"I feel better when you're touching me," Sven said. Then he wrenched out of my grasp. "You shouldn't do that for me."
"Sven!" I could heal and extend lives. I'd forgotten about that. "I'll make you feel better as much as you need it."
He was making himself suffer. I feared how far he would go. Would he sacrifice himself next?
"I can't stop the Slayers," Adler shouted from behind us.
Sven froze, and I turned. Principal Adler stood beside a stalactite halfway across the chamber as coins tumbled around her feet. I hadn't heard her come in. In fact, I hadn't seen her at all since she wiped Sven's memory.
I stood in front of him, but Adler had already seen him. She stepped no closer. Her vow. Because of it, she had to keep a distance from me, but that might not stop her from trying more mental trickery on Sven. She could make him his former self whenever she wanted. But couldn't she see he was helping us?
Adler's eyes filled with a faint red glow. "He shouldn't be down here."
"Well, he is, and he's helping to save the hoard, unlike you," I said. "You're standing there."
"We could use your help," Steve said.
Adler shifted. The corner of her mouth twitched, a movement I could see even from this distance. She must stand fifty feet away.
The other dragons didn't know she'd hurt me and she didn't want to reveal that fact. If I wanted to, I could destroy her reputation. She had done this to Sven. It was her act that almost killed me, not him.
Another explosion sounded from above.
"The Slayers are blasting three holes, trying to see if they get lucky," Adler said. "One of them will hit this chamber if they continue for a few more hours. I estimate it'll come down through the north end which is that way." She pointed behind her. "They've brought in an entire demolition team to work on it. And before you ask me why I didn't get close enough to alter their memories, they have guns. I saw them. The Society has connections with military suppliers now. They've grown too powerful to stop."
"Guns?" Dirk shouted. "But they're Slayers."
"Even Slayers have to modernize," Sven muttered. He worked again, not caring about Adler being there. So long as I stood next to him, I could protect him. And I would.
"They're very wealthy Slayers," Adler said. "And that boy is one. He's touching our treasure."
"He hasn't taken a single piece for himself," I said.
"But he will. After he kills you, Felicia. I'm surprised he hasn't tried yet." She glared at me. Adler knew I cured him. She knew I did to Sven what my mother did to Wiglaf. Now she feared that I'd pay the ultimate price. But Sven continued to shovel in treasure and tie up another bag as the two of us stared each other down. Adler made no motion to shift or even move. So far, she hadn't erased Sven's memory again.
Magic flowed through me.
To protect him, I would use it. And she knew.
Did Adler fear me?
"Help," I said. "Grab a bag and shovel stuff in."
Ellie tossed the principal a pack of trash bags. Adler continued to stare at me in silence, expression hard. Then she took a step back. It was a strange feeling as if our roles had reversed. Steve said his grandmother was supposed to be the unspoken leader of the den.
And now I seemed to have power over her.
But she was still dangerous. As Adler went to work, keeping her distance from us, Steve shuffled over, trash bag in hand.
"You might be the new leader, Felicia."
I paused and choked. "Excuse me?" I grabbed two swords and handed them to Dirk, who ran them into the tunnels.
"You're stronger than my grandmother, and she knows. But keep an eye on her."
"I will. And what is her problem?"
"Maybe she's jealous," Steve said with a low voice. "She never loved any of her mates. She had children because she needed to, but I guess she never loved them. I think she hates to see others enjoying something she never had."
I peeked back at Adler, who had her back turned as if she couldn't stand the sight of me and Sven. That made a big part of her attitude make sense.
And another explosion followed. I couldn't tell from which direction it came.
"Faster!" Mrs. Macher shouted, running back into the chamber without Sofia. She had taken Sven's sister to safety somewhere. "We have the Boers coming but they will be a few more minutes." Her husband ran in behind her and after him, my adoptive parents. Ed handed them some trash bags. Mom froze and stared at me as I continued to work, not daring to leave Sven's side. The den had all hands on deck, including people who weren't even dragon shifters. I could tell from the way Dad looked around the chamber he had never come down here before. His pupils widened as his world opened.
But like everyone else, they got to work.
Minutes dragged out into eternity. Bag after bag passed between us. Mom and Dad didn't speak to Adler, adding to the tension in the chamber. The Boers, a young farming couple who owned a plot across town, arrived and helped. I stopped counting the number of us down here. I had a sense that the whole den had arrived. There was a mission now, and it was to disappoint the greedy Slayers as much as we could.
Four treasure piles vanished as we worked, but there were still two dozen more. This project would take days of nonstop work. My magic wavered as more of it left the chamber to vanish into the confusing tunnels. Sven continued to sweat, but after a while, he stopped protesting each time I touched his arm, willing healing magic to flow into him and keep him going. Each time I did it, his skin cooled, and he breathed a sigh of relief I had the sense he didn't want me to hear. I hoped I could help heal his horror and guilt.
More likely, he was just focused on the task. His blue eyes remained intense. I wondered what he was thinking.
Another, much louder blast echoed through the chamber, making everyone freeze.
I turned to see light pouring down through the far end of the chamber that Adler had pointed to a while ago.
Sunlight.
Part of the hoard was now exposed to the surface.
Silence ruled as everyone watched dust swirl through the air and a pile of ancient gold coins reflect the sky. Only two hundred feet away, an opening had formed that even Adler might not block from the minds
of those above.
And following the drawn-out silence came a wave of cheers from above.
Chapter Ten
Adler, from her position between us and the new opening, glared at everyone, including Sven.
"Get back," she ordered. "We can't strike them from below."
Sven grabbed my arm as if determined to protect me. "I might slow them down," he said.
"You can't," I told him. "They'll kill you."
"I can tell them a story. Do an act," Sven said. "Let me talk to them."
"Get back!" Adler shouted, voice echoing off the stone as she ignored my boyfriend. "They'll take a while to come down, but when they do, they'll use their full firepower. Treasure will survive guns and explosives just fine."
I thought of coins turned to shrapnel and daggers flying with incredible force.
Sven walked towards the new opening in the ceiling, leaving me behind.
He would hurt himself and put himself in danger to ease his guilt. I couldn't let him. "Sven," I said, following. "Don't do it. You're more likely to die than I am." I caught up and wrapped my arms around him, stopping him in his tracks. "You are not going over there. Killing yourself won't change what happened."
Sven looked at me and glowered. "I have to."
"It's already gone," I said. "Doing this to yourself will not make you feel any better. Everyone can see you're here to help."
Sven let out a breath and pulled against me. With my new strength, I could hold him in place. He gave up and leaned against me. "Then we need to get out of here," he said at last. "I know you won't leave until I do."
"You're right."
More shouts from men sounded from far above. The hole was well above the floor, positioned about a hundred feet up. It wasn't as if anyone would jump down. They'd have to get equipment for that. That was on top of arming themselves. While they figured it out, we couldn't put ourselves below them. I'd felt what arrows were like in my other form. In this one, they'd be debilitating. I might even die.
I pulled Sven back to the others. I'd get him to come around later. Maybe only time would heal his guilt. Or maybe I was being selfish, trying to keep him with me when it was now unbearable for him. So long as Adler hung in the background, he'd fear the Slayer within. And he was right to do so.