by K W Quinn
“Aren’t there dams to protect them?” Art asked.
“Yeah. The power plants around the town rely on them, but I told Dez about some of my friends who I thought would be good help. I used to work at one of the Water plants.” Andy smiled and raised his eyebrows.
“Why would a Helio work at the Water plant?” Lerae interrupted.
“You have to have good connections to get a job at the Solar plant. My dad never thought I was worth it, so I was working my way up the ranks. Slowly. But I have a lot of friends.” Andy smiled and paused while they nodded. It was nice to be the one giving the information for once.
“Dez capitalized on my good name, and those friends will help her open the dams at the right time. All that extra water will—”
“No,” Lerae argued. “If we let them get the thaw water, they’ll add to their reserves, and it will make the siege take longer.”
“That’s what I’m saying. With your freedom fighters, Cass’s astronomical power, and a little bit of planning, we won’t need to have a long, drawn-out siege. We can strike hard. Cause enough chaos and destruction, and the Conglomerate will have to pay attention.” Andy knew it was a better plan. He’d done all the research. He needed them to listen. If they would believe him, maybe he could get Cass to agree to it.
“You can’t go head-to-head with the biggest organization in the world after one natural disaster and expect them to give in to all our demands.” Lerae leaned over the table, jabbing her finger at Andy. “They didn’t get all the power they have by making deals with lowlives like us.”
“A series of natural disasters. Storms with tornadoes that rip through storehouses and disrupt the supply chain more effectively than drought. Floods that will make the roads impassable. Disrupt communications. If we can cripple the Capital, we can cripple the Conglomerate. The whole world takes its orders from the Mountain, and the Mountain is here.” Andy tapped the map hard.
“You’re too optimistic and way too careless. We need to focus on keeping the planting season dry so that by harvest, they’re ready to negotiate.” Lerae wasn’t giving an inch.
“Why waste another year?” Andy flung a hand toward the windows at the bright sun shining on the snow. “How many more people are going to suffer while we drag our feet?”
“And if you fail? If we lose Cass? What then? You want to rush in and ruin everything I’ve worked a lifetime for.” Lerae stabbed a finger at Andy.
“I want to save people instead of letting them rot in the Dome’s dungeon. People I know. People whose eyes I’ve had to look into. Time matters.”
Art stood and glared at them both before he walked out of the room. Andy and Lerae watched him go silently.
“I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. I’m not trying to minimize that, but I don’t want to see this opportunity wasted. We won’t get a second chance. This is all we’ve got.” Lerae was calmer now, though Andy could still see the stiffness in her shoulders.
“I don’t want to waste anything. I think we should use the tools we have.” Andy ran his fingers through his hair. “No one expected Cass to be this strong. No one knew that being soulmates with a dragonkin would give him this kind of power. No one thought it was possible to have three relics attune to one person. You’ve heard all of this from people you know and trust a lot more than me. So trust them. Trust that.”
Lerae nodded. “Let’s get the witches back and put all this information before them. I’ve said my piece. The decision should be made when all the players are here. Besides, it comes down to what we can convince Cass to do.”
Andy smiled and gestured toward the door. “Don’t let him know what you want. He’s prone to being contrary.”
Cass couldn’t sit still. His knees bounced under the table no matter how many times Reyah smoothed her hand down his leg to soothe him. He cracked his knuckles and chewed his bottom lip. Amel and Charly were explaining the preparations they’d made, but Cass wanted to get started.
“The coast is as ready as we can get it. We’ve got people in all of the surrounding suburbs, and everyone is watching the forecast,” Charly said, leaning back in his chair.
Art’s dining room table was covered in maps and diagrams, with lists of supplies and people that were all part of the big picture that Cass still didn’t fully understand. He knew his part though.
“I can’t raise the temperature, but I can get the clouds out of the way, and Andy can start focusing on the upper lakes to get the ice moving. Then it’s about building momentum to keep the water rising as it travels downstream.” Cass felt the words tumble out of him.
“There are Waters all along the way who can nudge things along. No one can turn the whole river once it gets started, but we can try to keep it on track while you attack the warehouses,” Charly said, pointing to the map of the Capital.
“Right. Lerae has teams of people ready to raid for supplies, and when they’re clear, we send in the tornadoes,” Cass said. “I’m not sure I can fully control them, because I haven’t had a big enough area to practice in.” Reyah stood behind him, and he was grateful that he wouldn’t have to do any of this alone.
“With your head start, you should be good so long as you don’t look back,” Reyah said to her mother. They shared an enigmatic smile that made Cass wonder if dragonkin had some sort of telepathic magic.
“Next is the Water plant,” Andy said. “Who knew that boring job would come in handy?”
Cass gave him a smile. Andy had been eager to find ways to make himself useful, and his skills and knowledge had come into play in surprising ways.
“Then we wait?” Cass asked.
“Then we wait,” Amel confirmed. “No power, no storehouses, cut off from their clean water supply. They won’t last long.”
“Never underestimate the vindictive nature of the Conglomerate,” Art warned.
They all nodded and stared at the maps and charts.
“Now we wait,” Amel repeated.
Dragons
Reyah sat very still on the couch. Art stood by the door, glancing back and forth between the driveway and the living room.
“You want to see him? Because you don’t have to,” Art said, his voice gruff but kind. “We need him for planning, but you don’t have to do this.”
“I’m all right. I need to talk to him,” Reyah replied. The now-useless soul blade rested on her knees. She’d taken the time to put on her uniform, savoring the comforting ritual of tying each strap for the last time.
After today, she would no longer be a Dragon. It was Tarone’s right to cut her uniform off with the very blade he’d presented to her. Disgraced and rejected, she wouldn’t be welcome at what had been her home ever again.
She took a deep breath and reminded herself of all she’d gained. Cass, Andy, Dez, and the witches. A sort-of mother who was almost a friend. Friends who were almost mothers, brothers, sisters. She’d found a family and a home.
She wasn’t losing Tarone, just her job. He would be disappointed, but he would still be her dad. And they were still on the same side. She bit her lip. How much heartache could he have saved her if he’d only told her that before this job?
“He’s here,” Art said simply, holding the door open. Reyah told herself not to look. She would maintain her composure. She would admit her failure and accept the consequences. Tarone was coming, and it was almost over.
“Thank you, Art. Good to see you.” His familiar voice filled her head, and her gut clenched, but she remained still. Footsteps sounded in the entryway, then were muffled on the carpet of the living room. Tarone came into her field of vision. She steadied her breath and stood in one smooth motion, lifting the knife with both hands.
She extended her hands to Tarone, bowing her head over the blade. The moment stretched, and she felt the strain in her arms. The blade was light, but her burden was heavy.
Finally, Tarone took the blade, and Reyah sank to her knees.
“Reyah Doryu, be at ease,” he said
formally. She rested on her heels, bringing her hands to her knees. She kept her head bowed, however, as was proper for a disgraced Dragon.
“Reyah, look at me,” he said softly.
She squeezed her eyes shut briefly before obeying. She lifted her head and blinked to keep her eyes clear. Seeing him struck her with such longing. He wore his uniform casually, with the sleeves rolled up on his forearms.
His narrow face and pointed chin were still as handsome as ever. Dark hair and dark eyes, he was the first man she had ever loved. As a hatchling, she’d hated him for not being her mother, but even then, he was the rock and anchor of her life. As much a father as she’d ever had.
He held the blade gently. “Can you explain this?”
She resisted the urge to bow her head again. “I must resign as a Dragon. My last collection resulted in a soul exchange, and I can no longer wield the blade.” It was the briefest explanation she could muster. She’d practiced it in her head countless times, but the words still burned in her mouth.
The smile that broke across his face was absolutely not the response she was expecting. “Really? It happened? Oh, Reyah,” he gushed.
Her face fell. Her life had been ruined. Her future, her career. And he was grinning like she’d brought home a trophy. “What do you mean it happened, Tarone?”
“The exchange. Doesn’t that mean you’ve found a soulmate?”
“It does, but why isn’t that shocking and upsetting news to you?”
“Dragonkin are predisposed to soulmating. It doesn’t happen with every dragonkin, but it’s more common than with the general population. Didn’t your mother explain that to you?” His forehead was wrinkled in concern.
“Lerae never explained anything. Not until she showed up after the fact,” Reyah said, hands balling into fists on her knees. “This particular fact would have been very useful to know before I dedicated my life to a career that had every possibility of fizzling before I reached full maturity. How could you let me become a Dragon?”
“But all her letters?” Tarone said, bewildered.
“Fluff and drivel about traveling without giving any actual information about herself and never anything that might have been close to helpful. And they were so irregular, Tarone. Did you think she was instructing me?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I left all the dragonkin stuff to her. Why else would she keep tabs on you? To teach you. Reyah, you never . . .” He stopped and closed his eyes, rolling his shoulders back before starting again. “You never went to any of the groups. I thought it was because you had what you needed. You never asked,” he said, reaching for her hands.
She let him pull her to her feet. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to ask,” she answered. Standing there, she replayed every half conversation she’d started and backed out of with Tarone, every time she had thought about asking for more and talked herself out of it. A snort of laughter slipped out.
Tarone dipped his chin, biting back laughter too.
“Did you know that my name was supposed to be Doryu? Reyah is apparently our family name.”
“How did she address her letters then?”
“She just wrote ‘little dragon’ and signed them with a scrawl that I think is her signature, but it isn’t legible at all.”
Tarone wrinkled his nose. “Her name is Reyah Lerae? Sounds like some southern belle with a cooking show.”
“Oh, Dad,” Reyah snorted. “You don’t ask enough questions.”
He squeezed her hands tightly. “Neither do you. What a pair of idiots we are,” he whispered.
“Takes one to know one?” she asked, fighting a smile.
“Is Lerae here? Because I’m going to give her an earful,” Tarone said, looking down the hallway.
“No. Off recruiting.”
“Reyah, I’m so sorry,” Tarone said, turning to her and reaching to cup her cheek. “I botched this whole thing.”
Reyah shrugged. “Well, I botched my whole job, and now you have to ban me from the Dragons, so I guess we’re even.”
“I have to do no such thing,” Tarone said sternly.
“But I can’t use the blade. How can I be a Dragon if I can’t collect souls?”
“We’re more than soul collection, Reyah.” He tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.
“Oh, are we? Lerae says you’ve been trying to dismantle the Conglomerate’s hold for decades. How much have you been hiding?” Reyah held her braid in her hand and resisted the urge to pull.
“So much. So very much. And I can’t wait to tell you all about it. I wanted you to choose for yourself. I’d hoped this day would come, but I honestly didn’t expect it before you were at least a hundred.”
“Well, thanks for letting me in on the conspiracy.” Reyah rolled her eyes. She felt a bit like a hatchling again, all hurt feelings and tenderness.
“You know that a secret is something that only one person knows. Let’s be grateful that we’re here.”
“Sure, but I’m probably going to pout about this for a couple of years.”
“Seems fair,” Tarone said. “So, here. Welcome to the revolution.” Tarone pulled papers from his pocket and handed them to her with a grin.
They were full of familiar names, but Reyah shook her head. “All of these?”
Tarone nodded. “I’ve been in charge of the Dragons for a long time. So long as I kept it exclusive and successful, no one questioned my criteria in a century. So I found a way to ask the right questions to find people who could be molded to see the bigger picture.”
Sitting in Art’s living room, looking at a list of her friends, Reyah tried to understand the strange shift her world had taken. “You took Sharks and transformed the entire Dragon house into a highly trained, well-respected group of revolutionaries, and you never—”
“I was going to tell you. It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I had to make sure you were ready. I was always going to tell you when you were older. You were still so desperate to prove yourself.” Tarone shook his head.
“Because I thought I had to work twice as hard not to be a laughingstock. The first dragonkin accepted into the Dragons in generations? And your favorite? I had so much stacked against me, and I was terrified of letting you down.”
“I’ve always been proud of you. As a Dragon and as my daughter,” Tarone said, reaching out to shake the end of her braid gently.
“And you’ve been working to infiltrate and take over the Sharks for how long?”
“A couple of centuries? I’ve moved slowly to avoid detection. There is a lot more blind obedience to Earth doctrine with the Sharks. It’s all about tradition and history for them.” Tarone shook his head. “They don’t care about what is right and best if it goes against tradition. They want to get paid and be respected. So I started to change the traditions.”
Reyah nodded. “And now you’re going to do what? Stage a coup? Walk in and take over? Will the Great let that happen?”
“She won’t have a choice. She doesn’t realize how much of her support has been eroded. Even she has adopted many of my new traditions that move the Sharks away from Earth and make them stand on their own merit. If she doesn’t want to adapt to the change in power, she will be replaced.”
“You’ve gained so much loyalty. How much of that is Siren work and how much is good leadership?” Reyah asked, lifting her chin.
“You know, I’ve never stopped to question it. I inspire them. Does it matter how?” Tarone crossed his arms.
“Walking the fine line between inspiration and brainwashing, aren’t you?”
“I’ve walked the knife’s edge of controlling the mightiest mercenaries while turning them into the exact opposite of what they think they’re working toward for decades. I can handle it.”
“With the muse?” Reyah arched her eyebrow at him.
“Of course. I’ll make use of every resource I can get my hands on, and I’ve had my hands on Min for a long time.”
“Don’t do that,” Reya
h said, grabbing a pillow to hide behind. “Don’t you get all winky and suggestive with me with your sordid past. I’ve heard enough stories about you seducing everyone you meet to last a lifetime.”
“I’m only pointing out that, as Fae, we have a lot in common, and it works to both of our advantages if we put our heads together.” Tarone grinned, his Incubus side showing. “Other things as well.”
“Stop,” Reyah groaned, rolling her eyes.
“I mean money and information, but you go ahead and think what you like, little Dragon,” Tarone said with a chuckle.
“When are you going to take control? Before or after the flood?” Reyah changed the conversation.
“When the Conglomerate calls for reinforcement after the storehouses are destroyed, I’ll take the Dragons and intercept the Sharks. I can redirect things from there.”
“Be safe, Tarone,” Reyah said solemnly.
“I always have been,” he quipped.
“Fire and flood, Tarone. It’s actually come to that.”
Reyah watched Tarone’s face harden. “Fire and flood, Reyah.”
News
The forecast showed clear skies and rising temperatures all week. Marv sipped his tea, pacing through the tiny kitchen. They’d arrived in the suburbs to help prepare for the coming destruction, and thankfully, Helori and Miyana had welcomed them in.
Technically, he owned both houses now, but that was a detail he’d rectify later. The mothers had rallied people in the scattering of tiny towns outside the Capital, helping them brace for the impending storm as unobtrusively as possible, and they still had time to fuss over Marv and Juji just like family.
“Sit. You’re making me anxious,” Juji said, sucking on the straw she’d shoved into her ubiquitous nutritional sludge.
“How are you still drinking those things? Aren’t we in isolation?”