“Let me go!” Nia clawed at his sleeve as something ripped her away.
Hot, rancid air blasted Theo, and his vision blurred.
“Nia!” He reached through the blinding storm, but grazed only rough, scaly skin. Sharp claws dug into his flesh and flung him against the cold marble. His head pounded the stone.
“Theo!” Nia’s cry faded as his world went dark.
Chapter 2
Magpie’s Secret
Theo woke with his cheek cooling in a slimy puddle. Next to him, water trickled from the statue, droplets splashing his body. He grasped the tip of the dragon’s wing to pull himself up, but yanked his hand away and stared at the beast. It was still marble, not a living creature. He sat up and wiped the side of his face with his shirtsleeve. Blood trickled down his hand from a gash in his forearm, and a metallic taste burned his mouth.
Pavel shuffled over and sat by his side, his head down and his hand shaking as he mumbled into his phone.
“Nia?” Theo looked around.
She didn’t reply.
His head spun, and his ears rang. No, not his ears. A phone. He pulled his from his back pocket. Five missed calls from Mom, but the noise wasn’t his. He’d set the tone to silent. The muted jingle came from behind the statue.
On wobbly legs, he stumbled to the back where the ringing stopped, then started again like a persistent mosquito.
“Nia?” He peered into the forest, but his sister wasn’t nearby.
The tip of her now-silent phone stuck out of her purse. Beside it lay a golden object the size of his palm. Rounded on one end and pointed on the other, it blazed as bright as a flame.
Theo reached for it. The moment his fingers grazed its surface, intense cold shot up his arm. He shivered but held on, turning it over. Lines crisscrossed one side, which was rough-textured, while the other side was smooth. He raised it toward the sun, and it shone with iridescent colors.
What was it?
“Nia!” he yelled.
Pavel placed a hand on his shoulder. “That was some scary storm.”
“Nia’s gone,” Theo whispered.
“Figures. My brother said he’s coming for us, so she better hurry back. He hates waiting.” Pavel grinned as he swiped his phone off. “You know, I bet global warming caused the storm, and it melted her, too.”
“That’s not funny.” Theo scowled. “She didn’t leave. Someone took her.”
“What? No way.” Pavel shook his head. “No one else was here. She’s gotta be around.”
“I don’t think so.” Theo unclasped his hand and held out the golden object. “This wasn’t here before.”
“Probably just a piece of a broken vase. Or ...” Pavel peered closer, his eyes brightening. “It could be Thracian treasure.”
“No. It looks like ...” Theo placed the object next to the statue and inhaled a sharp breath.
Pavel laughed. “You think it’s a dragon scale? From a real dragon?”
“I-I don’t know. It was pitch black.” Theo wiped tears from his face. “Sharp claws dug into me. Look.” Theo turned his arm so Pavel could see the ragged gash weeping blood.
“Nia did that?”
“No! Not her.” Theo rubbed the skin around the wound. “Something grabbed her. I tried to hold onto her, but I couldn’t.”
Pavel paled. “Do you think an animal got her?”
“I-I think Zmey took her.”
“That’s nonsense. It was just a storm.” Despite his words, Pavel’s voice trembled. “If she’s missing, we have to call the police—”
“You have too many flies in your head, Theodore,” a voice boomed.
“Did you hear that this time? The dragon spoke again!” Theo pounded the statue’s immobile wing. “Where’s my sister?”
Pavel shook his head as the creature remained silent, its gaze lifeless. “That was—”
“Where is she?” Theo shouted.
A hand clasped Theo’s shoulder and pulled him around. He screamed.
“Hey, kiddo, calm down. Sorry I startled you,” Pavel’s brother said. “Let’s get you guys home. I’ll let everyone know Nia’s missing, and we’ll look for her.”
Theo kicked rocks along the path as he walked down the hill toward the village. Ahead of him, Pavel and his brother gestured to each other, probably arguing. Why had he let his sister stay when he and Pavel didn’t know what to expect in the Stone Forest? He should have brought her home when she asked and returned later to try out the wings. How was he going to find her now? Where would a dragon take her?
A scratchy voice whispered behind him, “Theodore.”
“What?” He spun around and stifled a scream as he faced a woman wearing a hooded cloak. Old Lady Witch.
“Bring back my lost child,” she whispered.
“Pavel,” he called as he scuttled away, but the word stuck in his throat. His friend was too far ahead of him, disappearing around a bend in the path.
The witch leaned closer, pointing her wooden cane in his direction. The black handle seemed to writhe like a snake as she shook it in his face. Sunlight hit knots in the dark wood, and they flashed like embers.
A chill spread over him, and he took a step back. Children in the village told horror stories about Old Lady Witch. Any time she spoke to someone, that person disappeared, never to return. Rumors floated around the village, saying she’d even sold her own child in return for magical powers. Had she, and not the dragon, abducted Nia? Did she want to trade Nia to get her child back? His heart felt like it would explode from his chest.
She had called him by his name. He took another step away from her. “How do you know who I am?”
Old Lady Witch moved closer and repeated in an even lower voice, “Bring back my lost child.”
“I-I don’t know where your child is.”
A groan came from deep within her throat. “In Dragon Village ... with your sister.”
Theo rubbed sweaty hands down his pants. “H-how do you know that? Did you take her?”
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.” She shuffled past him, disappearing into the forest.
Show him what? Nia? He felt like Hansel, but without Gretel. Was she after him also? Maybe she needed two children before she could get her child back.
Should he follow the witch? He wouldn’t know if she had Nia unless he did. If she didn’t have his sister, then ... a dragon really could have kidnapped her.
Theo slapped the side of his head. This was his fault. He had told Nia he wished Zmey would take her. He had to find her, fix his mistake.
He glanced toward the path where Pavel and his brother had gone. Empty. Not even the sound of their voices trailed back to him. Taking a deep breath, Theo stepped off the path and into the forest.
The trees and brush grew denser as the path slipped farther away. A tangle of branches blocked the sun, giving the illusion of a sinister cave. Only speckles of light flashed like fireflies. He peered into the darkness and listened for Old Lady Witch’s footsteps.
Nothing. She could barely walk. How had she gotten so far ahead?
He passed a ring of flowers like the ones he’d seen on the way to the Stone Forest. Maybe this was the real place the shepherd had been murdered. Theo shuddered as an image flitted through his mind of the man, his mouth frozen in a scream, with the kaval clutched in his hand.
He should turn back. But ... Nia depended on him. He had to keep going.
Moss softened his footsteps. The thick cover of branches cut off the breeze, intensifying the odor of decaying leaves. Bushes rustled near him, and creatures scurried among the trees.
A branch cracked like rifle fire, shattering the stillness of the forest. Theo sprinted ahead, his heart thudding against his chest. After several minutes, he stopped to rest by a huge walnut tree. Wings fluttered on an overhead branch. A black-and-white bird with a yellow beak flew toward him and let out a raucous caw, sending Theo racing deeper into the woods.
Was the bird Old Lady Witch? Had she
been watching him—and Nia—at the Stone Forest?
He ran until his sides ached and his breath came out in gasps.
Which way now?
He slowed his pace, letting his breath return to normal. The bird cawed again and whooshed overhead, disappearing into the blackness.
Theo shivered. Gulping down his fear, he took a tentative step forward. Maybe he should turn around and find Pavel instead. He looked over his shoulder. Trees upon trees all around, with no path visible. He had to follow the bird, or he’d be completely lost. After he’d taken more steps, a faint scent of smoke mixed with damp earth drifted on the wind. This had to be the right way.
A loud “Waak” startled Theo, and he jumped. The bird returned and sat on a limb a few feet in front of him, staring into his eyes. With a tilt of its head, it flew deeper into the forest, landing on another branch. It called out again.
“I’m coming.” Theo dragged his feet.
By the time he reached the tree, the bird flapped its wings and flew ahead.
“Wait!” He dashed after it.
He hadn’t run far when the trees thinned, and light streamed through the branches. The scent of burning wood grew stronger. Smoke swirled from a chimney on a red-tiled roof. Theo slowed his pace when the bird perched on a flower box filled with geraniums outside a second-story window. Curtains fluttered around the weathered, pine slats.
The house looked ... normal, like many of those in the older section of town, built when the Ottoman Empire ruled the land. For safety in those turbulent times, the lower level was constructed of rough stone, with only a single door for entry. That door now creaked as it swung in the breeze. If he entered, it would be his only means of escape.
His lips trembled as he pressed himself against the wall. Inside, dragging feet came closer. The bird was still on the flower box; it couldn’t be the witch. Maybe it was her pet or a familiar to help her cast spells.
The bird flew from the flower box, landed next to Theo, and made its loud noise again.
The witch poked her head out the door and stared at him. “No need to hide. Come in.”
“Thanks a lot for giving me away,” Theo mumbled to the bird.
It was too late to change his mind now. He walked into the witch’s house.
She closed the door behind him and removed her hood.
Theo blinked. He had expected her to be ancient, with stringy hair, a face covered with warts, and a crooked nose. Her dark hair was a tangled mess and worry lines creased her brow, but her nose was straight and her face kind. She looked around Mom’s age. Old, but not ancient.
“A fly’s going to get in there,” the witch said.
“Huh?” Theo said, before understanding. He closed his mouth.
He snuck a peek around the room as she hung up her cloak. A framed landscape of villas with mountains in the background hung on the whitewashed walls above a stone fireplace. Blue embroidered pillows decorated a sectional couch, which faced a TV. Clean tiles lined the floor.
The witch laughed. “You look disappointed. Were you expecting to see spider webs and a flying broom?”
“I ... Aren’t you a witch?” he whispered.
She sighed. “I’m a mother who’s lost her daughter, the way you’ve lost your sister.”
“Y-your lost child?” Theo said. Or had she truly traded her child for witch’s magic?
She held out her hand. “Let me see the dragon scale.”
Theo hesitated. Had the bird spied on him to tell her about the golden scale? It was the only proof he had about what had happened to Nia.
She kept her hand steady in front of him. “I’ll give it back. I want to be sure it’s real before I tell you my story.” Her gaze pierced him with compassion and understanding. “No one believed me either.”
Theo nodded and laid the scale in her palm. “I think Zmey took her.”
Grasping her cane, the woman hobbled closer to the fireplace and examined the scale. “As expected, it’s not Zmey’s.”
“But ... it has to be!” Theo clenched his fists. “It’s the same as the scales on the statue.”
“Come closer. Let me show you something.” She set the scale on the fireplace mantle and picked up a jewelry box, unfastening the cover.
Theo squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them. An identical golden scale lay on the velvet lining. “Where did you find that?”
The woman set the box on a table and ran her fingers over a picture of an infant. “My daughter was stolen twelve years ago on Midsummer’s Day.”
An uneasy feeling stirred in his stomach. He was twelve. That was the day he was born.
“My little flower was only a few months old.” With a faraway look in her eyes, she clutched the picture to her chest. “Why didn’t they protect her? I swore to keep their secret.”
“Who? What secret?”
The witch lowered herself onto a rocker, all the while staring at the photograph. “The secret of the Samodivi.”
His heart sped up. If dragons were real, of course, nymphs could be, too. “Why would they tell you a secret? I-I thought they killed humans and took their eyes.”
“Some do, but not all.” She raised her tear-stained face. “I became their half-blood sister one night. They taught me the healing secrets of herbs and swore to protect my family. In return, they asked me to keep a package safe.” Her voice choked. “I kept my promise. Why didn’t they protect my daughter?”
“What happened to her?”
“A dragon stole her!”
Theo took a step back. “H-how do you know?”
“I found that dragon scale in her crib.”
“How could a dragon get inside your house?”
“They’re shape-shifters and can take on human form.”
“But ... why would Zmey want a baby?” Theo asked. “Doesn’t he usually steal girls he can marry?”
“I told you it wasn’t Zmey. He protects people.” Hard lines formed around her eyes. “The other beast. His cruel sister, Lamia!”
Theo stumbled back, falling onto a chair. His breath caught in his throat. Zmey taking Nia would be bad, but not as horrible as Lamia kidnapping her. Mom had told him legends about Lamia drinking children’s blood.
Old Lady Witch cradled her head in her hands. “After my daughter disappeared, a drought came. The old people said Lamia had dried up the water in our wells, rivers, and lakes.”
Legends told about Lamia hurling hail onto crops. The dragon dried up the water in the springs, trying to gain control of the land from her brother, Zmey. She would release the water only if a child was sacrificed.
“But a dragon took your daughter before the drought. Lamia would have demanded a sacrifice after she dried up the water, wouldn’t she?”
“I know it doesn’t make sense, but the scale ... it’s golden—Lamia’s color. Zmey is white.” Old Lady Witch held the picture of the dark-haired infant toward Theo. A heart-shaped birthmark adorned the baby’s shoulder. “Please take this. Help me find her.”
“Me? What can I do?”
“Find the way to Dragon Village. I’ve looked for so long, but discovered nothing.” She leaned forward, hands outstretched. “You want to find your sister, and I have to know if my daughter’s still alive.”
Theo looked into Old Lady Witch’s pleading eyes. “I don’t know how to get there.”
She closed his hand around the photo. “There has to be a way. A map or something.”
Theo slumped back into the chair and mumbled, “All the message said was that a magpie could help me find the key.”
The witch raised her eyebrows. “What message?”
Scooting his chair closer, he revealed what had happened at the Stone Forest, along with the message about the magpie.
“Of course.” She smiled. “The magpie is the Samodivi’s messenger. It’s the only non-magical creature that knows how to get to Dragon Village. It must be the one that was outside with you when you arrived.”
“That was a magpie
?” The ones that lived near the Black Sea were all black and had black beaks. Where had this one come from? Theo jumped up from the chair and rushed to the open door.
“Waak!” The bird spread its wings and darted into the forest.
“Wait! I need to know how to get to Dragon Village!” Theo’s hope of finding Nia disappeared with the bird.
While he stared into the darkness where the magpie had disappeared, Old Lady Witch shuffled behind him. A door creaked, and herbal scents filled the house, along with muted scraping noises. Theo turned at the tapping of the witch’s cane against the floor.
“Here, take this.” She held a fluffy, white blanket tied with a green ribbon.
“What is it?”
“The secret the Samodivi left me.”
“Why do you want me to have it?”
“Take it to the Samodivi. I don’t know why they didn’t help me. Maybe they couldn’t.” She extended the blanket. “I think the magpie will help you find the way to Dragon Village.”
He hesitated.
“Please.” Her eyes beseeched him.
“But the magpie is gone. How will I find my way?”
“I’m sure it’ll be back.”
His hands trembling, he took the bundle and untied the ribbon. Inside lay a long, wooden kaval and a leather quiver holding a silver arrow. He reached to touch the unusual weapon.
A loud “Waak!” came from the threshold. Theo jumped, spinning around.
The magpie hopped outside, then flew back into the forest. Clutching the package to his chest, Theo ran after the bird faster than he’d ever run before.
“Find her, please. Bring her back,” the witch shouted.
On and on he ran until his legs ached.
The trees thinned. Shouts and laughter of children reached him. This part of the forest was close to the soccer field. Theo closed his eyes for a moment and uttered a soft “Thank you” to no one in particular. If he lost the bird, he could at least find his way home.
He tripped over roots and fell, hitting his head on a tree trunk. His vision blurred.
A raspy voice said, “I’ve found him! The one who can save Dragon Village.”
“Who’s talking about Dragon Village?” Theo put his hands by his side and pushed himself up to stand, but collapsed. The trees spun in circles.
The Unborn Hero of Dragon Village Page 3