Dragon Song

by Denna Holm

  “You really think Dad would have him locked away?” Mark asked, thankfully changing the subject.

  “Yes,” Faith replied. She glanced toward Aeson, her expression troubled. “I got up really early this morning and overheard Mom and Dad talking in the kitchen. The military moved us here from Portland because they want Dad to work with … another dragon man they caught. It’s all real hush, hush, I guess.”

  Faith glanced toward Mark, nervously licking her lips before she looked back to Aeson. “Does silver have an effect on you guys? Can it stop you from … changing?”

  He stared at her a moment, not sure he should clarify another of their well-kept secrets. Obviously, she already knew something or she wouldn’t have asked. “Yes, silver interferes with our ability to shift, especially if it is wrapped around our neck. It disrupts the energy.” And it could also kill them if it were to enter their body through a cut. Just touching it could cause their skin to blister, and those types of wounds wouldn’t heal fast.

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard Dad say. They have his wrists and neck cuffed with silver. And they have another band around his chest to hold his wings down.”

  Aeson closed his eyes, knowing his parents would be heartsick to learn about this. There were already so few of them, only twenty left in his clan with enough serpent blood to shift forms. They couldn’t afford to lose any more. He glanced between Faith and her brother. “If my family can’t find a way inside, do you think there is any way for you to break him out from this place?”

  Faith looked toward Mark, who glanced away, giving Aeson the answer he’d expected.

  “I might be able to talk Dad into giving me a tour of where he works,” Mark said, giving Aeson a tiny thread of hope. “He won’t take me to the area where your uncle is being kept though. It’s a military thing. They’ll have armed guards around there, I’m sure. I can probably still figure out where he’s being kept. They think all us kids are so stupid.”

  “When could you do this?” Aeson asked.

  “Um, I’ll ask Dad tonight. But it might take a couple weeks before he can arrange it. That’s the military for you. Everything takes forever.”

  Aeson nodded, knowing he would have to convince his parents and the clan alpha to speak with Faith and her brother. Once Aeson got back home, there would be no way they would ever let him leave again.

  “Come on,” Faith said, standing. “Let’s find you a better spot to stay tonight, somewhere you won’t be quite so out in the open. Mark can help us.” She stepped around the crevasse where he’d hidden the blankets this morning, not wanting anyone else to spot him.

  CHAPTER 8

  Faith had been furious when Mark first showed up, but he turned out to be a big help in getting Aeson down off that steep hillside. She thought Aeson felt better now that he wasn’t trapped out in the open. Though it was doubtful many people hiked out this far, he’d still been exposed and relatively helpless. That crevasse he’d tried to hide in was barely wide enough to sit in. She could tell he hadn’t bothered to use the blankets—probably afraid the bright silver color would attract unwanted attention. They’d been shoved against the back.

  They got him set up away from the main trail, Aeson sweating and his sharp features even more pinched, probably from pain. Faith felt terrible for having to make him move, though he never complained, and even appeared appreciative.

  “You want another sandwich?” she asked, wishing she’d made a few more now. He’d probably be stuck eating Power Bars again tonight since it was too far for her to hike back and return with more food.

  “Water would be better right now,” he said, attempting to smile.

  “Sure.” Faith dug into her pack, uncapping the bottle before handing it to him.

  “Wanna try a pop instead?” Mark asked, digging into his own pack. Like Faith, Mark had been taught to carry essentials whenever he went out for a hike. Of course, his essential usually included pop (his favorite being root beer), candy and junk food.

  “Pop?” Aeson said, after swallowing down half the bottle of water. Faith noticed his fingers were trembling. “I’ve heard our humans use that word, but I don’t know what it is.”

  “Oh, man, you don’t know what you’re missing,” Mark said, pulling a can of A&W root beer from his pack. “I wouldn’t know what to do without pop. Wait until you taste it.” Aeson flinched when Mark popped the tab. “Sorry,” he said, passing the can over. “It’s a little warm, but still good.”

  Aeson accepted the can but acted as though he didn’t know what to do with it.

  “You drink it, just like you would the water,” Faith said.

  He nodded, tipping it up to his mouth. Aeson swallowed once before lowering the can, frowning as he stared at it, licking his lips.

  “Don’t you like it?” Mark said.

  “It is very sweet. We don’t tend to eat or drink anything sweet.”

  “Wow, that must suck for you guys. Don’t you have any candy or donuts?” Mark asked.

  Aeson shook his head, leaning back against a log.

  Faith could see he was exhausted. She doubted he got much sleep last night, and getting him down that slippery slope had taken what little energy he had left. “Do you want us to leave?” she said. “Let you rest.”

  “Faith?” Mark said, a whine in his tone.

  “No, I am enjoying your company. My parents rarely let me interact with the humans in our clan.”

  “Why?” Faith asked. “I mean, they obviously already know about you.”

  Aeson shrugged. “They said humans are not to be trusted, even though we need them to survive.”

  “Why do you need them?” Mark asked. “Do you think I could come visit sometime? Maybe I could help you guys.”

  “We are slowly dying out. The humans who do live with us are mated to one of our serpents. They had to agree to leave their own world behind to become one of us. There is no going back.”

  “Oh,” Mark said, his face losing a bit of color.

  “If you don’t interact with humans, how do you find human mates?” Faith asked.

  “The last female who joined us had become lost in the mountains. Winter was approaching, and she would not have survived long on her own. One of our young males found her and nursed her back to health. I don’t think she was happy about her circumstances at first, but they eventually mated. She appears to be happy with us now. They have one daughter and are hoping there will be more soon.”

  “How is that possible?” Faith asked. “How do dragons mate with human women?” She could tell Mark wasn’t comfortable with the direction of this conversation. Too bad. She was curious.

  “We are compatible with humans for procreation, but it isn’t always a male who mates with a human female. Sometimes one of our females will choose a human mate, though it is rarer. Our females are encouraged to choose a serpent mate, to help keep the bloodlines purer.”

  “But they don’t force her to mate with someone, right?”

  “No, never. We want our people to be happy. We want children to grow up in a stable environment. Imagine what it would be like if the couple hated one another.”

  “Yeah, I have a few friends whose parents shouldn’t have got married. All they do is fight.”

  “Exactly,” Aeson said, nodding. After passing the can of root beer back to Mark, he took another drink from the water bottle. “Would you tell me what it is like in your world,” he said, glancing between her and Mark.

  “Wow, I guess I’m not sure what to say since I don’t know what yours is like. I can imagine our lives are faster, busier.”

  “Do you have TV or video games?” Mark asked.

  Aeson shook his head. “No, we have nothing like that.”

  “Wow, I don’t know what I’d do without my iPad or cell phone. Wish we could sneak you home so I could show you how they work. Phones don’t work out here. No cell service out this far.”

  “That would probably not be wise,” Aeson said, though Faith th
ought she could see a bit of longing in his eyes.

  “We used to live near Portland,” Faith said. “It’s clear up by the Washington border on the other side of the Cascades. Do you know anything about Portland?”

  “I know approximately where it is, though I’ve never personally traveled away from our home here. It is near the ocean, isn’t it?”

  “Not far,” Faith said. “I bet you’ve never seen the ocean either, have you?”

  He shook his head. She couldn’t imagine living such a sheltered life. Faith couldn’t imagine never having walked on the beach, or staring out at a sunset over the ocean, or to watch fireworks on the fourth of July.

  “What do you guys do for fun?” Mark asked, obviously thinking along the same line as her.

  Aeson appeared truly perplexed by the question. “Most of our days are spent preparing food for the winter months. There is a lot to do in the summer, clothes to make. At night our male serpents spend most of their time hunting.”

  “Is flying fun?” Mark asked.

  Aeson smiled. “Yes. Unfortunately, my impatience is what caused me to fall. Young serpents have a hard time holding form when they first learn to shift. They need their sire to help them hold it. I thought I could do it on my own, but I was wrong.”

  “How does your father help you hold form?” Faith asked.

  “We carry a telepathic connection. My sire is able to enter my mind and control my thoughts. He can also control the energy I need in order to shift forms.”

  Faith widened her eyes. “I’m not sure I’d want my dad inside my head.”

  “Yeah, me either,” Mark said, snorting. “I’d end up grounded for a year.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?” Faith asked.

  Aeson shook his head. “No. I have nothing to hide from him.” He stopped, glancing away. “Or I didn’t before now. I thought I would be back home long before they realized I’d left.”

  “What do you think he’ll do when he finds out?” Faith asked, a little worried he might get mad at her and Mark. How much damage could a fully grown dragon do? Burn down their house?

  “He won’t be happy, and he’ll have to tell the clan’s alpha.”

  “Alpha?” Faith said.

  “The leader of our clan. The alpha carries more power than the rest of those in the clan. It is his duty to keep the clan safe. He chooses where we live. He also assigns chores.” He hesitated a moment, his face growing a little paler as he added, “And decides suitable punishment for transgressions, especially for those who might endanger the rest of the clan.”

  Like Aeson. Faith bit at her lip. It didn’t sound like they had much of a life, though maybe she was just being judgmental. Their lives might be different from hers, but it didn’t make it a bad one.

  “Whoa!” Mark said when Aeson yawned, exposing his sharp fangs. “I’ve never seen fangs like those.” He glanced toward Axel, who was laying a short distance away, taking a nap. “Except on a dog.” Mark stared at his face for a long moment before he asked, “Will your horns grow? What will they look like?”

  “Are you tired?” Faith said, ignoring Mark. “Why don’t you take a nap while we’re here to stand guard.” She felt sure he hadn’t slept well last night, and he probably wouldn’t sleep good again tonight. Faith wished she had thought to bring a pillow, and maybe a real blanket. She cringed as Aeson nodded and stretched out on the ground. He didn’t complain, and she wondered if this was normal for him, sleeping on the bare ground.

  Faith waited until Aeson’s breathing evened out to motion for Mark to follow her. Though she kept Aeson in sight, she moved far enough away that she could talk to her brother without him hearing.

  “Why would you ask him about his horns, idiot?”

  “What? Don’t you want to know? I think they’re cool. I wish we could see him turn into a dragon.”

  Yes, she was curious, especially about what his dragon looked like, but she doubted he would show them. Faith suspected Aeson didn’t a hundred percent trust that she and Mark wouldn’t still say something to their parents. And why would he? After all, her own dad worked with the people holding his uncle prisoner, which kind of made her feel sick.

  “You can’t say anything to Mom and Dad about Aeson, Mark. Not ever.”

  “Yeah, I know. I won’t.”

  “Are you gonna try to get Dad to show you where he works? Maybe I’ll go with you.”

  “Yeah.” Mark nodded, glancing toward Aeson. “He’s taken me to see other places he’s worked before. I can probably get a look at his lab ’cause he knows I’m interested in what he’s doing, but he’ll never let us see the dragon guy.”

  “Yeah, I know.” And they couldn’t mention him either. “I don’t think there’s any way to break him out.”

  Both lost in thought, they walked back over to where Aeson lay sleeping and sat down.

  *

  The sun was high in the sky by the time Aeson woke. Mark helped him limp over behind a tree to pee, though Faith didn’t think it would be long before he could get around on his own.

  And then what? Would he change to his dragon and fly home in the middle of the night? She knew he wouldn’t do it during the day, so one day they’d probably hike out and he’d just be gone. It hurt to think she might never see him again.

  She waited until he settled back against the log to give him the last roast beef sandwich.

  “You got another one of those?” Mark asked. “I didn’t pack a lunch. Didn’t even think about it.”

  “No. You can have a Power Bar though.” She pulled one out and tossed it to him. “I’m sure you got junk food in your pack too.”

  “I can share,” Aeson said, holding out half of the sandwich to Mark.

  “No, you eat it. He’s fine. We can eat whatever we want at home.” She glared at Mark, daring him to contradict her. He didn’t.

  “Is there anything else around here besides dragons?” Mark asked.

  “What do you mean?” Faith said, frowning at her brother.

  “I mean like werewolves.”

  “What are werewolves?” Aeson asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “We don’t know if they’re real,” Faith said. “You just see them in movies, or books. Supposedly, they are shapeshifters, like you, only they turn into wolves, not dragons.”

  “Ah, yes, Lycaeonian. There are many shifter packs that make their home on Earth, mostly bear and large cat families, though they keep to themselves, like us. I’ve never personally met a Lycaeonian, a wolf shifter. They live on another world and only visit this one occasionally.”

  “Another world? Like aliens? That is so cool!” Mark said, his face shining with excitement. “What about vampires?”

  “Hunters, or blood drinkers, and Lycaeonian come from the same world. They work together tracking rogues when one tries to come to our world. I don’t believe any of them make their home here.”

  “So they call them Hunters, not vampires?” Faith said, shivering.

  “Their species is Laizahlian. Hunters are the ancient of their kind, very powerful beings. We don’t bother them, and they typically don’t bother us.”

  “Powerful in what way?” Mark asked, scooting closer to Aeson.

  “It is said they are in tune with nature. Some of them can control the weather or guide lightning bolts. I’ve also heard it said they can manipulate thoughts or erase memories. I’ve seen one once, late one night when my parents thought I was sleeping. I could sense his power even though they were more than a hundred feet away.”

  “Why was he there?” Faith asked.

  “I couldn’t hear what was being said. Our alpha was there, my parents, and some of the other elders in my clan. No one seemed happy, but nothing was ever said about it. He didn’t stay long. We are taught to do all we can to stay out of a Hunter’s way if we ever run across one.”

  “What did he look like?” Faith asked. Had she ever seen a vampire and didn’t realize it?

  “Most Hunters are dressed
in black leather, tall black boots and a long coat where they keep their weapons, special clothing that is assigned to them by their Council. They are tall, and quite muscular. Most have light-colored hair, which they tend to wear long, and green eyes. I wasn’t close enough to see the eyes on the one who met with our clan, but his hair was a very light color, almost silver. I don’t think you would ever mistake them for a normal human. But it’s said they won’t interact with humans unless given no choice, and neither do the wolf shifters who track for them.”

  “Don’t they drink human blood?” Mark asked.

  “Not usually, no. Most Hunters work with a tracker, a wolf shifter. If they need to feed, they tend to take from their partner.”

  “Maybe one of them vampires could help break your uncle out,” Mark said.

  “He probably could, but I doubt he will,” Aeson said. “They make it a point not to interfere in the business of another species, including serpents. Besides, I wouldn’t know how to establish contact with one even if I wanted to ask for help.”

  “That’s too bad,” Mark said, looking a little disappointed. “It mighta been cool to meet a real vampire.”

  “You said these Hunters are from another world?” Faith said. “Are your people also from another world?”

  “Originally, yes. It’s a long story, one that’s been passed down from parent to offspring for thousands of years.”

  “Can you tell us?” Mark said, scooting even closer to Aeson. “Please. We promise not to tell anyone.”

  Aeson finished his sandwich, then accepted another bottle of water from Faith. She could barely see the bruises and cuts that had been on his face yesterday. They would probably all be gone by tomorrow … and then he would leave.

  Aeson looked between them as he settled back against the log. “Have you ever heard of Djinn?”