by Rachel Aaron
“So why didn’t you tell me what you were earlier?” she asked, leaning toward him between the seats. “If I was a dragon, I’d tell everyone. Is it because we’re in the DFZ?” She gasped. “You weren’t afraid I’d turn you in for the bounty, were you? Because I’d never do that. I mean, who in their right mind would pick money over having their own dragon? You can’t buy that sort of access! So do you really make your own magic?”
By the time she finished, Julius’s stomach was clenched in a tight little knot. He’d been warned that humans took the dragon reveal badly, but he’d never expected this from Marci. She was leaned all the way over into his seat now, staring at him with gleaming eyes like he was her prize catch, and suddenly, Julius had to get away.
He couldn’t take this, not today. He couldn’t sit here and listen to the person who’d become the closest thing he had to an actual friend badger him for access. Especially since he couldn’t give it to her without getting her killed, which was what always happened to humans who learned too many dragon secrets. Marci wasn’t the sort who’d give up before she knew everything, and Julius didn’t have the strength to tell her no over and over again. But as he threw off his seatbelt and opened the door, Marci’s hand landed on his shoulder.
“Wait! I’m sorry.”
It was the tremor in her voice that stopped him more than her words or her touch, and Julius looked over his shoulder to see Marci staring at him with real fear in her eyes. That would have been appropriate for a human who’d just learned she was sharing a car with an immortal predator, except Marci’s hand was still latched onto his shoulder. Hard. Because she wasn’t afraid of him, she was afraid he would leave.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “Don’t go, please. I messed that up. I get overly excited and talk before I think. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
The urge to run was still there, but Julius couldn’t go when she was looking at him like that. “It’s okay,” he said quietly.
Marci shook her head so fast her short hair flew. “It’s not okay. I was being stupid. I’m sure you had your reasons for not telling me, and it was rude of me to push. Especially since the only reason I found out at all was because you let me pull off you back there to save our lives.”
“The life-saving was all you,” Julius said, but Marci would have none of it.
“No way. I couldn’t have done a tenth of that on my own. I mean, I’ve pulled off strong sources before, but touching you was like…” Her voice trailed off as she searched for the words. “Plugging into the sun,” she said at last, her lips curling into a wondrous smile. “It was absolutely amazing. So much concentrated power, and it was right there, right at my fingertips. I’ve never felt that strong in my life, and I’m afraid I might have gone a little overboard.”
Remembering the surge of righteous vengeance that had bled into him when she’d crushed the other mage, Julius wasn’t sure overboard was the right word. He would have picked “mad with power.” He didn’t say so, though, because Marci already looked guilt stricken enough.
“I’m so, so sorry, Julius,” she said, letting go of his shoulder at last. “Not about what I did—I would have burned them all if I could—but because I hurt you to do it. I’m sorry for all of it, actually. I’m sorry I sucked you into my mess of a life, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about the Kosmolabe earlier, and I’m very sorry I went crazy with the questions just now. I’ve been curious about dragons forever, and finally getting to talk to one was more than my brain could handle. But I’ve got it together now, and I promise I don’t think of you as my own private dragon resource center. I’ll never ask you another question again if you don’t want me to, just don’t go. You’re the nicest, most considerate person I’ve ever met. You deserve much better than I’ve treated you, but I promise I’ll be better. Just give me another chance. Please?”
The please pulled him right back into the car. He closed the door and sank back into his seat, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. It wasn’t a question anymore of whether he would stay—there was no way he could do otherwise after that—but he didn’t know what to do about the rest of it, especially the part at the end. Because when she said nice and considerate like they were the best compliments she could give, he wanted to be those things. He wanted to be the person she thought he was, the one who deserved that warm, sparkling look in her eyes, and that was a serious problem. It was one thing to tell Justin he was done pretending to be a good dragon, but if Julius started actually trying to be what she said, he wasn’t sure he’d be a dragon at all.
He sighed and shifted his fingers to peek at Marci, but she was still staring at him like her whole life hinged on his next words. His did too, he realized, because whether or not he managed to sort out his own mess, staying with Marci meant he was going to have to tell her the truth, and Julius wasn’t at all certain she’d feel the same way after she heard it.
“I’m not going to go,” he said, dropping his hands to face her at last. “And I’m not mad at you, either, just overwhelmed. I should have told you what I was before now, but I was afraid to, and not just for the reasons you think.”
Marci frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Our two species don’t exactly have the best history together,” he said, trying his best not to fidget. “Most humans see dragons as either a threat to be eliminated or a power to be tamed and used, and with good reason. We deserve all the fear and mistrust aimed at us. Dragons see humans as pets at best, and you don’t want to know about the worst.”
Marci arched an eyebrow, and Julius scrambled to add, “Not that I see you like that, of course, but I’m a little different from the rest of my family. I’m also in a lot of trouble with them right now, and I don’t know if I can protect you if they find out you’re with me.”
“You don’t need to protect me,” Marci said, pulling herself straight. “I’m—”
“A very good mage,” Julius finished with a smile. “Believe me, I know. That’s not what I meant.”
She still looked miffed, and he blew out a breath, trying to think how best to explain this. “Dragons think of things in terms of tools and ownership,” he said at last. “So long as you were just some random mage I hired, you were a tool, which is the safest thing to be. You don’t kill someone and then go break his hammer out of spite. Now that you know what I am, though, things are different. Even if I claim otherwise, my family will see you as my human from here out, which means when they target me, they’ll also target you.”
She nodded. “And since you’re in trouble, you think that’s going to happen.”
It was practically guaranteed seeing how Justin had already told their mother that Marci was Julius’s. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. Just knowing that I’m a dragon is enough to make you a liability, and I’m not a big enough threat to keep others away if they decide not to tolerate it. It would have been a lot safer for you if we’d broken the contract as soon as I realized Katya wasn’t at that party, but I needed your help, and I—”
“And you didn’t want to leave me to face Bixby alone,” she finished, grinning.
He’d been about to say that he liked her, but if she wanted to see it that way, that was fine with him. “I’m afraid I’ve only made things worse now. You think Bixby’s bad? He doesn’t even touch the Heartstrikers.”
Marci gasped. “You’re a Heartstriker?”
He blinked, confused. “You’ve heard of us?” Most humans didn’t know one clan from another.
“Of course I’ve heard of you!” she cried. “I was a little girl who grew up obsessed with magic and magical creatures in Nevada. The entire southwestern US is Heartstriker territory. You guys were my home team. Wait, so if you’re a Heartstriker, does that mean the Bethesda I talked to on your phone last night was the Heartstriker?”
When Julius nodded, she sucked in a breath so fast he worried she’d hyperventilate. “I talked to a great dragon!”
“You were almost killed by
a great dragon,” Julius snapped, grabbing her hands. “This is what I’m trying to explain. Even among dragons, my mother is considered ruthless and prideful. She’s had humans killed for wearing the same dress as her to a party. If Justin hadn’t grabbed the phone last night, she probably would have ordered me to kill you just for daring to speak to her. I’d have had to do it, too. I can’t disobey a direct order from my mother.”
Marci didn’t look cowed in the least, and Julius let out an enormous sigh.
“See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. Dragons and humans don’t mix. Dragons and dragons barely mix.”
He glared hard as he said this, trying his best to frighten her into accepting just how dangerous this game was. Apparently, though, he was bad at this, too, because Marci’s face melted into a warm smile.
“It’s really sweet how you’re working so hard to scare me into backing off,” she said. “Pointless, but very sweet. You know, you’re nothing like how I imagined a dragon would be. I’d always heard you guys were cold and calculating, the sort who would stroke your hair while stabbing you in the back.”
“Most dragons are.”
“But not you.”
She grinned wider as she said this, and Julius took a deep breath. “No, I’m not. And that’s why we’re both in trouble.”
Marci’s smile faded, and Julius breathed deep again, building up his courage. Here went nothing.
“I’m a failure,” he confessed. “I’m not ruthless or cunning or any of the things dragons are supposed to be. That curse you saw on me? It was put there by my mother to seal my true form, sort of a combination test and punishment. That’s why I’m on this job, actually. I’m supposed to be proving myself as a dragon so I can earn my wings back, but seeing how I’m explaining all of this instead of just threatening to turn you over to Bixby unless you swear to serve me for eternity, I’m clearly messing it up. That’s okay, though, because I don’t want to be like that, but it’s important that you understand I’m a really, really bad dragon. The others aren’t like me at all, and when they come, I won’t be able to stop them.”
His heart was pounding by the time he finished. It felt good to finally tell Marci the truth, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. He hadn’t realized just how much he cared about her good opinion until it was time to ruin it. But as he was bracing for her tell him she had no interest in risking her life to help such a miserable failure, Marci opened her mouth and turned his world on its ear.
“What are you talking about?” she said, utterly incredulous. “You’re a fantastic dragon.”
Julius gaped at her, momentarily speechless. “No,” he said at last. “No, no, no. You don’t know what you’re saying. I don’t have any ambition or guile, and if someone gave me the world to rule, I’d probably try to give it back. I’ve spent my entire adult life hiding in my room playing video games and earning online degrees as an excuse to avoid my family, and if my mother hadn’t threatened to eat me, I’d still be there right now. Trust me, I am awful.”
Marci arched an eyebrow and lifted her hand, counting off on her fingers. “You came into town last night with nothing. Now, not twenty-four hours later, you’ve earned more money than I saw in the last six months, beaten up everything Bixby has thrown at us, and saved my life at least three times. Oh, and this was all while you were sealed, which I can only assume means you’re operating under a serious handicap, correct?”
When he nodded, she spread her arms wide. “There you go. I can’t claim to be a dragon expert, but in what world does that add up to awful?”
Julius was mortified to feel his cheeks heating. “That’s not really—”
“I mean, God, you’re a much better dragon than Justin,” she went on. “No offense to your brother, but he’s more charging bull than cunning lizard. Frankly, I’m amazed he’s still alive.”
“Justin is very hard to kill,” Julius said, but he was only half paying attention. His mind was still reeling from the fact that someone thought he was a better dragon than Justin. Fish would start raining from the sky next. Not that Marci’s opinion would matter to a dragon, of course, but it mattered to him. An astonishing amount, actually. “You really don’t think I’m terrible?”
“Of course not,” Marci scoffed. “I mean, sure you’re a little shy, and you probably could stand to be more assertive so people don’t take advantage of your good nature, but you’re also clever and brave and pretty charming when you want to be. You don’t have to threaten to get what you need. People want to help you because you’re a nice guy. I want to help you, which is why I’m not charging you another cent from here out.”
Julius blinked in surprised, and Marci’s grin turned bashful. “I think the last day has made it pretty clear that we’re a lot more powerful together than we are apart, and I’m definitely not going to abandon you to your family just because things might get rough. I mean, you didn’t abandon me to Bixby’s men just now, and that was amazingly dangerous. You could have easily tossed me out the door and been on your way.”
His eyes widened in horror. “I would never do that!”
“Exactly. So why should you expect less from me than you expect from yourself? You saved my life back there. The least you can do is let me try to return the favor.”
“I told you,” Julius said, slightly frantic. “You don’t owe me for—”
“I’m not doing this because I owe you,” Marci said, sitting up straight. “I’m doing it because I want to. And because there is absolutely no way I’m letting the only dragon who’ll actually talk to me escape.”
Julius didn’t know what to say. He’d never encountered anything like this before. Loyalty to the clan was expected, but this sort of loyalty, personal loyalty, was completely beyond his scope of experience. “You’re sure?” he said. “Absolutely sure? Because unless I pull off a miracle, I’m probably going to die tonight.”
“Well, then I’m definitely not leaving,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest with an insulted huff. “Honestly, Julius, what kind of friend would I be if I left you to pull off a miracle on your own?”
Julius didn’t answer. He couldn’t. No thanks seemed big enough for the person who was offering to stand by his side against his family. He tried to tell himself that Marci couldn’t really know what she was getting into and he should send her away for her own good, but that argument never even had a chance, because she was right. They were much stronger together than he could ever be alone, and if he was going to have a prayer of surviving until tomorrow, he needed all the help he could get.
“Thank you,” he said at last.
“You’re welcome,” Marci replied. “And now that we’re officially partners in this, I think you should answer some questions. We have a much better chance of making it through whatever this is alive if one of us isn’t in the dark, don’t you think?”
Her transparent digging made him laugh out loud. “You never give up, do you?”
“When I’ve got a primary source trapped in the car with me?” she cried. “Never! Now, why are you in danger of dying tonight?”
Keeping family secrets was far too ingrained for Julius to risk revealing what he’d discovered about his mother’s plan to use him as the fall guy for a long shot gamble at mating her son into the Three Sisters, but he figured he could probably explain the basics. He was opening his mouth to do just that when his pocket began to buzz.
The sound made him jump nearly out of his seat. The second he recovered, he was scrambling, digging out his phone so fast he almost dropped it. The AR came up as soon as his fingers touched the mana contacts, and his heart leaped into his throat.
It was a short, automated message. Just an address, a time stamp, and a picture snatched from a security camera of a beautiful blond woman sitting down at a booth in a diner. A woman whose face Julius now recognized almost as well as his own. “It’s her,” he whispered.
“Katya?” Marci asked, but Julius was already putting the address into
the car’s GPS. The route popped up a few seconds later, and Marci’s expression grew skeptical. “Are you sure that’s right? I mean, I know she was shacking up with a shaman in the sewers, but he was still a trust fund kid. That’s not a part of town you go to if you have money.”
“Probably why she’s there,” Julius said, breaking into a grin as the reality of what had just happened finally started to sink in. He had her. He’d found Katya, and it was only two in the afternoon. He had practically the whole day left, and while he wasn’t sure if that was enough time to pull off the plan that was beginning to piece itself together in his mind, it was way more than he’d hoped for.
He glanced over at Marci, who was busy redrawing their route manually to avoid as many of the really bad neighborhoods as possible, and his grin got wider. A lot of things were more than he’d hoped for. But thinking too much about his good fortune felt like tempting fate, so he forced himself to be serious, turning around to sit properly in his seat as he strapped himself in. “Let’s go before she changes her mind and leaves.”
“Aye-aye, captain,” Marci said, tapping the autodrive to set the car in motion. “Now, you were telling me about dragons.”
“I was?”
“That would be great,” she said innocently.
Serious as he’d tried to make himself, he couldn’t help chuckling. He knew better than to think Marci could be put off, though, so he gave in, sticking to the safe, practical matters—yes, he could fly, yes, dragons generated their own magic, no, he’d never eaten a person and never would, humans were horribly carcinogenic—and avoiding any of the family politics and clan secrets that could land her in real trouble. He basically pretended Chelsie was sitting in the back seat and answered every question accordingly.
Thankfully, the basics were more than enough to keep Marci interested. Good thing, too, because Julius was only half paying attention to what he was saying. His real focus was on the plan that was now taking final shape. Furtively, he slipped his hand into his pocket to check Svena’s silver chain. Even after all the rolling around during the fight, it was still there, the enchanted links as cold and magical as ever. He clutched it tight, letting out a long, steadying breath as they drove back toward the hulking shape of the double layered city and the dragon hiding somewhere beneath it.