Dragon Curse

by Lisa McMann

  Simber was still upset with Aaron. But he cared about him too, as well as Fifer and the rest of them who were camped out on the Island of Legends. And now that Thisbe had so bravely gone with the Revinir, Simber had to spend some of his emotions worrying about her, which left less anger to express toward Aaron.

  Karkinos had become something of a respite from the chaos growing on Artimé’s shores, and a few others from the old rescue team occasionally snuck over for a day to get away from the noise and help with the brainstorming. But whenever Simber tried to sneak away to see how the banished ones were doing, Frieda always found out and called him back. He began visiting at night instead, when Frieda was asleep, but the problem then was that Aaron and Fifer were exhausted. They preferred to work on their plans in daylight to conserve their magical highlighter components.

  And work they did, for as many hours a day as they could think straight. Knowing the new, improved seek spell would be the first thing they’d need when Thisbe finally contacted them, Florence commissioned Fifer, Thatcher, and Clementi to help Samheed come up with it. Samheed, still skeptical of Aaron, was glad not to be stuck working with him. His goal was to turn the seek spell into a broader communication device using Samheed’s idea of a magical pencil and paper component. The problem for them was the size of it—the prototype of a notepad took up way too much space in the component vest, and so far they hadn’t been able to figure out how to reduce the size while still leaving enough room to write a note.

  “Plus we’d also want to be able to provide Thisbe with a way to respond if possible,” said Clementi. “Like by including a pencil.”

  “I don’t think there’s a way to do that,” said Fifer. She’d never heard of any spell that would be able to provide the recipient with a fresh component. “That would be an entirely new spell we’d have to create on top of this one. Like a delivery spell or something.” She frowned, deep in thought. They kept working.

  Aaron, Lani, and Ibrahim doggedly put their heads together to come up with a way to stop the dragon-woman who was covered in protective scales and able to use mind control to surround herself with more dragons. And, as before, they continued having a terrible time of it. “She’s just too powerful,” Ibrahim muttered now and then.

  “There’s got to be something,” Lani said firmly. “We’ve never not been able to come up with something. We just need to think harder. Can’t we at least cut off the mind control somehow? Then we’d only have to destroy the Revinir and hopefully not worry about the other dragons.”

  “There are risks there, too,” said Aaron. “If the dragons aren’t being controlled, will they turn on anyone who gets in their way? We’re dealing with something so much bigger than anything we’ve ever faced before.”

  Frustration built as solutions remained elusive. And their worries grew for Thisbe. How was she holding up? Was she able to avoid being caught or fed the dragon-bone broth? And was Drock doing okay in that environment? They hoped he was handling obeying everything the Revinir asked him to do.

  The shaky state of the unknown contributed to the stress of coming up with creative spells. Forcing creativity during a stressful time was hardly conducive to the process, and all of them at one point or another lashed out, especially Fifer, who was dealing with a myriad of feelings lately. But the Artiméans had solved big problems before, and they’d have to figure out how to do it again.

  By now they had several finished obliterate components from Florence’s team in Artimé. She’d procured a limited number of them and had put each one in its own tiny protective box that had to be magically opened with a whispered password, so that if anyone dropped one accidentally or if it fell into the wrong hands, it wouldn’t leave an accidental mass grave behind. But would they be enough?

  Sky, who stayed quiet most of the time as she observed and assisted, returned to Aaron one day. They’d talked once before, shortly after Thisbe left, about Eagala’s inner workings, and Sky had been thinking about it ever since. “I keep coming back to what Thisbe said,” she told Aaron.

  “About what the Revinir’s weaknesses might be?” asked Aaron.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve been mulling that over too. Do you have an idea?”

  “I’m not sure. But I want to go to Warbler and see if I can find anything she might have left behind that would give us better insight into how to beat her. I feel like there might be something to the idea, you know? Since her magic and this ability is mental, perhaps we need to approach the solution in that way too.”

  “Yes, I agree. But how?” asked Aaron.

  “I’m hoping Warbler will tell me her secrets.”

  Aaron nodded slowly. “Do you want company?”

  “It might be wise to ask Fifer to come along with me if you can spare her.”

  Aaron tipped his head slightly. “Why Fifer?”

  Sky glanced at the girl, who was sitting with her head down not far away. “She could stand to get away from here for a little bit,” she said lightly. “She’s been through a lot of confusing things lately—going from leading the group after Alex’s death to basically sitting here not being heard. I think she could use a break.”

  Aaron studied Sky’s expression, then looked at his sister. After a moment, he nodded. “I see what you’re saying. I . . . I’m afraid I hadn’t noticed.”

  “You’ve been overwhelmed. But she’s intuitive and has a lot of good ideas. She was a really great leader after Alex died—I’m sure you remember Simber saying so. And I think she has a lot more to give than what we’re asking of her right now, which is frustrating her. A challenge might be just the thing to snap her out of this funk, or whatever it is.”

  “Yes, of course,” said Aaron. His expression turned weary. “I’m afraid we’ve all brushed her away lately. I’m still trying to get used to thinking of my sisters as contemporaries rather than wards.”

  “It’s understandable,” said Sky. “Something to work on.” She got up and dusted the sand off her pants. “If it’s okay, I’ll see if she’ll join me, and we’ll be off straightaway.”

  “I think that’s a great plan.”

  “Excellent.” With a nod, Sky walked to Fifer. “Could I have a word with you?” she asked.

  Fifer’s eyes were dull from lack of sleep and general annoyance at everything that was happening. She narrowed her gaze suspiciously. “Are you mad at me or something?”

  Sky laughed. “No, of course not. I have a mission for you, if you’re interested. I think you’re just the person for this very intriguing job. Will you join me on an adventure in the deepest, darkest caves of Warbler Island?”

  Fifer stared at Sky as if she’d just given her a new lease on life. “You bet I will,” she said. “Whatever we’re looking for, I’m all in.”

  Catching Up

  Thisbe and Rohan found one another once more in the tunnel between their rooms. Both were tired from a long day and from not getting enough sleep the night before. And despite the setback with Dev throwing out the ancestor broth, they were motivated to keep moving. There was something about this plan to overthrow the Revinir that gave them hope against all odds. Maybe it was because they’d both separately gone into this with a plot to trick the Revinir into thinking they were under her spell. They were so in sync. It had to be a good sign that they were doing this right.

  Thisbe handed Rohan the remaining ancestor broth vial. “Will you drink this?” she asked. “I want you to be stronger in case the Revinir somehow makes you take the dragon-bone broth.” She paused, then turned to face him, looking puzzled. “Wait a minute. Did the soldiers give you a vial to drink today?”

  “No,” said Rohan, puzzled. “I didn’t run into anyone today—I spent most of it sorting dragon bones in a new crypt I hadn’t been to before. Nobody goes down that hallway, because there’s only one crypt way at the end that’s been closed up for years. Sounds like I lucked out.”

  Thisbe frowned at the vial, thinking hard, then handed it to Rohan. “May
be just . . . Don’t drink it now. Save it. Then, when they force you to drink the other kind, you can switch them out without them noticing and drink this one instead while they’re watching you.”

  “Sure,” said Rohan, nodding. “That’s a great idea. The last time they gave me a vial was before you were here. I held the stuff in my mouth and pretended to swallow it, then walked around the corner and spit it out after they were gone. It was pretty disgusting—I was gagging, but I wasn’t about to drink that stuff. I had to turn away and start working so they wouldn’t suspect.”

  Thisbe remembered how the Revinir had scrutinized her every move while forcing her to drink it. “You’re lucky the soldiers don’t care as much about this as the Revinir does.”

  “I am lucky,” Rohan said solemnly. He knew what Thisbe had gone through. “And now I’ve got a better solution. Thank you.” He slipped the bottle into his pocket and frowned. “But what are you going to take when they force it on you?”

  “I’m just hoping we have a new batch of ancestor broth ready by the time they come around again.”

  “That would be ideal. How, though? I’m so angry that Dev threw out the last batch of it.”

  “He didn’t know any better,” Thisbe said. “It would almost be funny if it weren’t so horrible—he’s following every rule the Revinir lays down. It’s annoying, actually.” She paused, then asked, “Where is the Revinir? I haven’t seen her since she sent us down here.”

  “She can’t fit through the hallways in the catacombs anymore, so she stays at the castle. It’s quite nice. Until she sends for you, that is—then it’s a long, life-sucking journey to find out what trivial thing she wants.”

  “I was wondering if she was too big now,” said Thisbe. “That works in our favor too.”

  “She doesn’t have to worry about us like she did in the past, because she thinks she’s controlling us. I’ve actually felt very free down here since my return. The soldiers don’t check up on us as frequently, and Mangrel has relaxed exponentially. It’s much better, compared to before. Though I’d rather be out of here, obviously.”

  “That’s the goal,” said Thisbe. “How quickly can you get me more ancestor bones? The sooner I can make that broth, the faster we can get the other black-eyed slaves on board with our plan.”

  Rohan glanced out of the tunnel at his door. “If you want to take a risk and blast me out of here, I can go right now and leave them for you in the kitchen, hidden in a sack.”

  Thisbe eyed him and saw how tired he was. “We need a good night’s sleep for once, or neither of us will be at our best. Besides, how will you explain your broken lock?”

  “Good point. Perhaps we should save the explosions for the final stages so no one becomes suspicious about us.”

  “That seems wise.” Thisbe grinned. “Though, if they’re not onto us after I blasted this tunnel, I imagine they never will be.” She still thought Mangrel must have at least suspected something—the explosions had rocked the walls. Unless he’d been sound asleep in another wing of the catacombs, he would have felt it. “Where does Mangrel sleep?”

  “Closer to the river.”

  “Oh. Maybe that’s why he didn’t come when I blew the tunnel open.”

  “Maybe.” Rohan rested his eyes and let out a long sigh. “I hope Maiven is okay.”

  “Me too. What is she doing while you’re here?”

  “She told me not to worry. That she had plenty of things to do.”

  “She’s so old and frail. How can we help but worry? She could die any minute.”

  Rohan lifted his head and shifted his weight on one elbow, facing Thisbe. “You don’t know who she is, do you?”

  Thisbe shrugged. “I know she’s important somehow. Who is she?”

  Rohan cast a guilty look down. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this, but I . . . waited. It’s kind of big news, I guess, and I wasn’t sure how to say it.”

  Thisbe stared. Her voice faltered. “Big news?”

  Rohan looked up. “Maiven was the queen of Grimere. That castle that the Revinir took over? It’s hers.”

  Thisbe’s heart thudded, and she sucked in a breath. The actual queen?

  “She was also the commander of the military. She’s not as frail as she seems. You should have seen the difference once we got some decent food and she could move around again and get exercise. As soon as she was able, she took her weapons out of storage and started working with them. Within a week she was a different person. I can only imagine how strong she’s gotten in the time I’ve been away.”

  Thisbe stared at him. She’d been in a prison cell with a queen. And not just any queen—the queen of the land of the dragons. Thisbe’s own land. And the woman had been the commander of the military! “Wow,” she breathed. “Queen, commander of the military . . .” She shook her head in awe and then said jokingly, “Is that it?”

  Rohan eyed her carefully as if considering his words. “Thisbe, she’s also your grandmother.”

  Astonishing Revelations

  Rohan,” Thisbe said, sitting forward. Her eyes were wild. “What? How? Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure,” said Rohan. “She told me herself. Maiven is your grandmother.”

  “How does she know that?” Thisbe sat back, bewildered and shocked.

  “She figured it out. After the dragons were forced out of the land by the usurpers, her daughter was taken away by pirates to your world. I gave her all the details about your vision of the girl being taken away and someone shouting for Maiven Taveer. She was struck by the description—she said that was a true scene from her life. The person shouting was her assistant. Maiven was with the army, too far away to reach the pirate ship in time. She watched helplessly as it went barreling into the roiling sea, heading for your part of the world with her daughter in chains.”

  “That’s incredible,” Thisbe whispered. “So that was my mother. I . . . I’ve wondered.”

  “Yes. Maiven immediately organized her ships to go after her. The fleet was setting out when the meteors struck our world and caused the earthquake. Some of the ships capsized and were lost. With her people in peril, Maiven called the rest of the ships back. A day later the ground split and the sea fell into the gorge between the worlds. The dragons that hadn’t already been driven off fled. In the chaos, the rogue group of bandits, one of which was Shanti’s father, took over the castle and ousted Maiven and the rest of her family. The queen was imprisoned in the dungeon and left there, forgotten.”

  Thisbe was silent for a long time. “But surely there were other girls who were kidnapped or driven away. How does Maiven know for certain that the daughter she lost was my mother?”

  “She said you wouldn’t have had that vision if you weren’t a direct descendant of the girl being taken away.”

  “So since the assistant was screaming for Maiven because her daughter was being taken . . . and because I had the vision, that means I’m a descendant of the girl. . . .” Thisbe closed her eyes and focused on the scene, which now stayed forever on the edges of her mind. “That makes me the granddaughter of a queen.”

  “Yes.”

  “My grandmother,” Thisbe said, repeating herself, “is a queen.”

  “Yes,” said Rohan again.

  Thisbe leaned forward and pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes in disbelief. “My mother is dead.”

  Rohan nodded. “I remember. You told me. I—I shared that with Maiven. I hope that’s okay.”

  “She was a . . . what? A princess? My mother?” Thisbe dropped her hands into her lap and shook her head slowly. “She was a princess. And nobody ever knew.”

  “She knew.”

  “And she somehow landed on Quill and became a Necessary, doing the work the Wanteds didn’t want to do. Never saying a word about it. And dealing with people like Frieda Stubbs saying she was a pirate.”

  “You said once that she died saving your life—yours and Fifer’s.”

  Thisbe nodded slowly. “I
’ve always wondered about something. Why didn’t she try to save Alex when he was sent to his death? But when the wall in Quill was about to fall, she saved us, apparently without hesitation.”

  Rohan frowned. “Perhaps her instinct was to keep the black-eyed ruling line alive at all costs.” He paused. “Then again, I guess it could have been what any mother would do in a situation like that.”

  “It’s strange she never told anyone who she was.”

  “She might have been afraid to. And in your land, it seems like they wouldn’t have believed her if she’d told them. Or they’d send her to the death place for old people for telling stories.”

  “I don’t really consider Quill to be my land,” Thisbe said, correcting him. “That’s the north side of the island, where I was born. But Artimé, where I grew up, is much different—that’s the magical side. It’s a good place.”

  Rohan nodded as if he were making a mental note of it, his penchant for learning evident. “I’d love to see it someday—see where you grew up.”

  Thisbe smiled. “Maybe you will.” Then she shook her head in wonder, remembering everything Rohan had just told her. “I still can’t believe it. I want to talk to Maiven.”

  “And she wants to talk to you. She wanted to before but didn’t wish to take you away from your people or conflict you in any way after all you’d gone through. Especially since she wasn’t sure of anything at that point. Not until I described your vision to her in detail after you were gone did she know without a doubt.”

  Thisbe kept shaking her head in disbelief, though the truth was becoming easier to see now that she had all the information. But the granddaughter of a queen? Thisbe looked up sharply. “So I am from the line of Taveer.”

  “I believe we have established that.” A smile played at the corner of Rohan’s lips, but he refrained from further pointing out the obvious.