by C. J. Hill
Aaron took her by the hand. “Let’s play Uno again.” He led her out of the room without a backward glance at Dirk.
Well, Dirk had learned a few things about his brother today. He didn’t want to leave right now and he was a better liar than Dirk had realized.
Could he be the leak?
The idea seemed absurd. He was only a twelve-year-old kid. And he was a dragon lord. Why would he help the Slayers, even if he knew how? And come to think of it, he did know how. All he had to do was pass information along to Tori.
The thought lodged in his mind and refused to leave. Aaron had met Tori. Was he getting back at their father for kidnapping him by finding out information and giving it to her?
His father most likely had information about the eggs on the computer in the den. His vets visited the eggs and sent him reports.
Dirk walked back to the family room, mulling over his theory. It was like a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit with the rest of the picture. Aaron thought Tori was connected to Vesta. Even if he found a way to sneak into that dragon’s enclosure, Tori wouldn’t hear what he had to say.
But there was one way to find out if Aaron was involved with the Slayers. Ask him.
Aaron and Bridget were sitting on the floor like they’d been before. Dirk walked over to the couch and sat down. He kept his gaze on Aaron, waiting for him to turn and acknowledge his stare.
Aaron didn’t. Which meant he was purposely avoiding Dirk. Counterparts could feel stares like they were a tap on the shoulder.
“Aaron,” Dirk said at last. “How well do you know Tori Hampton?”
Aaron played a card. He was trying to push away a spike of anxiety. “Uh, hardly at all. I only met her once.” His words seemed true, but the spike of anxiety was still there.
Bridget looked up from her hand and smiled. “I met Tori. She’s pretty and she has a nice dog.” Whispering, Bridget added, “Dirk likes her.”
Aaron finally glanced at Dirk. “Does he? That’s got to be an interesting relationship.”
Interesting was one word. Impossible was another. Confusing was probably the best word. Half the time he wanted to cut her out of his life completely, the other half he wanted to call a truce and fly with her to some distant spot where neither of them had to think of war.
Dirk wasn’t about to let the conversation get sidetracked in that direction, though. “Have you ever passed on any information to Tori?”
Aaron turned back to his cards. “You and Dad are always with me when I’m near Vesta. You’ve heard what I’ve said.”
True. Aaron had no reason to believe that Tori was connected to a different dragon. But all the same, he was avoiding the question.
“Did you find a way to tell her about the eggs?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
Another avoidance.
Bridget’s gaze was bouncing between her brothers trying to figure out what they were talking about.
“Did you tell her,” Dirk asked again.
“No,” Aaron said, offended. And guilty.
Dirk shook his head at him. Aaron wasn’t such a good liar after all.
Dirk had to quell a sudden urge to haul his brother up by his shirt and slam him against the wall. Five eggs were gone. Three of them Tamerlane’s. Dirk forced himself to speak calmly. “Why did you do it?”
Bridget cocked her head. “Do what?”
Dirk ignored her and waited, his stare boring into his brother.
Aaron held up his hands in frustration, presenting a picture of baffled innocence. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” He said the words with conviction. Aaron believed them, even if he was still scared. But then, there were a lot of ways to mean the phrase, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Bridget’s frowned at Dirk. “What are you guys talking about?”
Dirk wasn’t going to be the one to tell her. Not about Tori being a Slayer or Aaron being part of the dragons’ deaths. “The next time Aaron asks you to play spy,” he said, “tell me so I can play too.”
***
Dirk was sitting in the family room eating and keeping an eye on Aaron when his father came down the stairs. He was shaved and dressed, with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. “Dirk, help me with Khan.”
His father was putting Khan on a cargo plane today and flying the dragon to his property in California. That way, he and Dirk could hit cities on both coasts tonight.
Dirk followed his father outside, still debating what he should say. Dirk was reluctant to rat out Aaron. Maybe it was because Aaron was his counterpart, or maybe it was because he was his brother, but he didn’t want to see the kid hurt.
What would their father do when he learned Aaron was involved with the eggs’ destruction?
Something horrible, probably.
Still, what choice did Dirk have? His father had been talking about using Aaron in some of the less dangerous ground operations. Dirk had to warn his father that Aaron might betray them.
Dirk didn’t speak to his father until they were walking down the stairs of Khan’s enclosure. The metal steps clanged underneath their feet, sending out two rhythms that were never quite in sync. “I need to talk to you about Aaron,” Dirk said.
His father continued going down the stairs, unconcerned. “Why?”
“I like Aaron. He’s a nice kid, but he’s not old enough to understand what he’s doing.” Dirk kept his expression neutral, didn’t want to reveal too much. “We can’t trust him. We’d be better off sending him home instead of forcing him to stay here if it means we have to worry about what he’s doing while we’re gone fighting.”
“This is his home,” his father said the words like they were self-evident. “Besides, you were handling dragons at twelve. What makes you think he’s not old enough?”
“We can’t trust him.”
His father looked over at Dirk, finally giving his words his full attention. “Why not?”
The question was an accusation by itself, one that hung in the air along with their echoing footsteps. There was no good way to break this news, but Dirk tried to do it gently. “A couple weeks ago, I found Aaron alone in your office. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I figured he was searching for his cell phone or something. Today I asked him if he’d told the Slayers about the eggs’ location. He denied it, but I could tell he was lying. I think he’s the leak.”
“Aaron?” His father slowed his pace. “How could he have found out about the location of the eggs?”
“I don’t know. I can’t read his mind. I can just tell when he’s hiding something.”
His father gave him a doubtful look. “Aaron’s hiding something, so that means he’s the leak? He certainly couldn’t have leaked the arms shipment coming in. He wasn’t even here when that happened.”
“I realize he couldn’t have had anything to do with arms shipment, but I don’t see why else he’d feel a lot of guilt and fear when I asked him if he gave away any information about the eggs.”
As they trudged down the last few steps, his father thought this over, seemed to be chewing on his next words.
“Don’t hurt Aaron,” Dirk added. “He’s only twelve and you can’t blame him for wanting to get back at you for kidnapping him.”
His father’s expression had turned severe, but he still didn’t speak right away. He put his hand on the panel that recognized his fingerprints and unlocked the first door. It slid open with a swoosh like a knife blade slicing the air. “The three of us will talk about this. I’ll bring Aaron down here.”
Instead of turning back, his father went with Dirk through the second door into Khan’s enclosure. Dirk didn’t have to ask why. His father was exposing himself to the dragon to turn on his powers. It was easier to fly up the stairs than to climb them.
“Start getting Khan ready,” his father said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Dirk nodded and his father left. He stood there for a moment, unmoving, worrying about his brother. Dirk would ha
ve to emphasize to his father again that sending Aaron home, not punishing him, was the best option. You couldn’t make someone be a dragon lord if they didn’t want to be one. He’d already learned that with Tori, hadn’t he?
Khan was spread out on the enclosure floor sleeping. He’d opened one eye when Dirk and his father walked in, sniffing the air to see if they’d brought food with them. When he saw they hadn’t, he returned to sleep. The dragon was so used to them coming and going in the enclosure, Dirk didn’t merit much attention.
As a precaution, Dirk took hold of Khan’s mind anyway. It was never wise to be within striking distance of a dragon if you didn’t have control. Dirk kept only a loose grip on Khan’s will. He didn’t need tight control here in the enclosure, and dragons liked to feel that they still had some freedom.
Dirk flew to a large hole in the wall where Khan’s Kevlar shield sat and hauled it out. The thing was huge and heavy. Without his extra strength, it would have been too unwieldy for one person to heft around. Before Dirk made the command, Khan stood so that Dirk could maneuver around him. The dragon knew that when Dirk got out the Kevlar shield, they would be leaving the enclosure.
Dirk flew to Khan and began the process of strapping the Kevlar onto his underbelly. I hate to disappoint you, Dirk said in Khan’s mind. But you’re about to be stuck in the back of a cargo plane for hours.
Small talk was generally wasted on dragons. Khan didn’t really understand what Dirk had said. He’d never ridden in a plane before and thought of them as large, tasteless birds he’d been commanded to stay away from.
Khan didn’t ask what Dirk meant. Dragons never asked questions about the things people said or did. That sort of thought process seemed beyond their capability.
Instead, Khan swished his tail across the enclosure floor, anticipating stretching his wings and taking to the air. If thieves ever wanted to steal Khan, all they had to do was break into the enclosure carrying a Kevlar shield. The dragon would most likely happily stand there waiting to be suited up.
You’d be too tired if we made you fly the distance to California, Dirk said. Don’t worry, though. You’ll fly around a lot once you get there.
The dragon still didn’t understand. He wasn’t tired, let alone too tired to fly anywhere so the message made no sense to him.
Dirk phrased the information as basically as he could. Wait. Fly later.
Khan growled in disapproval, then sniffed at Dirk, checking a second time to see if he’d brought any food.
Dirk pushed the dragon’s massive muzzle away. “That’s all you think I’m good for: taking you out and giving you a meal. If you were prettier, it would be like we were dating.”
Dirk flew to the dragon’s back, first chaining the Kevlar shield in place, and then attaching bulletproof straps over the chains to protect them from being shot through. After that, he put a covering on the diamond-shaped scale on Khan’s forehead so it wouldn’t send out a pulse.
Back when dragons roamed the wild, the pulse acted as a warning beacon, alerting other dragons not to wander into the territory. The alchemists who’d created the first Slayers had used that pulse to their advantage. It was what turned on the Slayer genetics in unborn children.
Dirk was standing on Khan’s back making sure the covering was secure when his father came back into the enclosure by himself.
“Where is Aaron?” Dirk asked. His heart lurched with worry. Aaron was probably locked in a room, beaten perhaps.
“We had a talk,” his father said slowly. “He told me that you resent him and are trying to turn me against him.”
Dirk flew from Khan’s back and dropped down on the ground. “I guess he would say something like that.”
His father folded his arms and sent Dirk a cold glare.
“You don’t believe him, do you?” Dirk asked.
“Aaron said that just today you offered to help him escape and he turned you down. Do you deny it?”
Dirk let out an aggravated breath. His father did believe Aaron. His father had weighed their stories and decided to trust the son he hardly knew over the son he’d raised.
Well, it appeared that both of his parents favored Aaron.
Resentment twisted inside of Dirk. He’d given up his friends for his father. He’d given up Dr. B’s respect and Tori’s affection—and his father didn’t even believe him.
“Do you deny it?” his father repeated, louder this time.
It was clear his father already knew the story was the truth. Aaron must have had Bridget verify it. A charming turn of events. Dirk had offered to help Aaron, and the kid was using that gesture as a weapon against him.
His father was still waiting for his answer. Dirk had no choice but to tell him the truth. “I offered because I figured it was better to lose Aaron than to have him lead the feds to us.”
“And you weren’t going to let me make that decision—his father. Your father.” His voice was clipped and precise, bitten off with anger. “I won’t stand for this sort of sibling rivalry between you and Aaron. I don’t care what your personal feelings are, he’s staying, and you won’t try to sabotage him or turn me against him again.”
Dirk’s mouth dropped open. Sibling rivalry? That’s what his father thought this was? He really believed that Dirk was trying to sabotage Aaron for some petty reason? “I saw Aaron in your den,” Dirk emphasized. “He could have seen some information there about the eggs’ location, couldn’t he?”
“Even if that’s the truth,” his father said in a way that indicated he doubted it, “Aaron couldn’t have found information about the arms deal. Ethington is the leak.”
Khan paced across the enclosure to Dirk and his father, unfurling his wings to remind them that he was ready to fly. Dirk ignored the dragon. “I felt Aaron’s guilt about the subject.”
His father dismissed the claim with a shake of his head. “That isn’t proof of anything. And I have no way to tell if you’re right about that.”
Dirk fought for inner patience. “You just refuse to believe me.”
Khan growled impatiently and unfurled his wings again. Dirk’s father raised his hand in a fist, the signal he wanted the dragon to sit. Khan did, resentfully, even though Dirk hadn’t forced him to.
His father lowered his arm, keeping his hand gripped in a fist. “Who do I have more reason to trust, you or Aaron? You’re the one who betrayed me before. You’re the one who wants to win Tori’s favor. And you’re the one who has unlimited access to Vesta. Now you’re telling me Aaron’s responsible for the leak and I should get rid of him. What should I think?”
The words felt like a slap. His father not only didn’t trust him, he suspected Dirk had leaked the information to Tori in order to frame his brother.
Dirk’s fingers curled. “I’m telling you the truth.”
But his father was done with the conversation. He eyed the dragon, inspecting Dirk’s work. “When you’re finished getting Khan ready, load him on the plane. Put him into a deep sleep and make sure he’s locked in. I’ll be there with the rest of the supplies before he wakes. Aaron will come with me.”
Dirk raised an eyebrow at that. Was his father making the point that he trusted Aaron enough to want his help or was he just worried about leaving Dirk alone with his brother?
His father turned to leave, then shot him one last look. “If you want to prove your loyalty, do your job tonight. That’s how I’ll know you’re with me.”
Chapter 32
At one in the morning, Dirk was soaring on Minerva’s back toward Boston. He would hit the city and then move on to the next target. His mind was a churning mass of anger. Anger at Aaron for twisting things to make him look guilty. Anger at his father for not believing him. Anger at Tori for killing the dragon eggs.
Tori had told him once that he would feel awful when it came time for him to attack a city, and although he hadn’t admitted it, he’d wondered if he would be able to bring himself to go through with it, but right now he wanted something
to destroy.
Let the lights go out. He didn’t care. Darkness was the natural state of things. It’s what the world always ended up becoming.
Roar, he told Minerva.
And the dragon roared.
Below him, a wave of black swept across the city, extinguishing the lights like water on fire. Welcome to night.
The end
For those of you who skipped the dedication (Who reads those?) and are now irked that the series still isn’t over—I know I said book four was going to be the end. But in all fairness, I also said book three was going to be the end. So there is a precedent for me changing my mind about that.
Once again, the story became too long so I broke it in half. But the good news is that book five really is the end. I know this because I’ve already written most of it. In fact, I would probably be done with it by now except that I decided to write two endings (who says you can’t please everyone?) and also because that pesky family of mine keeps insisting that I come out of my room and attend to actual life. But hang in there, I plan to have the book out soon.
Acknowledgments
I don’t always put acknowledgments in my books. This is probably because I’m ungrateful. No, just kidding. After twenty-seven books, it seems redundant to thank the same people. Most of them are already in the dedications somewhere or show up as characters in the stories. And I’m more concerned about wrapping up the novel and getting through the mountain of projects, emails, and paperwork awaiting me than writing more to stick in the end. Plus, when I start thanking people, I always forget someone and then I feel horrible.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my friend Greta Bishop for going way above and beyond the call of duty to help me figure out the Village A complex at Georgetown University.
Usually, Google maps, a satellite image, and pictures from the internet will give me a good idea of what a building looks like. Not this complex. It is like a drunken Escher maze.
Seriously, I don’t know how anyone finds their way around those apartment buildings. No amount of internet research or calls to the campus helped. (Despite being dubbed the Help Desk, campus folk are not eager to help strangers who call them wanting the layout of student buildings.) I even had a Facebook friend send me some pictures but I couldn’t make sense of them. It was like looking at individual puzzle pieces and trying to figure out what the picture on the box was. I knew I needed more.