The Dragon Lord

by E. G. Foley

  The boys looked at each other in astonishment.

  “It’s a coup,” Jake breathed, narrowing his eyes.

  Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

  “Of course…” Archie said in amazement. “The attack last night, the rupture—it was all Wyvern’s doing, not Zolond’s!”

  “Which means”—Jake’s gaze climbed up the Clock Tower—“he’s already up there with…”

  He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. For in the next heartbeat, Aunt Ramona and a snowy-haired old gent whooshed into view on the lawn in a puff of gray smoke. They both had their wands at the ready.

  “Oh no,” Archie whispered, but Jake was taken aback at the sight of the Dark Master.

  Why, he wasn’t scary at all.

  He looked like somebody’s old grandpa—stately and strict, perhaps. But he certainly didn’t look like the evilest person on the planet.

  Wyvern, on the other hand, did.

  The earl jumped down deftly from the saddle and ordered his dragon to stay. Then he swaggered forward, loosening up his wrist as though warming up for a serious magical duel.

  Zolond appeared unperturbed. Slowly and calmly, the old gent walked forward, leaving Aunt Ramona behind where they’d landed.

  He showed not the slightest fear of Wyvern or his dragon, though he was small and frail compared to the towering Nephilim.

  Ah, but when the sorcerer-king spoke, the tone of power emanating from this understated figure revealed who was really in charge.

  “Nathan: your actions are completely out of line.” His deep, elegant voice boomed across the square. “You attacked the Order unprovoked, and now you have ruptured the Veil. It is the unforgivable sin.”

  “No, old man!” Wyvern flung back while the other Dark Druids kept a wary distance.

  Badgerton slipped back inside, the coward.

  “The unforgivable sin is how you betrayed the Horned One. For her,” Wyvern said with a sneer at Aunt Ramona. “Your rule is over. Not even your foul ice grendels could contain me!”

  “You are rash, Nathan. Let us take our quarrel elsewhere, away from prying eyes.” With a twirl of his black wand, Zolond started to whoosh off in smoke form.

  Aunt Ramona must’ve persuaded Zolond to draw Wyvern away from the city before the two had come down from the Clock Tower.

  Unfortunately, all Zolond succeeded in doing was enraging the half-demon earl.

  “Do not attempt to transport out of here, you traitor!” Wyvern yelled. “If you attempt to flee, I will unleash a blaze worse than the Great Fire of 1666. You have my word that I’ll burn this city to the ground!”

  People screamed. Flanagan tensed. The manticore roared, agitated by the clamor.

  Jake swallowed hard.

  “Settle down, Thanatos! Calm these cattle, Fionnula,” Wyvern said curtly.

  Fionnula’s eyes gleamed as she stepped forward, all too happy to sing.

  “Quick, cover your ears, sir!” Jake told the constable. “She casts spells with her singing. You’ll see!”

  Archie nodded earnestly at Flanagan and pressed his palms over his ears. Jake did likewise. Flanagan frowned but followed suit, and signaled to his fellow coppers across the way to do the same. The other policemen looked confused, but did it anyway as Fionnula started to sing.

  The siren enchantress lifted her hands and proceeded to soothe the frightened crowds with a gentle lullaby.

  Aunt Ramona glared at her, but at least Fionnula kept the people from stampeding in a panic. Within a few bars, they’d settled down.

  Jake wished they would all go home.

  When Fionnula ended her song, the boys cautiously uncovered their ears. Flanagan did the same, then furrowed his brow at the tranquil mood that had settled over the throng.

  Across the green, Zolond had returned from a puff of black smoke to stand beside Aunt Ramona. The Dark Master and Elder witch exchanged a grim glance.

  When Jake saw Aunt Ramona touch her knuckles fondly against “Geoffrey’s” equally bony hand, the rest of the story became clear.

  “I’ll bet she’s been working on him in secret to try and turn him good,” Jake whispered to his cousin. “And she must’ve succeeded to some extent, because Wyvern hates him now.”

  “But Jake…” Archie turned to him and paled. “If they fight, Wyvern and he—if Zolond dies—then we lose Aunt Ramona. Because of that accursed Montague and Capulet spell!”

  Jake’s mouth went dry. “You’re right.” He looked back out across the square. “I have to help her.”

  “Sorry to say it, coz, but I’m afraid you have to help them both.”

  “What, help Zolond? Are you joking? That miserable old man was the one who probably gave the order to kidnap my parents! Everything I’ve suffered is his fault!”

  “But he must’ve changed his ways, at least somewhat, if Wyvern wants to kill him!”

  “So? It’s too late. I don’t care. Let him die.”

  “Jake!” Archie gripped his shoulder. “If Zolond dies, then so does Aunt Ramona.”

  Drawn up short by the reminder, Jake frowned toward Parliament Square, where the two warlocks were glaring at each other and starting to circle like swordsmen.

  “Listen to me,” his cousin said while Jake seethed. “Normally, I would never ask you to risk your neck for anyone, let alone your worst enemy. But this is different. And I’m not just talking about the Montague and Capulet spell.” Archie gulped. “I have had another vision, Jake. And it’s awful.”

  Jake went very still. “What?”

  Archie spoke with difficulty. “That someone I care about…is going to die.”

  He froze. “Who?”

  “That’s just it—I don’t know! The dreams wouldn’t say,” Archie exclaimed. “That’s why I didn’t share it. I didn’t want to upset everyone. At the battle last night, I thought it could even be you. But when you survived The Dream Wraith, I was worried sick it’d be my parents.

  “That’s why I panicked when they insisted on staying behind at Merlin Hall. But now, Jake, now I…I think it might be Aunt Ramona.” Archie’s face was ashen. “That’s why I insisted on following her here. Please, coz. You’ve got to save her. Even if it means saving Zolond.”

  It was at that moment that Constable Arthur Flanagan rose to the occasion. Adjusting his helmet, he gripped his truncheon, gestured with it to the other policemen, then marched out and began blowing his whistle before Jake could stop him.

  Archie gasped. “What is he doing?”

  “Oi! You there!” Flanagan hollered at the Dark Druids as the bobbies who’d been guarding Parliament hurried out to join him. Meeting up on the green, they filed after Flanagan toward the demon-spawn earl, a nervous troop.

  Jake shook his head in shock. “He’s insane.”

  “That’s right, I’m talking to you, mister!” the stalwart copper yelled at the Nephilim. “You can’t park that castle ’ere!”

  Wyvern turned with a smirk, barely hiding his surprise.

  “I don’t know who you think you are, or what you’re on about, but this is a public area! You’re going to have to move along. Go on! Off with you, now!”

  Even Zolond arched a brow.

  “Oh, this is bad,” Jake whispered, shaking his head.

  His mind was still reeling over Archie’s latest vision—and now Flanagan was going to get himself killed.

  “You ’eard me!” the constable shouted. “Off you go!”

  Wyvern sent the vampire queen a sardonic look. “Care to do the honors?”

  “With pleasure,” Viola purred with a wicked smile. Then she moved languidly toward the bobbies, intercepting them before they reached the two warlocks. “Officers, what seems to be the problem?”

  Neither Jake nor Archie had ever seen a vampire turn on that magnetic charm peculiar to their kind before. Her goggles were odd, true—like something an evil Archie would invent—but her intriguing smile cast a spell over most of the males in the crowd.
>
  The bobbies shifted uncomfortably.

  “How gallant you are, putting yourselves between Lord Wyvern and these poor, frightened people…” The treacherous beauty continued sweetly praising them like they were the greatest heroes in the world, and the men couldn’t help but smile and glance at each other as though they agreed.

  Only Flanagan seemed immune to her persuasion. Her vampire charms fell flat with the scowling constable.

  When she trailed her hand over his shoulder, drifting past him, Flanagan pulled away in disgust. “That will do, madam! I am a married man, thank you very much.”

  The Red Queen unleashed a graceful laugh but was obviously annoyed by the brush-off—as evidenced by the emergence of her pearly fangs.

  Aunt Ramona stepped forward, having had enough. “Don’t touch him again, you filth!”

  “Stay out of this, you old hag! We’ll deal with you later,” Viola replied.

  “Hag? You’re older than me!” Aunt Ramona retorted.

  It was then that a fierce caw overhead heralded the arrival of the Gryphon. The crowd gasped at the sight of a third mythical beast in plain view, flying overhead.

  The Dark Druids looked up, and so did Jake.

  Relief filled him as his fierce protector’s eagle-eyed stare homed in on him and Archie crouched behind the Mr. Peel statue. Red dipped as if to join him, but Jake waved him off, anxiously signaling to him not to give away the boys’ location.

  Fortunately, after all their adventures together, the Gryphon got the message and climbed higher into the sky, well above the treetops.

  As he began gliding like a hawk in wide circles over Parliament Square, ready to swoop in at any moment to defend them, Jake noticed that, much higher, the weird line of clouds from the rupture had nearly faded away.

  “He’s a welcome sight,” Archie murmured.

  “Aye,” Jake said. But although he was glad to have Red nearby for reinforcements, Jake was not at all happy about the public seeing his Gryphon.

  Many were pointing and staring, agog. People liked gold, and gryphons knew how to find it in the earth. It wasn’t safe for Red’s existence to become common knowledge.

  Ah, well. Erasing the onlookers’ memories was a problem for tomorrow—one the Elders would have to try to fix.

  For now, Jake supposed Derek probably wasn’t far behind. The man had a talent for showing up just when he was needed.

  Jake quickly scanned the square but didn’t see the warrior yet. The clogged streets probably explained his delay. Knowing Derek, he might well have taken to the rooftops as a clearer route of running here.

  Expecting him at any minute, Jake glanced around at the Dark Druids, making sure they did not intend to try and hurt his Gryphon.

  The dragon hissed and the manticore roared. Red retorted with a war cry. Wyvern ordered his animals to settle down.

  Dread had filled Fionnula’s face, meanwhile. The sea-witch was particularly frightened of the Gryphon—with good reason. She had helped Uncle Waldrick capture and cage the beast on the day of Jake’s parents’ supposed murder.

  Waldrick and Fionnula had kept the poor Gryphon prisoner for eleven long years.

  All that time, the sea-witch had used the magic in Red’s feathers to transform from her true, hideous appearance as a squid lady into the glamorous opera star. The star of the stage, whom Uncle Waldrick had been so proud of squiring around Town.

  Then Jake tensed as General Raige pointed his big, strange gun at Red as he circled overhead.

  Fortunately, the Gryphon saw the threat at once and zoomed higher, out of range.

  “Hold your fire, Raige!” Wyvern barked, scanning the square. “If the Gryphon’s here, it means my son, Jake, is somewhere close.”

  “Son?” Aunt Ramona scoffed. “What a ridiculous presumption! You will never sink your claws into my nephew.”

  The Nephilim smirked at her. “We’ll see.”

  Meanwhile, Zolond had been staring at Wyvern with a look that could’ve drilled holes into him.

  The tension at that moment was excruciating.

  The vampire queen resumed toying with the policemen like a cat with a mouse, but Fionnula lost patience, casting a nervous glance at the sky.

  “Quit dawdling, Viola! Let’s get this over with!” The diva turned impatiently to her new beau. “Nathan?”

  Wyvern nodded at the vampire queen. “Quit fooling around.”

  “Aww. Very well. Sorry, boys.” Viola’s red lips curved into a sneer, robbing her of all beauty. “You should’ve left when you had the chance. Now I’m going to start drinking your blood!”

  Chaos broke out at her words. Screams. When she lashed out at Flanagan, raking her claws across his chest, Jake instantly drew Risker and shot to his feet behind the statue.

  The crowd began stampeding off in all directions while the bobbies pulled back, yelling to each other.

  As Viola sought her next victim with a twisted smile, the Elder witch lifted her wand to protect the lawmen, but Fionnula quickly blocked her bolt of magic with a counter-spell.

  Some good, stout-hearted men in the crowd tried to rush to the bobbies’ aid, but Thanatos leaped in front of them and roared in their faces. They stopped cold, while Raige held the crowd back on the other side of the square.

  All the while, the dragon watched Red wheeling overhead, its head swiveling on its long, sinuous neck. Jake shuddered. Surely this was all just a nightmare.

  He felt hollow with fear and anger at the whole situation. His heart thudded at the prospect of going out there, and his grip turned clammy on his magical dagger. One little knife didn’t seem like nearly enough to bring against that many Dark Druids.

  But when he glanced skyward, he saw Red watching him alertly, waiting for his signal. The Gryphon’s presence bolstered his courage.

  He braced himself to enter the fray. “Right. Stay hidden, Arch.”

  “Will do, believe me,” Archie mumbled, also rising to his feet. “Be careful.”

  “Don’t worry. Wyvern won’t let them hurt me. I’m the Black Prince, remember?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I’ll figure something out.”

  “Good luck.” Archie patted him on the shoulder. “And don’t forget, you need to help Zolond.”

  “Do my best,” Jake promised grimly. “But first, I’ve got to save Flanagan.” With that, Jake left the shelter of the granite pillar and jogged out cautiously onto the square.

  “Oi! Vampire! Hey, you rancid cow!” he yelled in his loudest, rudest voice. “Why don’t you come try that on me?”

  CHAPTER 31

  The Battle of Parliament Square

  Egads, thought Archie, staring after Jake with a mix of pride and dread. My cousin might be an ex-juvenile delinquent, but by Jove, he is the bravest chap I’ve ever seen.

  As Jake ran toward the policemen, the Drow prophet came to attention on the drawbridge.

  “The chosen one!” Duradel cried, his white eyes staring in Jake’s direction.

  Archie grimaced. Honestly, if being clairvoyant meant he was going to end up as uncanny as that fellow, he might as well schedule the Extraction Spell for tomorrow.

  Well—provided the world still existed by then.

  If it did, he and his cousin were probably going to be grounded for a very long time, judging by Aunt Ramona’s blanch when the doubler entered the fray.

  The dragon sniffed curiously in Jake’s direction, and Thanatos snarled. Red still glided overhead, waiting for his cue.

  “Why, look who it is.” Viola left off tormenting the bobbies and pivoted to face Jake, her long black coat swirling out around her as she turned. Her nails dripped with blood, but so far, she hadn’t bitten anyone.

  (Archie, admittedly, liked her goggles.)

  Poor Flanagan still held his ground, trying to calm his men and restore order, but the red-mustachioed bobby was starting to look like he’d run afoul of a tiger. Several of the shiny brass butt
ons down his chest had popped off when she’d clawed him. His smart blue uniform had four long rips in the front, showing the white shirt underneath.

  Only…that shirt was turning red from the cuts on his chest where Viola had slashed him with her long vampire nails.

  “Get away from him!”

  As Jake marched over and planted himself between Viola and the bobbies, Archie glanced across the lawn to gauge Wyvern’s reaction.

  A cold smile had curled the Nephilim warlock’s creepy mouth.

  Jake raised his knife like a warning finger in the Red Queen’s face. “You leave these men alone, ye mark me?”

  The bobbies looked astounded at his arrival. Constable Flanagan in particular appeared shocked at this interference from the former street urchin. Viola scoffed and started to retort, but Jake interrupted.

  “I gave you an order, lady! You know the prophecy! I am destined to become the future Black Prince, and the greatest leader the Dark Druids will ever have, and if you don’t back off right now and do exactly as I say, I will remember this against you and all vampires when I’m the one in charge. Savvy?”

  Wyvern burst out laughing in delight. He looked around at his henchmen with fatherly pride.

  Aunt Ramona frowned. Zolond looked astonished, but Fionnula giggled, and even Raige grinned.

  “What are you sorry lot laughing at?” Jake demanded, glaring at the smilers.

  Good heavens, he might actually make a rather good Black Prince, at that, Archie thought, half impressed. In truth, his cousin could be a very nasty lad if you got on his bad side.

  (Archie didn’t really have a bad side.)

  Viola pressed her lips together as though holding back a chuckle. Planting her hand on her waist, she turned and looked at Wyvern with a shrug.

  Duradel was beaming. “He is magnificent! Oh, Shemrazul, you are wise…”

  “Ugh!” Jake rolled his eyes and turned to the policemen. “Go, sirs! This isn’t your fight. Get Flanagan out of here. He’s hurt.”

  “Now, now, you’re just a boy,” the constable said. “I’ll not be leavin’ ye to fend—”

  “Go, sir! Please!” Jake cried. “Before she drinks your blood, or the sea-witch turns you and your men into toads—or something worse. I’ve seen her do it!”