The Lost Lands

by Jessica Khoury

  “Bellacrux,” said D’Mara Lennix, her expression practically jubilant. “Old friend. I don’t suppose you’ve found the treasure we all seek?”

  Bellacrux snarled and called her a word in dragonsong that Sirin guessed wasn’t very flattering. D’Mara just laughed.

  “I suppose you haven’t,” she said, “or else we would all be groveling at your feet right now, wouldn’t we? The Skyspinner’s Heart is mine, Bellacrux. I will offer you only one chance at mercy: Help me find it, and I will spare you and your human Lock.” She gave Allie a mocking little wave, and Allie scowled back. But despite her defiance, the girl was trembling, and Sirin quietly squeezed her arm. She was shaking too.

  “The only thing you’ll get from us,” Allie yelled, “is a fight!”

  D’Mara laughed again. “Little fool. You’d have been better off if you’d stayed in my dungeon. Very well. As if I needed your aid anyway.” She cocked her head, her eyes shifting to Sirin. “You, on the other hand, may prove useful. Come with me, girl, and you may be spared. Give me your knowledge of this world, and I will spare the life of Joshua Moran.”

  Joss was still alive! That was something to be glad for, even as death stared them down through Valkea’s red eyes.

  “As if I could ever take your word,” Sirin said to D’Mara.

  “Yeah, what she said,” Allie added. “NOW, BELLACRUX!”

  The Green, who’d been building up a massive ball of flame in her belly, the fire so hot that Sirin felt her legs warming, now unleashed it all. Valkea was forced to reel backward, and Bellacrux took the chance to dive.

  The Raptors gave chase at once. Bellacrux flew as fast as her wings could pump, her neck stretched out and her tail taut behind her. Sirin leaned low, holding on to Allie tightly and looking over her shoulder at their pursuers. Valkea led them, and already the Red was closing in.

  In moments, they reached the inner bay with its bustle of boats and bridges and gleaming metal towers. There would be no hiding their presence now. One dragon might have slipped through unseen, using waves for cover, but an entire flight of Raptors, all of them roaring and hissing and spitting rolling plumes of fire, had to be drawing every human eye for a mile around.

  Well, Earth, Sirin thought, looking down at the gaping expressions of a ferry full of passengers on their way to the giant green statue, the dragons are back.

  Joss paced his cell, his hands running anxiously through his hair. The fortress, which had bustled with activity all morning, had now gone silent. He knew that could only mean one thing: the Raptors had begun their raid on the Lost Lands.

  All thanks to Lysander.

  He paused, his hands gripping the bars of his cell, and gazed at his Lock. Lysander was curled into a silver, scaled ball, fast asleep. He’d been that way ever since D’Mara had pulled eleven of his scales from his haunch, and Joss hadn’t wanted to disturb him. Lysander had insisted it didn’t hurt, but Joss knew it had stung a bit because he’d felt the echoes of the pain himself. His Lock couldn’t hide much from him.

  But it was hard to let Lysander sleep when Joss was desperate to talk to him. They had to work out a plan. They had to think. Joss knew from Kaan’s boasting that they’d learned the location of the Heart, which meant the Raptors would soon be closing in on Allie, Sirin, and Bellacrux. And there was nothing Joss could do to help his sister and friends.

  With a snarl of frustration, Joss kicked the bars of his cell and got a stubbed toe in return.

  He glanced at Lysander, expecting the sharp burst of pain in his foot to reach his Lock and wake him.

  But Lysander didn’t wake.

  Lysander? Lysander, are you all right? Did she hurt you worse than I realized? Alarmed, Joss switched to speaking aloud. “Lysander!”

  “Shut up, already!” snapped a voice.

  Joss looked over to the stairs, where he could just make out a figure leaning against the wall, hidden by gloomy shadow.

  “Kaan?”

  “Yeah, that’s right. I’m in charge now, and if you don’t shut up, I’ll break your arms.”

  Joss blinked, then barked a caustic laugh. “Didn’t make the raid, huh? Mummy left you to babysit me?”

  “I said shut UP!” Kaan shoved off the wall and stepped into the light of the single torch blazing in the dungeon. He glared at Joss.

  Joss glanced at Lysander, who still did not wake, and suddenly it dawned on him.

  Lysander was in his dragonfire sleep.

  Finally.

  Quickly, Joss counted backward. From what he could determine, Lysander had been asleep for almost a full twenty-four hours. Which meant that at any moment his Lock would awaken in his full dragon strength—a true adult Silver.

  Dragonfire alone wouldn’t be enough to break out of this prison. It had been built to hold full-grown dragons, after all.

  But it might help.

  Because just then Joss spotted the dungeon key in Kaan’s pocket. If Lysander could blast fire at Kaan, maybe he’d drop it within reach in his haste to get away. Which meant Joss had to keep Kaan close until Lysander awoke, without Kaan noticing that Lysander was in a deeper-than-usual sleep. If he realized Lysander would soon wake with fire in his jaws, he would certainly keep his distance.

  “I bet your ma gave you orders not to touch us,” said Joss. In taunting nonchalance, he leaned his shoulder against the wall of his cell and crossed his arms. “Sucks being grounded, doesn’t it?”

  “I’m not grounded!” Kaan said through his teeth. “I’m in charge, you mudbrain. Until Ma gets back, that makes me lord of this fortress.”

  “Or until your father gets back, or Tamra. Or even Mirra.” Joss laughed. “I think that makes you the bottom of the ladder, doesn’t it?”

  Kaan shot him a savage look. “You better stop talking, sheep boy,” he said in a low voice.

  “Why? What are you going to do? Come in here and punch me?”

  Kaan started to reach for the door, then stopped. “You’re just trying to get me to open this door! Ha! Well, shows how stupid you are. I’m not falling for it, mudbrain.”

  “At least I have a brain.”

  “I said SHUT UP!” Kaan screamed. He ran across the dungeon and grabbed a firestik from the supply hanging on the wall. Joss’s stomach dropped. He backed away, prepared to fight tooth and nail when Kaan came into his cell, firestik or not.

  But it wasn’t his cell Kaan went to. It was Lysander’s.

  “Stop!” Joss yelled. “You leave him alone! Or I’ll—”

  “What?” Kaan smirked. “You’ll do nothing and you know it. Like I said, I’m in charge now.”

  Kaan began to thrust the firestik through the bars of Lysander’s cell, then stopped.

  “Wait a minute …” He studied the Silver closer.

  “Hey, Kaan!” Joss called desperately. “You too chicken to use that on me? Come try! You wouldn’t get close! Kaan!”

  But it was too late. Kaan turned around and laughed. “He’s in his dragonfire sleep, isn’t he? Is that what all this is about? You want me nearby so he can wake up and roast me alive. Well, well. Little sheep boy has more Raptor in him than I thought.”

  Joss stared at him, helpless and furious and disappointed. His only plan, and it had fallen through just like that.

  “Good-bye, Joshua,” Kaan said, tapping the firestik on his shoulder as he strode to the stairs. “It’s been so nice chatting, but I’ve got loads of things to do, what with me being in charge of the fortress and all. Try not to rot too quickly. I’m sure you’ll want to say hello to your little friend Sirin before I put her to work scrubbing my latrine.”

  Joss roared and shook his bars, but he was as helpless as ever.

  When Kaan was gone, Joss sank to the dirty straw floor and put his head on his knees. Lysander, Lysander. What now? He’s right. They’re going to kill Allie and capture Sirin. I can’t do anything to stop them.

  Joss.

  Joss raised his head to see Lysander blinking sleepily at him.

>   It will be all right, Joss.

  “How do you know that?” Joss whispered. “Everything’s gone to pieces.”

  Listen, my Lock.

  Joss did and heard nothing but the drip-drip of water deeper in the dungeon, and the clatter of a brass key tumbling down stone steps.

  The key!

  Joss stared in shock as the bright little object came bouncing down the stairs, then landed on the floor, where it glinted temptingly. But it was still far out of reach.

  “What the … Kaan?”

  He heard a sudden scrabble of claws and a dragon-like squeal, and then Sammi burst out of the stairs and growled in triumph. She scooped up the key and darted to Joss’s cell.

  “Sammi!” He had never been so glad to see the little pest. She pushed the key through the bars and then bounced around like an excited puppy, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

  “Good girl!” Joss grabbed the key and shoved it into the lock of his door. It opened with a squeak. “But how did you get in here all by yourself? And how did you get the better of Kaan?”

  “Well,” said a new voice. “She had a little help.”

  Joss wheeled around, then stared.

  It was a Lennix striding toward him, with one of the fortress servants at his heels. But it wasn’t Kaan.

  It was Declan.

  Joss went on guard at once, holding up the key as if it might possibly defend him. Behind him, Lysander growled.

  “Easy,” Declan said, raising his hands. “I’m a friend. Or at least, I am now.”

  “What are you doing here?” Joss asked. “I thought you ran off after we escaped the last time.”

  “I did,” said Declan. “But I’ve been in contact with Carli here. She told me you’d been captured, and I decided it was time I returned.”

  He put his arm around the shoulders of the red-haired servant girl Carli, for that’s who had followed him down the steps. She smiled up at him.

  “Lysander was the first dragon I ever liked,” she said. “I couldn’t let him rot in here while D’Mara pulled out his scales one by one.”

  “Yes, about that,” said Declan, his face turning grim. “We have to stop my mother from taking more scales. I’ve been out among the hidden clans, and word is spreading that D’Mara Lennix can lead dragons to the Lost Lands. More and more young Reds and Yellows are deserting their clans and coming here, to join the Raptors. They’re so tired of not having enough to eat that they’re willing to turn Raptor if it means going to the Lost Lands.”

  Joss’s eyes widened. He imagined the Raptor ranks swelling larger and larger, becoming too powerful to ever be defeated.

  “What do we do?” he asked.

  “Well, first,” said Declan, “let your poor dragon out.”

  Yes, please, Lysander sent dryly. Joss hurried to unlock his door, and the Silver slipped out and shook himself. There shone a patch of vulnerable, unprotected skin on his haunch, where D’Mara had taken the scales. But otherwise, Lysander looked as healthy and strong as ever.

  “Now,” said Declan. “My new Lock Ramon’s waiting for us in the mountains. We couldn’t risk him being spotted by the others. This place is still thronging with Raptors. Kaan, the little brat, is tied up at the top of the stairs, but someone will find him soon.”

  “We have to get to the Lost Lands,” said Joss. “It’s worse than you thought, Declan. There’s this thing called the Heart— Oh, I’ll tell you on the way. You … you will come and help us, won’t you?”

  Declan nodded. “I can’t hurt my family, Joss. Horrid as they are, they are still my parents and siblings. But I will help you stop them from destroying any more dragons. I owe it to Timoleon.”

  Joss’s heart clanged in his chest as he raced up the stairs, passing a bound and gagged Kaan. Kaan groaned and glared, and Joss stopped just long enough to say, “Guess this puts me in charge, huh?”

  Joss! called Lysander, from farther ahead.

  One sec! Joss replied. He bent over and yanked off the neon-yellow trainers from Kaan’s feet. “I’ll just have these back, then.”

  Leaving Kaan to wriggle in fury, Joss hurried to catch up to the others, hopping as he pulled on his shoes. He threw himself onto Lysander’s back without even slowing, and Declan climbed up behind him.

  “Go west,” Carli said. “I saw D’Mara comparing maps of the Lost Lands to our world, and she figured out that if they went through a portal over the western swamps, they’d appear right over the city they were looking for. That’s where you’ll find them.”

  “Thanks, Carli,” Declan said. He reached down and clasped hands with her. “I’ll come back for you. I promise. Just like I said in the letters I sent you—I’m going to get you out of here.”

  “Just hurry,” she said. “And don’t do anything stupid, like getting yourself killed.”

  “Right,” said Declan. “I’ll do my best. Now, Joss, let’s pick up Ramon, then it’s to the Lost Lands.”

  “To Allie and Sirin,” said Joss.

  And our most difficult battle yet, added Lysander.

  The heat of Raptor fire washed over Allie.

  They were everywhere.

  She’d counted around a dozen, but it may as well have been a hundred for how outnumbered they were. In fact, the Raptors must have realized they didn’t all have to give chase to Bellacrux. Half of them peeled away to torment the humans. Decimus landed atop the green statue, his claws leaving long scratches on the lady’s arms and shoulders. He roared, spilling dragonfire all around. Below, humans ran screaming back to their boats, but Mirra and Trixtan were setting the vessels ablaze, cutting off their escape.

  “We have to help them!” Sirin yelled.

  Allie wanted to point out that they couldn’t even help themselves but was forced to focus all her attention on keeping her seat as Bellacrux wheeled abruptly, barely escaping a jet of dragonfire Valkea had loosed.

  This put them directly on course to collide with another Raptor—a Yellow named Kardessa, with Tamra on her back. Allie remembered Kardessa from her time as a servant in Fortress Lennix. The Yellow had a mean streak as deep as the sea, and was known to be a little unhinged. Half the time a servant lost a finger, it was to Kardessa’s jaws.

  Now the Yellow was about to set a ferry on fire, with several hundred people on board.

  Bell!

  I see her.

  Bellacrux seized Kardessa’s wing and pulled it, flipping the dragon in midair. Tamra somehow managed to stay seated, and the ferry churned away at full speed, unharmed. Bellacrux’s attack sent Kardessa scrambling to recover her balance, and the Yellow screamed in fury at being robbed of her prey. She let the ferry go and instead gave chase to Bellacrux.

  We cannot keep this up for long, Bellacrux told Allie.

  They had Valkea and Kardessa now pursuing them plus a few more Raptors. Bellacrux didn’t even try to fight back, but flew evasively, dodging jets of dragonfire and zinging firestix.

  All around the bay, bells and alarms wailed. The humans scrambled for safety, but nowhere was safe. A Raptor tore the roof off a boat, and a few terrified people dived overboard and attempted to swim to shore. Screams filled the air.

  We have to find the Skyspinner’s Heart, Allie sent. That’s the only way we can stop them.

  I’m a little busy simply keeping us all alive at the moment! came Bellacrux’s strained reply. The Green dived just as a hail of firestix, thrown by D’Mara, Tamra, and Mirra, rained overhead.

  Bellacrux was tiring. Even if Allie weren’t Locked with her, she would see it. The dragon’s wings faltered between beats and she gasped for breath. After all, she’d been flying for two days before this, across an entire ocean. The Raptors had arrived on fresh wings.

  Despair began to overtake Allie. Everything seemed to slow around her—the screaming people in the boats, the spray of dragonfire burning lines across the shoreline, the rise and fall of Bellacrux’s wings. Over all the noise, she could hear her own heartbeat.

  Then she
blinked, and everything sped forward, a whirlwind of motion and sound and hot, angry flames.

  “D’Mara,” she said. We have to at least take out D’Mara. Maybe that would scare the others off.

  Cut off the head, agreed Bellacrux, and the body dies. Hold on tight. VERY tight.

  Allie did, relaying the order to Sirin. The girls held on with all their strength as Bellacrux performed a spectacular move, flipping herself head over tail and then rolling so that she was now facing their pursers. Allie hadn’t even known the enormous dragon was capable of such acrobatics.

  Neither, it seemed, had D’Mara. Her expression was pure shock as she suddenly found herself face-to-face with the former Lennix Grand. Valkea was forced to throw her wings wide, like parachutes opening to slow her, or she’d smash right into Bellacrux. They hovered just over the water, their wings whipping up frenzied, white-capped waves.

  D’Mara recovered quickly, throwing a firestik that narrowly missed Bellacrux’s throat. Instead, it pierced her shoulder. Allie scrambled to pull it out, hissing when it threw sparks that burned her hands. But she yanked it loose and turned it around, aiming right back at D’Mara.

  This was it. If she threw now and aimed true, she could impale the woman through her very heart.

  But Allie’s hand shook.

  Now, said Bellacrux. Take her out!

  But Allie hesitated a moment too long, and the chance was missed. Valkea’s head lifted, blocking her shot. Allie dropped the firestik, disgusted with herself for not taking the shot, horrified that she almost had.

  I’m sorry, Bell. I … I guess I’m not a killer.

  She felt Bellacrux sigh even as the Green replied, I should not have asked it of you, my Lock.

  Tamra on Kardessa and Mirra on Trixtan flanked them, closing off escape to the left or right. Two more Raptors moved above and behind Bellacrux.

  They were trapped.

  They’d been in this position before, after their mad escape from the fortress, but Bellacrux had been fresh then. Now she seemed barely capable of staying airborne.