Playing With Fire

by C. J. Hill

  “I want to talk about fighting patterns,” she said suddenly. “We need to make more changes to them.” They’d been altering patterns ever since Dirk betrayed them because he’d known all the old ones.

  The topic was an abrupt change, but Tori couldn’t bear to sit there like a victim anymore. She had to do something to oppose Overdrake, to defeat him so he couldn’t hurt anyone else.

  By the time the bell rang for second period, she’d stopped crying, but her eyes were probably puffy and red. She didn’t want to face people looking like that, didn’t want to answer their inevitable questions. Instead of getting up, she stayed on the floor where she was. Students began walking by, casting glances at her and Jesse.

  “Will you be okay?” Jesse asked.

  “Yeah. You can go to second period.”

  Jesse didn’t get up or move his arm off her shoulder. “Want to go home?”

  “No.” She couldn’t go to the nurse’s office with puffy, red eyes. Anyone would be able to tell that she was upset, not sick, and instead of talking to a nurse, she’d end up in a counselor’s office. “What am I going to say when people ask why I randomly yelled, ‘No!’ during class and then rushed out?”

  Jesse thought it over for a moment. “You peeked at your phone and saw a text from your sister saying that your dog had been hit by a car. Everyone will understand.”

  She nodded. It was a good story and would work as long as none of her friends said anything to her family about Brindy. Tori could probably ensure that never happened. She’d tell her friends that Brindy’s death was a touchy subject, and ask them not to bring it up around her family.

  “What was your excuse for leaving class?” she asked.

  “I didn’t give one. I just walked out.”

  She cocked her head. “Is that allowed in public schools?”

  “No. I’m sure I’ll hear about it from Dr. Meyerhoff. And my parents.”

  She sighed. “Sorry to get you in trouble.”

  His arm dropped from around her shoulders and he gave her hand a squeeze. “They can’t get too mad at me for wanting to make sure you’re all right.”

  And she was all right. At least, she would be. She stood, smoothed her hair, and steeled herself to face the world again. “I guess we’d better go to class.” She didn’t want to be late to second period.

  Jesse got to his feet and brushed off his pants. “On the bright side, enough people saw us sitting here that we shouldn’t have to do anything else for people to know we’re a couple.”

  She thought of Melinda’s words. You might be able to salvage your chances if you start acting less needy and strange.

  Well, Tori hadn’t exactly followed that advice. It was nice to know that Jesse was interested anyway.

  Chapter 32

  Dirk didn’t see Tori’s message until he came home from school, and then he read it with surprise. That morning at breakfast when his father had told him Brindy actually belonged to Tori and that he planned to use the dog as a warning, Dirk had vetoed the idea. Vehemently.

  They were alone during that conversation. Bridget was homeschooled, so she usually slept in. If his sister had been there, their father never would have admitted any of this. Bridget loved the dog and was beginning to consider it her own. Dirk hadn’t pointed that out. His father listened to strategy, not emotion.

  “I’m trying to convince Tori to join us,” Dirk had said. “I can’t do that if you’re knocking off her pets.”

  His father had only waved his fork dismissively. “She killed two of mine. I’m just returning the favor.”

  “No,” Dirk said. “You’re burning bridges. My bridges. And you’ll gain nothing by it.”

  His father cut through his omelet with more force than needed. “If it means she stays away from future arms deals, that’s a gain.”

  “You don’t know Tori like I do. She’ll be more determined to fight you if you threaten her.”

  His father had finally relented, and even promised Dirk he wouldn’t use Brindy as dragon food.

  Now Dirk reread Tori’s message and strode into his father’s office, phone in hand, ready to hit something. Maybe his father. The man hadn’t kept his word for even an entire day. Didn’t a promise mean anything to him? If not, where did that leave Dirk? Could he trust his father about anything?

  His father sat in at his desk, reading through reports while Brindy slept at his feet.

  Dirk was so surprised he just stood there, gripping the phone.

  The dog lifted her head and wagged her tail, whole and well.

  “Something wrong?” his father asked.

  Dirk lowered the phone. “Why does Tori think you killed her dog?”

  His father went back to scanning his reports. “Because it’s a good idea to let your enemies know what you’re capable of. She’ll think twice about crossing me again. She knows I’m capable of taking more than her dog.”

  “She already knew that. You don’t have to torment her pets.” Dirk walked over to Brindy and knelt in front of her. He ran his hands over her back, checking for injuries. He didn’t find any. His father must have only taken the dog near the dragon enclosure to scare her into yelping.

  “You promised me—” Dirk began.

  His father cut him off. “I kept my promise. Tori may have heard another dog’s demise and assumed it was Brindy’s. I never said it was.”

  Great. His father had still killed a dog. Dirk didn’t make an objection. His father already thought Dirk was soft for wanting to spare people. “You say you want my help to lead the country, but you never listen to anything I say. You made things worse with Tori, not better.”

  His father had made a point today, as he said, but not only to Tori. He’d shown Dirk that no matter what he said, he’d find a way to bend his promises to do whatever he wanted.

  Fine. Dirk would make a point of his own. He took hold of Brindy’s collar and led her toward the door. “I’m taking the dog back to Tori.”

  His father looked up from his computer with a smug smile. “Fine. Tell her hi for me. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

  Dirk shut the door behind him, more bothered by his father’s response than he should have been. His father didn’t object to the dog’s return, which was a good thing. He could have turned it into a power struggle. What bothered Dirk was that he wasn’t sure whether his father had said the last sentence sarcastically or not. Was he trying to ensure Dirk and Tori stayed on opposite sides of the fight, or was this whole thing with the dog his father’s skewed idea of matchmaking? Did he think Tori would see Dirk as some sort of hero for returning Brindy to her?

  If so, his father didn’t understand women at all. At least, not Tori.

  Dirk led Brindy into the family room, where Bridget had turned the couch and half of the floor into a doll resort. Pink plastic furniture covered everything.

  He handed Bridget his phone. “Can you take a picture of me with the dog?”

  She slid off the couch and snapped a picture without question. She’d taken so many of Brindy herself, she probably didn’t think to wonder why he wanted one. He took the phone and forwarded the picture to Tori.

  Bridget pulled a baby bonnet from one of her dolls and draped it across Brindy’s head. “Now can you take a picture of me with her?”

  “Just a minute. I’m texting Tori.”

  Bridget tied the bonnet around Brindy’s ears. The dog immediately shook her head, making the bonnet fall off on one side and hang lopsided.

  “Is it a love letter?” Bridget asked. She’d met Tori once and thought they were a couple.

  “No, I just need to find a way to return the dog to her. She belongs to Tori.”

  Bridget tried to straighten the bonnet, an impossible task, because Brindy kept licking her hand. “But I want to keep her. Can’t Tori share with us? She could come over and visit Peppermint whenever she wants.”

  “The dog’s name is Brindy.”

  “She can be Peppermint at our
house, and Brindy at Tori’s.”

  Dirk sent the message and turned his attention to the dog. “We’ll need to get her kennel so she can travel.” He would be safer flying the dog to Tori instead of driving. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about being stuck in traffic or followed on the way back. He shouldn’t fly to anywhere public, though. Where would a good meeting spot be?

  Bridget pouted and held on to Brindy’s collar. “Why doesn’t Tori come to our house to get her?”

  “She doesn’t get along with Dad.”

  “Why?”

  Dirk probably shouldn’t have even said that much. Bridget knew Slayers existed, but she didn’t know he’d been one of them, or that he still had loyalties to the group. She also didn’t know that Tori was a Slayer, only that Tori was part dragon lord. By an unspoken pact, Dirk and his father had never told Bridget the rest, each for his own reasons. Dirk didn’t want to let his sister know he’d helped the Slayers kill two dragons, and his father didn’t want her to know that he’d set dragons on Dirk and his friends.

  “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

  Bridget folded her arms and harrumphed. “I will not. I’ll forget by then.”

  “Why don’t you get some toys for Brindy to keep her company?” They didn’t have dog toys at their house. The guard dogs got bones and leftovers from the dragon. They were happy enough with those.

  Brindy, on the other hand, assumed that all Bridget’s stuffed animals were, in fact, dog toys, and had turned any she found on the floor into piles of fluff.

  Bridget relented a little at this suggestion. She seemed to like the idea of packing up dog accessories. She knelt in front of Brindy and petted her throat. “I’ll let you have some teddy bears. Tori will be so surprised.”

  Chapter 33

  Tori stared at her cell phone in surprise. She was in her room doing homework and had opened the picture as soon as Dirk sent it. There he was, standing next to a German shepherd. If it wasn’t Brindy, it was a dog that looked just like her. What did the picture mean? Did he think Tori needed more proof they’d stolen her dog? Stolen and killed her? The picture of Brindy—her large brown eyes so calm and trusting—made Tori’s throat tight. And yet she couldn’t believe Dirk would send a picture to be cruel.

  Had Overdrake sent it? Was this his way of saying that Dirk had completely turned on her?

  Another message popped up on her screen. Brindy is fine. My dad didn’t hurt her. Let’s arrange a place to meet, and I’ll bring her to you.

  A shiver of hope went through Tori. She did her best to repress it. She wasn’t even sure if Dirk was the one sending the message, and now he wanted to meet somewhere? It could be a trap. Probably was a trap. But what if Brindy really was alive?

  She wrote back, Prove that Brindy is okay. You have twenty seconds to send me a picture of you with her begging in front of you. Say “treat” and she’ll do it.

  Tori hit send and waited. If it was Overdrake, he’d need a lot longer than twenty seconds to photoshop a picture of a German shepherd begging in front of Dirk.

  Fifteen seconds later, a picture came back. Brindy stood on her hind legs, paws lifted, looking expectantly at Dirk.

  Tori let out a gasp of happiness. Brindy was alive, and Dirk was the one sending the messages. Relief washed over her. Then she took a closer look at the picture and wondered what the white thing tied to the dog’s head was. A bandage of some kind? Why did it have frills?

  What’s on Brindy’s head?

  Dirk’s next message read, It’s a baby bonnet. Sorry about that. Bridget likes playing with her, and you didn’t give me enough time to take it off. You also didn’t tell me that after you say “treat,” your dog barks repeatedly if she doesn’t get one. I’ve sent Bridget to find something, and in the meantime Brindy is checking my pockets for treats. Charming habit.

  Tori laughed and wanted to hug the phone. The weight she’d felt all day was gone, replaced by a grateful giddiness. She wanted to bring Brindy home right now and never let her out of sight again. She wouldn’t even point out to Dirk that his father was a jerk for taking her. Not yet, anyway. Not until Brindy was safely home.

  She wrote, Take her to a shelter, and I’ll send someone to pick her up.

  No, Dirk answered, I want to see you. We’ll need to pick a place I can fly to while carrying a kennel without being seen.

  Tori’s giddiness drained away. Dirk not only wanted to meet her, he wanted to do it in some remote location. Not going to happen. Overdrake probably stole her dog just so Tori would agree to that very thing.

  How would I know I’m not walking into a trap?

  Same way I’ll know I’m not walking into a Slayer trap. We’ll trust each other.

  Small problem. We don’t actually trust each other.

  She kept her eyes on the screen, waiting for an answer. Five minutes went by, then ten. Was that the end of their discussion? She’d insulted him, so he was done speaking? What would he do with Brindy?

  She couldn’t return to her homework, couldn’t concentrate on it. After fifteen minutes of waiting, she wrote, Are you there?

  Still no answer. Another five minutes went by.

  She was about to type a plea when his voice filtered into her mind. “Tori, can you hear me?”

  He’d gone to the dragons so he could talk to her. That’s why he hadn’t answered. She wrote, I hear you.

  “Good. So you can tell by my voice I’m not planning to kidnap you or take away your powers. I just want to return Brindy and talk to you. That’s all. I’ll come alone. My dad and his men won’t know where or when we’re meeting, so you don’t have to worry about them double crossing me and hurting you.”

  He sounded sincere, truthful. She also sensed a bit of hesitation, had a feeling he wasn’t showing all his cards. But that had always been a part of Dirk. Maybe some hesitancy was part of human nature. People always held something back.

  She fiddled with her phone, debating how to answer. Was it safe to meet Dirk? What would he do with Brindy if she refused?

  Dirk went on. “I’m the one who has no way to tell if you’re lying. I can’t see your face or hear your voice, but I’m willing to believe that you’ll come without backup, that you won’t lay a snare for me.” He paused. “Although I’m not so willing that I’m going to tell you the meeting place beforehand. Here’s the deal. Tonight, after your family has gone to bed and you can get free, message me. I’ll let you know where to go. You can’t tell any of the other Slayers you’re doing this. They’d insist on coming, and I’m only going to show if you’re alone. Yes or no?”

  Tori hesitated, then typed, Yes.

  * * *

  Homework was a lost cause. She worked on it half-heartedly, unable to make it through her trig problems. Dirk was right. If she told Dr. B or any of the Slayers about meeting Dirk, they wouldn’t let her go alone, and they’d most likely try to capture Dirk. Without him, Overdrake could only control one dragon at a time in an attack.

  The Slayers had a chance if they were fighting just one dragon. They’d proven that. Okay—barely proven it. And maybe they wouldn’t have been able to kill either dragon without a little luck, but still they’d managed it. But two dragons attacking at once? She didn’t like those odds.

  Her friends’ lives could very well depend on whether or not Dirk was in play during an attack. And here was a chance to capture him.

  It wasn’t as if Dirk didn’t deserve to be tricked. He’d deceived them for years and tried to lead them into an ambush. But any attempt to capture Dirk could end badly for a lot of reasons. He’d be watching for it. He was smart and trained and probably half expecting her and the Slayers to pull something. He’d arrange their meeting in a way that made it hard—and noticeable—for her to deceive him.

  If she betrayed him tonight, he’d never trust her again. Any sort of relationship they’d had would be over; any hope of turning him from the path he was on, gone. And any chance of learning about her dragon lor
d side would also be lost.

  Tori wanted to know how to control dragons, needed that information desperately. Dirk thought that if she knew more about them, she’d change her mind about being a Slayer. If he trusted her, he might eventually tell her everything she needed to know. This was her opportunity to gain his confidence.

  Wasn’t that better than coming up with a scheme that would most likely fail? A bird in the hand was worth a dragon in the bush.

  She would go tonight, and she wouldn’t tell Dr. B or anyone else about it.

  She wasn’t overly worried about her safety, but she wrote two letters anyway, just to be safe. One was for her parents, telling them about the Slayers and Overdrake. The other letter was for Jesse, explaining her reasons for meeting Dirk. She sealed her parents’ letter and put it on her bed. They’d find it if she didn’t come back. She put the one to Jesse in the outgoing mail pile downstairs, addressed to the school. When she came back tonight, she’d retrieve it.

  That left one more thing to take care of. She’d told Aaron she would tell Dirk about him today. Tonight during their meeting would be the best way. She texted Aaron. I’m going to talk to Dirk tonight. Do you still want him to know about you?

  He texted back. Yes.

  Well, she’d expected as much.

  She went back to her trig, and waited. After a few hours, her family retired to their rooms and the lights went dark. Once she was certain her parents were asleep, she messaged Dirk. I’m ready.

  She watched her phone, waiting for his answer. Instead of typing one, he went into the dragon enclosure and answered in her mind.

  “Leave your Slayer watch at home. Drive toward Great Falls. Once you’re close, I’ll tell you where to go next.”

  Tori didn’t like taking off her watch, felt vulnerable without it, but she left it on her dresser and went outside. The house had two garages. One attached to the home, the other separate. She always made sure she parked her car in the detached one so if she had to sneak out, no one would wake at the sound of the garage door opening. She got in and drove through the security gates. They would show she’d typed in the code to open them, but she hoped her parents wouldn’t have a reason to check the log.