by Holly Hook
So that was how Adler was distracting them. The investigation would turn up arson for sure.
Now all the dragons of Olivia knew Slayers were on the move. Steve looked at me like he wanted to know what I'd heard. Dirk grunted again. He had a lot of information to take in even though I'd already told him about Adler and Steve.
"You know Slayers are getting ready to launch an attack?" Steve asked.
I nodded, feeling like I might kill Sven. No matter what I did, people would die soon.
"Adler told me what you said," he continued. "The caves are safer than you think. I may not have much magic, but the others have done a good job securing them. Any non-dragon will get lost and get turned around without a guide. Adler has spent years making sure of that. It's amazing that captive Slayer Adler found even got out of there."
I didn't dare say I'd led him out.
"But the Slayers may have other ways to reach the hoard," Steve said. "Especially now that they own the Water Company and have all that modern equipment at their disposal. Drills. Explosives. Access to even more. They're aware of possible mind powers. You and Dirk need to get down there so we can come up with a plan. Especially you, Felicia."
I nodded, unsure whether to feel better or worse. There was only one way to bring Sven back, and it was to face what I'd been dreading.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" I asked. "Let's go down there."
Chapter Eleven
Steve had to tell Dirk that the caves wouldn't be terrifying to us. "Dragons have an ability to navigate the underground, even when not mature," he said as the three of us walked down the spiral road as fast as we could without stumbling and falling to our deaths. "Most of the entrances are too small for a dragon in full form to get in and out, but the one at the bottom here will be big enough for all of us to fit."
That explained how Adler hid on that terrifying night. As I descended, I focused on the feel of Sven's kiss. It lingered, fake and genuine. Now that Sven had reverted to his former self, his taste left a tiny amount of bitterness on my tongue when I licked my lips. I wondered if a terrified part of him suspected what I was, or if the memory was still trying to push through.
But I was glad that Dirk was with me. For now, the two of us were in this together.
Steve waved us down to the bottom of the quarry and studied the sky above, which remained clear except for pale wisps of smoke. The barn was almost out. Dirk hung his head as if he'd had time to think about what he'd done.
"Your parents won't be mad," I told him. "They're glad you got out of there and didn't let the Slayers get to you." I turned to Steve and kept talking to keep my mind off what would happen. "So, I'm supposed to have a good ability to navigate the caves?"
"You do," Steve assured me, stepping towards a bare, stone wall with gravel gathered at its base. There were no openings in it. "My grandmother is capable of good mind magic, but she also has a knack for hiding things from everyone's sight."
He had that right.
Dirk looked into the wall as if he could see through it. Steve waved him forward, and he stepped through—yes, through—the wall as if it were a hologram.
"How did he do that?" I asked. The wall looked solid, but I could hear Dirk shuffling around inside it.
"My grandmother made this invisible to everyone except mature dragons," Steve explained. "Oh. You might not see it yet. Your powers are shaky right now.
I forgot about that." He had an air of jealousy in his voice. Steve didn't have the magic I did.
I had to close my eyes and walk straight at the wall. And I felt nothing as I passed through it other than the lack of sun on my skin and the cooling air. It was as if there was no wall there at all.
"How do your workers miss that?" I asked.
Steve walked in right after me, boots scraping. "My grandmother makes them avoid that area. She gave them false memories of a cave-in."
"She can give people false memories? I thought you said she could block them."
"My grandmother doesn't do it unless necessary."
I itched to tell Steve that wasn't true, that she'd made things ten times worse using her ability, but I couldn't bear it. Steve was a nice guy even if he'd helped keep me stuck in that shed. He didn't know how to go against his grandmother, the oldest dragon in town. Instead, I opened my eyes to darkness. Dirk's foot scraped stone again. I breathed cool, damp air. The caves. We'd entered.
Steve turned on a flashlight. "Mature dragons can see heat," he explained. "You may or may not be able at this point. So for now, you'll need this."
He handed it to me and I shined the beam on Dirk's tail, which reflected light as if the scales had a life of their own. The cave we stood in was tall enough to allow Dirk to move so long as he ducked his head, or high enough to allow a semi-truck to drive through. It curved into the dark.
I wanted to run.
But I was here now.
"What'll happen?" I ask.
"I'll take you both to the hoard," Steve explained. "Since Dirk and his mother can amplify other dragons' powers, if there are any, one of them can help you mature faster. That's after she deals with the fire department, so it might take time."
I hadn't thought about that even though I should have. We walked in silence through the cave. Steve and I cut ahead of Dirk, who had to press against the wall to allow us through. I couldn't read him well with him walking behind me, but the sounds of his footfalls conveyed confusion and an emotional storm. Dirk had a lot of things going on. First maturing, and then thinking he had a chance with me, and then me shooting it down and taking away the one thing that might make maturing bearable. If I couldn't get Sven back, I'd be in the same boat. Our friendship had a permanent black mark that would never go away no matter how much we covered it up.
The tunnel entered the Swiss cheese territory and narrowed further, giving Dirk a hard time. While I maintained a good directional sense of where we'd come from, as I had when journeying down here from the high school, I still couldn't see far down any of the tunnels. But the first heat wafted against my skin. Though I knew what I'd see once we got to the hoard, I didn't let that fact loose to Steve. As far as he and Adler knew, I hadn't freed Sven from the place. It had to stay that way.
"Felicia? I expected more questions," Steve said.
"The Machers answered a lot for me," I said, which was true.
"Well, if you feel the heat, that's because we keep braziers going down at the hoard," Steve said. "Our fire magic makes sure they never go out. I'm not sure if Dirk will fit through the tunnels to get down there, so if he gets stuck, he's just going to wait until he can shift back."
I gasped and then realized that Steve was just kidding. Dirk grunted. Are you serious?
Steve grinned at him. "Serious. Won't that be awkward?"
"Leave him alone," I said. "Dirk has had a strange enough past twenty-four hours. He'll have a lot to say when he can get back to his regular form. So, what can I expect? You have any new input for me?"
"Since you have a lot of magic, you might not be stuck down here for long," Steve said, back to me as he walked and turned a corner. Well, if two meeting corridors counted as one. "Even Dirk should be able to get back to human form soon. I took over a week to master shifting. But I lack any magic except for fire."
"But you're Adler's grandson," I said.
"Adler isn't as powerful as you," Steve explained. "Her magic got diluted in her children, and even more so with me. Your parents were so powerful the decline hasn't hit your lines yet. There's a difference."
"So if I were to have children—"
"They might have reduced magic," Steve explained with sadness. "And some dragons married humans due to the limited dating pool. Normal children always result. Occasionally, one of them inherits fire magic, but it's not common and the ability stays dormant in most cases."
So they were relying on me to carry on the line with Dirk. I didn't dare say that out loud, but Dirk shuffled his legs, listening and waiting for me
to speak. But I remained silent. What could I say? That I loved a Normal guy, a Slayer guy?
The heat intensified, and a glow illuminated the edges of the tunnel as we neared the hoard. Already, I smelled faint smoke on the breeze trying to escape to the outside. I imagined an elaborate circulation system in these tunnels that Dirk might explain. But he lay on his belly, sliding along behind us as we neared. My heart raced.
"I need to see my parents."
"Adler will release them once you've matured and can defend yourself," Steve said.
"But I need to make sure they're safe."
"We have them sleeping so they won't endanger themselves or you. Dragons only fight back when they're crossed and your parents are our friends. We understand when we owe someone and I guarantee you they're being cared for."
"They're sleeping?" I ask. "Is that Adler's doing, too?"
"No," Steve said. "Dirk's father can alter the consciousness of others. They've been dreaming and safe ever since they got here."
"The Machers held my parents captive," I said.
"Yes."
Dirk snorted from shock. He would not forgive them soon. Then he growled at Steve.
"Hey," I said to him, turning and walking backwards. In the semi-dark, Dirk looked scary, like a dragon on the cover of a heavy metal album or a dark fantasy novel. His red eyes burned with anger. "Please don't be mad at them. They only did what they were told. My parents will be fine. You'll see."
"You won't be able to wake them," Steve warned. "When Mr. Macher does, they'll be back in their house, safe."
"I hope." Part of me felt glad that Dirk was angry for my sake. Though I'd hurt him, we hadn't shredded our friendship. He wasn't like Tasha. She would have left me to the wolves by now.
During the past week, I'd forgotten how big the chamber was that housed the hoard, or how much treasure it held. Piles of coins ranging from old Roman ones to regular pennies towered over my head as I entered. The place smelled of metal and smoke, but it felt right. Dirk stretched behind me, joints popping with relief as he breathed in, nerding out. Eight-foot-tall braziers spat flames that promised never to go out. A fiery glow reflected off everything. I felt as if I'd stepped into a fantasy movie. Pieces of armor, jewelry, and bags of money all lay together.
And now that I was paying attention rather than worried about Sven, I could feel something new. A tingle swept over my skin. Magic filled this place and seemed to leak right out of the earth itself. Adler's explanation about the treasure supplying magic and life was on or maybe I could feel it more because I was getting closer to maturing. If there was anywhere Dirk or Mrs. Macher could amplify my powers and make maturity happen faster, it was here.
I'd saved Sven's life in this chamber. It was the moment that brought us together. And though all the braziers looked the same, I could tell that the one two rows over was the one. Someone had cleaned up the saw and chain, but I knew. The sense of direction took away any fear of getting lost.
Dirk sniffed a pile of gold coins. Steve smiled at him. "You can't blow any of that on video games," he said. "Did she explain that?"
Dirk glared at Steve, but it was more playful than not. He was coming around. Seeing the hoard and the world waiting for him was cheering him up. It was something that lifted my spirits, too. He was no longer just playing a game. The fantasy world had fallen into his lap.
"My parents," I reminded.
Dirk nodded at Steve. He meant business now.
"This way," Steve said, waving me through the middle of the chamber. It was bigger than I remembered now that I was studying it. The cavern was bigger than all of downtown Olivia and must stretch not only under that, but the countryside. Huge, natural stone pillars supported the ceiling as if massive amounts of water had rushed through here in the past. With the drought, I couldn't imagine that. There were ancient forces at work here.
Walking across the chamber took minutes. The treasure down here must be able to supply a few countries with cash for decades to come. The dragons were the wealthiest people in the world, and the Slayers wanted this. I eyed the ceiling, wondering if they would blast their way down here if they couldn't find this by exploring the caves themselves. At last, Steve waved me inside a smaller cave, one so low I had to duck to get inside. He turned on the light again and waved me to a carved doorway in the wall, making me leave Dirk behind. It had no door on it or even bars. There was nothing stopping anyone inside from getting out.
I followed Steve inside.
And lying on the floor on a pair of air mattresses were my parents.
Dad snored as his chest rose and fell. He was wearing the same shirt he had when I'd seen him last, and Mom still had two leaves in her hair from picking. They carried a faint outdoor and olive smell I hadn't noticed before, but it brought a tsunami of emotion into my chest.
"They won't wake?" I asked.
"Both of them will, soon, now that you're here," Steve said. "Well, when Mrs. Macher gets down here, she'll help you mature. After they wake, I'll insist that we treat them to a great dinner. I'll even have my guys help them catch up on the crop they haven't been able to reach. If my grandmother allows it."
Steve was doing his best. I liked the guy. "Thanks," I said. "How long will it take her?"
"Well, she has to go to the police station and make an official report, and then media from outside town will interview her, and then she has to call the insurance company before she can come down here." Steve frowned as I shined the flashlight on him. "It might take a while, I'm afraid. I'll get you another meal or two while we wait. And Dirk—well, McDonald's will never forget that order. They'll speculate about it for decades."
Dirk didn't hear because he hadn't been able to follow us into the corridor.
"Well, I want them awake," I said. "And I don't want them to see this. Mom and Dad don't want me to be anything they don't recognize. It might traumatize them." Would things get better between us now?
"They won't see. And they won't remember being down here or being captured."
I felt an urge to defend them. "Adler shouldn't wipe their memories, if that's what you're saying. That's not right. She's supposed to be their friend."
"It might be necessary."
"But friends don't do that kind of stuff to each other." I said it with so much ferocity that Steve took a step back. "I can bring back memories, can't I? Mrs. Macher said I might heal people when I mature."
Steve nodded, jealousy gleaming in his eyes. "Yes. You should, if you inherited the powers of your parents."
I thought of the silver scales I'd seen through Sven's spectacles, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. "Can Dirk make me mature faster? I don't want to wait." I thought of the Slayers gathering above and Sven trying to slow them down. He was on the inside. I wasn't, and the dragons' only solution would be to attack. I'd never thought my maturing could help us end this in peace.
Steve hesitated before speaking. He glanced down at my parents, who continued their slumber. "You could undo Adler's memory wipes," he said. "But that's not always a good idea. Your mother used to do that even though Adler was trying to protect her."
"I'm talking about my parents, the most protective people in the world," I said, only half telling the truth. "They'd never turn on me. Adler trusts them."
"There might be others," Steve warned. He gave me a dark look. "Your mother fell in love with a human knight who later turned Slayer."
I gulped. "I know."
"Well, we feel we need to give you the tale," Steve said, waving me out of the small room. He pushed past me, urging me back out into the main cave where Dirk was waiting.
And he was back in human form.
"Dirk?" I asked.
He now wore an old chest plate and iron leggings that looked like he'd fished it from a pile of antiques. Dirk was in the middle of making sure they fit and he had a horrified look on his face. My mind had to wrap around the fact he'd entered the cave as a bronze dragon and was now a scared guy trying
to get armor on right. He'd figured out how to shift back.
He faced me, flushing so much I could see it in the dim, fiery glow of the braziers. "I don't know what it is about being down here, but when I thought about changing back, I just did. It was like I could sense my human form again. You were right. Only, it didn't take a week. I don't know how I would have caught up on my schoolwork. Man, that did not happen." He was very freaked out.
"Why are you in armor?" I asked, suspecting the answer.
"Were you expecting to still have your clothes?" Steve asked with an evil grin.
Oh.
Dirk flushed harder and backed towards a pile of closed trunks with more armor mixed in. "You could have warned me!" Dirk flicked his gaze to me after talking to Steve. "This is not comfortable."
I couldn't help it. I laughed. At least I could talk to him now and have a real conversation.
"Then you must have a lot of magic, boy," Steve said. "We can all change forms, but it helps to be down here around all this treasure. It's why we wanted to bring you down here to mature. Usually it takes days to figure out how to do it."
"I don't know if I can do it again," Dirk said. "I don't want to do that again. But it was kind of cool after the panic wore off."
"See? Geek's dream," I said.
"But I burned down my parents' barn!"
"They'd rather have you safe than the barn intact," Steve told him.
"My parents are here," I interjected to get the topic off how I'd angered him enough to torch the wall. "They're asleep but they're safe, but they can't leave until I mature."
"I heard about that," Dirk said. "You told me." His tone got more serious than before.
"I might need help to mature," I said, pushing the words out as my throat dried. "For you, it happened on its own, but I can't use my magic and my parents are in a magical sleep until that happens."
