by Holly Hook
Dirk stopped fiddling with his armor. "Felicia, you're braver than me."
I couldn't bear to tell him why I was in a hurry. He knew I was with Sven now, but he didn't know about the memory wipe that I had to fix. "I can control the weather," I said. "Once, I made it rain, but right now the power's not there most of the time. I could fix this drought."
"Then maybe it's time to wrestle control from the Water Company and their outrageous prices," Dirk said. "The new owners doubled them."
I thought of Mr. Olsen. Yeah, he was the guy to do that.
What other businesses would he buy or take over with all this treasure?
What else would he do to the world?
"Maybe," I said, mind turning to Sven. I was asking Dirk to help me get back to him and to help get him back. I nodded to him. At least I was clean about it all. It would hurt Dirk, but it was better than dragging him along any longer.
Dirk got the drift. Steve hung back and backed away to check on my parents again. He didn't need to do that, but I sensed he was giving us some time to talk.
We walked along piles of treasure, each one giving off magical tingles. We'd have plenty of time to circle around the chamber. "Dirk," I said.
"Felicia, thanks for being there and explaining things."
"You deserved it. You've been nothing but awesome."
"I didn't realize we had this much in common," he started, staring straight ahead as he walked.
"Me, neither," I said. "But you also deserve the truth." My throat dried, and it had nothing to do with the heat. "I'm in love with Sven, and I know that's not supposed to happen. That's something I should have shared with you right away."
The sting of rejection filled Dirk's eyes—and this time they filled with a deep red glow. He was mature. Someone new. "I understand."
"Not entirely," I said. "I need Sven to stop the Slayers from coming down here and fighting all of us." That was when I explained the whole memory wipe thing that Adler had done on him.
And I explained that Sven hadn't wanted to slay before the wipe. As I spoke, Dirk's eyes got bigger with shock and his pupils dilated, but the red glow didn't come back. Shock ruled now, not anger.
"And once I mature, I should be able to bring his memory back so he can help us," I said. "I want no one down here to get hurt and I don't want Sven or his sister to get hurt."
"But doesn't she want to be a Slayer?"
"Tell no one. Please," I said. I trusted Dirk with this information. He was my friend. And I hoped that he would be for a long time. "We can stop her before she has a chance to hurt anyone."
"I won't," Dirk promised. "I'm not happy with everyone for hiding the truth from me. You're not like them, Felicia. You tell it how it is. I like that." Then he smiled at me.
And a new warmth filled me.
For once, I didn't feel like a dirty liar. But one secret still hung in the background and it was Jens. Once I brought Sven back, I'd have my ultimate test.
"I know this sucks for you," I said. "And I'm sorry. But Sven just happened." There was nothing I could say to take away the hurt.
"Well, dragons live a long time," Dirk said. "I'll see what happens."
It took a minute of walking to realize what he meant. Would he have a chance after Sven aged and died? The thought hit me for the first time. That would happen. Sven would die first, leaving me alone.
I'd think about it later. Right now, there was too much. "I have a favor to ask," I said. "Again, I mean. You must have a grip on your magic and you're supposed to amplify other dragons' powers. Could you do that for me? I don't want the Slayers to attack us."
"Why can't Adler just erase all their memories?" Dirk asked. Then he paused. "Man, this armor is uncomfortable."
"There are too many of them," I said. "I think she prefers to kill, to tell you the truth. It's something about her attitude."
"Adler? She only comes up to my chin," Dirk said.
"You haven't seen her other side," I said. "She's terrifying. And the Water Company has too many witnesses. It's the only reason Sven's not dead yet. And me. Her vow—"
"Felicia, I heard you and Steve talking when you were in with your parents. I'll help you mature," he said, sounding as if he wasn't looking forward to it. "If I know how. If not, we'll wait for my mom to get down here. And you yelled at them for me. I owe you for that."
"Well, you mastered the shifting part," I said. "And you don't owe me anything."
"I don't feel like I have," Dirk said, pointing to his armor as a few coins toppled down a treasure pile nearby. "All the mana coming off this treasure helped."
"Mana?"
"A video game term for magic," Dirk said. He let out a breath like he was debating on something. "Come on. I'm sure Steve will tell me what to do."
I followed Dirk back to where Steve stood. The man waited for us by the cave that housed my parents.
"You ready?" Steve asked. "I'm not sure if this will work. I'm no magic expert, though I've seen some things."
"We'll make it work," Dirk said. "Felicia wants her parents out of here."
"I know," Steve said. Then he faced me. "It'll be uncomfortable, I'll warn you right now."
"Painful?" I asked.
"Maybe the first few times you change forms," Steve said. "It gets better with practice."
"That's great." I gulped down terror. Once I brought Sven back, I'd have to tell him what I did. The old Sven would feel for me. He'd insist that I didn't have to do that to help him.
But this new one would want to kill me. He saw no other way out of this situation.
"Felicia, you should lie down on a mat for this," Steve said. "I'll get you one. Dirk, you can sit beside her. I'll walk you through what to do. I can't get a call out of here, but I imagine your parents are still talking to the authorities."
If only he knew. Heart racing, I watched as Steve vanished into the cave that held my parents and came back out a few minutes later with a thick yoga mat. Apparently, there was a supply room down here.
As if reading my thoughts, Steve nodded. "If Dirk didn't take long to figure out how to change forms, then you won't, either. I was the last example before the two of you, so my grandmother goes off that." The jealousy returned. It seemed Steve was the underachiever of the den. The errand boy, maybe.
I took the mat and rolled it out on the stone as the braziers all continued to burn with eternal fire. Taking a few breaths, I laid on my back and closed my eyes, trying to think of Sven's brilliant, understanding blue eyes and kisses of freedom. Just the thought of him did wonders to calm my breathing and my racing pulse.
Dirk sat next to me. "So, what do I do?"
"You can amplify her magic," Steve said. "It's easier to do in full dragon form, but that only works if she is, too. For now, you must settle for touching her arm, or—"
Dirk took my wrist and squeezed. His grasp was desperate. Pleading. He hadn't given up on me.
"There you go," Steve said.
"And now what?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt Felicia."
"She might black out while shifting the first time," Steve said. "That often happens. But she should survive."
Dirk gulped. "I didn't black out."
"That sounds reassuring," I said.
"It wasn't that bad," Dirk said. "On a scale of zero to ten, I'd give it a six or seven."
"Still not reassuring."
"Focus on the magic you feel around you," Steve said to him. "That's what my grandmother says works. Breathe in. Draw it into you."
"Are you the wise old man here to guide me on my quest?"
"I'm only a few hundred years old."
I breathed in, bracing myself.
"Feel it," Dirk said, tightening his grasp on my wrist. He breathed in, and right away I felt a strange, warm, tingling sensation.
"Now direct it into Felicia with each breath."
He breathed out.
Dirk's magic raced up my arm, higher and higher until it reached my shoulder. My bicep
cramped as it did, trying to fight the flow. But the feeling passed right before I cried out and the tingling poured into my chest, filling my lungs and surrounding my heart.
It was as if a spark reached a bundle of dynamite.
My body lurched as heat and tingling exploded in my chest, spreading through my whole body. I cried out. There was no stopping it.
Dirk let go of me. "This is hurting her."
"It's normal," Steve said. But he was in another universe.
I breathed in and out, waiting for the feeling to vanish, but it only intensified. Dirk wasn't even holding my wrist anymore. He'd set off a wildfire, and it had a whole mountain of straw to eat. The heat intensified until I was sure my skin burst into flames. I turned over, eyes closed, as a wave of dizziness washed over me and swept away the floor. Dirk yelled my name. He hated that he'd done this.
I didn't know where I was. All of existence had fallen away into a burning void. I turned over, clawing at the stone, which brought my consciousness back to the cave for a second. Flames filled the space behind my eyelids, roaring. A scream filled the air.
It was mine.
The roar intensified to an eruption. Supernovas of pain exploded in my limbs, spreading through my body.
This wasn't as bad as they said. It was worse.
"Make her black out!" Dirk shouted.
"I can't," Steve shouted.
"She won't survive!"
He was right. I wouldn't. The pain was too intense. A popping sound filled the air as my joints pulled apart. The roaring reached an impossible peak, and the fire screamed inside until a hand of darkness appeared in the center of my vision and closed in, spreading out and reaching for me like the hand of death itself.
And I forgot all about Sven and welcomed it.
Chapter Twelve
The aches and pains still dominated my body as I woke, but they were fading. I took a breath with the realization that nothing felt right.
“Felicia?” Dirk asked. He sounded smaller than before.
I tried to say his name, but I only managed a grunt that I didn't think I was capable of uttering. As I woke and climbed through layers of darkness towards an orange glow, more of my body came to my awareness. My limbs weren't in the right place. Neither was my spine. The yoga mat still lay under me, but now it was smaller, barely enough to cushion one of my feet.
Then it hit like a truck. I realized what had happened. Dirk had done it. By barely even trying he'd brought me to maturity.
“Felicia. Are you alive?”
I grunted again. It wasn't dignified, but it was better than nothing. A wave of terror rose inside me, but I held it down. I'd done this on purpose and for a reason. This was something I would have needed to face sooner or later.
I opened my eyes.
The chamber around me was still huge, but not quite as huge, and I could almost see on top of one of the nearby braziers. Dirk stood there, below the center of my vision and still in that awkward armor. Steve stood beside him. The guy was shaking and now he gave off a faint red glow. So did Dirk. My vision had changed a little. Their auras rippled and I realized it must be heat vision. I could see infrared light. There was no other explanation.
“Well, she's alive,” Steve said, letting out a breath. “I told you she'd pull through.”
“Felicia, I'm sorry,” Dirk said, stepping forward like he wanted to fall to one knee. “I know that hurt.”
I wasn't sure how to react. Dirk was legit sorry that he'd put me through that. But I had him to thank. As soon as I could get my bearings, I could get out of here, find Sven, and put an end to the memory block that was keeping him locked away.
But first—
Before I could think about it, I looked down at my hands.
I expected what I found. But a jolt ran through me at the sight of long, dark claws. Silver scales reflected firelight as if full of primal magic. Dozens of scratch marks covered the stone underneath me. I had scarred the floor for millennia to come. Blacking out had been the best outcome. Dirk hadn't had that mercy. Now I knew why he was angry with his parents for not warning him ahead of time.
Mine would have done the same.
They were laying in the next chamber, still asleep. At the thought of their betrayal, more heat filled my body, and I stood, shaking, claws digging on the stone.
“Felicia,” Steve warned, raising one hand. “You're not going anywhere yet.”
Dull shock ruled. I turned away from him and Dirk and tried to walk to the far end of the chamber to escape my thoughts, but my legs weren't working right yet. My whole body shape and center of balance was off. It was like learning to ride a bike for the first time. Instead of going somewhere to get my bearings, alone, I stumbled and fell flat on my face.
“Careful,” Steve shouted, running up behind me. “It will take you time to get used to this form.”
Now I knew why Dirk had such trouble getting over the fence.
I had...I was...and I couldn't even walk.
“Sorry,” Dirk said again, appearing to my right. My vantage point was still high enough to match his waist level.
I tried to say it was okay, but a grunt was all I managed.
Panic exploded. It was not okay. I was in a body I didn't recognize and even the silver shine and the memory of me and Sven on the beach couldn't comfort me now. I grabbed onto the thought of getting him back and stopping the coming war. It was the only thing that quelled the terror. Soon I'd get back to human form, head to the surface, and find Sven. I could use magic whenever I wanted now, right?
“Just lie down for a while,” Steve said. “No offense, but when you shift the first time, you're like a baby learning how to crawl. It's not fun, but it will pass. Your nervous system needs to get used to everything.”
“I think she wants alone time,” Dirk said. So he could read whatever body language I was giving off.
“It might be best if she sleeps,” Steve agreed. “I remember what that first day was like.”
How could I do that? I lifted my head to look at Dirk with what I was sure was panic.
Dirk's gaze locked with mine. “Do you want me to stay here?” he asked.
I nodded best I could. Even that was awkward, but my mind couldn't wrap around everything yet. My body had become something new. I felt as if I'd burst from a cocoon I thought was me all my life. I remembered a new butterfly I'd seen holding on to its cocoon when I was little. It hung off an olive tree, blue and beautiful but also fragile. I might be that creature, about to fly, but I could also could be a hornet that just burst out of another creature after feeding.
What would I do now? I didn't know yet, and that terrified me.
A part of me wanted to look at the rest of my body, but the terrified majority voted no on that. So I put my head back down and focused on my breathing and the windy noise the air made in my lungs. My senses popped. Dirk's faint red glow remained. Would I see this way even in human form? Would Sven have a glow around him all the time? I wanted to find out.
I had to get out of here and restore him, however that worked.
“There,” Steve said. “Just rest easy. You should gain control of everything in no time. Then you can get out of here and we can figure out what we'll do about the Slayers. Adler says we'll strike soon, but them stationing at the Water Company makes it difficult.”
“I think Felicia has enough to think about,” Dirk said. “And I'm starving. One of us needs to get food. I haven't eaten since yesterday.”
I silently thanked him. Dirk was getting Steve out of here so I could deal with this myself. Being a solitary guy, it was what he would have wanted for himself had I not showed up to help him get through the most confusing night of his life.
“You're right,” Steve said. “I can grab us all some grub. Felicia, you rest. I'll see if I can get you something, but the staff at McDonald's won't like me. Me and Dirk should be able to eat, too.” Then he stepped somewhere behind me. “The two of you should not leave this cave. It'
s very unlikely the Slayers will find it thanks to my grandmother's magic. Felicia, you won't be able to leave through most of the openings, anyway. Don't get yourself stuck. Dirk, even you shouldn't leave. The two of you might be mature now but you both still have time and experience to go before you're able to gain good control over changing forms.”
“I don't think I'm doing that ever again,” Dirk said, facing where Steve must have stood. “And I don't think Felicia will, either. We're both going to move on with life and pretend none of it happened.”
I nodded, liking his idea. Once I got control of this, I was out of here. Fixing Sven and stopping this war was all we needed. Leaving Olivia and seeing the world was still possible, right?
“We keep clothes in the cavern next to where Felicia's parents are,” Steve said, backing away. “Just in case Felicia can change back even quicker than you could.”
Dirk blushed. “Okay.”
Steve left, and Dirk faced me. “Well, we're even, aren't we? It's too bad I can't run a story about this.”
The panic returned. My pulse strengthened into a drumbeat and I felt I'd never get used to it. Steve's footfalls faded, and I looked after him to see which way he was taking out of here—likely the quickest way to the surface—and saw him heading almost straight across the cavern, right in between the two biggest stalactites that connected the floor to the ceiling. He vanished behind a huge mountain of gold coins.
And I also saw a back covered in silver scales and sporting folded crystalline wings and spines. I turned away, feeling disconnected with reality. I felt as if I were in a movie and watching this from some kind of VR headset and not my own eyes.
“Felicia, it's easier if you don't look. Well, at first. It's freaky, and it's just going to make you panic.” Dirk put his hand on my arm. Well, what used to be my arm.
I stood again, with more grace this time. Pacing would burn off some terror. It had to. I took it one step at a time. Learning how to move like this was vital just in case Mr. Olsen made it down here. I couldn't lie here while he armed a crossbow and aimed it at me. Then I could focus on magic. Now that I paid attention, I could feel it coursing through me like an ocean of tingles, just waiting for me to harness it. Talk about sensory overload.
