Emergence of Fire

by Holly Hook

  “You want to walk?” Dirk asked.

  I answered by taking another step. My joints didn't move in a way I was used to and to top it off, I was walking on all fours. But I trembled, trying to keep my balance. If I leaned too far forward, I fell. This new body was too heavy for that. After a few more steps, I found out that the best strategy for moving forward was to keep my weight back a little. After that, it got easier.

  “Great!” Dirk said, sounding happy for me. “It's like learning the controls of a video game. Once you have all the buttons down, you can do it without thinking. Well, it's more like learning a racing game. I never played a lot of those, but you get the picture.”

  I looked right at him, unsure if I could smile. Dirk stepped back a little and for the first time, I turned my thoughts to what my face must look like and I turned away, taking the next step and managing not to go down. At least I was getting the hang of this.

  Was flight next? I could fly, right? There was no reason I wouldn't be able to except for witnesses. But in this cave that would be impossible. I'd hit the ceiling in no time. Even Adler wouldn't master flying around in here, so I settled for testing out my new legs. Dirk and I walked a silent lap around the entire chamber, circling back to the cave that held my parents. By then, I could almost walk without thinking about it, so that was progress.

  “I'm back!” Steve shouted from the other side of the chamber. “Sorry I took so long, but McDonald's was packed.”

  I faced him. Steve carried more bags than a normal human should, giving them all a bear hug. Even from fifty feet away I could smell more burgers than I ever had in my life. The meal was my mom's nightmare. Despite the lingering panic, my stomach growled. I'd have to eat in this form and even that amount of food wouldn't satisfy me.

  “Felicia walked a lap,” Dirk said.

  “Really?” Steve dropped one bag and stuck out his lower lip. “I've been doing that ever since I left.”

  “Dropping bags?” Dirk asked.

  “I left a couple in the passageways,” Steve said. “I'll have to retrieve them. Won't be a problem. They should still be giving off heat.”

  So I would have this vision after I managed to shift back. I lay down again, trying to put my focus on food instead of everything else. Maybe eating would help me get a grip on this magic. What was I supposed to do with it? I could feel it when I paid attention, but how did I channel it? Now it was a constant background noise instead of an occasional explosion. Dirk had brought it to life with one touch. He was powerful and I might even be more so.

  “I'm sure there's enough here for me,” Dirk said. “Felicia and I thank you. That order must have taken forever to fill. I'm glad I wasn't the cook.”

  Steve pulled up the yoga mat (now tattered from my unconscious struggling) and placed the remaining bags—all dozen of them—on it. “Dig in,” he said. “You might need to get out Felicia's food. Claws aren't the best for navigating fast food bags. And yes, there are four burgers inside each one. I left off the onions because those are gross.”

  I snorted. I agreed with that.

  But I didn't appreciate the reminder about claws. That made me look down at them again. They were weapons, black and shiny just like Adler's and they were mine. This came with the magic I needed to cure Sven. It was the price—and who knew what else.

  Suddenly, I didn't want to eat anymore.

  I just wanted to run.

  Dirk only took one sandwich for himself and unwrapped the others, leaving them on the yoga mat for me. I'd have to eat off the floor like an animal. That was degrading, but Dirk and Steve showed no signs of laughing at me.

  “You should eat, Felicia,” Steve said. “I know this is nerve wracking. It was for me, too. But you're doing well. It took me a whole day to figure out how to walk. A day. Aren't I pathetic?” He shrugged.

  I shook my head. So far, Steve wasn't a pathetic guy at all—just unfortunate. He'd been dragged into this and helping to keep my parents here. I looked toward their cavern and back at him with a silent question.

  He understood. “I called Mr. Macher while I was in McDonald's,” he explained. “He will come down later tonight once he's off the phone and away from the police station and he'll take them back to the farm. Well, I think that's what he said. It was hard to talk to him since the McDonald's was so full. A bunch of executives were in there getting dinner. There was no other place in town they could have eaten.”

  I snapped my head up.

  Executives?

  There were none in Olivia...except for one.

  “Felicia?” Steve asked. “Is something bothering you?”

  I nodded.

  From the sounds, Steve had gone into a restaurant filled with Mr. Olsen's buddies. No one else around here dressed like executives in public. No one else had the money.

  “Does McDonald's upset your stomach?”

  I shook my head. With my speech robbed, I only had body language, and I knew the limitations of that.

  “Repeat what you said,” Dirk told Steve. “Sentence by sentence. It's something you said. Felicia will nod once you get to the part that bothers her.”

  It sounded like a good plan. I hoped he hurried.

  A guy picking up two dozen bags of burgers was feeding an army or something big. And it would be obvious.

  Sofia might have refused to cook for the Society after getting blown off with her sighting story. The Society would have had to go out and eat with no staff in the house. Then Steve might have drawn attention.

  Steve repeated his story. I shook my head with each line, then nodded when he mentioned the executives.

  “So, suits?” Steve asked. “Have they done anything to you?”

  “Wait,” Dirk said. “Suits. What if they're connected to the Water Company?”

  “We never have suits in town,” Steve said. “They might have been inspectors or...do you know what? I think you may be right.” The man's face fell. He blanched and his jaw fell in horror at his mistake. “A Slayer stole the Water Company from the Mustersons, according to my grandmother."

  No longer did I want to touch the pile of burgers that Dirk had constructed. Slayers must have seen Steve placing the biggest order in McDonald's history. I got up again, searching for an exit and hoping that Steve knew one out. Adler's magic or not, it was possible to find the hoard if you were following someone.

  And it would help if that someone left a bread crumb trail in the form of dropped bags.

  I grunted, eager to get out of there. Dirk turned, making his armor squeak.

  But not before I heard voices.

  "Sofia, we need to turn back."

  "Look, we know we both want this. I'm taking a kill before any of those man boys do. Then you're free."

  It was Sven and Sofia. The twins were about to break into the chamber. They'd followed Steve and soon, I'd see him face to face.

  He was about to see the other side of me for the first time.

  And then he might try to kill.

  Chapter Thirteen

  "Man boys? But one of them is a woman girl," Sven said. "And this isn't what I want."

  Their voices echoed into the chamber. I couldn't tell from which direction they came. They must not realize they were about to step into it.

  "You get my point. After this, you can leave."

  "You want to get me kicked onto the streets?"

  "Sven, you'll figure it out. With that theatric talent—"

  "We're lost down here. There's something strange about these caves. It's too easy to get turned around."

  "This is the way that guy went."

  Steve backed right into me and stopped. He turned his head up at me as Dirk stood there, frozen.

  "Felicia, hide," he ordered.

  I looked around. The huge stone columns holding up the ceiling didn't seem too big anymore. None of them would conceal me for long. But I scrambled behind one again, careful not to mess up my steps. Dirk followed. What was Steve thinking? He ran and ducked behin
d a pile of antique tables, many of which were glass and full of a glowing green dye.

  Sven and Sofia's voices got loud enough for me to be sure they had entered the chamber. Adler's mind tricks weren't perfect, then.

  "Whoa!" Sofia shouted, voice echoing off the stone.

  Sven shushed her.

  I breathed as quiet as I could, lying low. What good was it going to do? I wasn't small enough to fit through any exits nearby and wouldn't be until I could figure out how to shift back. Sofia would want to kill me on sight and then Sven would watch, right? I wasn't Dirk. For all he knew, I was the one imprisoning the two people he meant to help rescue.

  Dirk pressed against my arm. Although the room was hot, his rusty armor carried the chill of death. And it was approaching through the piles of treasure and antiques. Steve didn't speak.

  "Take nothing," Sven said, trying to stay quiet. But sound carried down here. "We don't want to upset the dragons."

  "We'll kill the dragons. They won't care after that," his sister said. "Go back and get the others. I bet Father's wondering why we left. Leave a bread crumb trail so you can lead the others back." Somewhere in the chamber, an avalanche of coins sounded and armor squeaked as someone jumped back.

  My heart swelled at Sven's concern about the treasure. It was something the Sven I knew would say, and it gave me hope. But Sofia had turned to a sharp knife. Her need outweighed everything else. She could taste a new and better life.

  "You want to take the family honor," Sven said. "If you let me do it, then I'll share it with you. I'll make sure you have everything you need and you won't have to be Father's servant anymore. I'm not going back to the get the others."

  "What is wrong with you? They need to see what I've done here." She was closer, but I couldn't see around this massive stone pillar. I didn't dare peek around. Maybe the twins would leave if they found no one here. They didn't know I was lying here, praying I could skip the confrontation while waves of magic surged through me, unsure where to go. Though Sofia was much smaller than me now, she had weapons. I thought of her and Sven splitting targets. And if I attacked her, even in self defense, Sven would jump to his sister's aid.

  I couldn't do this.

  Dirk looked up at me. I nodded to the pillar. Being smaller and back in human form, he was less likely to get caught than me. Dirk got what I was asking, and he peeked around the pillar, moving slow to avoid making any metallic noise. He drew back and grasped my arm with both arms as if a storm were about to blow him away.

  Translation: Sven and Sofia had spotted him.

  "There's someone down here!" she shouted.

  "Human or dragon?" Sven asked. Something clicked. He had come armed.

  "Down here, probably dragon."

  "It could have been a prisoner," Sven said. "Let me check it out."

  "Move aside," Sofia said. "There are dragons down here. Right now. My Gem isn't lying."

  "You're right. Quiet."

  Armor clanked. Something clicked. Sofia had also come prepared. She had seized her opportunity, knowing the other Slayers would never believe her. Making noise was her tactic for bringing me out. An angry monster shouldn't lie in wait.

  My heart raced faster with each step closer. Dirk shuffled behind me as if searching for a weapon while Steve ran farther behind the pile of antiques.

  "Where are you?" Sofia asked. "I know what you are, and soon the rest of us will come down here and loot this place until it's empty." Her voice was shrill. Desperate. "Where—"

  Anger exploded.

  I stepped out from behind the stalactite, propelled by rage and heat. It ruled me. What was I doing? I was jumping right into what I feared.

  But too late.

  "Sofia!" Sven shouted.

  I froze as I got control of the fire raging inside. The twins stood between two stone pillars, only fifty feet away and right in front of toppled jewels and coins. They both gave off a red glow. Sven wore his chest plate and helmet while his quiver rose above his shoulder, packed with arrows. A sword hung off his belt, and he held a lowered crossbow. His eyes widened as he looked up at me for a moment, our reactions to each other matched. Sven had come prepared only to defend himself, right? He'd done that with Adler. But this was the old Sven. He might have let Dirk go, but I wasn't Dirk.

  He moved to stand in front of his sister, who had come just as armored and armed.

  For a moment, I'd wanted to attack them. It confirmed my worst fear.

  No. I wouldn't.

  "What are you doing?" Steve yelled at me. He stepped out from behind his hiding place and waved his arms at the twins. "What are you doing down here? None of us want to hurt you."

  But Sofia stepped out from behind her brother. She ignored Steve. I was the bigger threat.

  Sofia lifted her crossbow, having trained for this moment her whole life.

  I ducked behind the pillar as she fired with a deadly snap.

  Pain exploded in my neck as I stumbled back, losing my balance again. Steve shouted something as I grasped at the wound, feeling an arrow and snapping it out with another agony explosion. Heat gathered around the puncture wound as I took a breath, gurgling as blood tried to leak into my throat. Already she'd delivered a blow.

  And Sven didn't know who I was.

  I had to cure him now, no matter how much it would pain him.

  The bloody arrow clattered to the ground to lie beside the torn yoga mat. My flesh sizzled, trying to pull itself together. Pain dulled and ebbed away. Steve yelled at me to stay back. Dirk shouted at me to run.

  He didn't mention my name.

  Opposite me, Steve ran behind another pillar, taking cover. Horrible cracking sounds filled the air that took me right back to my pain. He was shifting. Steve would fight Sven and Sofia now that his offer of peace had died.

  The last of my pain vanished. I rubbed at my foreign neck again—it wasn't mine, it couldn't be—and felt no wound. But the infernal rage filled my body again, and I knew what I wanted to do to Sofia. Shaking, I listened as she came closer, armor clanking.

  "Where are you?" she shouted.

  "We need to go," Sven said. "That's a silver dragon. No one's seen one for a thousand years!"

  But his sister wasn't listening. "It might have your girlfriend down here." Then she strode out from behind the stone pillar.

  We faced each other.

  Her blue eyes filled with victory as she lifted her weapon, now loaded with a dozen arrows, and fired.

  I lunged against them, blind anger pushing me against the explosions of pain in my chest. The heat within intensified with each click. I snapped at air, eyes closed to protect them from crossbow fire. An arrow found its mark with merciless pain on the roof of my mouth. Sven screamed his sister's name. Armor clanked as I unleashed fire on her position.

  I didn't stop until the horror hit me.

  Stopping, I opened my eyes to steaming rock. No one was there. Sven had pulled his sister out of the way.

  I had come close to killing her.

  And then the full agony of a dozen arrows reached me, demanding my attention. My body heated around the puncture holes, trying to heal, but instinct told me to pull them out. More pain exploded when I closed my mouth. The arrow there snapped, leaving the tip in the roof of my mouth. Magic surged through every cell, begging for use.

  Sven had to know the truth.

  But he didn't exist as I pulled the arrows out of myself, begging the pain to end.

  "We have to go!" Sven shouted.

  "Let go!"

  "You'll get killed! Let me do this!"

  Armor squealed. I couldn't see them. All I cared about was ending this pain. They snapped as a growl filled the air—but it wasn't from me.

  Steve.

  With another crack, I dropped the final arrow to the floor of the cavern as a hulking, dark green form with black wings emerged from behind the opposite pillar, all mean and beast-like. Dirk cursed and continued to stand somewhere near me. Steve was coming to back me up
. He would unleash his full fury on Sven and Sofia. There was no holding back. Like Sofia, the man wanted a chance to shine.

  Steve's red eyes landed on where the Olsens stood. He charged, growling as one of them fired.

  "Sven!" Sofia shouted.

  My wounds burned and healed as I staggered forward. Dirk shouted at me to come back as Steve closed in on Sven. Now I could see them. Sven fired off his crossbow as Steve lifted a clawed foot and swung it down on the Slayer.

  I couldn't scream no.

  I lunged forward, but not before Sven sailed to the side and landed in a pile of coins, many of which toppled over him. He let out a grunt and dropped his crossbow.

  Steve glared at me, warning me to stay back. He would risk his life for me. He'd hurt Sven. Arrows stuck out of his neck, which leaked blood and dripped it over the floor. The fluid steamed as it pooled near the antique pile and stained table legs.

  But I wouldn't watch this.

  He'd hurt Sven and now Sofia would hurt him. With rehearsed precision she loaded her crossbow. I had to decide. Charging and leaning against another pile of coins to keep my balance, I swiped at Sofia. She leapt out of the way, causing me to hit her over the head instead of her torso. Sofia turned to a rag doll as she rolled and dropped her crossbow, settling against the same treasure pile that had buried Sven.

  Coins rose as he tried to rouse himself.

  I paused.

  Had I killed—

  Sofia groaned.

  Steve nodded at me. I knew what it meant. Let me take care of this.

  He turned away before I could shake my head, tail striking the antique pile and toppling tables. He looked between Sofia and where Sven lay as if determining who was the bigger threat. Steve grunted, deciding. The girl would die first. She was the one who had attacked me.

  Icy terror filled me and I couldn't move at first. Dirk swore behind me.

  Steve lifted one clawed foot and placed it on Sofia's chest plate. He curled his claw, opening her armor like a kitchen can. A squeal filled the air as she remained unconscious. Hatred filled Steve's eyes.

  If I didn't stop him, I wouldn't deserve to get Sven back. I'd be what his father said I was. Already I'd had a taste of that and I didn't want to go back.