by Amy Boyles
Amelia’s brows wrinkled. “Axel, a dragon stealer? I don’t see it.”
Cordelia shook her head. “I wouldn’t think the man so many of us have protected would turn around and do that.”
Betty stroked her chin. “He gets steady work as a private investigator. I don’t see why he’d need to do that.” She flicked her hand. “But more important, does his character reveal him to be the sort of person who would sell magical creatures? He’s a magical creature himself. Though there are always stories of folks turning on their own kind, I doubt he’s that sort. He’s got too high a standard to be someone who would do that. At least, that’s how it seemed.” She gave me a pointed look. “But what do you think?”
I shook my head. “But I just don’t understand. I can’t believe I’d be so mistaken about Axel, y’all. He’s one of the good guys—or so I thought.” I rubbed at a spot pounding in my forehead. “I don’t know.”
So many conflicting thoughts and statements. Axel was a good guy. He wouldn’t do this. Everything in my body screamed that was true, but I couldn’t just ignore what I had seen and how Hugo had reacted. There was something there. Something I didn’t understand—but Hugo had.
“If it makes you feel any better, we could spy on Axel,” Amelia said.
I grimaced. “I hate to do that.”
“How else are you going to know the truth?”
Cordelia glared at Amelia. “She could trust Axel and see how it plays out.” She glanced at me. “There’s something in my gut that says Axel is innocent. I know the dragon works on a different level than we do, and I’m sure he had a reason for attacking Axel, but I can’t believe that it was because Axel attacked the dragon.”
“I don’t know,” I said uneasily. “Axel had him in a rope.”
“You could talk to him about it,” Cordelia said.
“I did. It didn’t get me anywhere.”
Everyone was silent. The air seemed to thicken, fill with the uncomfortable truth surrounding us.
“At this point,” I said boldly, “Axel can’t be trusted. Not until we discover the truth. He’s helped us several times, but I am charged with keeping all the animals under my care safe and sound. Not only that, if Uncle Donovan sent Hugo to be my protector then I have to do everything I can to bond with this dragon and not betray him. I won’t put him in a situation where he can be hurt. I just won’t.”
“Axel’s never done anything wrong,” Betty said. “But I understand where you’re coming from. Everyone under this roof will abide by your decision.”
She snapped her fingers and shots of honeysuckle wine floated in front of us. Betty circled her fingers around the glass and lifted it in the air.
“The four of us witches will keep this dragon and you, Pepper, safe. If that means our friends are now our enemies, then that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Until such time as we have proof that Axel Reign is innocent, he is no longer on our list of friends.”
“Is that a written list I’m not aware of?” Amelia said. “Because I may need to take a look at it and make sure I’m up to date on who’s who.”
Cordelia elbowed her. “It’s not written. It’s an understood list.”
“Oh, okay,” she said.
“Are all of my girls with me?” Betty said.
Amelia frowned, but lifted her glass. Cordelia’s face twisted into a sour expression. I guessed her insides felt about as dour as she looked. But still, my cousin raised her arm with the glass.
It was my turn.
A wave of nausea flooded my stomach. I held it in, putting the pieces of the puzzle together. They didn’t lock, but I knew eventually they would and until that time it was better to be safe than sorry.
“From now on,” I said, “until the time that he’s proven innocent, Axel Reign is no longer my friend. He is my enemy.”
TWENTY-ONE
By the time I carried Hugo upstairs, the dragon was asleep in my arms. I told Mattie, who was resting on my bed, what had happened.
“Hmm, seems odd, sugar,” she said, stretching.
“I know. There’s something not right about it, or maybe I just don’t want it to be right. Perhaps that’s the problem. I feel like a fly stuck in sugar water. I can’t stop drinking but I need to get out before I drown. I know Axel enough to say it doesn’t seem likely, but there it is splashed out in front of me.”
“What? Some evidence?”
“Pretty much.”
“I cain’t say I can help you,” Mattie said. “I am, after all, just a cat. My experience in all this human stuff is limited.”
I smiled sadly. “I know.”
I changed into my pajamas and slid under the covers. “It seems like a terrible nightmare. Maybe when I wake up in the morning I’ll find that it was a dream, and the Axel I know is still the same man he was yesterday, but now he wants to date me.”
“You got the love feelings for him, huh?” Mattie said.
I choked. “What? Love? No. I’ve known him a month or so. Not love. But it’s a serious case of like, that’s for sure. Enough that my heart hurts knowing that he’d betray us. Animal-parts dealing? I just can’t believe it.”
Mattie yawned. “It might be like you said. Maybe when you wake up everything will make sense.”
“I hope so.”
I didn’t sleep well that night. I tossed and turned, punched my pillow and even flipped it over to the cool side about a thousand times. But rest evaded me. The only thing I had was a whirling, churning mind that offered no answers, only more questions.
Questions I needed to know the answers to. The first place to start was back at Hattie Hollypop’s. If anyone was involved, it was her. That much, I was positive of.
Well, almost positive.
But I had a serious inkling that she might be able to help.
On Wednesday, I made it to Brews and Jewels a little after it opened. I convinced Betty to watch the pet shop, but informed her that the first animals she was to guide patrons to were kittens, puppies and birds. She was not to sell the iguanas as first-line familiars.
And I thought that would’ve been common sense.
Anyway, Hattie smiled widely when she saw me. “Good morning.”
“‘Morning,” I said. I pulled the ripped sheet from my purse and smoothed it on the counter.
“This again?” she said.
“Yeah, you know I was thinking…and I’m not saying anything is wrong with the bloodstone that you used. Not in the least. In fact, I’m sure it’s incredibly powerful. But I got to thinking. What if—and this is a big what if. But what if your bloodstone is a bit too old to work well?”
Hattie laughed. “Impossible. The age of such magic has nothing to do with its power.”
I quirked what I hoped was an intimidating eyebrow. “Really? Are you sure about that? Because I was talking to my grandmother, Betty Craple—I’m sure you know her. Betty was telling me that over time a magical amulet could lose its power. It’s not unheard of, she said. And if there’s a witch I’m willing to believe, it’s her.”
Hattie’s face reddened. She gritted her teeth. “I promise you there’s nothing wrong with my stone.”
I shrugged, playing up the whole innocent role thing. “But how can you be sure? I mean, really? How can you know that? I just don’t understand.”
Hattie’s lips pinched. “Because I know.”
I leaned forward. “But how can you know for sure?”
“Because that bloodstone isn’t old.”
I tipped my head back. “It’s not? But I would’ve thought something like that was thousands of years old, passed from generation to generation.”
Hattie’s jaw clenched. “What I’m about to tell you can’t be repeated to anybody.”
“Never.”
I crossed my fingers behind my back. I hated lying, but this was information I had to know. If breaking a small promise brought me some answers, then so be it.
“I’m only saying it to uphold the reputation of my
shop.”
“Of course.”
Hattie’s gaze darted from side to side to make sure no one else was listening. “That stone isn’t thousands of years old.”
I gasped and clutched the imaginary pearls hanging around my neck. “It’s not?”
“No. That bloodstone was fresh.”
“Fresh? What do you mean?”
“I mean I have a supplier. Dragon bloodstone is popular so I found someone who could supply what I needed.”
I glared at her. “Are you saying you buy dragons?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m not saying that at all. I don’t buy dragons, only the after products. But I do know a person who trades in bloodstones.”
I smiled, knowing what was coming. This would be Mysterio of course. It would be him. He would be whom Hattie pointed to.
“Who?” I whispered. “Who would trade in such a thing?”
“I shouldn’t tell you.”
Of course, you should!
“Oh, I won’t say anything.”
“It’s just that you’re acquainted with him.”
Dread filled the pit of my stomach. She would say it was Axel. Dear Lord, it was true. He tried to kill Hugo for some sort of illegal bloodstone trade. I might faint.
“Barry the Dragon Tamer.”
I choked. “What?”
Hattie nodded. “That’s right. Barry the Dragon Tamer is who sold me the stones. Now, where he gets his dragons, I don’t know.”
I thanked Hattie for her time. I laughed bitterly. She didn’t have to tell me who Barry bought his dragons from. I already knew.
He bought them from Mysterio.
I walked toward the shop lost in my thoughts. I stared at the ground, trying to figure out a way to get what we needed. If Barry was the bloodstone dealer and he got his supply from Mysterio, how was Axel involved? Was he a second dealer? And was he connected to Barry as well?
All these thoughts swirled in my head until I collided with a massive chest.
“Sorry,” I said, glancing up and locking eyes with Axel.
“Sorry,” he murmured as he strode past.
What the heck? Was that it? No “hello”? No “sorry I tried to steal your dragon”? No nothing? Who the heck did Axel Reign think he was?
I looked over my shoulder, watching as he kept right on walking down the street. Axel didn’t bother to look back.
Well, if he wasn’t going to look back, then I wasn’t either.
From this moment on, I was only looking forward.
I got home that evening and sat at the dinner table in silence. Well, I was the one being silent, not everyone else.
Betty chewed the end of her fried pork chop. “What’s going on, Pepper?”
I sighed, nearly sinking my face into the baked macaroni and cheese that took up half my plate. “I went to Hattie Hollypop’s today. She said that Barry the one and only Dragon Tamer sells dragon bloodstones.”
Betty gasped. “Not Barry.”
I smirked. “Are you sure he’s even legit? Who has a name like Barry?”
“Barry does,” Betty said.
“You know what I mean.” I jabbed a macaroni with my fork and popped it in my mouth. “Anyway, Barry’s the one doing the selling.”
Betty stroked her chin. “Then we need someone to do some buying.”
Amelia blinked widely. “Who?”
“You,” Betty said.
Cordelia choked back a laugh. “You think anyone would believe that Amelia wants to buy a bloodstone? It makes more sense for Pepper to try to sell Hugo to Barry and then we follow Barry to see what he does with the dragon.”
“That may put Hugo in danger,” I said.
Betty nodded. “I agree. The best thing to do is have Pepper try to buy a bloodstone from Barry and if Barry doesn’t bite, have Pepper try to sell Hugo for his own safety.”
“That’s what I just said,” Cordelia grumbled.
“I know. I thought if we heard it twice y’all might be more likely to go for it.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Barry might disappear and then we’d lose Hugo forever.”
Betty smacked her lips. “Not if he knows what you want going into it. If Barry knows you’re going to sell Hugo he may have the whole scheme lined up. What I’m saying is whoever does some of the other handling could be nearby. I can promise you that Barry is not the one getting his hands dirty. He’s got too much to lose with his show. Barry is going to hand the dragon off to someone else. From there, we follow and see what happens. I think that’s our best plan.”
What if Barry handed Hugo off to Axel?
Either way, that’s what I had to know. I needed the truth. The truth would set me free, as they say. I wouldn’t have to worry or wonder anymore. I’d know exactly what was happening.
“Should we contact Garrick?” Cordelia asked.
Betty shook her head. “No. No reason to tip off the police. It might be nothing, though I bet it’s something. I’ll have their number on standby in case we get in trouble and have to call.”
Amelia jabbed a piece of pork with her knife. “My guess is we’ll find ourselves in trouble. That’s how these things always seem to go.”
I shrugged. “Maybe not. Maybe we’ll be fine.” I dabbed my napkin over my lips and said, “Okay. What’s the first thing we do?”
Betty’s eyes sparkled as she said, “First thing we need to do is set a trap. Pepper, get on the phone to Barry. Make the call and we’ll take it from there.”
I cringed. “But wait. If Axel is in on this, then won’t Barry tell him? That’ll blow everything because Axel knows we suspect him.”
Betty twisted her face until it looked like she was suffering from a serious bout of constipation. “Don’t worry about Axel. I’ll put a bug in town that you want to get rid of the dragon and not have to worry about him anymore. If Axel gets wind of it, he’ll be less likely to be suspicious.”
“How’s that?” I said.
“I’ll make sure it comes from the police. That way Axel won’t suspect anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. He is pretty smart.”
Betty smirked. “You just call Barry. That’s the first thing we need to do.”
“When?”
“Now.”
“Now?” I nearly screamed. “I’m not prepared. Not emotionally ready to take this on.”
“Well get ready because we need you front and center of this thing.”
I exhaled. “Fine. I’ll make the call. But when are you going to handle Axel?”
Betty shuffled from her chair and started upstairs. “In a little while. Trust me on this. Do your part and Axel won’t be a problem.”
I shot Cordelia and Amelia concerned looks. They both shrugged.
“Since everyone seems to be in agreement, I’ll do it.”
Betty disappeared up the stairs. I heaped a spoonful of banana pudding onto my plate. “But not until I have some dessert first.”
I called Barry as soon as Betty had reappeared from her room, having done whatever mysteries of the universe she had to perform.
I found a quiet spot and dialed.
“Hello?”
“Um, Hi, Barry. This is Pepper Dunn.”
“Oh, hi Pepper.”
Long pause. Nerves flittered about my stomach. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“No bother at all.”
“We had a situation last night. Hugo set fire to the house.”
“Oh no,” Barry said.
“Yeah, it wasn’t good. Betty’s threatening to get rid of Hugo, but I don’t want to abandon him. I want him with someone who cares about dragons and who will take excellent care of him.”
“Of course.”
I sighed. “You see, he’s grown on me and I just hate to think of giving him to the wrong person. I know you’ve got your show and all, and I hate to burden you, but I was wondering if maybe you knew someone who could help? Someone who wouldn’t mind having him? I don’t want m
oney.”
Short pause. “I can take him.”
“You can? I hate for him to be an inconvenience.”
“It’s not an inconvenience. I’ve been looking for a new dragon. Some of mine, though royal as they may be, are getting old and need to be replaced. I have no problem taking Hugo.”
I pretended to stifle a sob. “Can you take him tomorrow morning? I hate for it to be such a rush, but Betty’s been pretty erratic. I don’t know if she’ll let him stay much longer.”
“I can meet then.”
“Great.”
We agreed to meet in the same park where we’d worked with Hugo before. As I hung up the phone, the nervous pit in my stomach grew.
This would either go exactly right, or it would go very, very wrong.
I crossed my fingers that it would go right because there was less than twelve hours between me and go time.
TWENTY-TWO
I arrived at the park early—like an hour early. Cordelia and Amelia were set up around the perimeter. They had walkie-talkies to keep in contact with each other and Betty. Betty had managed to snag some sort of wire with a mic and speaker that snaked up my back and clipped to my t-shirt.
“Why aren’t we using magic?” I said.
“Sometimes man-made things are easier,” Betty replied. “Besides, if one of y’all gets scared, I can’t rely on you to use your magic correctly to communicate.”
“Thanks,” Amelia said pertly. “I appreciate the compliment.”
“Not a compliment,” I said.
“Where’d you get all this high-tech gear?” Cordelia had asked.
“I keep things,” was all Betty said.
“And we won’t have to worry about Axel blowing this?” I said.
Betty slid a finger over her nose. “No. We don’t have to worry about him.”
“Okay,” I said.
We got into place and I decided to spend a little time playing catch with Hugo. I tossed a ball and he flew after it, diving and turning in the air. His acrobatics made my heart soar.
We got into a good rhythm—I threw, he fetched to the point where I knew when he would ascend and then dive. It was almost as if I were in his mind. The connection linking us was so strong that I started talking.
