by C. J. Hill
“Hey,” Cole said, eyeing her from head to toe. “You’re up early.”
“Yeah, you are, too.” She considered trying to hide the chain, but he’d already seen it, and besides, she had nowhere to put it.
“What are you guys doing?” David asked, looking directly at the dragon collar around her waist.
“We were … um … doing some camp stuff. Metal working. Making chains. I thought this was a nice fashion statement … that doubles as a philosophical statement. Because we’re all chained to something.”
David stared at her, unconvinced. “Uh-huh.”
The Slayers had passed by and she knew she’d have to hurry to catch up. “So, uh, I’ll see you later.”
Cole raised one eyebrow. “Hey, you remember when you asked me if I thought anything weird was going on in this camp and I told you no?”
“Yeah,” she said.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
She laughed like he was joking, even though he probably wasn’t, and then hurried to catch up with Theo.
At lunchtime, Tori sat beside Bess, Rosa, and Jesse. As they ate, everyone at the table either talked about the events of last night or made guesses as to what the news had reported. Rosa was nearly beside herself with curiosity. She asserted that every news show and Internet blog must be talking about the dragon, and she wanted to know whether people were more afraid, fascinated, or—hopefully not—sad.
Wouldn’t it just be their luck if the government tried to find and prosecute them for killing a dragon.
Dirk sat on the opposite end of the table with Kody and Shang. Although Tori tried to talk to him a couple of times, he hardly looked at her. She wanted to tell him, “Hey, I figured out another counterpart ability. I can tell when you’re purposely ignoring me.” But it wasn’t the time for those sorts of observations.
While Jesse was busy talking with the others, Tori stared at him, concentrating to see what her counterpart sense could reveal about him. As it turned out, not much. Probably because she couldn’t untangle her emotions for him. All she really learned was that he could tell when she stared at him. He kept glancing at her and then she had to pretend she was actually staring at something over his shoulder. Like, hey, what a cool cinderblock wall.
Before long, Dr. B came in. His hair was a wild mess of gray and his clothes were rumpled. If he’d slept, it must not have been for long.
He set a pile of paper on the end of the table. “Let’s do a quick review of last night’s mission, and then I’ll give you the update.”
More than one impatient moan went up from the Slayers. Rosa put her chin in her hand. “Can’t you tell us about the news stories first?”
“We won’t improve,” Dr. B said, “unless we know where we need to improve.”
Grudgingly, the group talked about what they had done, hadn’t done, and should have done.
Tori felt awkward through most of the analysis since a lot of it related to her. When Overdrake captured her, she’d inadvertently put both Dirk and Jesse in jeopardy. But she had also came up with the solution to kill the dragon, a solution that hadn’t been in any of the Slayers’ drills or strategies.
She wondered how often life was like that, how often chance events decided the outcome.
The discussion changed to what Overdrake had done, hadn’t done, and where he could be getting his information from. The group threw out the same sort of theories they’d discussed in the van last night, but nothing explained the inconsistencies. If Overdrake had an informant in camp, why hadn’t he attacked before now? And if he did have an informant, who was it? Could one of the regular campers have come down to the Slayer camp without being seen by the cameras and planted bugs in the cabins that were so sophisticated Theo’s sensors hadn’t detected them?
Tori told them everything Overdrake had said to her, including his “Know thyself” remark. She hoped somebody would shed some light on his comment, but it didn’t make sense to anyone else, either.
“It was just another one of his insults,” Bess said, fluttering her hand to erase the subject. “I mean, seriously, Overdrake wouldn’t tell you anything about his source.”
Bess was right, but Tori still knew the phrase would rattle around her brain for an annoying long time. Know thyself. She did know herself and she wasn’t the informant.
When they’d finished with that subject, Dr. B gave them the first piece of bad news. “Booker went back to Winchester this morning to scope out the compound. The entire thing has been abandoned. We have no idea where Overdrake is or where he took the dragon eggs and the remaining dragon.”
Kody put his sandwich down long enough to speak up. “If he had another dragon, wouldn’t he have used it last night? We never would have won against two.”
“I doubt,” Dr. B said wryly, “that Overdrake thought you had a chance against one. And he can only connect with one dragon at a time. He probably didn’t want the liability of having an uncontrolled dragon around while he’s still trying to keep their existence a secret.”
Dr. B paused as though even he wasn’t sure this explained the lack of the second dragon. “Although, quite frankly, I always assumed Overdrake had children who would help him when he attacked.” Dr. B tapped his fingers against the table, mentally sifting through possibilities. “But Overdrake might be childless, or his children might be too young to help him, or perhaps they just didn’t inherit the right genes. Whatever the case, until we know differently, we have to assume he not only has the eggs, but another dragon, as well.”
Dr. B picked up the stack of papers he’d put at the end of the table. “As far as the news stories go …” He flipped through the papers, grimacing. “The local station reported the power outages and damage to electronics in certain parts of Winchester, but the major news outlets are ignoring the dragon story. Booker didn’t even get any calls requesting more information. Not from the news, not from the government.”
“What?” Bess asked. Her mouth remained open in disbelief.
“That can’t be right,” Rosa said. “Some people must have seen the dragon. They must have called to report it, too.”
Dr. B nodded. “A few dragon sightings were reported on the radio and we uploaded our video onto YouTube. The general consensus is that it’s some sort of publicity stunt or hoax and that people who believe in dragons are …” He looked down at one of the papers and read, “either a few boxcars short of a full train, or pathetic individuals who’ll claim anything in order to have five minutes of attention.”
“Who said that?” Kody asked. “I want to show them what five minutes of my attention feels like.”
Bess crossed her arms. “And I want to show them where they can put their boxcars.”
Dr. B raised a hand to silence the group. “The tabloids, at least, realize something strange went on.” He held up printouts from websites. Two proclaimed UFOs had flown over Virginia. A third stated that a terrorist group had done a test run of an EMP weapon. He dropped those onto the table and held up the last printout. “Only one tabloid used our pictures.”
Underneath the headline “Medieval Beast Discovered!” a picture showed the dragon, head down, sprawled out on the ground. It looked indistinct, as though the image was made out of imagination and Photoshop.
Dr. B dropped the paper onto the table with the others. “They ran the story, but since they’re also currently reporting on a horse boy and psychic vampires, I doubt anyone will pay much attention to it.”
Lilly put her drink down with a forceful thud. “How stupid can people be? They saw a dragon flying overhead and thought it was a UFO? How many UFOs flap their wings?”
Dr. B tapped the pile of printouts. “According to the Weekly Globe News, one. That’s part of their article. ‘New alien technology.’” He let out a tired sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s amazing how people see only what they believe is possible.”
Rosa blinked, her brown eyes nearly wilting. “So the government still won’t help
us. No one will.”
“Our objective,” Dr. B said softly, “has always been to see how many people we can help, not to see how many will help us.”
Lilly pushed her plate away. “Yeah, because we already know how many people will help us. None. Overdrake is right. People only care about themselves. Why in the world are we risking our lives for them?”
For a moment, no one said anything and Tori wondered if a lot of the Slayers felt the same way. They had all risked their lives last night. Any one of them could have died. In fact, it was only by a stroke of luck that they hadn’t all been killed. Was it too much to ask that someone out there at least care?
Dr. B rested his hands against the table. “Do you think you’re the only selfless people around? Would you say those sorts of things to foster parents, firefighters, or soldiers?”
“No,” Lilly said sullenly, “but at least they get paid every month.”
Dr. B straightened. “The reason we live in a free country is because enough people thought freedom was worth fighting for. The day we lose that selflessness is the day this country will fall.”
Lilly picked at a potato chip on her plate. “I’m not going to pull a Leo and Danielle. I just wish for once someone else out there would be selfless and give me a break.”
“One thing that last night taught us,” Dr. B said, “is that this fight will be harder than we realized.” His gaze swept slowly over them. “In order to succeed, we need every single one of you. And …” His voice dropped. “We need Ryker, too.” He looked past the group off into the distance and shook his head. “I thought for certain he would have contacted me by now, but, well, hopefully we’ll hear from him before the dragons hatch.”
No one commented on the likelihood of that. It seemed like a faint hope. Anything could have happened to Ryker. He could have died in infancy. But then again, that didn’t mean there wasn’t another Slayer out there. Tori had found her way to camp. Someone else might, too.
Ryker. Ryker. The name repeated in her mind like a prayer.
Dr. B glanced at his watch. “On to the next item of business. As you know, our location may be compromised. I have staff monitoring the surveillance cameras, but it isn’t a long-term solution. After we’re through here, I want you to pack up your things and take them to the van. I’m moving you to a backup location for the rest of the month. We’ll set up our spare simulator there so you can finish your camp training.”
Several people asked, “Where?” and “How far away is it?”
But Dr. B shook his head to indicate he wasn’t answering. “You’ll see when we get there.” He picked up his computer printouts, tucked them under his arm, and as he turned to go, he said, “Tori, can I see you for a minute?”
She stood up and followed him, feeling everyone’s eyes on her. He didn’t speak until they got outside. By then she was convinced he was either going to give her some sort of talk about how she needed to get up to speed fast, or he was going to tell her the van didn’t have room for all of her stuff and she’d have to leave some behind.
Instead of stopping outside and delivering a speech, Dr. B walked along the trail that led to the stables. “I’m going to see Leo’s and Danielle’s horses before we load them onto the trailers. They’ve both grown listless since their riders didn’t come this summer.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of carrots for her to see. “I try to give them extra attention when I can.”
Tori walked beside him, waiting for him to say more.
“Bane is much happier since you’ve come,” he said. “He was the despondent one in summers past.”
A wave of guilt hit Tori. She hadn’t even known the horse existed, and it had been pining for her. “He’s a great horse. I’ll give him lots of attention this summer. And I’ll ride Leo’s and Danielle’s horses, too, if you think it will help.”
He smiled at her approvingly. “You’re very thoughtful.”
She didn’t answer him. He was only being nice.
“Thoughtfulness is a necessary trait for a captain,” he said.
Oh, no. He couldn’t want that from her. “I’m not a captain,” she said.
His pace slowed. “But once you’re trained, you will be. You’re a flyer. The flyers have to go after the dragon, so they’re best able to direct the battle. The A-team needs you.”
“No,” she said, a feeling of horror rushing over her. “Dirk is the captain. It’s his job.”
“And he’ll continue to do it until you’re ready. I imagine that will take a while. For now, you’ll stay on Team Magnus and Jesse will train you.”
She relaxed, but only a little. She still had time to convince Dr. B that she wasn’t suited for the job. Lilly and Alyssa weren’t going to want her as their captain. Ditto for Dirk. “Does Dirk know?” she asked, but even as she said the words, she knew he did. That was why he’d barely talked to her since they got back to camp, why he hadn’t looked at her during lunch.
She realized with relief, and also with a surprising amount of disappointment, that her ability to fly had ended their very short romance. Dirk wouldn’t have romantic feelings for the girl who was forcing him out of his place as captain. He was the type who didn’t like taking orders; he wouldn’t want to take them from her.
“Dirk has always known flyers were best suited for captains,” Dr. B said. “His team just didn’t have that option before now. He’ll step aside graciously when it’s time.”
Right. Tori had no idea how to be a Slayer, let alone a captain, and Dirk was supposed to turn his team over to her? He wouldn’t want to do it. Not this summer, not any summer.
CHAPTER 44
The Slayers rode an hour through bumpy back roads to the new location. The cabins didn’t look much different from the ones they’d left, except these had bars across the windows. The new Dragon Hall was just a covered pavilion with a generator where a mechanical dragon could be hooked up. There was no shooting range, and the stables were so close to the rest of camp that Tori was sure the smell of manure would waft over. But at least they didn’t have to worry about Overdrake finding them. Not even the Slayers knew where they were.
The cabins were full of dust, cobwebs, and rodent droppings. A couple of bats had taken up residence in the shower stalls, and the guys seemed downright happy to find a snake lounging in one of their dressers. They threatened to keep the thing as a pet until Rosa launched into a speech about the dangers of venom and Bess swore she would personally kill anyone who lost any powers because they’d messed around with a snake.
When Booker arrived with the first horse trailer, Tori went to help him get the horses situated. Bane nipped at any horse that got too close, but he settled down when Tori took his reins and obediently followed her to a stall.
As she walked out of the stable door, she came face-to-face with Dirk leading his horse in. It was the first time they’d been alone together all day and for an awkward moment they just stared at each other. Then Tori blurted out, “I don’t want to be captain.”
He nodded and gave her a wry smile. “I’m glad you told me. I was wondering what you wanted.”
She ignored the innuendo. “You should be captain. We’ll just have to make Dr. B see reason.”
“Yeah, good luck with that. You might not have noticed this yet, but reason doesn’t change that many things in life.”
“We can still try. You’ll always be better for the job.”
He fixed her with a serious gaze. His mouth opened to speak, but then he shut it again, changing his mind about whatever he had been about to say. Instead, he reached out and put his hand on her arm. “I don’t blame you for this, Tori. You and I—we’re counterparts.”
It felt too intimate standing here with him like this. Their automatic familiarity could be a bad thing, she realized. His gaze could suck her right into its blue depths without much thought or effort on his part. “We’re counterparts,” she agreed, “but I can fly, so I must be Jesse’s counterpart too, right?”
Dirk dropped his hand from her arm and tugged on his horse’s reins. “I’ll see you later.” Without another word, he walked past her. She watched him go and had to stifle the urge to call him back. She wished she had been able to say something that made him happier.
When they ate dinner under the cool, wall-less shade of the pavilion, Dirk talked and laughed with the others, but not her. He only looked at her once. His eyes held onto hers with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. She could only stare back at him, trying to read the emotion in his eyes. Was it a challenge, a longing, or something else? He turned away before she could tell.
Jesse looked at her a lot, measuring her responses to everyone else. She wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t surprise her that he waited for her to finish eating even after everyone else had left. When she was finally done with her dinner, he walked beside her along the trail that led to the cabins.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said.
“Not here.” He took her hand and pulled her upward. At first she stayed on the ground, not sure how to transition into flying, but he pulled her harder and she moved upward, following him like the tail of a kite.
“Dr. B told me to help you practice flying,” he said, and led her off the trail into the curtain of the forest.
The sailed lazily around the trees, floating higher into the scent of fresh leaves. The wind tingled through her hair, streaming it out behind her. She reached out her free hand, caressing the air.
A rush of happiness hit Tori. She could enjoy flying now. She wasn’t fleeing from Overdrake’s compound or avoiding a dragon’s jaws, she was just soaring, like the times she flew in her dreams—but it was better, because Jesse held her hand. The world was lush and growing, peaceful.
Jesse made a sharp turn downward and then shot up. Tori laughed because it felt like she’d just come off a waterslide.
