by Toni Kerr
Tristan covered his face. For a second, he thought Victor was implying he’d have a team of supporters. But maybe what he meant was, he’d have a team in place to take him out if he lost control. “Bad idea. I don’t want a team. It’s hard enough knowing you guys are risking your lives. I don’t want anyone else involved.”
“It’s too late, Tristan.”
“No, it’s not! I won’t even know these people. At least with you guys, I should hope to recognize you as a friend—”
“We’ll pass along your concerns,” Landon said. “See the Slayer Museum, Stop Being a Finicky eater.... What else did you want to add to the list?”
Tristan sighed. “Any research you find, I want it in writing. And I’d like it on paper, not on some digital thing.”
“Why can’t we just tell you?”
“I don’t want to forget, plus—” Tristan turned away from the table. “I might not always have you around.”
“So, you’ll take the information and run?” Landon shook his head, but added it to the list.
“I won’t take the information and run.”
“Next?”
“You aren’t going to like this one, but I need to find the Forest of Darkness.”
Victor barked a hearty laugh. “Like Donovan would ever allow that. Why would you want to go there?”
“Because I need to know stuff. He’s the only actual dragon I can think of who can tell me anything.”
“Why would he help you, and why would you believe anything he says? You have nothing to negotiate with and I’m sure he still thinks killing you could free him.”
“Maybe I can free him. I can experiment on him or Lazaro’s brother…take your pick. But at least the dragon is already dead.”
“You’re crazy,” Victor said. “And I mean it in the nicest way.”
“What information do you need that would make it worth the risk?” Landon asked.
“I feel like I know absolutely nothing about what to expect. Plus, it’s what Pink said about the whole hibernation thing. I need to know if I have any control over how long it takes. What if I fall asleep right now, and I don’t wake up for another fifty years? You could all be dead, except Donovan, and who knows what he’ll be doing fifty years from now. So I need to know how much time I have to get this stuff done.”
Victor and Landon looked too stunned to speak.
“Maybe I won’t hibernate unless I’m a dragon, and then I can avoid it altogether by never being a dragon, right? I mean…a person wouldn’t sleep for fifty years.”
“You can’t assume fifty—”
“Let’s look at bears. It’s a seasonal thing based on temperature and light, right? If we knew what the conditions are for me, Samara could help prevent it. Right? Samara?”
“Sleep is a required part of a life cycle,” said the disembodied voice. “The nature of something cannot be altered.”
Something. Was he no longer a someone? “Well, we know I won’t survive out there, and I won’t survive in here either if I shift and everyone grows old and dies. So either way, I have to work through this list as quickly as possible.”
Landon tapped the eraser on the paper. “You’ll survive fine if you can learn to recognize all the trigger signs. You know when it’s happening, and so far, you have been able to control it. So stop trying to stay awake, get some sleep, and you’ll have a better mindset about it.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“Well, it isn’t as hard as how you’re making it. Besides, how are you going to face Lazaro or that dragon in the Forest of Darkness when you’re half asleep most of the time? You can’t walk for more than ten steps and I guarantee Donovan isn’t going to let you go in your current physical condition.”
“So eat and sleep, like he said,” Victor scolded, though his tone had lost the hints of irritation. “We’ll wake you up in the morning. Nine hours and no more.”
“Fine. I’ll try bread.”
Victor retrieved a paper bag from the kitchen counter, then pulled out three slices of seeded bread. “Butter?”
“Is it…does it have.…” The idea of his food being alive made him gag. “No thanks.”
8
APPROVAL
SOMETHING DIFFERENT was moving through the forest outside. Tristan perked up at the sound of crunching leaves, footsteps cutting a path through the trees. “Samara?” he whispered, curious if she picked fall for this very reason, so he could be warned if anyone approached the cabin. “Who’s out there?”
Samara didn’t reply.
Tristan made his way to the dresser for a T-shirt and almost forgot to grab the staff on his way outside. He paused with one foot in the crunching leaves; the same warning system would work both ways, alerting outsiders of his approach.
He created a slight breeze to rustle the leaves, letting the wind circle the entire forest to make the same noise everywhere before he started walking.
Energy raced through his skin. He moved quickly into the deeper parts of the forest, until he saw Donovan sitting cross-legged on a small knoll.
“Not bad,” he said, keeping his eyes closed and his shoulders relaxed. “I suspected the room before you. Are you attempting to sneak up on me for a reason? To train, perhaps?”
“No.” Tristan stepped out from behind a tree. “Samara wouldn’t tell me who was here, so I just.…”
“Good. Perhaps dragons are curious in nature.”
“I’m—” Tristan snapped his mouth shut. This was not the argument he wanted to waste his energy on.
“Your maps are in that case.” Donovan jerked his head toward a thin metal box, large enough for the maps to lay flat.
“Thanks. Is that all of them?”
“I have one in storage with the museum items.”
Tristan took a few more steps forward, debating whether he should sit and get comfortable. “When can I see it?”
“When I know you’ve eaten a decent meal.”
“I have to see Dorian first.”
“Why? She has nothing to do with your food.”
“It’s none of your business, okay? I just need to talk to her.”
“Oliver forbids it.”
“So what? This is important.”
Donovan rolled his shoulders and neck, but kept his eyes closed. “Landon showed me your list. Dorian doesn’t feel like the highest priority.”
“You said it yourself; I need to start with the very basics. And in this case, it’s food. Do you think I want to wither away like this? I think Dorian can help me with that. And Pink. I would like Dorian’s help in figuring out what sort of flower she needs, because I have no idea how long her lifespan is, and I hate to think the pixies will become extinct a second time just because I fell asleep one day and didn’t get around to it.”
Donovan nodded, moving from his neck and shoulders to stretching his arms. “Very well. And what about Lazaro and this dragon? Are your motivations equally as admirable?”
“I doubt it.” Tristan knelt in the leaves and sat on his heels. “I need something from each of them before I do anything, and I don’t actually know if what they want is possible.”
“Lazaro believes you are unwilling to fulfill your end of the bargain, but I refuse to permit this meeting until you are in more stable condition.”
“But what if—”
“You’ll meet with Dorian first, so you can work out this food issue. Pink is not my concern.”
Tristan nodded.
“I’ll send Victor and Landon with you. Oliver won’t appreciate my presence, so I’ll remain hidden but available if needed.”
“Oliver doesn’t want me there either, so I should get permission to be there, or arrange to meet with Dorian secretly.”
“Easy enough. We’ll make arrangements for Landon and Victor, and I’ll keep Oliver occupied with a bit of cat and mouse while you sneak in.”
“When can we go? What time is it there?”
Donovan thought for a moment. “3am. S
o I suggest we wait a few hours. And, I would like to use that time wisely.”
Tristan glanced up from the ground, not liking the implications.
“Don’t look so worried.” A hint of an amused smile twitched on the man’s lips. “I’ve been compiling a list of warning signs to shifting and I think you should be aware of them. When we are out, if you feel any of these symptoms, we should retreat and head home.”
“I wouldn’t think retreating would be an option for you.”
“I personally wouldn’t. But you don’t seem inclined to aggression. For as long as I’ve known you, you don’t stand your ground. You run and hide until you know your options. It’s not a bad thing, per se, and it might even be what’s kept you alive all this time.” Donovan raised a hand to silence Tristan’s defense. “As time goes on, and you gain more experience and control, this trait might change. But for now, let us accept that perhaps not all dragons are vicious in nature.”
The agonizing weight on his shoulders lifted. “Thank you. That helps me a lot.”
“I still expect you to learn how to defend yourself and others, because you are loyal and protective. Perhaps even possessive.”
“I am?”
Donovan rolled his eyes. “I would have preferred not to label you so literally, but your inaccurate imagination and fears seem to be doing you a disservice.”
Tristan nodded, anxious with excitement and dread over the course of this conversation.
“We’ve been interviewing Pink about dragons. She says they do not rely on the use of power, although they do tend to camouflage themselves when they do not wish to be seen, which is most often. She is not sure if this is a power dragons have, or a natural, biological ability. I believe you did this when you first met Lazaro and Gram on the island, and I would like you to experiment with the idea and develop this skill as quickly as possible.”
Tristan couldn’t remember camouflaging himself deliberately, but agreed it would be a good skill to have.
“Dragons are simple, logical, and can see all the elements of nature quite easily. But they tend not to alter them in any way. You picked up the concepts quickly, but it never felt natural. Correct?”
Tristan nodded.
“We suspect the power you took on due to making contact with the gems is a crippling factor for you. It is not something to be ignored, yet you have no instinct for how to cope. So we either need to figure out how to rid these powers from your capacity, or you must learn to embrace it, even if it goes against your nature to do so.”
“Can I get rid of it?”
Donovan shrugged. “I know nothing of the power these gems wield, and my theories about your ability to cope may be completely wrong. There is no need to resist these powers, yet I find you constantly fighting this battle within yourself. You strive to suppress it, when you should simply let it be.”
“Let it run wild? It would destroy and kill and who knows what else. Look at what it did to Samara….”
“I cannot say. It is a lot to take on and only time will tell if it was meant to be controlled, or never meant to be consumed in the first place. That said, you’re letting your fears dictate your health rate.”
“I am not.”
“You fear that if you are healthy, you will have to start training to face these things about yourself. So you stay unhealthy to buy time.”
Anger stirred in the pit of his stomach.
“Meeting with Dorian sounds like a positive step, so long as it’s not just an excuse for a social call.”
“It’s not.”
“All right, back to what we know about dragons.”
Tristan took a huge breath and nodded for Donovan to continue.
“They may or may not know how to transport themselves. When Pink’s village knew a dragon was coming, they would gather on a mountaintop and watch them fly in. She has only ever seen one dragon, and remembers hearing they reside in caves, often collapsing the entrance to keep from being discovered. I believe this to be true, as it did appear to be a natural behavior when you were last a dragon, though we weren’t sure why you were doing it at the time.”
Tristan grimaced. The human body was definitely not designed to withstand the crush of falling rocks.
“They are quiet, analytical, loyal, and known as impartial peacekeepers among the races. This may be why they were chosen to uphold the contract.”
“How much do you know about the contract?”
“Very little.”
Tristan wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not. “What about this gift of tongues?”
“Perhaps you need to be a dragon to experience an internal translation.”
Tristan shook his head. “I couldn’t think clearly when I was a dragon, and nothing you said made sense. It was all yelling and—” his eyes shifted briefly and a cold wave of terror stunned him into silence.
Donovan didn’t appear to notice. “It could be that you were unwilling to listen to reason at the time, being in somewhat of a panic mode. Perhaps you should make a list of things to question the dragon spirit, if Molajah is no longer available.”
The thought of Molajah’s last words filled him with confusion. How would he know who to trust, if he couldn’t trust anyone? Was Molajah’s soul destroyed? Jacques? Were the ghosts in the clearing on his side or not? If the council was falling apart, where did that leave him? Was he being blamed? How much support did he have, if the dragons were divided?
He hadn’t realized he was swaying until Donovan gripped his shoulders, easing him onto a soft mat that hadn’t been there before. “I’m so tired.”
“Landon and Victor will be here shortly, then we’ll go see Dorian.”
Tristan nodded.
“It may not be in your nature to sustain so much power, but you must not let it build like it was. Small tremors are far easier to handle than massive earthquakes.”
“I understand.” Expelling so much energy had been a good solution, but a high price for Samara.
“When you feel physically shaky or mentally anxious, find something to focus on. Something that takes a great deal of energy.”
“What can I do that won’t damage Samara?”
Donovan shrugged. “She will help you come up with something.”
Tristan smiled. “So you admit the room is a she?”
“It does have a female voice. Am I correct to assume you don’t wish to eat before we go to Dorian’s?”
“Definitely.”
“I do not think a vegetarian diet is the right choice.”
“Why not? Lots of people are vegetarian—” Tristan’s eyes shifted as he gasped for breath, gripping the staff like his life depended on it.
“The teeth. Very sharp. Most likely designed for...meat.”
“I’m not a dragon right now, so just...let me have a choice.” He could only pretend he wasn’t a meat-eater for so long.
9
TAKING SIDES
ONLY A FEW moments of silence passed before Landon and Victor were letting themselves into Tristan’s cabin. Pink twirled in each corner of the room.
“That wasn’t three hours,” Tristan grumbled to no one in particular.
“Donovan’s checking it out now, and I’ll make the arrangements through Oliver if you still want to see her. We figure on catching them before Dorian gets into her routine, assuming she wants to see you. Will she?”
“I think so. But you never know with her.” At least their last chat didn’t go so bad.
“We’re hoping to go in about an hour,” added Victor. “It’ll give you time to shower and it’ll take that long just to get up the stairs.”
Tristan let his head flop against the back of the couch, dreading the idea.
“You do still want to go, don’t you?” Landon asked. He held out a hand for Pink and she settled gracefully.
“Definitely.”
“And you’re sure you don’t want me to make some breakfast first?” asked Victor.
“I’m sure. Thanks.�
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“All right then.” Landon opened the front door. Pink took off at full speed. “I’ll set up the meeting while you get showered.”
Tristan sat with his eyes closed until Victor startled him awake. “You really should shower. We have time.”
“I don’t think Dorian cares.”
“Well, you might care if you saw yourself in a mirror. Besides, it’s all about impressions. She might not notice if you do take a shower, but she definitely will if you don’t.
“That bad, eh?”
Victor smiled.
“Fine. But I’m not doing it to impress her. I just need to wake up.”
“Whatever you say, man.” Victor handed him a folded pair of jeans and a T-shirt. “I’ll wait here if you need anything.”
The shower helped immensely, and luckily, the excitement of getting back outside outweighed the lull of sleep induced by the hot water. They were halfway up the spiral staircase before he needed to sit down and rest. “Here’s a question. Why can’t I just transport myself up?”
Landon and Victor glanced at each other before Victor answered. “It’s not technically possible, as part of the built-in security of the structure itself, but you have managed before.”
“And Donovan said I shouldn’t let this power sit idle for too long, so....”
“It doesn’t exactly take that much,” argued Victor.
In the end, neither could give him a good reason not to. “I don’t care; I’m doing it. Wake me up when you get to the top.”
The instant Tristan transported himself, noisy chaos and swirls of furious blinding lights filled him with trepidation. Molajah? He’d forgotten about the maddening lights when being transported; the council yanking him away from his own reality while in the flux of transport. Where’s the falcon? Tristan called, not caring if it was Molajah or the council instigating contact. We had a deal!
Pitches and tones changed octaves and speeds until Tristan could pick up on a few words. No longer…guardian...no authority.
Molajah said he had authority. I did my part!
The voices seemed more stable now. You are bound by a contract to protect. We know your plans. Do not break the contract.
