by D J DuMont
“Come on, enough talk about summer, anyway. We have to make it through exams before we can think about what we’re doing over the break.”
And I have to make it through a Dragon Heart Agency investigation, Willow thought. But she only stared all the harder at her textbooks.
* * *
Two weeks later, Willow had taken her last final exam, and there was still no word on the Dragon Heart investigation. It had been strange to take all of her Dragon Heart finals without knowing whether she would be able to come back next year. The Dragon Flying final had been especially bittersweet. Willow had flown expertly on Cayenne’s back, and had earned the highest marks possible on the test. But it had been hard to celebrate when it was possible she might not be flying on dragons at all next year.
Alexis and Marcus were leaving campus, and Willow had eaten one last dinner with them at the school’s cafeteria. Marcus would be going to California to spend time with Alexis and her family, and Willow felt an intense pang of jealousy. She had long since gotten over her own little crush on Marcus, so she didn’t begrudge Alexis the fact that she was dating Marcus. But Willow was jealous that Alexis could have a boyfriend, and she was jealous of Marcus for getting to spend the summer with Alexis. But even in the midst of all her jealousy, Willow never wavered in her desire to stay in the Dragon Heart program. She loved magic, and the dragons, far too much to ever willingly give it up.
The afternoon after Alexis and Marcus had left, Willow wandered around the Birch Point campus aimlessly for a while. Almost all of the students were gone, making the campus unusually quiet. Willow finally decided to head over to the Dragon Heart campus and see Cayenne. Willow had been avoiding the Dragon Heart Campus as much as possible—anything to avoid running into the Dragon Heart Agents over there. But now, with no finals to study for and not many students to hang out with, Willow felt antsy. She had nothing to distract her from what felt like the impending doom of the Agency’s decision on what to do with her. Seeing Cayenne might calm her nerves. At the very least, Willow decided she should be spending as much time with Cayenne as possible before she might be forced to leave her behind forever. Besides, she wanted to check on Nutmeg. Cara’s dragon was still recovering, even though she was much better than she had been initially. Since Willow had been the one who organized the mission, she felt especially guilty that Nutmeg had been wounded. Everyone had known there were risks to going on the mission, but Willow still wished Nutmeg hadn’t been wounded so badly.
On her way to the dragons, Willow snuck by Sam’s supply shed to see if there were any coconuts. She found a huge bag of them, and snuck out enough to give each dragon one. She knew Sam wouldn’t be happy that she was visiting the dragons, but hopefully he wouldn’t be mad about the missing coconuts, since they were intended for the dragons anyway.
As Willow left the shed, she whispered “Concelo” and cast an invisibility spell over herself, just in case. She didn’t want to have to talk to any of the Dragon Heart Agents, so it was best if they didn’t see her. She also didn’t want to run into Sam while holding a bag of coconuts. He would know exactly where she was heading.
As Willow approached the dragon stables, she was relieved to find that no one else seemed to be around. She slowly climbed up the ladder to the walkway that went by the stable’s windows, and then said “Concelo deleo” to end her invisibility spell. She whistled gently to the dragons, but they had already seen her, and must have smelled the coconuts. All of them came running up to her, pressing their smooth dragon noses against her and sniffing at the bag she had lugged up with her. Willow laughed, and started handing out the coconuts one by one. She was pleased to see that Nutmeg was looking much better. Clove was in a good mood, too. Willow had told him a few weeks ago that there had been news of her father, and he had been happy ever since.
Cayenne must have sensed Willow’s downcast mood though. Willow’s dragon always seemed to know how she was feeling, and now, Cayenne nudged at Willow again, even when all the coconuts were gone. Willow sighed and wrapped her arms around Cayenne’s neck.
“I don’t know, girl,” Willow said. “Things aren’t looking good for me right now. I don’t know why the investigators are taking so long to figure out what they want to do with me and the other Dragon Heart students. All I know is that every day that passes, I worry more that the decision is going to be to expel me.”
Cayenne let out a low whine, and Willow instantly felt better. It was nice to know her dragon understood her.
“Listen, Cayenne,” Willow said as tears began to choke her voice. “If anything happens and they make me leave, I won’t be able to see you again. They’ll wipe my memory and force you to choose a new Agent if you want to continue working with the Dragon Heart program.”
Cayenne let out an angry growl, and Willow sighed. “I know, I know. You never want to work with anyone but me. But Cayenne, I want you to be happy, and I know that you’re happiest when you’re out on missions and having adventures. You weren’t made to sit still in a stable. So please, if I’m sent away, don’t feel like you can’t take on a new Agent.”
Cayenne growled again, and Willow hugged her tighter. “Whatever happens, Cayenne, I want you to know that you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You’ve taught me to believe in myself in ways I never thought possible. Even if I can’t remember you specifically, I know I’ll always carry you in my heart. The lessons you’ve taught me will always be a part of me.”
Cayenne whined again, then licked Willow’s face. Willow laughed as the dragon’s smooth tongue soaked her skin. “You’re just like a puppy, you know? But I love it. I never get tired of your kisses.”
Just then, Willow heard footsteps racing up the ladder to the walkway. She froze in place, worried that she was about to come face to face with Sam or an angry Dragon Heart Agent. But the face that appeared in the walkway a few moments later was one Willow was actually happy to see.
“Sylvie!”
Sylvie’s face was red and she was out of breath. “Willow! I thought I might find you here. Come, quick! The Dragon Heart investigators have finally reached a decision.”
Willow felt like her heart had stopped in her chest. “They have?” She’d been both dreading and looking forward to this moment. Now that it was here, she felt at a loss for words.
“Come on! They want us all to report to the conference room right away.”
Cayenne let out a low whine, and Willow turned to look at her dragon one more time. If she was expelled, this would be the last time she would ever see her dragon. She tried to memorize the way Cayenne looked, even though she knew it was a useless exercise. A memory wipe would erase any mental pictures she had of Cayenne. Still, Willow couldn’t help but try. She threw her arms around her dragon’s neck and held her close. “Goodbye, Cayenne. Even if they erase you from my memory, I’ll always keep you in my heart.”
Cayenne let out a low whine, but Willow let go of her and headed for the exit ladder. She did not look back again.
Chapter Thirty-One
The conference room of the main Dragon Heart building was once again packed. Anjali and Sam sat on the very front row, and next to them were Locke and Cara. Beside Cara were two empty seats, which Willow knew were intended for her and Sylvie. The rest of the seats were filled with Dragon Heart Agents, and the Head Agent stood at the front of the room in his full dress uniform, his badges gleaming. Willow felt all eyes turn to her and Sylvie as she walked into the room. She had never felt as self-conscious as she did when she was walking down the aisle toward her empty seat.
When Willow had sat down, Cara reached over to squeeze her hand. Willow squeezed back, and then grabbed Sylvie’s hand. They were all facing possible expulsion, and they knew they were all in this together. But Willow was in the most trouble of all of them. If the Head Agent had not believed her story about mental magic, Willow would be in a heap of trouble, even if she did get to stay in the Dragon Heart program.
Willow glanced si
deways at Anjali, but her mentor was staring straight ahead. Anjali wore her best Dragon Heart uniform as well, and her hair was pulled back into a neat, professional bun. Even Sam, whose hair was usually unkempt from running around in the stables, had brushed his hair. He looked neat and put-together in his Dragon Heart uniform as well. Willow suddenly realized why she had been “lucky” enough to find the stables so abandoned. Everyone had been heading here for the hearing.
At least I got the chance to say goodbye to Cayenne in peace, Willow thought. She felt like her heart might break, but she forced herself to sit tall. She had done her best to do what she felt was right. If she was going to be condemned for that, then so be it.
“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed fellow Agents,” the Head Agent began. “We’ve gathered here today to finally bring to a conclusion the investigation into Willow Ember, Sylvie Asher, Locke Nash, and Cara Moss. Thank you everyone for your patience with this process, which has taken much longer than we anticipated.”
Willow shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wished the Agent would just spit out his decision already. Sitting here listening to polite formalities was killing her.
The Head Agent took a deep breath, and then smiled down at Willow. When he smiled, Willow felt a rush of relief. Surely, he wouldn’t be smiling at her if he was going to tell her she was expelled. No one here was that cruel, were they?
Willow hoped not.
“Dragon Heart Students,” the Head Agent said. “First, let me put your minds at ease by letting you know that none of you will be expelled.”
Willow instantly felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Beside her, she heard Cara, Sylvie and Locke letting out huge sighs of relief. And when Willow glanced at Anjali, the woman still wasn’t looking at her—but a small smile played at the corners of her lips.
The Head Agent was speaking again, so Willow turned her attention back to him. She felt her heart pounding in her chest with excitement. She was hoping for more good news—about her father and about the search for Stein. But really, everything else was just icing on the cake now. Willow was going to remain a Dragon Heart. Her memory would not be wiped, and she would not end up forgetting Cayenne.
“We have investigated further into the secret tunnel you students found, and we have been able to find quite a bit of information about Stein. It is undeniable now that he is using magic capture methods, and using your father, Willow, as his source of magic. This is disturbing news, but the fact that we now know that this is what we are dealing with has been a huge help to us. For one thing, we have been able to confirm that the President’s assassination last August was achieved through magic capture and projection. Stein used magical power he stole from Willow’s father to attack the President.”
Willow sucked in her breath, immediately thinking of how awful her father must have felt that his magic was used to kill the President. It wasn’t her father’s fault, but still. He must have been devastated at the news. Assuming, of course, that her father had even heard the news. Who knew how much Stein was actually telling him.
“The best part about this, perhaps,” the Head Agent continued, “Is that the new President is pleased that we have at least solved the mystery surrounding the assassination. He has agreed to continue funding for the Dragon Heart Agency. Of course, we will have to make up a story for the public as to what actually happened with the President, but at least those close to the situation no longer have to wonder what really happened.”
Willow chewed her lower lip, hoping that the Head Agent would soon say something about the search for her father. She was not disappointed.
“As for Sigmund Ember, Willow’s father, we have renewed the search for him in earnest. He left other hidden messages throughout that secret tunnel, many of which have given us insights into what Stein is trying to do. As we suspected, Stein is trying to mutate the Dragon Heart Virus so anyone can learn to do magic.”
“He’s a fool!” Locke blurted out. For a moment, the Head Agent looked at Locke in surprise. No one had expected any of the students to say anything. But apparently the Head Agent was in a good mood, because he only nodded at Locke in agreement, then continued.
“We believe we’ve made progress in our search for Stein, thanks to the information found in the secret tunnel. We hope that progress will continue, but we want to pause today to thank you four Dragon Heart students. We know it wasn’t easy to go on an unauthorized mission, and we know you worried about possible expulsion from the program. But you did what you felt was right, anyway, and we commend you for that. You will all be receiving the Dragon Spirit award, which is given to Agents who make a significant difference in the Dragon Heart Agency’s cause by going above and beyond their normal duty. I’d say you all did that on your mission.”
Willow heard Locke let out a small but distinct whoop. He had been hoping for glory when they took on the unauthorized mission, and it looked like he was going to get that glory after all. But the Head Agent wasn’t done yet.
“And Willow, as for your unauthorized terraemotus spell, our investigation has determined that it was indeed a mental magic mishap. We believe that you have the rare ability to use mental magic, and we are going to send you a special tutor to help you develop those abilities. We hope that you will follow in the footsteps of your father and become one of the greatest Dragon Heart Agents of our time.”
Even two seats down from her, Willow felt Locke bristle. She didn’t care if he was jealous, though. All she cared about was that her name was cleared. She was moving on to the third year of Dragon Heart training, and she was even getting a special tutor. Beside her, she felt Sylvie squeeze her hand. Willow looked at Sylvie and smiled. She felt like she had just been given her life back, and having her best friend back was one of the best parts of that.
“One last thing,” the Head Agent said. “We are worried that Stein is interested in you Dragon Heart students for some reason. Perhaps he thinks that someone who so recently underwent the Dragon Heart Virus will be helpful in learning how to mutate the virus. We aren’t sure of his exact reasons, but we do know he has his eyes on you. For this reason, none of you will be going home this summer. Instead, you’ll be going together to a secret location to remain under Dragon Heart protection. With evil on the rise, we cannot afford to lose students.”
Sylvie gasped. “But…what will I tell my parents?”
“We will take care of your parents,” the Head Agent said. “We’ll make up a good story that will convince them your summer internships are legitimate. The important thing for all of you to know is that you’ll be spending the summer together, in safety. Oh, and your dragons will be going with you.”
“Really?” Willow asked, unable to contain her excitement at this latest news. It looked like she definitely wouldn’t be going to see Alexis this summer, but that was okay. Spending the summer with Cayenne and her fellow students sounded like the best possible scenario.
“Yes, really. The dragons will go, too. We are finalizing the location now, and we won’t tell you where it is until you arrive, for security reasons. But I suggest you all start packing tonight.”
“Sam and I will be coming, too,” Anjali said. “To keep an eye on you and the dragons. We might even do some special summer training, if you’re interested.”
“I always want to learn more magic,” Locke said. “It’s important to get as far ahead as you can.”
Willow would normally have rolled her eyes at Locke’s comment, but she was too happy right now to care.
“Finally,” the Head Agent said, his smile widening. “We’d like to invite you to an end-of the-year dinner. You’ve all done good work, and you deserve a celebration. Please join us out on the lawn for a special meal. You’ll also receive your Dragon Spirit awards out there.”
Willow was in a daze of happiness. She followed her fellow students out to the lawn, where they feasted on charmed food and Snapdragon Sap—a delicious juice with healing, magical qualities. Thi
ngs this year hadn’t been easy, but it had all turned out well in the end. Willow was content knowing that the search for her father was back on, and that her name had been cleared of all magical wrongdoing. She didn’t even care when Locke came over and started threatening to tell the Agency that her Golden Dragon Heart Award should have gone to him, since he had been the one to know about magic capture and the whole unauthorized mission wouldn’t have happened without him. Willow only shrugged at him and went to get a refill of Snapdragon Sap.
She was slowly growing in her magical abilities, and soon she would even have a private tutor for mental magic. She was also moving on to the third year of magical education. It was hard to believe she was halfway done with her Magic Degree. Willow hoped that her father would be found soon, and would be able to help her navigate her last two years. Even if he wasn’t, though, Willow could feel him in her heart, cheering her on.
The only uncertainty that remained was where their summer hideaway would be. Willow could hardly wait to find out, but no matter where it was, she knew the summer would be good. How could it not be, when she got to spend it with her dragon and her best friend? Life wasn’t perfect, but for Willow Ember, life was looking up.
There was magic inside of her, and she could do anything.
* * * Thank you for Reading * * *
NEXT in the Dragon Heart Academy of Magic Series:
Willow’s Perfect Storm
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