by Katie French
Suddenly, the boat skidded to a stop with the sound of gravel scrapping the underside of the hull. We had washed ashore on a lush, forested piece of beachfront. One that looked very much like Summers Lake.
“All ashore that’s going ashore,” Santiago said, stepping out. He took the rope from inside the boat, tying it to one of the posts staked into the rocky sand.
Ki got out and offered me a hand.
I took it, exiting the boat. Ki smiled at me flirtatiously before letting go. I had to admit the feel of his skin on mine was nice. A blush heated up his cheeks.
I let go as a flutter pattered in my chest. “Thanks for bringing me.”
He tugged at the tips of his spiked hair, still smiling. “Sure. It’s no problem.”
“Is this an alternate universe?”
“It’s a mirror island. A reflection. For the most part, the same as where we just came from, with a few differences. Humans can’t reach it. They can’t even detect it. It keeps us safe, lets us train and meet without fear of interruption.”
Turning around, I took in my surroundings—tall oaks and maples, a white sandy beach, stars shimmering on the lake. Except the faraway edges blurred with fog, making me feel that if I walked too far, I’d disappear.
“You can do magic?” I asked Santiago as he approached, brushing loose sand off his hands.
“We all can,” he said matter-of-factly. “Otherwise, you’d know about us, right?”
“I guess,” I said, my mind still reeling. I turned to Ki. “Where’s your dad?”
A dark shadow crossed over Ki’s features. I felt terrible forcing him to face his father after how nice Ki had been, but I had no choice.
“This way,” he said, hanging his head.
Santiago shrugged. “If Ki’s dad kills him, you’ve still got me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Comforting.”
Chuckling, he strode forward. I followed them into the trees.
It wasn’t long before we heard sounds of a scuffle. Big booms rocked the ground, and crackling bark made me think something was ripping trees from the soil. And we were heading right toward it.
Ki lead us along a path and into a clearing. What came into view was too stunning for my brain to process.
Ringed by giant pines, a grassy clearing spread across the forest floor as big as a football stadium. In the center, two dragons were locked in combat. The giant lizards, the size of two semi-trucks, grappled with claws and fangs. The larger of the two had shimmery black scales, a serpentine-like body, and short legs. The smaller dragon was brown with a broad head shaped like a shovel. Its features reminded me of a komodo dragon, while the other was more snake-like.
Regardless of their different features, both moved lightning fast as they clashed in battle. The brown dragon struck, latching powerful jaws onto the black dragon’s neck. The black dragon lashed its long whip-like tail, striking the brown one over and over with a loud thwap, thwap.
As they wrestled, they trampled everything in sight, tearing up the ground in giant trenches and toppling trees along the perimeter.
“They’re killing each other!” I said in alarm, gripping Ki’s arm.
He dropped his gaze to where I touched him, that smile spreading on his face again. Apparently, I hadn’t grabbed him with my ring hand or he wouldn’t look so flirty. I drew my hand away.
“They’re sparing. Testing their strength and blowing off steam. It’s nothing to worry about,” Ki said, watching as the brown dragon lowered its head, ramming his opponent. The forest shook and birds that were trying to sleep launched themselves into the air.
“Ki!’ A man came jogging out of the clearing.
It wasn’t hard to tell who he was. The older version of Ki made a beeline toward us—short black and gray hair, tan skin, and almond-shaped eyes fanned by crow’s feet. His clothes were simple—black pants and a tan shirt covered by a quilted jacket with a White Sox logo on the lapel. He wore Adidas sneakers I’d seen kids wear in class. For some reason, I was expecting an ancient Chinese Kungfu master, but that was just a stereotype I’d concocted. A blush burned into my cheeks, but dropped away when I saw how furious he was.
“Get her out of here!” Ki’s father yelled, gesturing wildly. “Ki, get her out now!”
Ki froze. Santiago seemed to blend into the trees. Even the two sparing dragons stopped to swivel their giant heads in our direction.
“Hello, uh, sir. My name is Lila, and I wanted to—”
“I know who you are,” he snapped, veins on his neck pulsing. “And you cannot be here.” His furious face twisted in Ki’s direction. “Do you know what Tara Palmer will do to us if she finds out? We’re in her territory. We can’t even channel full power here. What were you thinking? I told you no.”
“Baba, I know what you said, but she needs our help,” Ki begged, but his father just shook his head.
“She needs to mind her own business,” Ki’s father said. “Tara Palmer said she’d return the girl’s father once she has finished her experiments.”
“What experiments?” I asked.
He jabbed his finger back toward the beach. “Take her home. And make sure she stays away from Barimont Bay!”
“Sir,” I started, but the man shook his head and stalked away. He made a twirling gesture with his hands, and the dragons followed him deeper into the trees.
Ki, Santiago, and I were left alone in the damaged clearing.
“I’m sorry, Lila,” Ki said, shaking his head, hands in his pockets. “He’s stubborn and pigheaded, but he means well. Tara Palmer is a real bitch, but my dad is right, our den and Santiago’s can’t go up against Deeploch on their turf. We draw power from our own beacons, and your lighthouse is theirs.”
“It’s a lost cause, I guess,” Santiago said. “Best to just go home and wait it out. Do you have cable? HBO?”
“It’s not a lost cause,” I said, smiling.
Both boys stared at me.
“You called me dumb, but don’t you see? He told us where to go.” I grinned, feeling the weight of the sword on my back.
“Who’s up for a trip to Barimont Bay?”
Chapter Eighteen
The trip back to Summers Lake seemed to take four times as long as the trip to the mirror island. The fog was never-ending, and the silence between us unbearable. When we finally neared the shore, I hopped off the boat without waiting to hit the sand. I landed in the water, turning my tennis shoes into a soupy mess, but I didn’t care. There was only one track in my mind: getting to Barimont Bay.
I ran up the moonlit beachfront, the wooden stairs that lead away from the beach, and gravel pathway at a full pelt. As I reached my Mustang, I pulled out the keys from my pocket and opened the door just to have Ki slam it shut. His hand lay flat on the window, holding the door closed. I blinked, taking a step back.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
Ki wedged himself between the car and me. “I can’t let you go.”
It was clear to see it pained him to stand in my way. He couldn’t look me in the eye.
“Get out of my way,” I said in a cold, emotionless tone that scared even me.
“You don’t know what you’re doing, Lila.”
“And whose fault is that?” I asked.
Gravel crunched behind me. I angled my body to make sure I could keep an eye on both dragon shifters.
“We tried,” Santiago said. “But you heard Ki’s father. We can’t allow you to go to Barimont Bay unless we want to start World War Dragon.”
“This is wrong,” I said. “And you’re allowing it to happen.”
A muscle jumped in Ki’s jaw as he audibly ground his teeth.
I’d hit a nerve, so I decided to pluck it some more. “Sam’s death is on you. The experiments Tara Palmer is running are on you, too. You’re as guilty as she is, and you’re going to dragon hell, or wherever, for what you’ve done.”
“There’s no such place,” Santiago pointed out nonchalantly. “Just so
you know.”
I ignored him.
“Move, if you’re not going to help,” I ordered Ki.
He lowered his head ever so slightly, looking more conflicted than before. For a moment, I thought he would step aside and let me go, but he squared his shoulders and met my gaze with determination.
“You don’t know what a war between dragons would be like,” he said. “Risking a few lives is worth avoiding what would come if you interfere.”
“You would kill my father then?” I spat.
Ki sucked in air through his teeth and shook his head. His eyes said “no, I would never do that,” but his feet were planted firmly as he continued to block me.
“I can tell you’re torn, Ki,” I said, “but what I need right now is whole. Sorry about this, but you’ve left me no choice.” I lunged in his direction, gripped his wrist, and squeezed.
Obeying my command, the ring ignited. Power coursed through me, the same way it had when I’d gripped Tom’s arm, like I was tapped into an electrical current that didn’t hurt me, only what I was touching. Ki’s body spasmed as he fell to his knees.
Santiago jumped forward and yanked me back by the shoulders. “You’re gonna kill him!”
I broke out of his grip and turned on him, trying to ignore Ki’s squirming figure on the ground. Remorse weighed heavily on me, but this was Dad we were talking about. Thrusting my hand forward, I threatened Santiago. He jumped back, eyes wide.
“Don’t be like that,” he said, putting on a rakish, albeit wary smile. “I don’t care how cute you are. If you zap me, I will have to take you out.”
The grin totally worked on him, making him look devilish and dangerously fun at the same time, but this was not the time for flirting. He threw a quick, worried glance in Ki’s direction, then put his hands up and inched tentatively toward his dragon friend.
I started toward the Mustang as Santiago knelt by Ki.
Ki’s black scales rippled on and off down one side of his body, light shining through them as if his insides were on fire. His head was thrown back, and his spine arched at an impossible angle.
Dread filled my chest. What had I done?
Santiago laid a hand on Ki’s chest and another one on his forehead. “Hey, hey!”
Ki’s eyes stopped swiveling and found Santiago’s.
“You need to shift, dude,” Santiago said. “Scales, horns, and all. Bring them on.”
Ki shook his head, looking scared.
“It’s okay. No one’s around,” Santiago reassured him. “It’s not like you hate doing it, and you’ll feel like new.”
I reached for the door handle, knowing I should leave but too mesmerized to do more than gawk. Besides, I wanted to make sure Ki was okay.
As if a tiny earthquake were originating at his core, Ki’s body began to tremble. His black pants ripped down the length of his legs. His cotton shirt stretched and then tore down his back as tall spikes protruded along his spine. He got on all fours as his hands turned to talons and his sneakers tore apart and fell off in shreds. Wings, a tail, and horns followed, until Ki, the boy with the sweet disposition, had transformed into the fierce creature of my childhood imaginings.
He was magnificent.
Armored with black scales that gave out a deep purple sheen in the light, he shimmered. His tail was long and graceful, tapering to an arrow point. His bat-like wings opened, expanding and blocking the moonlight. He stretched his long neck toward the sky with obvious relief, then his black eyes darted in my direction.
Hesitating no more, I jumped into the car and tore out of the driveway, tires spinning in the gravel. In my rearview mirror, I witnessed Santiago explode into his dragon shape. I wanted to stop and drink in every detail of his altered form, but Barimont Bay was waiting for me.
I had my ring, and I was intent on wrapping my hands around Tara Palmer’s neck.
Fifteen minutes later, I skidded to a stop at the edge of Barimont National Park. The pier and the bay itself were five more minutes down the road but, if I was looking for a cave, I doubted it would be near the water. Or would it? The Warden’s Lair—as I’d come to think of the space beneath the lighthouse—came to mind.
The engine idled while I fought my indecision. Where should I look? I held my hand in the direction of the forest, hoping for a signal from the ring. Nothing. God, I so needed to learn how to use these warden tools.
I closed my eyes, trying to focus. The image of Tom’s slick dragon body submerging and disappearing under the pool in the Warden’s Lair flashed inside my head.
Opening my eyes and clutching the wheel with both hands, I stepped on the gas.
The water it is.
Five minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of Barimont Pier, a beautiful place with clear water and a sparkling rock bottom. I’d been here several times during the day, and I had witnessed the radiant blue, the exact shade of Tom’s eyes.
I got out of the car and surveyed the night sky. Stars twinkled like gems, reflecting off the water. The ring warmed. My gaze darted across the rocky beach as I wondered how I would find passage to the dragon side of this bay. Was there another mirror island? Did I need a boat?
I made my way down the rocks until I reached the narrow beach where there was barely enough room to walk without getting licked by the waves. I headed away from the pier but, after several steps, the ring grew cold.
“Okay, the other way. At least this time, you’re cooperating.” I retraced my steps.
The sound of my own voice soothed me. The night was too quiet, even the water seemed to hold its breath, as if it knew a storm was coming.
As I neared the pier, the ring started to deliver intermittent flashes of heat. A warning. The pier’s huge shadow split the sand in two. Hesitant, I stopped at the edge of the outline. My heart thumped, making me feel like an idiot. I was afraid of cutting across a shadow, like one of those people who freaked at the sight of a black cat.
This was why I’d come—to find something that didn’t want to be found.
With a deep inhale, I walked under the pier.
The shadow fell over me, obscuring the moon and the stars. I waited for the sand to suck me in, or a wave to wrap around my ankles and pull me under, but nothing happened.
I kept going until I came out on the other side, unscathed.
The ring stopped its insistent throbbing.
“Really?” I growled at the stupid thing. “You suck! You know that? At least you could try to make some sense. It’s not like—”
Something wet and cold suddenly wrapped around my ankle.
I looked down to see a scale-covered tail wrapped around me. Oh, shit.
My feet left the ground. I punched at the tail, but it was like beating on a brick wall. The world swirled past me as I was lifted higher. My arms flew up as items fell from my pockets. My hands scrambled to grasp the large ropelike appendages squeezing the life out of my ankle.
My hand. The ring!
I laid my open palm on the hard scales, willing the ring to attack. My hand lit up as if on fire.
Yes! I waited for the dragon to writhe, and cry in agony.
Nothing happened. The ring had no effect on the dragon.
I thrashed, arching my back and wiggling, to no avail. The dragon let me fight for a moment, then chuckled as my strength waned.
Slowly, the dragon twisted its tail so I could finally see its face, albeit upside down. I stared into the terrible visage in horror. Where I had thought Tom and Ki’s dragon forms were magnificent, the only word I had for this one was hideous. My limbs went limp from fear.
The huge head—all I could see from the narrow, up-close angle—was twice as big as Tom’s. The snout was thick with large nostrils that glowed as if ready to snort out jets of fire and burn me to a crisp. Horns in different sizes protruded from various places. The largest sprang from the sides of the head, curving outward and tapering into sharp tips. Smaller ones poked from the animal’s jaws, and two others from the cen
ter of the forehead and tip of the snout, reminding me of a rhinoceros. Its slitted eyes glowed red under a heavy brow of layered scales of the darkest blue.
The creature’s maw opened, revealing two rows of jagged teeth of different sizes, the largest about the length of my hand.
I shivered as the creature drew nearer, bathing me with a sharp, sulfuric smell. Throwing my head back, I arched my spine as far as it would go and held my breath. A forked tongue tasted the air, almost licking the side of my face.
The dragon spoke with a gravelly voice. “You should have stayed away as I warned you, Dragon Warden.” The last two words dripped with mockery. “I couldn’t touch you before, but now that you’ve invaded my territory, it’s all within the creed.”
The grip around my ankle tightened, making me feel as if my foot would snap off. A moan broke through, deep in the back of my throat.
“Today, you die,” the dragon said. “But not before serving a worthy purpose and getting me closer to my goal.”
Nostrils flaring, the creature released a cloud of smoke that enveloped my face. I held my breath until my lungs burned. Unable to help myself, I took in a gulp of smoke. It reeked of rotten eggs and something else I couldn’t place. Bile rose in my throat, burning.
I struggled to keep my eyes open, but the fog was in my head, making my eyelids heavy and my thoughts sluggish. I fought to stay conscious, but the weight of the haze took me under.
Chapter Nineteen
I woke up to blood in my mouth and my head pressed against something hard. Eyes flickering open, I blinked into the darkness. There was very little light to see by, the space in front of me a mix of dim shadows.
At first, only the damp air that clung to my aching body, the slow drip of water, and the distant sound of waves on rocks were noticeable to my addled senses. But then, my ears picked up the sound of someone sobbing close by.
