by Kara Jaynes
I nodded. “Go back to the village, Glacia. Stay close to Taloos.” I hated saying that, but the brown-haired, scrawny, freckled boy was the only villager here who didn’t reek of secrets. But even he held one or two close to his heart. I could see them in his shifting eyes.
Glacia blinked, clearly taken aback by my suggestion as well. “I’ll do that.” She pulled away from me with a little sigh. “Be careful, Silvan.”
I wanted to laugh. She was the one who needed to be on her guard.
I watched her go, thinking about what she’d said.
Jett would need to be questioned. But there would be time enough for that, later. I didn’t want to throw the village into chaos before I’d settled the matter with the dragon. I reached my senses out to see if it was near.
He was just on the fringes on my awareness, unwilling to leave his greatest source of food. There would be dragon-blood shed soon, either mine or his, before the week was over.
When she’d left, I turned and plunged back into the woods, already on the trail of a deer. I’d get more than a rabbit.
Elysa, her daughter, and Glacia would all eat well tonight.
33
Glacia
I found Taloos sitting by the goat pen, scratching a dog behind the ears.
I began to approach him, when Kali, the Roamer girl, appeared, skipping over to him, her skirt hem swishing about her ankles. I ducked behind a water barrel, not wanting them to know I was about to eavesdrop on their conversation. Maybe it would take my mind off the argument I had with Silvan.
“My family is leaving,” Kali said. “We've finished trade here, so it's time to move on to the neighboring villages.”
“Okay.” I peered over the edge of the barrel to see Taloos didn't look at Kali, his fingers still scratching around the dog's ears.
Kali put her hands on her hips. “You know, if you paid half as much attention to me as you did to that mangy mutt, we'd all be a lot better off.”
Taloos mumbled something incoherent, his face pinking.
“Come again?” Kali leaned toward him, a little further than I thought was necessary with her loose blouse, and cupped a hand around her ear. “I didn't catch that.”
“I'll miss you, too,” Taloos grumbled. He scowled at the ground, not looking at the Roamer girl.
“Ah.” Kali tossed her hair over her shoulder, a gorgeous mass of red flame. “Good. At least you have some wits about you.”
I felt jealous, looking at the Roamer girl. She was confident, assertive, and spoke her mind without fear of consequence, qualities I didn't possess. Not to mention she cut an outrageous figure. I was glad she seemed to only have eyes for Taloos.
“Hey.” Kali sat on the edge of the pen, her face becoming serious. “I heard some of the village women talking about your mom. I'm sorry. I hadn’t known she’d died.”
“It's okay.” Taloos shrugged his thin shoulders.
Kali rolled her eyes, and carefully took his head in her hands. She bumped her forehead against his, looking intently into his eyes. “It's not okay. It will never be okay. Your village took your life away, Taloos. And the knowledge that your mother and you meant, and mean, nothing to them, will haunt you, as long as you live here.” Her voice became lower more intense. “Come with me, Taloos. Travel with us.”
“With the Roamers?” Taloos jerked out of her grasp, his hair disheveled. “That's crazy.”
Kali’s green gaze glittered, her chin jutting out. “Not any crazier than staying here. How much time do you have left, Taloos? A few weeks? A few months? Maybe a year or two, if you're lucky.”
“We have reinforcements, now,” Taloos protested.
“Who? That blonde trollop?” Kali scoffed. “She may buy you a month if the council picks her as the next sacrifice, but that's it.”
My gaze narrowed when I realized she was talking about me.
Taloos shook his head. “No, the magic user. Silvan. He's powerful.”
Kali stared at him silently for a long moment, as if she couldn't quite tell if he was being serious. She rifled through her belt purse. “I should just let you die,” she growled, “but then that would deprive me the pleasure of killing you myself later.”
She pulled out a necklace, a pale stone pendant hanging from it. She put it around Taloos’s neck, slipping the stone under the neckline of his shirt.
“Never take it off,” she instructed. “Not to sleep. Not to bathe. Never.”
Taloos tucked his chin as he peered down at the pendant. “What does it do?”
“It'll protect you, you idiot,” Kali said. “It's very rare. The spell will activate if you find yourself in extreme danger. It'll only work once, so don't do anything stupid.”
“It’s pretty. This could fetch a lot of money,” Taloos said. “Why haven't you sold it?”
Kali blushed, her face matching her hair for a moment. She muttered something under breath and slipped off the goat fence. “Just promise me you'll keep it on, okay?”
“Sure. Thanks.” Taloos sounded like he wasn't sure if he believed the Roamer girl or not.
Kali darted forward, kissing him full on the mouth before he could react. She spun around, her skirt flaring in a circle, and ran down one of the paths that would lead her back to the wagons.
Taloos stared after her retreating figure, and I smothered a laugh at his stunned expression.
I waited a moment so he wouldn’t know I was listening in on their conversation, and then walked over to him. He was still scratching that dog behind the ears, the animal leaning its head against the boy's leg.
“Is that your dog?” I asked.
Taloos looked up at me for a moment, then shook his head, smiling slightly. “No. This is Ranger. He doesn't belong to anyone. Animals belong to themselves. Even dogs.”
I smiled, watching the dog as it sat there, eyes half closed, its tail thumping on the dirt. “Did he tell you that?” I said teasingly.
Taloos nodded, and I blinked, taken aback by the serious look on his face. “If dogs obey you, it's usually because they respect or love you enough to do so.”
I peered at Taloos with narrowed eyes, still unsure if he was joking. Boys couldn't really talk to animals, or I'm sure Silvan would have told me.
“Silvan went back into the forest,” I said, deciding to switch the subject. “To see if he can track down the Beast. The dragon.”
Taloos nodded, shifting uncomfortably on his makeshift seat on the fence. “I see.”
“I'm supposed to try and make myself useful here,” I said, scrunching up my nose as tears threatened to come again. Stupid, useless me. Standing by, waiting for everyone else to get killed.
Taloos eyed me, taking in my expression. I didn't know what he saw there, but he suddenly said, “Best stay indoors tonight and tomorrow, Glacia. I suspect the dragon will come around.”
I smirked at him. “Did the dragon tell you that?”
Taloos didn't smile back as he stood, brushing dog fur off his trousers. “He's hungry,” the boy replied. “He prefers human flesh to animal. And since Silvan's foiled his last sacrifice, he'll try again, and again, until he gets it. He's not going to wait until the new moon. Not this time.”
I arched an eyebrow, crossing my arms to hide my uneasiness. “And how would you really know that, Taloos?” My feelings of inadequacy slipped away in light of this new development.
Taloos laughed, but there was a wariness to it. “Because he said so.” He paused, before plunging on. “I can understand dragons, too,” he said. “If that's what he is. I hear him through the cottage door, whenever we hide from him.” He shivered. “He's close. I can hear him now, complaining. He's skulking at the edge of the wood.”
“Can anyone else understand him?” I asked. Something about this tickled my mind, something I had learned in my studies, a long time ago.
Taloos shook his head. “Just me.” His expression turned anxious. “Don't tell anyone. Please. I'm already considered eccentric here. People know
I have a way with animals, but they don’t really know the extent of it.”
“You told me, and I don't think you're weird. Why worry about anyone else?”
Taloos watched me, his lips curving up in an amused smirk. “I know a fellow misfit when I see one. Just on the fringe of being an outcast of society. Eh, Glacia?”
I snorted, swallowing my doubt. He was right, of course. Watching Taloos pat the dog on the head, I suddenly remembered. “You're a beast tamer.”
He blinked, his nose wrinkling. “A what?”
“An animal charmer,” I explained, my excitement growing. “You can literally understand and communicate with animals!”
Taloos shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know about carrying any fancy titles, but yeah, I talk to animals.”
“Talk to the dragon,” I said eagerly, my hands clasped together in earnest feeling. “If you tell him that—”
“Absolutely not,” Taloos interrupted. His face paled, his brown eyes widening before he shook his head vigorously. “No way.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Taloos, what you can do, it's rare, and special. I don't think even Silvan can do it.”
“Really?” Taloos’ face lit up for a moment before it changed back to a skeptical glower. “It doesn't matter. It hasn't made a difference.” He exhaled heavily, his shoulder slumping. “Trying to talk to the dragon got my mother killed,” he said, his voice wavering on the last word. “It was my fault that she died, that he came for her. I won't talk to him again. I won't.” He turned away, hastily sniffing and wiping at his eyes. “Dogs make me sneeze,” he lied.
“Taloos.” I stepped forward and hugged him from behind, resting my forehead on the back of his neck. “I am so, so sorry.”
He said nothing, his shoulders trembling. He made a few sniffling noises. Taloos, a boy who could communicate with animals. To dragons.
And with that, a plan began to form in my mind. A way to rid us of the dragon forever. Silvan would be a key element. So would I, and so would the beast tamer.
“It wasn't your fault, Taloos,” I continued, still hugging him, trying to give him the motherly nurturing I knew he still needed. The nurturing he would never get, with his mother gone. “But you can still help. Bring the dragon here, to come for me.”
Taloos stiffened and spun around, his brown eyes wide with incredulity. “What are you saying? Are you crazy?”
I shrugged my shoulders, feigning nonchalance. “Maybe.” I thought about the dragon, how it lurked, how it preyed on the villagers, never going too far. Why did it linger?
“Or maybe the dragon is the crazy one,” I countered. “What kind of sick, twisted creature destroys a small village, month after month, one by one? Enough hiding, Taloos. It's time you all fought back. Quit skulking in the shadows. Rise up and meet the danger.”
Taloos stared at me, a ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth. “You're crazy,” he repeated. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “But you're right. We need to do something.”
I nodded. “If we can get it close enough to the village, Silvan will be able to defeat it.”
Taloos cocked his head to the side. “Are you sure about that?”
I nodded. “Positive. But the trick will be getting the dragon closer. It seems afraid of Silvan.”
“And you want me to convince the dragon to come.” His eyes narrowed. “Who's the bait?”
“Me.”
Taloos’s expression told me he was waiting for me to tell him this was a sick joke. When I didn't, he sighed and nodded. “I can try, Glacia. But if Silvan isn't here to protect you, you're a dead woman.”
“He will be.” He wouldn't be happy with the idea, had already expressed outrage at the very idea, but I had no doubt that my silver-haired boy would keep me safe. He didn't have to worry, as long as he stayed close.
That evening back at the cottage, Elysa was in good spirits. I hadn't seen her this happy since the morning after Silvan saved her daughter. The young girl was seated at the table, eyes shining as her mother brought a large pot to the table. “Isn't it wonderful, Kat?” Elysa said brightly. “Our young hero caught a deer for us. We're having meat tonight!”
I stared at her, my brain trying to wrap around the concept of true hunger. I had felt hunger, but I'd never wanted for food, and meat had always been available to me, especially in colder months.
Kat bounced up and down in her chair and laughed.
Silvan was with us, and chin in palm, he smiled at the young girl's enthusiasm. Dark shadows circled his eyes, and his hair was messy. It was growing longer and more wild-looking. I liked it.
“How did you catch it?” I asked as Elysa started to fill plates.
Silvan winked at me. “With my bare hands.”
I stared at him, not sure if he was joking. He laughed and didn't give further explanation, digging into his stew. I followed his example.
It was simple, but tasty, the meat seasoned with salt, pepper, and dark green leaves and pale green stalks I didn't recognize.
“How goes the hunting of the Beast?” Elysa asked.
Silvan shifted in his seat. “He's out there,” he said, “but I've yet to catch him.”
“I see.” Elysa did a poor job of hiding her dismay. She smiled at him. “But it’s only been a handful of days. I'm sure you can stop him. Everyone says you kicked that nasty troll right off the bridge.”
Silvan's snorted. “There's a rather large difference between a troll, and a dragon, my lady.”
Elysa nodded, her smile turning nervous. “To be sure. But you still think you can . . .” She trailed off, picking up on Silvan's dour mood.
“Dragon, bad dog,” Kat said solemnly into the silence. She took a bite of her stew.
After dinner, I settled down by the hearth, accustomed to feeling the hard floorboards under my thin blanket. I begin to drift off, my eyelids heavy.
“He's too clever,” Silvan muttered. I opened my eyes to see him sitting beside me, legs drawn up, arms clasped around his knees as he gazed into the hearth flames. The house always felt chilly, even in the summer. “He keeps giving me the slip. I don't know how to lure him to me.”
“Taloos does,” I whispered, still lying on my side. “He's a beast tamer.”
Silvan's glanced at me, curiosity flickering in his gaze. “Is he, now? Hmm.” He rubbed at his chin. “Interesting.”
“We've come up with a plan,” I said. I carried on quickly when Silvan's glanced at me, suspicion in his gaze. “Just hear me out, please.”
He exhaled sharply and looked away. “Fine.”
I told him about Taloos’s ability to speak with the dragon, and how he would be able to lure it to the village green. I would be the bait, tied to the tree, like a proper dragon offering. When I saw Silvan's body stiffen, I hurried on. “And then you'd swoop out of the shadow, and destroy him,” I said. “No big deal.”
Silvan chuckled. “Just like that,” he said. “No big deal.”
I was quiet for a moment, soaking in his mood. “Silvan?” I asked, hesitantly. “Is this dragon quite powerful?”
“Yes.”
“Is he stronger than you?”
“No.” Silvan shook his head, his hair glinting in the red light.
“But he's still very strong.”
Silvan nodded.
“Why does he plague this town?” I asked.
“I thought you already knew,” Silvan said. “Didn't you read Jett’s diary?”
I nodded, my face warming. “But he didn't go into specifics. You should ask him.”
Silvan sighed. “I will. Tomorrow. We need to know. Though I don't suppose it takes much to figure it out. Dragons, when they go bad, go very bad. It wants to eat, but it also wants to cause as much pain and misery as possible.” He motioned for me to lay down. “Get some sleep, dearest.” He stiffened, and I could almost see the color rushing to his cheeks. “Glacia.”
I hastily turned to lay on my other side, so he wouldn't see me smiling ear to
ear.
Dearest.
“Let me help you,” I said in a hushed whisper. “Please.”
Silvan was silent for a long time, for so long I thought maybe he had fallen asleep.
I shivered when I felt his hand on my head, gently stroking my hair. “All right,” he said. “Together, we shall defeat the dragon.”
My heart wilted at the fear I heard, threaded in his words.
Silvan was very afraid for me.
34
Silvan
The following dawn I rose and left the house, careful not to wake Glacia. I wanted her to get as much rest as possible. What if this was her final sleep, ever? I shook my head, annoyed with the thought. She would be fine, with me there.
But I would battle the dragon today. I could feel the certainty of it, humming in my bones.
The first order of business would be to find Jett and confront him. I should have done that in the beginning. This whole stinking village was wrapped in secrets and lies, but the relationship between Jett and the dragon was one I was determined to unveil today.
Several of the townsfolk were up early, and after asking a few for directions, I soon found myself before the town leader's home.
A dragon scale hung, glittering in the window. To the untrained eye, it probably looked like glass. I knew better. I knew its purpose. It was a charm, set there to signal to the dragon that this house and its inhabitant were to be left alone.
I grabbed it, snapping the golden thread that it hung from, flinging the scale into the dirt. Jett would have no more protection than anyone else. Less, now that my wrath was stirred.
Jett wasn't home, however. His house was in complete disarray, pots and pans scattered about the kitchen, books piled haphazardly, sitting on the floor, leaving the bookshelves empty. In his bedroom, the blankets were pulled off the bed, exposing a worn-out mattress.
I ground my teeth in irritation, annoyed by this new turn of events. Clearly, something upsetting had happened to cause the village leader to leave. What was it? Had he caught wind of the fact that I was going to question him? Or did he flee, understanding that, eventually, the beast would come for him anyway? Or perhaps the dragon had already ended him, regardless of the charm.
