Awakening of Fire

by Holly Hook

  My breath caught. "I'm what?"

  Sven had given me something that came from a dragon lair? Had he taken it from the one under Olivia when I wasn't looking? Wasn't that what set dragons into a rage? It happened in Beowulf. People died because someone had taken a single piece from a den. The Wiglaf Society started because of that.

  "I recognized it as soon as I saw it around your neck," Principal Adler said.

  "So, should I give it back?" I asked, reaching to take it off. Why would Sven do this when he knew Adler might recognize it?

  Maybe he didn't know what he'd given me? His family must have looted dragon dens for generations. He might not tell what jewelry came from where. That was my hope.

  She smiled at me. "You don't have to remove it. It's yours by birthright."

  Adler let that last sentence hang as she switched gears and drove along the row of olive trees, flattening weeds. My parents were in the house, listening to us leave. They knew what would happen and now all they could do was wait for word.

  "I found it lying on the ground. Since it would have sounded bad, I said Dirk gave it to me," I said. My heart raced so hard that it was driving away my storytelling ability.

  "That piece is ancient. It was stolen by Slayers over a thousand years ago. You did not find it lying on the street or anywhere else. I haven't seen it again until now. There's only one boy who could have given it to you."

  She knew about Sven. He'd made a horrible mistake and so had I.

  Caught.

  She pulled onto the driveway and then made a right down Olive Road.

  "Now what?" I asked. "You'll kill him?" There was no point in lying anymore.

  "I'll do what I must."

  "No," I said. "He's not what you think."

  "That boy is a Slayer. I'm sorry to tell you this, but he's likely planning to kill you before you reach maturity. I'm preventing that because I care about you."

  "Then let me out of this SUV."

  "Did you not hear what I told you?" she asked, staring straight ahead as she drove. We were headed out of town.

  "I heard you loud and clear," I said.

  "Then you know what you are, and why you cannot be with that boy. You'll hate me, but I'd rather have you alive and hating me than dead. I can't even communicate how important you are to the den and to all of our kind. I promised your birth parents I would protect you until I can't anymore."

  "Are you taking me to the caves?"

  "Not now. He won't go down there to see you because he'll know about the trap. Afterwards, yes. You are going to the caves and you will mature before more Slayers find your trail."

  I had a little more time, then. But Sven didn't.

  Another freak storm might slow Principal Adler down. Closing my eyes, I imagined the sky darkening and opening, but nothing happened. Then I tried to put more emotion into it, but still, the weather refused to change. We rolled over some potholes in the road as we left the farm behind.

  "Why do you care about one piece of treasure?" I asked. It beat the awkward silence.

  Principal Adler loosened her grip on the steering wheel. "Our treasure holds our magic," she said. "You might even feel your necklace reacting to you. Normals think we're just bad tempered, greedy, and murderous. But treasure connects dragons to the power of the Earth, and without it, our kind will weaken and die off. After hundreds of years of thefts, it's already happening. The newest generations of dragons have less magic than the older ones, and some of them are sterile. This is worsened because dragon eggs take over a thousand years to hatch. We're fading as more of our treasure disappears."

  Adler's words hung heavy in the SUV. I gripped the handle of the door, shaking. My thoughts turned to the freak storm again.

  Principal Adler swallowed. "You're from an ancient line, Felicia. You have incredible magic. I regret saying your birth parents are long gone and have been for over a thousand years. The den guarded you until you hatched, and then I gave you to your adoptive parents to disguise you from any Slayers until you matured. But now they're here, and we must act."

  A lump in my throat grew and got painful. "The den?"

  "The dragons of Olivia," she said. "There are a dozen of us. We are guarding the largest treasure hoard in the world. Losing it to the Slayers would mean disaster."

  "So you've told them about the boy?" I still had to play stupid about freeing him from the brazier.

  "Yes. But they don't know I will deal with him alone and they don't realize that he's close to you. As far as the den knows, I'm only sheltering you until you mature. You are not to mention this to anyone."

  "Why? How come you're dealing with him alone now?"

  "They won't approve of how I'm handling the situation. Dragons can't resort to raw violence as we did in the past. Our code now demands a trial for all suspected Slayers. If Sven hasn't yet attacked a dragon, there's a chance that our den would allow him to walk free, so long as he abandons his Slayer lifestyle, leaves this part of the world, and agrees to have his memory altered so he can forget ever meeting any of us. But I made a vow to protect you, and I will do that however I can. If they cast me out, at least you'll be alive and able to protect yourself."

  My jaw fell.

  Sven wasn't necessarily in for a death sentence?

  The dragons might have been fair to him? They might have just erased parts of his memory? I hadn't realized dragons could do that.

  "The plastic fork doesn't count?" I asked. "And if you can just wipe his memory and let him go, why don't you just do that?"

  Principal Adler stomped on the brakes and turned down a narrow dirt drive that led into the countryside. "Because I can't trust you, Felicia, to stay away from him. And it's dangerous to let even young Slayers go," she said. "It's clear he wants his honor. Slayer boys have high expectations placed on them. He was going to kill you when he got the first chance. There's no other explanation."

  We had traveled two miles from the olive farm. I'd seen this drive before while riding my bike, but the No Trespassing sign kept me out. We passed green trees and growing grass. Since the freak storm, the land around Olivia had come to life.

  "You don't have to protect me from Sven," I said. "If you let him go, I won't go after him. Just let him live."

  Could I do that? Could I stay away and save his life?

  "I need to protect you and make sure you come to no harm from anyone," she said. "It is my duty and my purpose for being now. You can't trust Slayers. I've never seen a trustworthy one in all my life. A Slayer got close to our kind once. I altered his memory to chase him away, but it did not stop him from doing the deed. It's because my best friend, your mother, pursued him. And then he murdered your parents."

  A chill swept over me. "My parents?"

  Principal Adler's expression hardened. "I've seen this exact situation before. If not for that, your parents might be here today. And now you're showing signs of doing the same thing. I won't let it happen again."

  My stomach heaved, and I feared I'd throw up all over the clean floor of Principal Adler's SUV. I wasn't sure what horrified me the most.

  But then the foliage cleared, and we drove into an open field. Gravel piles stood everywhere around a giant pit. Bulldozers hung around, empty of drivers. We were at the gravel quarry. It bordered Moe's Junkyard on one end, but we were at the far side.

  No one was working today, but there was a metal shed on the far end and back from the road. A shed that wasn't flammable. A shed I wouldn't escape.

  "Um, this place screams 'a murder is about to take place here,'" I said.

  Principal Adler said nothing to that.

  "And 'this is a good place to hide a body,'" I finished.

  "There won't be a body."

  "So you won't kill Sven?" Hope rose inside of me.

  "There simply won't be a body."

  I thought about what that meant for a second before another wave of horror hit me. And then I had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep in the scream.


  "He won't arrive until tomorrow," Principal Adler said. "In the meantime, I've prepared a space for you in the shack over there."

  "He won't fall for this crap," I managed.

  "I'll make sure he does," Adler said. She parked next to the shed and put the SUV in park. "Out, Felicia. Once again, I'm sorry."

  I could run. But before I could open the door, the shack one slid open with a loud bang. The manager of the gravel quarry, Steve, stood in the doorway as if he'd expected us to roll up.

  Was he a dragon, too?

  He pulled open the passenger door and took my arm before I could react, pulling me out with incredible strength. A faint red glow burst to life in the depths of his eyes.

  Yes.

  But did he know about Principal Adler's plan to lure Sven here?

  She shot me a warning glare.

  Was that a warning that my parents might vanish if I didn't keep this quiet?

  I gulped and pulled against the guy, but it was no use. His grip was iron, like the chains that bound Sven in the lair.

  If I said something, what would Adler do?

  Would she hurt my adoptive parents, who seemed to be Normal? She put keeping me alive above everything else, including my happiness. I couldn't put a thing past her. She was ready to kill Sven and might have killed people before. If she was right, she knew my birth parents over a thousand years ago, then she'd had plenty of opportunity to master that art.

  "Are you sure we can't take her into the caves now?" Steve asked.

  A burst of rage filled me, heating my whole body. "Why are you talking as if I'm not here?" So far, the dragons were treating me as my parents had: like an object. A child. A piece of treasure that needed maximum security. What I wanted didn't matter.

  And would it even after I matured?

  "Not yet," Principal Adler said, closing the SUV door and walking around the front. "We are keeping her here until I'm sure she will be safe in the caves. We had the scout get down there after all."

  "Hey. I'm guarding the entrance," Steve said, motioning to the gravel quarry. "You don't think the Slayers will think to look in a place where someone's digging a big hole in the ground?"

  "He has a point," I said, desperate to feel like less of an object.

  But they still didn't listen. Adler glared at me again, the red glow returning to her eyes. I hated seeing her like that. She was showing her real self to me for the first time. Didn't she realize that this was just a bit traumatic?

  "Inside," she told me, harsh and unforgiving. "Your protection comes first."

  I tried to punch Steve on the arm, but it felt as if I were hitting stone. It was no wonder the Slayers wanted to kill me now. I couldn't imagine Steve or Principal Adler dying. Steve ignored me. Unable to meet my gaze, he flicked on a light to the shack to reveal a cot with fresh bed sheets, a small bathroom, and several books from the local library. A small fridge hummed in the corner of the shack.

  For a moment, it made me forget what it was: a prison.

  I'd stay in here while Adler did whatever she'd do to lure Sven out here.

  "I don't like doing this," Steve said to her. "This is illegal."

  "I like his ideas," I said. "This is illegal. And who do you have keeping my parents in the house?"

  Principal Adler didn't answer my questions. "Inside, Felicia. You won't be harmed."

  "I'm not something that needs protection!"

  "Yes, you are. Until you mature, the den will guard you."

  "We can always take her to the caves now," Steve suggested.

  I didn't like his ideas anymore. I pulled against him again, trying to hook my foot on the outside of the shed door, but Steve shoved me forward with a muttered apology. Principal Adler squeezed through the door and slipped her hand into my pocket, removing my cell phone. I didn't use it much, but any hope of texting Tasha or Dirk and having them warn Sven for me evaporated.

  The den was no better than my parents.

  No. They were worse. Until now, I thought Adler was on my side with the freedom thing. Until I went through with the worst and matured, I was a prisoner.

  "The Slayers know about the caves. Not yet," Adler said. "We'll find them soon enough."

  I hated the way she said that. What if she planned to torture Sven for that information? His family had given the school a false address and covered that they now owned the Water Company.

  And I couldn't tell him.

  Steve pushed me into the shed. I gripped the cot and whirled around, but the metal door slammed before I could peel myself from the bed, leaving me alone and with no access to the outside world.

  All I could do was stand there and listen as Steve and Principal Adler boarded the SUV and then drove away.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I'd gone from one cell to another, smaller one.

  Hours passed. The small shed had only two small windows that peeked out on the gravel quarry, which had no lights to illuminate it as night fell. If I stood on the cot and rose onto my toes, I could see the faint trail that the SUV had taken in and out of the area, but that faded as darkness fell over the land. I was out here, alone and hidden. Two miles away, my parents were also captive by dragons.

  The metal door refused to budge for me and the metal building was sound everywhere I pushed. I even pulled out the little dorm fridge and looked under the sink for any possible weak spots. They had chosen a good holding cell.

  I sat down on the cot after a while, leaving the light on, hoping someone would see it from the road. But I knew it was hopeless. I was too far back, in a shed meant to house workers or provide a place out of the sun to take breaks.

  And I bet that Steve had given everyone a day off tomorrow. He wouldn't stop his operations for long. That meant that Sven didn't have much longer to live.

  The necklace continued to stay warm as I lay on the cot. I couldn't read. Even though I was hungry, I didn't want to open the fridge to see what they'd left me to eat. Protein might make me mature faster, which was the last thing I wanted. It was why my body craved it. All I had was a microwave and the ceiling to look at.

  The night deepened, but I didn't dare sleep. Instead, I thought.

  Principal Adler would use me to lure Sven here. From the sounds of it, she'd make him think I wanted to meet him in this remote place for a make-out session or more. Where else would I want to meet someone in secret?

  But the quarry might set off Sven's alarm bells. He had trained for life or death situations. It should.

  Unless he thought I was in danger...

  But why would he think that? The den didn't want to hurt me. They wanted to put me in yet another prison. And Sven knew I hated that.

  Maybe he would show up.

  He knew I'd hate it here.

  That might be how this would work.

  I sat up on the cot, opening my eyes.

  The small windows continued to look out on the quarry which was pitch black. But in here I had light. Sven would come to this building and then Principal Adler would spring whatever trap she could. My only hope of warning Sven would be to write on the windows. But with what? My blood? They were grimy from outside dust and he might not see through them.

  The night continued. My eyes drooped as I retreated to the cot. I slept, restless, and only dreamt of a massive pit surrounded by gravel. I woke early that morning and peeked out at the pink dawn. No one.

  Then it hit me.

  Adler wouldn't be able to lure Sven into a trap until she saw him. And since she didn't know where he lived, she'd have to plant the lure at school.

  That meant he might arrive here this afternoon. Or tonight.

  I had hours left to figure out a way to escape. But I didn't have time to think, because a dusty, silver pickup truck rolled up the drive, pulled up to the shack, and stopped.

  Steve got out. He was alone and holding a large bag from the local McDonald's. Adler must be at her job right now.

  I got off the cot and sat as he unlocked the door. The g
uy only opened it a little before stepping inside.

  "Felicia, I want to apologize again," he said. "And I brought you some breakfast." He held up the fast food bag.

  He didn't want to lock me in here. Adler might have a higher rank in dragon society than he did. Steve appeared young, in his mid twenties, and had run the quarry since forever.

  "You don't have to hold me in here," I told him. "The Slayer boy doesn't want to kill me. If he wanted to, he had the chance many times."

  "I'm not as old as Marianne Adler, but I know she's seen things that many dragons haven't experienced," Steve said. "I've never dealt with any Slayers myself."

  "How old is she? And you?" If I got on Steve's good side, I might worm my way out of here.

  "Marianne is twenty-five centuries old," Steve said. "She's the oldest among our den. I'm only three hundred and forty-eight years. There's no ancient magic running through these veins." He tapped his chest. "Too many generations between me and the glory days." He sounded crushed even as he stood against the metal door.

  "I'm younger than you, but I'm supposed to have all this powerful magic," I said. "How does that work?" Maybe I could tap it to save Sven. It creeped me out, but I hated the thought of him dying because of me even more.

  "Your parents," Steve said, "were approaching a hundred centuries in age when they had you. Even a thousand years ago, they were ancient. It's very rare for dragons that old to reproduce. It's unlikely for even Marianne to have offspring at her age. That makes you only one generation removed from the most powerful dragons that ever lived."

  This wasn't helping me. "So they had me late," I said. That was an understatement. "Doesn't that mean I'm powerful enough to protect myself? I mean, I think I caused that freak storm."

  "You might have," Steve agreed. "But I can't let you out. Adler has given us orders to keep you safe until she determines the caves are okay for you."

  I got the sense she hadn't told Steve or anyone else her true intentions for keeping me here—just that I needed to stay hidden until they could make me mature. Getting him on my side wouldn't work. But if I told him about Adler's plan, what would she do to my parents? Adler might even hurt Steve.