Hatchling

by Toasha Jiordano

  “Hey!” Rowan snapped her fingers.

  Jimmy blinked.

  “I said you can’t run in those.” She motioned to his thick jeans. “Or with that,” she added as she tugged at Ridire-solas’s hilt. “We need to get you changed.”

  “I… I can’t. You do it. I’m sure you can beat him. I’m not good at… anything.” Jimmy fought her as she pulled the sword from his belt. Of course, true to form, she won, only proving his point.

  “This is your battle,” Rowan said, wagging the sword’s glowing tip in his face like a stern finger. “Besides, that crazy old lady did say you needed to follow your destiny.”

  “Old lady? What? And she said ‘destiny?’” Isaac asked with a voice full of wonder. “Wow, what did I miss?”

  “I don’t think this is what she had in mind,” Jimmy argued, but only for show. He was already changing his mind. The Fortune Teller had a point and so did Rowan.

  Who else around here had a pet dragon and a magic sword? Who else was about to tackle an ominous mountain that nobody else could see? And who else was going to reunite his dragon with its mother? It all fell on Jimmy, so what was some piddly little race against a bully?

  “Let’s go!” Jimmy marched toward the race area.

  “Wait!” Rowan laughed. “You need to change first.”

  “Into what?”

  They both looked at Isaac who lumbered over them. No way his clothes would fit. Then Isaac reached out and pushed Rowan and Jimmy together, side by side. “That,” he said, and nodded at Rowan’s shorts and grubby shirt.

  “Girl clothes?” Jimmy shook his head. “No way!”

  Rowan smacked him on his arm. “Actually, they belonged to my brother. Do I look like I would be caught dead in girl clothes, either?” she added. “Come on.” With that, she stalked toward a row of porta potties.

  Jimmy groaned.

  “You know, I have a book about how to talk to women. You could borrow it.” Isaac laughed.

  “Yeah, how’s it working for you?” Jimmy grumbled.

  Isaac shrugged. “She didn’t just slap me and storm off.”

  Once he’d traded clothes with Rowan, which fit perfectly he was ashamed to admit, the trio made their way to the race area. The last of the girls were just rounding the finish line. A large crowd had formed to watch the festivities, and Jimmy scanned the sidelines for Grandpa James. He wanted his grandfather to witness him destroying his first enemy.

  As they cut through the last of the gathered spectators and waited near the starting line, Jimmy saw Grandpa James and Mr. MacLauren over by the announcer’s booth. They were talking to Isaac’s Aunt Sarah, who wore a shiny gold whistle on a necklace. She was simultaneously chatting with Grandpa James, waving to people she knew as they passed by, watching the race, and telling various other people with clipboards what to do.

  No wonder she’s all dressed up, Jimmy thought. She’s running this thing. Although he still didn’t want her sniffing around his grandfather, he had a new respect for her.

  Just then, she blew the golden whistle into a megaphone and the sound traveled through the entire fairgrounds. “Boys thirteen to sixteen, one minute to start whistle. Take your marks.”

  Jimmy’s resolve faltered, but Rowan and Isaac both clapped a hand down on each of his shoulders and gave some form of ‘you got this’ pep talk. He didn’t hear much of either.

  Bruno walked right past him, a streak of dried mud still on his cheek. That alone was all Jimmy needed.

  He broke free of his friends and followed closely behind Bruno. Two of his companions had to move aside or get trampled. Jimmy would be darned if anyone else got the spot beside him.

  Lining up, Bruno turned to say something to his friend and saw Jimmy there in his place. The boy’s thin lips curled in a wicked grin and he nodded at Jimmy’s birthmark. “You got your war paint on, too. So do I.” He wiped at the mud he’d smeared on his own cheek. Some flaked off in his hand and he brushed it away.

  Jimmy snarled back. “I guess you don’t know what birthmarks mean. Doesn’t surprise me. But, this one,” Jimmy pointed at his own, “means you should be very scared right now.”

  The whistle blew and Jimmy took off, leaving Bruno stunned for a brief moment.

  Three boys darted out in front of the pack, Jimmy and one of Bruno’s friends formed the middle. The bully himself, along with most of the others, fell behind.

  There was no time to revel in his small victory. Beating Bruno wouldn’t be enough now. Not after the way they’d humiliated him. He wanted to win the whole thing. Prove he was worthy of this destiny.

  Jimmy forced himself to breathe deep, large slow gulps of air. With each exhale he pushed himself, straining to go just a little faster.

  He heard the boy beside him begin to struggle and felt him slow.

  Energy coursed through Jimmy’s veins. He closed in on the boy in front of him, a tall lanky kid around Isaac’s size. Jimmy watched the boy’s long legs eat up so much ground with each step and tried to match his stride.

  It worked. He practically leapt through the air and passed the tall boy with ease.

  No time to celebrate, Jimmy focused on the next target. This one looked younger and small, but he had great form. Arms tight to his side, elbows bent, and determination on his face.

  Jimmy brought his arms up, too, and started gaining on him. His fingers tingled and a raw spot rubbed on his heel, but he ignored it. He shut his mind off to everything that wasn’t winning.

  To his left, he felt someone pulling up beside him. He knew without looking that it was Bruno. He could smell the boy’s meanness.

  The younger boy faltered and slowed, putting Jimmy and Bruno in a tie for second place. With a grunt, Bruno leaned forward and started to pull ahead.

  Jimmy stretched his legs as far as they would go, covering as much ground as possible. He closed the gap and they both passed the last runner in their way.

  This was it.

  His legs and lungs burned. His deep breaths became shallow as his body fought for oxygen. Still he powered on.

  With one final burst, Jimmy stared Bruno down and inched ahead. The finish line was in sight. Just a few more feet.

  Pride swelled in Jimmy’s chest. He looked to the sideline. Grandpa James screamed and beat his fist in the air, “Go! Go! Go!” he could almost make out.

  Jimmy’s feet tangled up. The ground rose hard to meet him. And he watched Bruno cross the finish line.

  Defeated, Jimmy stayed on the ground. The rest of the racers passed him and finished. None stopped to help him up. Hot tears and snot dripped onto the dirt track.

  Later, after every boy crossed the line, Jimmy wiped his face and pushed himself up. He didn’t take the last three steps over the finish line. What was the use? Instead, he sulked toward Rowan and Isaac.

  When he reached them, he saw Rowan’s angry face. She held the medallion tight in her fist. “What the heck is this?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Don’t touch it!” Jimmy tried to snatch the medallion away but Rowan was too fast. “It will suck you in!” Jimmy slammed his mouth shut. That was too loud and they were still in the middle of the crowd.

  Rowan flipped her hand over, showing a dingy near-white handkerchief wrapped around it. “I’m not touching it. What are you doing with it?”

  Isaac took both their arms and pulled them back, away from the people.

  Jimmy scrunched his face up, trying to explain. “I found it… in my dad’s room. My room. There was this light and… and I don’t know… I heard it. When I opened the door, the medallion was —”

  “Rune,” Isaac interrupted.

  “Huh?”

  Isaac stepped forward and took the round golden object from Rowan. She and Jimmy both gasped. But nothing happened. It touched his skin and he was fine. Rowan and Jimmy both looked at each other in amazement, despite their anger.

  “It’s a rune. I read about these.” Isaac turned to Jimmy. “When I first came
to stay with Aunt Sarah and met James… your grandfather, I liked his accent and wanted to know more. So I researched Scottish history and saw a bunch of these.” He lifted the medallion/rune. “It’s an imbued item, like a charm but not really. It’s hard to explain. They’re used for luck, or protection of the Gods, or communication. That sort of thing.”

  That didn’t sit right with Jimmy at all. “You knew Grandpa James before I did.”

  Isaac shrugged. “Well, yeah. How do you think we brought him medicine?”

  Jimmy stepped closer to Isaac, his fists clenched, though it terrified him to use them.

  “Focus,” Rowan grabbed the glowing rune with her protected hand and shoved it in Jimmy’s face. The yellow light grew stronger. “Why are you carrying it around?”

  “What?” Jimmy stepped back. His knees both still hurt from the race, and the fall, but he took another step away from Rowan’s angry fist and unclenched his own. “I… I just thought it was important.”

  Rowan’s cheeks flushed and her green eyes glowed with fury. “You need to have respect for —”

  “I didn’t do anything!” Newfound bravery, Jimmy stepped back toward her. “You’re the one who was going through my things!” Jimmy yanked the backpack off Rowan’s arm, nearly knocking the rune to the ground. He caught it with his bare hand.

  The world around him disappeared. Nothing mattered besides him and the bright yellow lines etched into the rune. Yes, a rune. It was all clear to him now. His soul filled with a sense of urgency. He needed to —

  The world slammed back into him. He was down on the grass. Rowan and Isaac stood over him. The backpack lay open at his side, one of Ash’s wings twitching.

  Isaac held the rune high in the air away from everyone. “What was that?” he asked nobody in particular.

  “What did you see?” Rowan asked, helping Jimmy up. She gently scooped the backpack in her arms like the whole thing was a baby. Ash wasn’t moving.

  “What happened?” Jimmy’s voice cracked. “Ash!”

  No answer came down their magic bond.

  “What happened?” Jimmy asked again, looking to Rowan and Isaac in fear.

  “Your lizard didn’t like you touching it,” Isaac finally said.

  “Lizard?”

  Rowan opened the bag and all three of them watched Ash in a fitful sleep. Jimmy counted his breaths to make sure they were steady.

  “What did you see?” Rowan asked again.

  Just then, a loud crack of lightning spread across the sky. Jimmy and Rowan jumped. Isaac did not. They both looked up to see the dark swirls of electricity directly over top of them. The air turned crisp and the hairs on Jimmy’s arm stood on end. Rowan’s stray curls climbed up her hat, trying to escape into the void.

  “I’ll just put this in my pocket,” Isaac continued, unaware.

  “No!” Jimmy and Rowan yelled.

  “It’s alright. Obviously it doesn’t affect me like it does you two… three.”

  Jimmy looked at Rowan, wondering what the rune did to her while he was racing, or falling.

  Rowan jabbed a finger to the sky. “You don’t see that?”

  Isaac followed where here finger pointed and shrugged.

  “And this is just a lizard?” Jimmy opened the bag wide.

  Another shrug. “A big one.”

  What is going on, Jimmy asked himself.

  “You’re fifteen!” Rowan said.

  “Yeah,” Isaac answered. He slid the rune into his front pocket. Jimmy felt better immediately.

  “His clock already struck fifteen.” Rowan turned to Jimmy.

  “You said she was a fake.”

  “Zip it. What else did she say? Think.” Rowan pulled skin off the bottom of her lip with her fingernails. Jimmy noticed how dirty they were, and chewed up.

  “Something about being complete now. And destiny. And… a tall man.” Jimmy didn’t want to add the last part. Just mentioning the lurking man might make him appear. He looked around.

  Now that they’d angered the mountain for good, Jimmy saw shadows everywhere. His skin felt magic everywhere. He had no way to tell if any of it came from the shadow man.

  “When does your clock strike fifteen?” Rowan asked.

  “Three weeks.”

  “It’s time.” Rowan zipped the bag.

  “But… I’m not ready. I’m not destined for anything. You said it yourself. She was a crazy old lady telling stories. I couldn’t even beat a stupid bully in a race.”

  Isaac cut it, “An old lady that I couldn’t see. That has to account for something.”

  Rowan grabbed Jimmy by the arms and shook him. “Stop acting like a child. You think I was ready to watch my entire family die? Grow up and do your job!” Rowan stormed off leaving Jimmy and Isaac staring at each other, eyes and mouths wide.

  Nobody said anything the rest of the afternoon. Rowan went back to her grandfather and stayed close to the grown ups the whole time. Jimmy and Isaac tried to walk around the Corn Festival and force themselves to have fun, but Rowan’s words hung over them like the void Isaac couldn’t see.

  She watched her whole family die.

  No amount of corn fritters or rickety ferris wheels would change that. So, after what felt like enough time, the boys made their way back to the grown ups, too.

  “Mr. Craig, and Mr. …” Isaac turned to Rowan’s grandfather.

  “MacLauren,” the old man said.

  “Thank you. May Jimmy and Rowan come back to my house - um, Aunt Sarah’s, for supper?”

  Both grandfathers agreed immediately, as did Aunt Sarah. Jimmy didn’t care that she was sitting so close to Grandpa James. What did it matter?

  Jimmy glanced at Rowan but she just grimaced at her feet.

  “It’ll be fun,” Isaac assured them both. “I have a lot of books you might be interested in.”

  Rowan stood.

  Aunt Sarah perked up as well. “Brilliant, I’ll have Harold pull the car around.”

  The car, Jimmy learned moments later, was a brand new 1959 Rolls Royce. Jimmy had only seen one flipping through magazines while waiting for his mom to finish her shift at the diner. This one came equipped with a driver, Harold he presumed, in a full black suit and cap. Jimmy looked down at their mud-caked shoes and filthy clothes, which he still hadn’t traded back with Rowan.

  Isaac climbed in and motioned for Jimmy and Rowan. “It’s OK. We have this new stuff you spray on fabric to keep it clean. It’ll wipe right off.”

  Rowan pushed Jimmy so he crawled into the back seat with Isaac, and she piled in beside him. The dark mood radiated off her so Jimmy wouldn’t dare look in her direction. Instead, the whole way there he made small talk with Isaac and petted Ash who still slept.

  A sense of dread nagged at Jimmy. Between the mountain, and Ash sleeping all the time, and the Fortune Teller’s words, it felt like he was being thrown toward a danger he was powerless to fight avoid yet powerless against.

  Rowan’s shocking outburst scared him more than all of it. Her whole family? What kind of life had she lived?

  “Here we are,” Aunt Sarah chirped.

  ‘Here’ was a giant white and gray house with marble columns holding up three stories of porches. There was a pool to the right that was bigger than Grandpa James’s whole house. And horse stables on the other side.

  “You live in a mansion?” Jimmy whispered to Isaac.

  “Shut up,” Isaac said, embarrassed. “It’s not mine.”

  They made a beeline to the library, which practically took up the whole left side of the bottom floor. It looked like something out of a movie, with rows and rows of books reaching to the ceiling. There was even a rolling ladder for reaching important historical reference books on the top shelves.

  Rowan was clearly not as impressed as Jimmy, or she was still mad at them. She plopped down in a fluffy chair and picked at her nails.

  “Over here,” Isaac motioned for Jimmy to follow him.

  “Come on, Rowan,” Jimmy said.
His voice reminded him of his first day meeting Ash, trying to placate the poor creature and not frighten it away.

  Rowan didn’t move.

  Neither did Jimmy.

  “Come on, both of you,” Isaac said sternly, crossing his arms.

  Rowan huffed, but got up and walked a few paces behind them, proving she would still do as she pleases thank you very much.

  Isaac pulled a thick red leather book from a stack in the corner. Strips of paper jutted out from every direction. He began flipping through them, spouting off random facts about runes and Scotland and ancient Norse mythology. As important as Jimmy knew all this was, it sounded like the stuff he ignored in history class. Until the part about magical communications.

  “Wait, what?” Jimmy asked.

  “All will prove true that thou askest of runes

  Those that are come from the gods,

  Which the high Powers wrought,

  And which Odin painted:

  Then silence is surely best.”

  “Come from the gods,” Rowan laughed. Jimmy knew it was at his expense, but at least she spoke.

  “You got a problem with that?” Jimmy beat his chest.

  “No, but I’m sure you will.” She pointed to the sky, at the mountain only the two of them could see.

  “Not if you help me,” Jimmy said, pulling Ridire-solas from his shorts and offering it to her. Did he just agree to go on this crazy mission? An image of the tiny coin flashed through his mind, followed by the Fortune Teller’s promise. No fear.

  “Whoa,” Isaac said.

  They both turned to him before Rowan could take the sword.

  “It’s glowing!” Isaac’s eyes reflected the yellow light.

  “You can see it?” Jimmy asked, waving the sword in front of Isaac’s face.

  “Yes! I mean, a little. But, I see it.” He grabbed the backpack and unzipped it, and his shoulders slumped. “Still just a lizard. You know, you shouldn’t keep him locked up in this bag all the time. Lizards need sunlight. Maybe that’s why he’s sleeping.”

  “Well, let’s give him some.” Jimmy handed Ridire-solas to Rowan. “You know I need more training.”