The Dragon Lords

by C. J. Hill

  Bess squealed in surprise. “Leo, it is you!”

  He startled at the sight of them, then grinned. “Bess! Jesse!”

  Instead of answering, Bess launched herself into his arms, nearly plowing him into the table. “It’s so good to see you!”

  He hugged her back then held her at arm’s length to look her over. “I can’t believe you’re here. What brings you guys to Georgetown?”

  “I’m thinking of applying,” Jesse said, changing his story on the spot. “I wanted to check out the place.”

  “Cool.” Leo’s gaze bounced between the two of them, still taking them in. “Are the two of you dating?”

  “Yes,” Bess said at the same time Jesse said, “No.” They’d never decided on that point. Something, Jesse now realized, they should have done on the walk here instead of talking about Ryker.

  Leo cocked his head at them in confusion.

  Bess pursed her lips and made an aggravated grunting sound at Jesse. “No? Is this your way of breaking up with me? So classy.”

  “Um, I…” Jesse stammered.

  “First the paintball fiasco and now this.” Bess folded her arms with the air of a martyr. “Men.”

  Leo laughed and shook his head at her. “You’re such a liar. You haven’t changed at all.”

  Bess laughed then too, letting her arms drop to her sides. “I’ve definitely changed. My lies are more interesting now.”

  Leo had seen through Bess’s story so easily. Were his counterpart senses still working? Jesse shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. The lie hadn’t been a good one. But a part of him hoped anyway.

  “What about you?” Bess asked Leo. “How are your lies coming along?”

  “I’m an expert, of course. I lie so well even I believe myself most of the time.”

  She flipped a strand of hair off his shoulder. “Your hair is longer.”

  “So is yours,” he said with a note of defensiveness.

  “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” She tilted her head, considering him. “I’m sure those bangs will come in handy should you ever need to hide your identity from surveillance cameras.”

  Leo made a tsking sound. “I was almost about to say how much I’ve missed you. Now I’m rethinking.”

  She playfully swatted him in the arm. “And you told me you were a good liar. You’ve missed me like crazy. Admit it.”

  He grinned. “Fine I admit it, but only so you won’t hit me again.” He glanced behind Bess and Jesse, his gaze sweeping the terrace.

  “We didn’t bring Rosa with us,” Bess said.

  Leo’s eyes snapped back to Bess in embarrassment. “I wasn’t… I didn’t ask if you had.” So easily flustered. He was actually blushing. Maybe he hadn’t changed as much as Jesse had thought.

  “You were wondering it,” Bess said with mock offense. “I swear the only reason you ever hung out with me at camp was because I was Rosa’s friend. She’s doing fine, by the way. She’s as sweet and adorable as always and as far as I know, single.”

  Leo brightened. “Good. You’ll have to give me her number. I’ve been kicking myself that I never got it at camp.”

  Well, that was the first problematic request of the evening. With the exception of Tori and Jesse, the Slayers didn’t have each other’s phone numbers. They communicated through their watches. Dr. B had made this a rule so that if Overdrake ever captured any of them, he wouldn’t be able to locate the other Slayers by tracking their phones.

  Tori and Jesse probably shouldn’t have exchanged numbers but after they’d started dating, they’d needed a way to communicate. They weren’t about to set up dates through the Slayer channels.

  Bess dug through her jacket pocket and pulled out a pen. “I don’t have my phone with me, but give me your number and I’ll text you Rosa’s.” She put the pen tip on the back of her hand, ready to write. When Bess did text him, the number would be from a computer with an untraceable IP address. Ditto for Rosa’s contact information.

  Leo rattled off his number, then added, “We should all get together again—have a camp reunion party.”

  “Absolutely,” Jesse said. Taking Leo to some of their old practice spots might shake a few memories loose.

  “You know what would be even better?” Bess’s eyes widened as though an idea had occurred to her. “You could be one of the volunteers helping me with my science fair project.”

  “How would that be better than a party?” Leo asked.

  “You’d get to see more of me. It will be super easy. You just need to eat Ling Zhi.”

  Leo flicked his bangs away from his eyes. “Ling what?”

  “Ling Zhi mushrooms. They’re an herbal supplement the ancient Chinese used to increase the immune system and promote long life. I’m having people take them for two months and track their energy level and illness rate.”

  Leo made a face, showing his distaste for the idea. “You know I hate mushrooms. Remember how I always picked them off my pizza?”

  “Don’t be a wuss,” Bess said. “You can take Ling Zhi in capsules and won’t even have to taste them, although you’ll have to take a lot to get the same results.”

  Leo’s expression of distaste didn’t change.

  Bess blinked her lashes innocently. “Don’t you want more energy and less illness?” she asked. “Some people claim Ling Zhi even helps with cancer.”

  Leo cocked an eyebrow at her. “Are you doing a science project or starting a multi-level marketing company?”

  Bess ignored his question and turned to Jesse. “Can you give Leo the Ling Zhi I just gave you? That way I won’t have to make a special trip to Leo’s house until his supply runs out.”

  “Sure.” Jesse produced the bottle and the Ziploc bag. He shook the bottle making the capsules rattle. “This is the version for wusses.”

  Leo pushed Jesse’s hands down, then glanced around the terrace. “Don’t pull that stuff out here. People will think you’ve got drugs.”

  Oh. Jesse hadn’t even considered that possibility. “It’s not that sort of mushroom,” he clarified.

  Bess took the items and put them in the pockets of Leo’s trench coat. “The powder is good in smoothies. One heaping tablespoon three times a day.”

  Leo rolled his eyes. “You want me to drink mushroom smoothies for two months?”

  “This is for science,” Bess insisted.

  Leo shook his head. “Look, we both know if I say yes, I’ll gag down some for a day or two and then forget about the whole thing until you call for my results. I don’t want to ruin your science project and have you mad at me. I’d better pass.” He reached into his pockets to retrieve the Ling Zhi.

  “I’ll call daily and remind you.” Bess put her hands behind her back, refusing to take the mushrooms.

  Leo shook his head again. “I’m sure you can find some people at your school who want to help you cure cancer.”

  Strike one. “Rosa is part of the experiment,” Jesse put in. “If you’re taking part too, you’ll have something to talk to her about when you call.”

  Leo rocked back on his heels, unimpressed by the suggestion. “I know I used to be shy, but I’ve changed since camp. I can come up with something to say to Rosa that doesn’t involve mushroom smoothies.” His gaze traveled around the crowd. “But if you need another participant, my friend Ryan is a health nut. Runs cross country. He’d probably eat pinecones if you told him it would help his time on the mile.”

  Leo would probably give him the Ling Zhi before the night was over. Plan B it was, then. They’d tell Leo the truth about who he was and show him some proof.

  “It’s kind of loud out here,” Jesse said. “Let’s go somewhere and talk. We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

  “You want to leave already?” Leo asked. “You haven’t even gotten any drinks yet.”

  Cups of beer sat lined up on the table next to the potato chips and dip. Leo picked up a couple and turned back to Bess and Jesse.

  Jesse had known that Leo d
rank, but somehow seeing the proof, casually held in his hands, still stung. It was a reminder that he’d chosen to leave them.

  “We don’t drink,” Jesse said.

  Leo shrugged. “No worries. There’s soda in the ice chest.” He put one of the drinks back on the table and took a sip from the other.

  “You shouldn’t drink,” Bess said, perhaps too sharply.

  Leo took another sip and smiled, goading her. “Why not?”

  Bess stepped over to him nonchalantly. “Because you’re underage, it’s bad for you, and…” She knocked the cup from his hand before he could bring it to his lips again. “It’s too messy.”

  The beer spilled down the front Leo’s shirt. He swore and pulled at his shirt while arching his back. “What the—why did you do that?”

  “Because I care about you,” Bess said, still sweet. “This is what love feels like.”

  Jesse grabbed some napkins from the table and handed them to Leo. “Sorry. Sometimes Bess is just…” too emotionally involved in your choices. “…is just Bess.”

  She folded her arms. “Right. So let’s go somewhere and talk.”

  Leo pressed the napkins to his shirt. A hopeless task. He was standing in a puddle. “Only if you know a place with a Laundromat.”

  Jesse gave Leo a few more napkins. “We really need to talk to you.”

  Leo kept dabbing at his chest. “And I’ve really got to get out of this wet shirt.”

  There was one way to fix this. Jesse slipped off his jacket, handed it to Bess, then took off his shirt. “Here,” he said, holding it out. “I’ll trade you.”

  Leo waved Jesse’s offering away. “Nah, I’m not going to take your shirt.”

  “It’s fine,” Jesse said. “I’m not cold.” Perks of having his Slayer powers on. “I still have my jacket.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Leo kept wiping his shirt with napkins. Most of them were ripping into wet shreds.

  Bess rolled her eyes. “Just take Jesse’s shirt so we can go somewhere else. Seriously, every girl on the roof is staring at him now.”

  Jesse glanced across the terrace. Yep. Quite a number of girls were eyeing him. Some with blatant approval. One swirled her drink invitingly and winked.

  Bess took the shirt from Jesse’s hand and shoved it at Leo. “Take Mr. Eyecandy’s shirt before one of the gawkers decides to come over and attach herself to him. We have something important to tell you.”

  “Fine.” While Leo peeled off his shirt, Jesse put his jacket back on. The girls, he noticed, were still watching him.

  Leo handed Bess his shirt. “Where did you want to go?”

  She put Leo’s shirt on the back of a folding chair to dry off. “Down by the library,” she said. “No one will be there.”

  “Just a sec,” Leo said. “Let me tell Ryan where I’m going. He’s my ride.” He craned his neck, scanning the terrace until his gaze landed on the beer pong table. “Ryan!” he called.

  No one there paid attention to him. Too noisy.

  Leo marched toward the table. “Yo, Ryan!”

  One of the spectators turned. He was average height, beefy, with thick arms and a neck that seemed too big for his head. His hair had been cut so it looked like a dark halo. “What?” he called back and then noticed Jesse and Bess standing there.

  That’s when everything changed. Because it only took that single look for Jesse to realize Ryan was going to be a serious problem.

  Chapter 9

  As Jesse stared at Ryan, the back of his neck tingled with a warning. When Slayers’ powers were turned on, they picked up on the adrenaline levels of the people around them. Fear, anger, and aggression all transmitted as strongly as smells and sounds. Jesse hadn’t sensed any of those emotions at the party, but suddenly all three spiked from Ryan.

  Not normal emotions. Not normal levels. The only times Jesse had felt that sort of hostility was when Overdrake’s men were attacking.

  “Crap,” Bess muttered. She’d felt it too. Turned out, Dr. B had been right about Overdrake watching Leo. The guy must be on Overdrake’s payroll and he’d recognized them.

  Ryan reached into his jacket pocket. Was he going for a gun? “Shield,” Jesse hissed.

  He’d barely finished saying the word before he figured out where Bess put the forcefield. A guy strolling away from the beer pong table smacked into it and fell backward. His drink splashed on a couple of girls who stood nearby. Both shrieked in annoyance.

  Ryan kept his gaze on Jesse. When his hand lifted from his pocket, he held a phone, not a gun.

  He must be calling for backup. In the span of two seconds Jesse analyzed his options. He could tell Bess to drop the shield, rush over, grab Ryan’s phone, and crush it. But he might not get to the phone fast enough to prevent a warning, and crushing a stranger’s phone would cause a scene. Leo especially wouldn’t understand that sort of thing.

  Jesse could shoot Ryan with the tranquilizer dart. But he wouldn’t go unconscious for a minute—too long to prevent him from warning whoever was on the other end of the phone. Besides, once he started staggering around, Leo would worry about him and refuse to leave. He’d probably insist on staying until the paramedics arrived.

  In fact, any sort of altercation with Ryan would only drive a wedge between Jesse and Leo.

  Man, Jesse hated when the only option was fleeing.

  “We’ve got to go,” he told Bess. Ryan hadn’t produced a weapon, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one. He might be refraining from using it around so many witnesses. “Keep your shield between us and him.”

  Bess’s hands fisted at her side. “We can’t leave Leo.”

  Leo probably wasn’t in danger. Still, Jesse didn’t like leaving him either—vulnerable and unaware that he was friends with the enemy. It felt like letting Overdrake win. “Leo,” Jesse called and waved to him. “Let’s go.”

  Leo was still on their side of the shield. He’d momentarily stopped his march toward Ryan, distracted by the guy who’d fallen and showered girls with beer. They were wiping angrily at their hair. Leo turned his attention back to Ryan and gestured behind him at Jesse and Bess. “Hey, I’m going to chill with some old friends for a while. Don’t leave without me, okay?”

  Ryan plastered on a smile that did nothing to decrease his adrenaline levels. He held the phone away from his mouth to talk to Leo. “Have them stay. The party is just getting started.”

  Right. Ryan wanted to keep them here until more of Overdrake’s men arrived. He probably didn’t realize that Jesse and Bess knew what he was. Either Overdrake hadn’t told his surveillance men about the Slayers’ powers or Ryan didn’t think they were turned on right now.

  “We’ll be back,” Leo assured him.

  No, they wouldn’t. While Ryan and Leo spoke, Jesse tapped the side button on his watch, sending Dr. B his own distress message: Enemy nearby.

  “You’ve gotta stay,” Ryan insisted. “Hold on a sec.” He muttered something into the phone, then slipped it into his pocket. “I just told Amelia you were here and she’s on her way over to see you. If you leave now, she’ll think you ditched her.”

  “Amelia?” Leo repeated, his resolve wavering.

  “You know what would be fun?” Bess called. “We should go see Rosa.”

  Jesse nodded. “She lives nearby.” He had no idea where she lived.

  His watch lit up, Dr. B asking for more details and reporting that he would call the police. It would take law enforcement a few minutes to get here. Fortunately, it would most likely take Overdrake’s men even longer to arrive. He probably didn’t have men stationed nearby.

  Leo ambled back to Jesse and Bess. “I’d love to go with you but I probably should stay. Amelia is a friend who has been having a hard time. I owe her.”

  Amelia hadn’t been on the phone with Ryan unless she was also working for Overdrake.

  Time for a new strategy. Jesse shrugged. “No problem. We can stay.”

  Bess shot him a sharp look. She kn
ew they shouldn’t stay and Jesse had no way to tell her he was lying to Leo.

  Jesse motioned in the direction of the catwalk. “Let’s go where it’s quieter and we can catch up on old times while you wait for your friend.”

  “Okay,” Leo said. “But let me get some food first. I’m starving.” He edged past them to the food table and picked up a paper plate.

  Bess leaned over to Jesse and whispered, “This isn’t a good place for a shield. I’m already sliding it all over the place to avoid more accidents.”

  Ryan shuffled over to them, pretending casualness. “So how do you guys know Leo?”

  “We’re his age,” Bess said. “How do you know him?”

  Ryan laughed and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. Not enough room there for a gun. If he had one of those it would be in his jacket. “I’m only a year older than Leo,” Ryan said. “We went to the same high school. I’m trying to convince him to come to Georgetown.”

  Ryan seemed older than a freshman. Had Overdrake discovered where Leo went to high school and hired someone to infiltrate the place or had Overdrake just convinced one of Leo’s friends to work for him? In the end, it didn’t matter. The result was the same.

  “I don’t recognize you from school,” Ryan said, still questioning them about how they knew Leo.

  No point in denying where they met. Overdrake already knew the information, and Leo would answer if Jesse didn’t. “We went to camp together.” Jesse matched Ryan’s casualness. “Every summer since junior high.”

  Hopefully Ryan didn’t realize that he and Bess were onto him. Ditching him would be easier that way.

  Leo finally finished filling his plate and returned to the group, eating potato chips. “Dragon camp,” he said. “Back when I was a nerd.”

  “You were never a nerd,” Bess protested. Her gaze only shot to Leo for a moment then returned to Ryan. Her shield must be right in front of Jesse’s face. If Leo walked forward, he’d knock into it.

  Leo put his hand on the side of his mouth as though letting Ryan in on a secret. “Bess’s dad ran the camp. She’s a little biased.”