Playing With Fire

by C. J. Hill

  “I’ve got some questions,” he said, then hesitated, as though he weren’t sure how to ask them. Finally, he said, “I keep seeing dragon legs. Like, a dragon moving around inside a huge cave-like room. It’s especially clear when I shut my eyes. Why is that happening?”

  He’d connected with a dragon. Tori should have realized he would. This could be useful. “Have you seen anything that indicates where the dragon is? Any landmarks?”

  “What landmarks would I see inside a cave? All I see are just a bunch of rocks, a pond, and overhead lighting.”

  “Dragon lords see what the nearest dragon sees. Once your powers have been activated, you always have a link. Didn’t your mother tell you about any of this?”

  “I thought it only happened when a dragon was close.”

  “You must be close enough.” Maybe Overdrake was somewhere between Virginia and North Carolina. It was possible. Tori had no idea how close dragon lords had to be to connect. “Eventually the dragon will leave its enclosure. When that happens, look for clues to its location: road signs, distinctive buildings, that sort of thing, and then tell me what you see.”

  Aaron frowned, dissatisfied. “How do I make the dragon stuff go away? I have to shut my eyes to sleep, but then I can’t sleep because I see all the dragon crap. Sometimes literally.”

  Well, that was one advantage to only hearing dragons.

  “I want it to stop,” Aaron emphasized.

  Tori felt a pang of sympathy. When she first started hearing a dragon, it had been so bothersome and creepy to constantly have reptilian company. Seeing a dragon must be worse. “I’m not sure you can make it completely go away, but you can learn to minimize it. Dirk said he imagined his dragon sight as a window and shrank it.”

  Aaron shut his eyes in concentration. After a few moments he scowled. Shrinking the “window” must not be as easy as Dirk made it sound.

  “Sorry I can’t be more specific,” Tori said. “I only hear dragons. I don’t see anything.”

  Aaron’s eyes flicked open. “Explain the whole counterpart thing again.”

  She spent the next few minutes telling him the basics. “It’s not mind reading,” she finished up. “It’s only an ability to read each other really well.”

  Aaron had listened to her explanation silently. “I can’t fool you or lie to you at all?”

  She considered telling him, “No,” so he wouldn’t ever lie to her, but instead told the truth. “Actually, Dirk fooled me about himself for a long time. But I sensed when a subject made him uncomfortable or tense. When he lied to the Slayers before a mission, I knew something was wrong. I could tell he wasn’t being completely forthcoming, and it made me wonder why. And then I figured out his identity.”

  “But you might not have,” Aaron said.

  “I think eventually I would have put two and two and fourteen dragons together.”

  He didn’t ask her what she meant. “You said you were Dirk’s friend. Do you have a way of contacting him?”

  She hesitated. “Why do you ask?”

  Instead of answering, he tilted his head, studying her. “Wait, did you have a thing with my brother?”

  She lifted an eyebrow, wondering how he’d come to that conclusion. “That isn’t really any of your business.”

  Aaron let out a laugh that reminded her of Dirk’s. “You did. I can totally tell.”

  She sent him a forced smile and leaned toward her computer to disconnect the call. “It’s been great talking to you, but I’ve got homework.”

  “I’m not done yet,” he said, straightening. “I want to figure out how to be a dragon lord.”

  “Me too. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that.”

  “Actually, you can.”

  At first she didn’t understand what he was talking about, and then the meaning became clear. She saw it in the firm set of his lips, in the determined lift of his chin, and in the emotion coming from him—bravery mixed with desperation. He wanted to contact Overdrake, and he wanted her help to do it.

  “No,” she said. “Absolutely not. Stay away from Overdrake.”

  “He can teach me how to control the dragons.”

  “Yeah, and then he can use you to hurt people. He wouldn’t let you go back to your family.”

  Aaron shook his head. “Once I control a dragon, I can do what I want with it. I could kidnap it or turn it on him.”

  “That’s a really noble idea. But you’re twelve, and Overdrake has a deadly shot with a rifle.”

  “I’m closer to thirteen than to twelve.”

  “Which doesn’t matter when it comes to bullets.”

  Aaron acted as though she hadn’t spoken. “I’m pretty sure I can fool Overdrake, but if Dirk and I are counterparts, will he know I want to stop him?”

  “Probably. Which is another reason it’s a bad idea to put yourself in Overdrake’s reach.”

  Aaron pursed his lips in thought. “Dirk fooled you for a long time; you said so. That means I could keep secrets from him too.”

  “But I wasn’t actively trying to figure out if he was a traitor. I trusted him and never put him to the test. If you show up and ask how to control a dragon, Overdrake and Dirk both will be suspicious.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes. “I’m not an idiot. I won’t even bring it up. I’ll let Overdrake offer. He’ll want to use me in his war—that’s the whole reason my mom left.”

  Tori tapped her fingers against the edge of her laptop. Aaron was serious. He’d thought this through, he’d come up with an idea, and now wanted her help. “Does your mother know what you’re planning to do?”

  “Does your mother?”

  Touché. Tori didn’t answer.

  “Adults think we can’t do anything,” Aaron said. “But they’re wrong. That’s why Overdrake won’t see my betrayal coming.”

  The problem with talking to someone over a video call was that you couldn’t reach out and shake some sense into them. “Look, you shouldn’t go anywhere near Overdrake.”

  “Here’s what I need you to do,” Aaron said, ignoring her statement. “Contact Dirk and tell him you found me at the Renaissance fair, selling the dragon scales. It’s mostly the truth, so he won’t suspect it’s a trap. Don’t tell him you came to my house. I don’t want him to find my mom or learn about my brother. Tell him he can find me near The Black Unicorn Shoppe. Next weekend is the last week of the festival. All I have to do is hang out there. Overdrake will send someone for me. I know he will.”

  “Yeah, I do too. That’s why I’m not going to tell Dirk about you. Do you have any idea how much your mother would freak out if you went missing?”

  The resolve in Aaron’s eyes didn’t waver. “I’ll be at the fair next weekend. If Overdrake doesn’t come, I’ll find some other way to contact him, and then the whole thing will seem suspicious. If you want to help me stay safe, you’ll do it my way. Contact Dirk.”

  Tori was being coerced by a twelve-year-old. For a moment she only stared at him. He squared his shoulders, showing her he meant everything he said. “We could figure out a way to pass information to each other,” he added. “Maybe I’ll even be able to tell you where the dragons are and how to control them.”

  He didn’t need to come up with a way—it already existed. All he had to do was talk to her when he was around the dragon she was connected to. If Aaron’s plan worked, it might be worth the risk to send him in as a mole.

  She bit her lip, thinking. “The other Slayers probably wouldn’t go for it.” The last thing they wanted was another trained dragon lord to worry about.

  “It’s not up to them. This is my decision. Mine and yours.”

  “It doesn’t work that way. We vote on things . . .” Her sentence drifted off as she thought of how the Slayers had reacted when she told them Aaron could be an asset. No one had believed her.

  “It’s my decision,” Aaron repeated.

  “What would I tell Dr. B when he reports you’ve been kidnapped?”

  A
aron shrugged. “You can lie to him without being caught, right?”

  “That doesn’t mean I want to.”

  “Fine. Tell Dr. B the truth, but not anyone else. If you have another traitor in your group, I’ll be chained up somewhere until this revolution is over.”

  Could it work? Could Aaron give them information about the dragons that would help the Slayers? Probably. He might even be their best hope for turning the tide in their favor. She’d already suggested to the other Slayers that they ought to train Aaron to use his powers so he could help them. The only difference was that Overdrake would be the one training him instead of Dr. B.

  Sometimes you had to fight fire with fire. Maybe the best way to fight dragons was with dragon lords.

  Still, if Tori went along with Aaron’s plan she would be sending him into a lion’s den—no, make that a dragon’s den. “Why are you so insistent on learning to use your abilities?” she asked.

  Aaron let out a snort like the reason should be obvious. “Because Slayers are drawn to fight dragons. I know what happened to Dr. B’s brother. I’m not letting that happen to Jacob.”

  How could she argue with that? She felt the fierce protectiveness in his words. He was anxious about his brother, angry at Overdrake, and had a sort of pent-up energy that insisted he do something.

  “Fine,” Tori said. “I’ll tell Dirk about you. But not until Friday. That will give you time to change your mind.”

  And time for Tori to come up with a different, better plan.

  Chapter 16

  On Sunday afternoon, Overdrake sat at his computer, checking the latest reports from his agents. He had dozens working for him, and even had some agents spying on other agents to ensure everyone’s loyalty. Most of them were vastly overpaid for what they did. The information they turned in—when they had any—usually wasn’t more than mildly helpful. But the exceptions were worth the money.

  And the latest report from his man in New York might fall in that category.

  When Overdrake had learned the Slayers’ identities, he’d had his agents research their extended families as well. Dr. B might have moved the Slayers’ families, but Overdrake was still watching the grandparents and cousins.

  He’d toyed with the idea of kidnapping aunts or uncles and making demands, but had rejected the idea. He doubted the Slayers would give in to such things, and besides, kidnappings were messy. The FBI might get involved.

  Still, keeping track of the extended family could pay off in other ways.

  The email to Overdrake read: Shang’s cousin, Serena Cheng, will be married in Albany, New York, at five o’clock on Wednesday.

  A wedding. Serena’s extended family would attend. And that meant Shang was likely to be there too.

  Overdrake would make sure someone was waiting to greet him.

  He clicked on the Slayers file to review Shang’s data, but somehow his gaze went to Tori’s name instead.

  No matter how many other Slayers Overdrake got rid of, Tori would always be a problem. Because Dirk wanted to protect her.

  It was ridiculous, really, the way Dirk was tying his hands. Overdrake had been planning this revolution for more than two decades. It had already cost an enormous amount of money and manpower, yet his son was letting his priorities be twisted around by a girl.

  Well, Overdrake might have promised Dirk that Tori and her family were off limits, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use his influence in other ways. He could show her that she wasn’t safe. He could remind her that if she fought against him, she would pay a price.

  Perhaps it was time to visit Tori’s house.

  Chapter 17

  Instead of finishing up her homework, Tori found herself researching Venezuela. By all accounts, the country had more than its share of problems: economic instability, high inflation, political turmoil, and it was one of the most violent places on earth. American diplomats had to travel in armored vehicles. Unfortunately, Venezuela also had an advanced navy and air force, along with plenty of weaponry.

  Charming. She should warn her father about them again. He needed to try and stop them from doing any sort of military exercises near US shores.

  She went downstairs, walked into the den, and found him sitting at his desk, signing documents. She plopped down on an oversized chair in front of his desk. “You know how you’ve raised me to be politically aware and concerned about the country?”

  He eyed her suspiciously then returned his attention to his papers. “Why do I have a feeling a request for money is couched somewhere in that question?”

  “I’m not asking for money.”

  He signed a paper and set it onto a different stack. “I’m also not lifting your grounding. Even if you do want to go to some political rally or save-the-earth cause.”

  She rearranged one of the chair pillows so she could lean back. “It’s not that either. I just wanted to talk to you about Venezuela and the exercises they want to conduct offshore.”

  Her father’s gaze shot to hers. “That’s not public information. How did you come by it?”

  She couldn’t answer that question. She’d heard it from him while she’d been eavesdropping, and she didn’t want to let him know just how good her hearing was. “My sources aren’t the point. The point is Venezuela has ulterior motives for those tests. We can’t let their military anywhere near our borders.”

  He sat back in his chair, studying her. “It isn’t up to me alone to decide those things. And tell Jesse he shouldn’t talk to you or anyone else about what goes on in senate committees. His parent, whoever it is, could get in a lot of trouble for leaking details.”

  Tori didn’t want her dad thinking about those sorts of rules or what he shouldn’t be talking about. She forced an incredulous laugh. “Please. Government officials leak stuff all the time. That was the President’s reelection campaign. He leaked things about his opponents and let the media campaign for him.”

  “All the more reason for me to be careful. I can’t talk with my daughter about classified matters. The media would have a field day with that.” Her father turned his attention back to his papers, ending the conversation.

  But she didn’t want it to end. “If the committee says yes, when will Venezuela do the exercises?”

  Her father kept his gaze on his papers. She could tell from his expression that he was debating whether to answer. He liked discussing foreign affairs with her. He was always saying that most Americans were dangerously uninformed about the world around them, and he didn’t want her to be that way.

  He signed the paper on the top of the pile. “Venezuela has proposed different dates. That’s one of the things the senatorial committee is discussing.”

  Tori didn’t ask why Venezuela wanted to do their military exercises near the borders of the US. Whatever explanation they’d given was a lie. The exercises would either be an invasion, or practice for one.

  Tori let out a cough of indignation. “Who on the committee thinks letting a foreign country’s military near our shores is a good idea?”

  Her father paused before signing the next paper. “Venezuela has one of the world’s largest oil reserves. Some people think good relations with them would benefit our country. And they might be right. But that’s the problem with these decisions. It’s hard to know whether we’re creating a friendship or leaving ourselves open to future aggression.”

  He hadn’t given Tori any names of Venezuela’s supporters, and she wanted them. Those people were most likely either Overdrake’s men or people who were influenced by them.

  What was the best way to extract their names? “So it’s about oil? Are the pro-Venezuela people the same ones who want to drill in the US?”

  Her father chuckled. “Of course not. Senator Ethington is the one pushing the initiative.”

  What?

  “Senator Ethington?” Tori echoed. He was the frontrunner of the Democratic candidates; the man who would most likely run against her father. Could he be one of Overdrake’s m
en?

  “Senator Ethington only minds drilling for oil on our soil, not Venezuela’s.”

  Tori didn’t like most politicians on principle. She’d met too many. They were all smiles and charisma in public, but would cheerfully throw anyone to the wolves if it furthered their agenda.

  But surely Senator Ethington wouldn’t be involved with Overdrake and his plans for a takeover. Not a presidential candidate. He had to care about the nation’s safety.

  “I thought he wanted us to move to green energy. Who’s convinced him we need Venezuela’s oil?”

  Tori’s father gave her a look that said she should know better. “He touts green energy because it sounds good to the voting population. Less pollution, no oil spills. We’d all like that. But he’s also a pragmatist and knows that people need to drive to work every day. He’s already promised he won’t expand drilling here, so he’s got to get oil elsewhere. He was the one who reached out to Venezuela, and now they’re putting our goodwill to the test.”

  Her father went on for a few more minutes, talking about the difficulty of balancing security with loyalty to the country’s allies.

  Through all of it, one thought kept repeating in Tori’s mind. Senator Ethington had been the one to reach out to Venezuela. It was either horribly bad timing on his part, or he was one of Overdrake’s men. When her father paused his lecture, she said, “Who else wants to let Venezuela run tests near our shores?”

  Perhaps she sounded too eager. Her father’s gaze went to her eyes, and then his voice changed from informative to comforting. “You don’t have to worry about Venezuela. They’re not going take on the most powerful nation in the world.”

  “You don’t know that,” Tori said. “Germany was a small country. So was Japan. England isn’t that large, and for a while the sun didn’t set on its colonies.”

  “Glad to see that your school is teaching you history, but I think we’ll be okay.”

  School hadn’t taught her about war and conquerors lately; Dirk had. He seemed to know about every invasion in history, and why it had or hadn’t worked. Overdrake had drilled that knowledge into him, and Dirk had studied it like it was his personal playbook.