18.Darkest Before the… Dragons

18. Darkest Before the… Dragons

Liam's fingers tap frantically on his phone as he makes arrangements so that he’ll be able to transfer money to the dragons who kidnapped Toby.

"Can you really afford to pay off Bill's debt?" I wonder.

"Not tonight,” he admits. “I can give them enough to satisfy their concerns while I get the rest together."

“Do professors make that much money?” No, a better question, “Do you have that much money?”

"I also write books," he reminds me.

"You're rich?" Are books like The Bard and Magic in high demand?

"I'm comfortable," he corrects. "An author who writes about the intersection of classic literature and magic doesn't make a billionaire's salary, but I'm as successful as someone bridging magic and literature can be. I'll recover financially in time. And even if it took every penny I had, I'd still pay."

"For Toby, I know." He'd do anything to get his nephew back safely.

Bill exits his front door, puffing on a cigarette. He smokes, apparently. Can't say I blame him for the vice at a time like this. I see the nerves written all over his face as he joins us outside his house.

"I'm ready to get this over with." He looks at me warily. "Do you think you're going too?"

"Thank you for helping," Liam corrects sharply. "That's what you're allowed to say to Oliver."

"You and I are the only ones they'll meet with! He can't—"

"Bill."

"Yeah, whatever... thanks," he mumbles. Bill takes one last drag before tossing the cigarette butt onto the pavement and crushing it with his shoe.

We make our way to Liam's car parked in the driveway. I really wish we had a better plan or any leverage, but the dragons have all the power. Bill and Liam will go meet the horde. Liam will transfer the money, and the dragons will give Toby back. If Liam doesn't contact me in three hours, I'll send all the authorities to the campground where they are supposed to meet .

Liam and I come to a halt in front of the driver's side door. Even with the crescent moon just beginning to make its journey through the sky, the moonlight seems to seek out and find him. I pray the moon takes care of him tonight.

I reach out, fingers tracing the contours of his face and feeling stubble against my palm. Liam leans into my touch and his lips brush against mine. The soft kiss passes too quickly, and then they're in the car and I watch them drive away.

Five minutes later, I regret everything.

The quiet neighborhood unsettles me as I wander aimlessly, my mind racing with doubts about the decisions we just made. Especially the one that involved separating me from Liam.

Yes, the dragons would immediately be on guard if they saw me - they're only expecting Liam and Bill.

But it's Bill. I just sent Liam off with Bill, the firebrand with weak powers. Bill the jerk.

...I have a bad feeling about all this.

Liam had a point about someone staying behind in case things go wrong. It made sense at the time. But now the huge, glaring flaw smacks me in the face.

If I go to the authorities because Liam doesn't contact me, that means something has already gone horribly wrong. Will me, the police, or anyone else be able to help him at that point?

Yes, I'll be able to point the police to the dragons. But I'd rather nothing bad happened to Liam or Toby at all. How in the world am I supposed to prevent that if I'm not there?

I need a second opinion, so I do something a little crazy.

I call my mother.

"Hypothetical situation," I open the call with, pacing the sidewalk.

"Oliver." Skepticism and judgment already drip from her voice.

"Just need a second opinion."

"On what, your thought experiment?"

"Exactly."

Through a frosty silence on the other end, I sum up the basics of the situation, with some substitutions. Like omitting any specific threats made against me, because she knows all about my string of bad luck with vehicles.

Her verdict doesn't take long.

"Call the police," she suggests immediately. "Or run away and hide, that's also acceptable."

"But—"

"Who cares about the downsides? If my son is involved with dragons who kidnap people—"

"Hypothetically, remember," I interrupt.

"Oliver."

"Please, Mom,” I beg.

Her response takes a while. I grip the phone tightly in the silence.

"Hypothetically, it sounds like this horde isn't afraid of using dirty tactics, but that doesn't mean they'll kill. ”

"Just kidnappers then?" I ask doubtfully. What a poor bright side.

"Their goal is getting repaid, possibly by any means necessary, but it need not come to that. If paid, they should return what was taken."

"How can we trust them?"

As I ask, I realize they must think the same of us. Bill caused all this and left them scrambling to recover their lost property. They could have ambushed me from the beginning while I was clueless, but they opened with property damage and threats instead of physical harm. They waited and tried other tactics first.

"Tell me what's really going on right now," Mom demands. "Let me help."

"Do you really think I'm the type of person to be involved in a situation like this?" I force a laugh that grates in my throat.

"...Then why are you so worked up over a hypothetical situation?"

"I'm just trying to win the, uh, thought experiment.” I am worked up. As much as I want to hope for the best and let her words calm me down, something bothers me. “I guess I'm bothered because you're right - they aren't crossing the line and killing, but they do strike me as ruthless. So will they really just forgive and forget when it's over?"

"Yes, once the debt is paid. They should..." Mom trails off.

"What, why are you hesitating? Oh no, what's wrong? ”

"No, nothing..."

"What? Tell me."

"This is all so garish,” she protests. “If there's no real reason to discuss it, we should forget this whole thing."

"Mom, tell me."

"Alright, fine. Making amends and compensating the dragons could be all that's needed to satisfy them. However..." She pauses and sighs heavily. "Some hordes also single out one person who slighted them and make them an example."

My blood runs cold as the pieces click into place with sickening clarity. The dragons need to punish someone to discourage future thefts.

And once the dragon’s discovered him, Bill’s plan has been the same: blame Liam. He’s going to offer up Liam to take the blame.

"I have to go," I choke out and hang up before she can respond.

Frantic energy propels me forward. I sprint up the porch steps two at a time, nearly tripping in my haste. I have to get to Liam. Protect him. Save him from becoming a scapegoat.

My hands shake and I topple over the cheesy garden gnome in my haste to locate the spare key Bill hid. I can’t wait around to ask for permission to borrow the car. They’ll understand. This is an emergency.

I wrench open the driver's side door and slide behind the wheel. I have no idea what I'll do when I get there .

All that matters is saving the man I’m falling for, even if it means facing a horde of dragons. I turn the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life, and peel out into the night.

~

“Ow! Bloody hell.”

Traveling too fast down a dirt road at night in the middle of nowhere isn’t a wise idea. My head hits the roof of the car as it collides with a bump too forcefully.

I press down on the accelerator anyway, determined to get there as quickly as possible.

What if I’m still too late?

No, I can’t think about that now.

My headlights barely cut through the darkness, illuminating the outlines of trees that loom over me. I glance in the rear-view mirror and see only darkness and shadows.

I'm alone.

A one-man rescue party heading into danger without knowing how many dragons are out in the darkness waiting for me. This remote campground is quiet and deserted at night, with plenty of space for campers to spread out and never encounter another person. No one will help if I'm in over my head .

With the oppressive darkness and forest as camouflage, large beasts like dragons could hide here without attracting notice.

Plus, if they were worried about running into me again, this is a great defensive spot. Natural woods offer few metal materials for me to manipulate.

“Crap!”

My car swerves as I nearly miss a sharp turn on the narrow road and careen into the trees. Knuckles gripping the wheel so tight they turn white, I steer the car back on track.

There’s only one option. Keep going.

Sure, I’m afraid of being too late. And afraid in general.

I’m just a new metalbrand with weak powers. What if I fail? What if Liam gets hurt? How can I possibly be enough to help him ? These are questions with no answers.

I just keep going. None of the questions and fears matter. I’m the only chance Liam has.

I have to be enough. There’s no other option.

Liam only got into this mess because of his selfish, cowardly brother-in-law. He doesn’t deserve any of this, but he’s here anyway, risking himself to save his nephew.

Someone needs to save Liam too.

I’m determined to be my bravest, most heroic self. For Liam.

The headlights illuminate a wooden sign that tells me I'm nearing a campsite. This is it. I recognize the name of the campsite. This is the location where the horde told Liam and Bill to meet them for the exchange.

The car can't take me any farther. I pull off the road and direct the car into the trees. When I’m ready, I continue on foot.

Not daring to use my phone for light, I stumble through the dark while trying not to stumble loudly or run into the trees. Every sound seems to echo in my ears, from a crunch of leaves to my own shallow breaths.

So far, nothing has jumped out at me—oh! What was that?

Something stirs above me in the night sky. My heart skips a beat. Was that real or just my imagination?

I look for the outline of large wings or golden eyes but can't see anything else through the trees and darkness.

A branch snaps up ahead. Alright, time to stop concentrating on what might be up above and instead focus on what's in front of me.

Three large figures emerge from the shadows. Their yellow eyes glow in the night, lighting up the darkness. They circle around me like predators.

"What do we have here?" One of them growls.

Another thug jeers, his yellow eyes dancing sinisterly as he looks between me and his two friends. "This guy doesn't seem too tough. He doesn't even have any metal weapons on him. "

"That's right," another agrees coldly. "You're completely defenseless."

“Yeah, maybe I would be,” I laugh. “Good thing you weren’t careful enough.”

Two of them have accidentally left metal items on their bodies—one has change in a wallet and a copper belt buckle and another man must be so used to tucking his cell phone into his back pocket that he did it on autopilot.

I focus my magic on the metal they unwittingly provided me. The two men nearest to me fall down without even being touched. My powers drive the metal they carry towards the ground, twisting and warping the items until they’re a mess of liquid metal that fuse to the men and become heavier and heavier, leaden weights that refuse to rise from the ground.

“Son of a bitch!”

“Let us go or you’ll regret—ahh!”

With a twist of my hand, the metal gets even better acquainted with the dragon shifter trying to threaten me. While metal feels comfortable on and even embedded in my skin, those without a connection to the element find it much more uncomfortable.

The remaining enemy left standing saves his threats and instead rushes towards me. My heirloom watch flies from my pocket and hurls itself at the man charging towards me. The watch collides with his middle and begins to spread and wrap around his waist. With a flick of my wrist, it hardens an d drops him to the ground like a stone with the others.

The metal constricting and cutting into them gives them enough reason to avoid shifting. The metal should still cling to them if they shift, meaning it will expand with them, and they could end up with metal slicing up their insides in dragon form.

That's a few less angry dragon shifters standing between me and Liam.

Before I can celebrate too much, someone starts clapping from the trees. A familiar figure emerges from the shadows. Razor.

"Neat tricks," he says mockingly. “How are you gonna get past me?"

Good question. Razor isn’t carrying any metal on him, and I used my pocket watch already.

Choosing the element of surprise, I rush forward trying to make it past before he can stop me. He moves quicker than me, throwing his arm out and clotheslining me to the ground.

Ow. I fall flat on my ass, choking and gasping after the blow to my neck. Laughter floats up from the ground as Razor’s buddies get a kick out of me going down like they did.

“Come on,” Razor taunts. “Hit me with your best shot.”

Hit him? I struggle to even stand and get back onto my feet as Razor advances. I try to keep some space between us. He strikes out, crossing the distance and sending me back to the ground .

Okay then. I grit my teeth and start crawling forward towards the clearing ahead.

“Aw man, I missed all the fun.” Razor doesn’t think I’m much of a match for him anymore. At least he’s amused because he doesn’t even stop me as I keep dragging myself forward. “God, this is sad. I should put you out of your misery.”

I ignore him. Almost there… just a little farther…

“You’re close, you know? Maybe a quarter mile between you and your man.”

Good. I’m not too late.

“He was even still alive last I saw him.”

…that he might not be alive for much longer means it’s now or never. With a last push, I swing my body out and roll into the open space ahead. There’s some more room between the trees, this has to be the spot. Enough space for—

Razor kicks me from behind. I go face first in the dirt. He laughs like an asshole as I pick myself back up.

“What a shame. You’re so close, but not close enough. This is the end of the line.”

"Stand down." I raise my hands in the air, readying my power. "This is your only chance."

“What, you have another trick up your sleeve? Bullshit.”

“I worked with what I had.”

Calling forth the metal, particles begin to swirl until they form into a small metallic orb in front of me .

Razor darts forward and the metal comes close enough that he twists out of the way, knowing what happened to his friends. He seems prepared to dodge and outlast me, which might work if I only had a bit of metal left.

I didn’t lie. I worked with what I had, and there’s a reason I needed more room.

The metallic orb expands rapidly, growing larger than Razor. There isn’t enough time for him to avoid the large projectile. I hurl the hunk of metal full force at Razor. The glass and upholstery are shattered and shredded after being shrunk down and then resized, but the metal frame of the car, the engine, and all the parts are still there. More or less.

Sorry, Toby. It was for a good cause.

Razor and the car crash into trees with a huge sound as trees buckle and leaves and branches shake and fall. Razor is there somewhere, crushed under all the wreckage.

Given the circumstances, I hope Toby will forgive me for sacrificing his car. It was one of the few metallic items I already had with me, and I needed every one of them to fight back with.

Now I really am out of metal. Hopefully, some other pieces are waiting for me at the campsite. There has to be something they forgot about or failed to hide well enough.

I plow ahead, so close to reaching Liam and Toby. A nearly ear-splitting sound stops me in my tracks . A thunderous roar tears through the night .

“Now you’ve done it,” Razor calls out from where he’s trapped. “You made Roc angry.”

Above me, I see the outline of a colossal dragon among the treetops—Roc.

Suddenly, an intense heat sears the air and bright light engulfs the forest ahead. Flames dance violently around me, fueled by Roc's magical fire. My lungs ache as I cough from the smoke, but I stubbornly stagger on, navigating the chaos in search of a path toward Liam.

"Damn it," I hiss under my breath, feeling the sweat trickle down my temples. Magical fire, whether wielded by a dragon or a wizard, can burn hotter and quicker than normal fire. The once lush forest ahead now lays brittle and charred in the wake of Roc's destruction.

With a deafening crash, Roc's enormous form shatters the brittle trees and lands heavily on the scorched earth. Brown, rocky scales make him seem impossibly massive, towering over me like a living nightmare. The sheer size of him makes me feel so small, like an ant facing a mountain.

"Get out of my way!" I shout desperately.

Roc responds with a low growl, staying firmly in his place.

I glance around, taking in the still-smoldering debris for anything that might help me escape this death trap.

Roc roars and sends a jet of flame hurtling towards me. I dodge to the side, but the area behind me bursts into flames. The heat doesn’t lessen, this fire burning slower through the trees and cutting off my escape.

"Fine," I grit my teeth, "if that's how you want it."

All branded casters have an innate connection to their element, a piece of its power is inside us. I can create metal out of thin air. That’s what I do, shaping a thin line of liquid silver that I form into a harpoon.

Of course, there’s a catch. Seeing that I recently avoided my powers at all costs and felt ashamed of them, I’m not exactly at my best here. And I’m exhausted. I can create metal from nothing, but I’m not in a position to be able to create very much.

My only hope is that Roc doesn’t know this.

“Back off!” I yell. “This is your last chance before this tears right through you!”

A skilled enough metalbrand could create a weapon capable of slicing through tough dragon hide… There’s no way my dwindling magic produces a makeshift spear of that caliber.

I aim the harpoon at him anyway. Roc fires another stream of fire at me. I barely move fast enough to get out of the way.

Guess he’s calling my bluff.

He fires again before I can even lift and ready the weapon again. Roc’s firing so fast there’s not many safe places to go. At his next blast, I use the spear, transforming it into a shield just in time to protect me from the blaze .

The heat is unbearable. Sweat pours down my face. The metal collapses into a twisted heap on the ground, my magic spent. Roc roars overhead, his wings spreading wide, nearly knocking me over with their power.

Roc swishes his tail with incredible speed. I can't avoid it quickly enough, and the massive appendage knocks into me, sending me flying through the air. Pain erupts in my side as I crash to the forest floor.

The dragon roars above me, a sound that shakes my very bones. I lie on my back, staring up at the terrifying creature towering over me.

My chest heaves as I try to pull myself together. I'm exhausted and hurt, with no metal left to fight with.

This is the end.

I failed. Liam is so close, yet I couldn't rescue him. I couldn't even save myself.

In my head, I silently apologize to Liam. I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger for you. I'm sorry I let you down.

And that's when I feel it.

The moonlight reaches me, traces of its silver glow arcing over Roc's huge silhouette. It's as if Liam's presence is here with me, willing me to keep fighting.

Roc lifts one of his colossal legs, preparing to bring it down and crush me beneath its weight. But just as his foot comes crashing down, I disappear from view .

He lifts his foot, searching for any sign of me.

Using the shadows thanks to the power Liam has granted me, I reappear in front of Roc. The dragon tries to crush me again, but I vanish a moment later.

"Over here!" I taunt as I appear once more, this time making Roc himself disappear within the shadows.

With the path free, I sprint through the forest towards Liam. I have no idea where I sent Roc, but I need to find Liam before it's too late.

I burst into a campsite with a roaring campfire, but the scene before me is anything but cozy. There he is.

“Liam!”

Bruised and battered, he kneels before a small group of imposing figures–-dragons in their human forms. Bill is nearby, whining pitifully, but I only have eyes for my boyfriend. There’s a bruise under his eye and blood on his lips, but he smiles when he sees me.

“Oliver, you’re right on time.”