Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

" D rugged? What?" Paige stumbled a step to the side. "That's insane. Obviously, we're still alive."

"Yes, and our legs won't work. And I feel quite fuzzy-headed," Drucinda said.

Paige rubbed at her temples. "Yeah, I guess my head feels weird, too."

"My legs feel like rubber," Devon answered in the dark. "Although this isn't as bad as when Dewey drugged me."

"Hey, I saved you, Lover Boy, and don't you forget it."

"I didn't say you didn't, I just said you also got me high as a kite." Devon bumped into Paige before he grabbed hold of her. "Sorry. Okay, wait, I think…I think I can walk."

"We're going to have to try," Drucinda answered. "This is our only shot. Maybe the exercise will get the drugs moving faster."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Well, we want them out of our system. Too bad we don't have any water to help flush them," Drucinda said. "Now, come on. We've got to get out of this hut as quietly as possible. "

"Okay," Paige said, awkwardly goose-stepping her way over to the door as Dewey wobbled on her shoulder where he'd managed to land.

"Are we ready?" Drucinda whispered.

"Ready," Paige said with a salute.

"I'm going to kick down the door," Drucinda hissed. A second later, she stumbled backward into Paige, a curse escaping her. "Let me try that again."

"Careful. You're high," Paige reminded her with a giggle.

"Stop giggling, you sound ridiculous."

"Sorry. I just…man, I wish it wasn't dark in here because I would have loved to see you being as awkward as I am."

"You are awkward without drugs. At least I have an excuse."

"Oh, good point. Wait, maybe the drugs make me less awkward. I'll kick down the door."

"Fine, go ahead and try," Drucinda said.

The dark shadow in front of Paige shifted to the side. Paige licked her lips, sucking in a deep breath as she prepared to attempt the feat.

A second later, she lifted her leg and kicked it out. "Ouch," she cried, grabbing hold of her toe and hopping around on one foot. "Didn't work. Didn't work."

As she leapt around in pain, she knocked into Devon. "Hey, watch it, Paige."

He stumbled a step away, crashing into the hut's wall. A second later, it rumbled and shook before it crashed down around them. The thatched roof buried them as the walls splayed out to the sides.

Paige spit out the hay that filled her mouth, rubbing her eyes as she sat up in search of her friends.

"What happened?" Drucinda asked as she scrambled to her feet .

"Devon knocked the entire stupid place down," Paige answered, still spitting the dry roofing from her mouth.

"You crashed into me," he complained as he rose.

"We should get out of here. This will draw attention." Drucinda scanned the darkened huts surrounding them. "Looks like the two guard were knocked out at least."

"That's good," Paige answered as she rose. "Let's…wait…where's Dewey?"

Drucinda arched in eyebrow, her features lit by the pale moonlight. "I haven't seen him. Wasn't he on your shoulder?"

"Yes, and now he's gone." Panic rose in Paige's voice. "Dewey? Dewey!"

"Shh, quiet, stop shouting. You'll have the whole village down on us," Drucinda said with a sharp wave of her hand.

"Well, we need to find him."

"I'm sure he's here, babe," Devon said as he shuffled over to her to squeeze her shoulder.

"But where?"

Paige's stomach twisted into a tight knot. "Oh, no. No."

"What?" Drucinda asked as she kicked around in the hay.

"He's probably…he may have gotten hurt in the collapse. Or worse." She slapped a palm against her forehead. "Oh my goodness, what if he's dead?"

"That's jumping to conclusions, isn't it?" Drucinda retorted.

"Is it?" Paige asked, her voice shrill with panic. "Because Dewey has been convinced he'd be a target, the one to die. The sacrifice that makes people cry. That we'd have to weep over his dead body."

"Will you please stop insisting this is some sort of ridiculous fictional story? It's not. It's real life. Now, look around for him. He's likely just buried under the rubble here."

A lump formed in Paige's throat as she dropped to her knees to dig through the remains of the hut .

As she frantically shoved debris from side to side, a tiny groan sounded on her left. Her heart leapt before it raced, pounding out a frenetic rhythm against her ribs. "Dewey?"

"Did you find him?" Devon asked.

"I heard something over here."

Devon joined her, using his larger hands to shift chunks of the fallen roof and walls aside in search of the little dragon.

Finally, moonlight gleamed off of his teal scales.

"Dewey!" Paige cried. "Dewey, are you okay?"

"Ohhhhh," Dewey moaned, his head lolling from one side to the other.

"Dewey? Are you hurt?"

"Yeah," he moaned. "Paige…it's not good."

Paige's lower lip trembled as tears filled her eyes. "It'll be okay, buddy. We'll carry you to the portal. We'll get you help. You just need to hang in there."

A small cough escaped him before he let his head fall back to the ground with a tiny shake. "No, Paige. No good. I…I don't think I'll make it that far. And I'll only slow you down."

"No," Paige said as tears streamed down her cheeks. "No. No man left behind. We're not leaving you."

Dewey reached a trembling paw toward her. "Paige…save your mom. Do it for me. And…when you and Devon have your first little vampire-ling…name him Dewey, huh?"

Paige fought to stop her lower lip from trembling at the words. Dewey had been right. He'd be the one who didn't make it through their mission. His tiny body couldn't withstand the damage of the hut collapse. How could she say goodbye to her friend?

"Where does it hurt, little man?" Drucinda asked as she dropped to one knee next to him.

"Oh, everywhere," he said. "I would have love to help save your mom, Paige, but…maybe my sacrifice will mean something to future generations."

Drucinda screwed up her face as she stared down at him. "I don't see any blood, or anything broken. Are you quite sure you're in that much pain?"

Dewey slowly nodded, his eyes barely able to stay open.

"He's probably hurt inside." Paige choked out another sob. "His tiny little body couldn't protect him when the roof collapsed."

"The roof is literally made of hay. I'm not sure it could hurt you if it tried," Drucinda answered.

"Well, he's small! Tiny, in fact. When we fell it probably…" She buried her face in her hands as she wept with Devon consoling her.

"Try to be respectful, Dru, she's grieving."

"Uh-huh," Drucinda said with a nod as she rose to her feet. "Well, I suppose then we should be off. We'll leave you here, so we don't have to drag your body through the jungle."

"Of course," Dewey said stoically.

Drucinda reached into her pocket. "Before we go…I've got a bit of jerky left if anyone wants it. May need the energy."

Dewey's eyebrows crinkled as Devon shook his head. "I'm good."

"I can't eat," Paige cried. "I can't think of food right now."

Drucinda shrugged as Dewey raised a claw.

"Uhh, if it's not too much trouble…could I have the jerky…one last meal, you know?"

Drucinda arched an eyebrow. "You want the jerky? You're dying, but your concern is the jerky I have in my pocket."

"Well…I mean, may as well go out with a bang."

"If you want the jerky, fly up and get it."

"Drucinda!" Paige scolded. "I can't believe you. He can't fly. "

"Can't he? You want it, little man, come and get it."

Dewey lay on the ground for a second, his eyes narrowing before he struggled to climb to his feet, fluttering his wings.

After another second, he rose slowly into the air. "Wow, it's a miracle! I…I can fly. I'm okay. I'm going to live!"

Drucinda crossed her arms and shook her head. "Just as I suspected."

"What?" Paige sniffled, wiping at her cheeks. "Are you…serious?"

"Paige," Dewey said with a grin, "I'm going to live!"

Paige climbed to her feet, her fingers balled into fists. "Yeah, I can see that. I thought you were dying!"

"So did I," Dewey tried.

"No, you didn't." Paige crossed her arms and shook her head. "You're such a jerk."

"Well, I was…" Dewey lifted one fleshy finger into the moonlight. "Look, I have a scratch. I was afraid I was seriously hurt."

Paige offered him an unimpressed stare.

"Okay, okay. I just…wanted a little attention."

"Your attention could have cost us our chance to escape," Drucinda answered. "Now, perch on her shoulder, and let's go before the entire village is upon us."

"Wait, wait," Dewey said.

"What is it now?" Drucinda asked.

"Do you really have that jerky?"

Drucinda let her head fall back as she let out a muffled groan. "Get on that shoulder."

"No reason to be mean about it," Dewey said as he perched on Paige's shoulder, and they picked their way clear of the debris.

"Anybody remember how to get back to where we were?" Devon asked as they crept through the quiet village streets .

"Why don't you fly up and take a peek around. See if you can spot anything," Drucinda suggested.

Devon winced. "But we should get out of the village first. I don't want anything to happen to Paige."

"Thanks, hon," Paige said with a nod. "I appreciate that. But I'd also appreciate figuring out where to go next."

"Right, on it." Devon gave her a nod before he morphed into beast mode and rocketed into the air.

"I hope he finds something," Paige murmured as they continued to sneak past darkened huts.

"I hope we make it out of here without anyone knowing. These Graggles are a real problem," Drucinda said.

Dewey threw his hands out to the side. "Yeah, well, I was hoping for another piece of jerky, but that didn't happen, so we can't get everything we want."

"Will you stop with the jerky already? We're literally running for our lives and Reed's, and you're worried about jerky," Drucinda said.

"Welcome to my world," Paige answered. "And most of the time, we're running for our lives high or half-dead or something else crazy thanks to some mishap."

"Like now? Are you feeling any better?"

"I've gotten used to the weird, wobbly legs, so I'm okay. Dewey's claws digging into me are distracting me from the weirdness."

"I can't help it," Dewey answered, "my legs are wobbly, too. It's all I can do to hang on with your lumbering."

"Lumbering?" Paige asked. "I'm trying my best here to get out of this stupid village before someone kills us…again. In the time since I've known you, I have been almost killed more often than I haven't been."

"Oh, so you're blaming me for this?" Dewey asked.

"Well, I'm just saying…"

"Just saying that somehow Dewey attracts trouble. Maybe it's you. You were klutzy when you came. Maybe you attract trouble to me. Because before you showed up, I lived a quiet life in the library."

"Yeah, stuck there because no one took you out. And now I see why."

"Ohhh, right, because I'm some sort of trouble magnet. Yeah….I'm sure that's the reason."

"Will you two shut up before we get caught?" Drucinda growled.

"We probably will because Dewey attracts trouble."

Dewey's wing smacked her in the face. "Oops."

"You did that on purpose."

"Prove it," he shot back.

Paige curled her fingers into fists, anger brewing inside her as she stomped forward.

Drucinda rubbed her forehead. "I can't wait for Devon to be back. He only acts like a child part of the time."

Paige screwed up her face. "I feel like he acts like a child all of the time."

"Well, he was spoiled simple as a child. That's why."

Paige bobbed her head. "Seems like it. The sun really rises and sets on him, huh?"

"And Luna. Don't think his father doesn't spoil her, too. She gets away with murder."

Paige froze as she processed the comment, her eyes going wide. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Drucinda crouched, scanning the dirt path in front of them.

"Sounded like whispering," Paige hissed.

They stood still, straining to listen for any sounds that may indicate a threat.

"I don't hear anything," Drucinda answered.

"Me either and my hearing is better than Paige's. "

"All right, fine. Let's keep going." Paige shrugged and continued forward.

"I can't believe Devon isn't back yet. What is he doing?" Drucinda asked.

"Maybe he found something, and he's checking it out," Paige offered as another set of whispers hit her ears.

She brushed it off, assuming it was the wind passing through the dense jungle foliage.

"Here's the end of the village up ahead," Drucinda said. "We'll wait outside it for Devon."

"Okay. Maybe he– "

Paige stopped talking, her eyes going wide as torches flared to life. In front of them, stood a wall of Graggles, armed and ready to stop them from leaving the village.

"Uh-oh," Paige answered.

"Well, that was the whispering you heard," Dewey answered. "The Graggles making certain we couldn't escape."

"Right," Paige said with a nod as she wrinkled her nose. "Now what?"

Drucinda shrugged as she shot her a serious glance. "We fight or die."