Authors: S. G. Rogers
Secrets of Yden (7 page)
Mouths & Bad Checks
Dragon Village had grown immensely since Jon's last visit, and it was now a town. He went door to door, making himself useful. Some of the newer villagers needed small everlasting orbs for nighttime lighting. Several wells were running dry, so he used a spell to ensure they would always be full of sparking, clear water. In addition, a recently established bakery needed a perpetual motion spell to run its grindstones.
After he'd finished helping the adults, Jon played with Johde, Benn, the other orphans, and several new kids, too. In a field just outside of town, he made them a beautiful snowfall. Having never seen snow before, the kids were mesmerized. They ran around, batting the flakes with their hands and catching the snow on their tongues. When the snow was deep enough, a snowball fight ensued. Jon launched himself into a thick patch and showed the kids how to make snow angels. As the snow was melting, Jon whipped out the sketchpad he always kept in the pocket of his cargo pants. To the kids' delight, the balls and paddles he drew materialized into real toys. He moved on to paper airplanes, which required an explanation about aircraft on Earth.
"Tell us about Yrth, Jon!"
"It's just a fairy tale, isn't it?"
"How do Yrth kids get along without magic?"
"Earth is
not
a fairy tale, and the kids manage fine without magic, more or less," Jon said. "But you have something they don't have. Let me show you."
The kids crowded around to watch as Jon began to sketch. Several guesses followed about what he was drawing, but none were correct. As the lines of Jon's creation floated off the page and solidified, there was a chorus of gasps. The new creature he'd drawn was the size of a small cat. Its body resembled a pink seahorse, but with forearms, hind legs, and delicate wings like a dragon.
"What is it?" Johde asked, in awe. "What's her name?"
"She's Yden's first house dragon, and I call her Arielle."
Arielle settled on Jon's shoulder and rubbed her face against his hair.
"A house dragon is extremely useful," Jon said. "A house dragon will hunt rabbits, catch fish, and will even start a fire for cooking. They're good company too."
He rubbed Arielle under her chin and she began to trill and purr. The kids were enchanted.
"So who wants one?" he asked.
Even Jon's practiced fingers were tired from drawing by the end of his visit. He'd created a dozen house dragons for the kids in a myriad of different colors, including one in plaid for the schoolteacher. Although Jon tried to tell Arielle to stay in the village, she wouldn't listen. Reluctant to return to camp right away, he walked the distance from the village instead of transporting. The little creature dive-bombed and chattered at him the entire time.
"Okay, you can stick around," Jon said finally. "But you'll have to hang out with Adam and Eve when I'm not here. Don't annoy them or they just might eat you."
In a slightly better mood, Jon sent Arielle off to hunt and headed to his bungalow.
Out in front, Max â a martial artist â was twirling a long wooden staff called a bo as he practiced a drill. He paused to let Jon walk by. "You okay?"
"
Superlative."
From the way Finn and Ian broke off their discussion when he entered the bungalow, Jon suspected he'd been the hot topic of conversation.
"Hello," he said, pretending not to notice. "Did you have a good afternoon?"
"We did, actually," Ian replied. "We played Dragon Egg, but it was deadly dull without ye."
"I could've used you on my team," Finn added. "We lost every game."
Max appeared in the doorway. "Master Quixoran said you went to Dragon Village for fieldwork. How'd it go?"
"Excellent." Jon knew his voice sounded strained. "It was a great change of pace."
Although Ian, Finn, and Max were bending over backward to be nice, Jon didn't know how long he could stand it. With a bleak smile at his friends, he retrieved fresh clothes from his locker and went into the bathroom to take a shower. As hot water poured over his body, he wondered how he'd get through the rest of the weekend.
This can't be much fun for Kira, either. I'm sure she doesn't enjoy watching me suffer. She probably feels sorry for me.
As a genuine cloud of depression descended, Jon realized he needed some space to get his head straight.
Ian and Finn were gone when he came out of the bathroom, but Max was sitting on his hammock. He frowned as Jon packed up his stuff to go home.
"You want to talk about it?" Max asked.
"Thanks, but there's nothing to talk about. It's time for me to move on, as far as Kira's concerned." Jon shrugged. "No big deal."
"I feel terrible. I was the one who encouraged you to ask Kira out in the first place. I just don't get it. I know she likes you."
Jon's throat closed up and his eyelids stung. "Not enough, I guess."
Arielle flew in through the window with the tip of a rodent's tail poking out of her snout. The house dragon landed on Jon's shoulder and gave one final gulp. The tail disappeared.
Jon had to laugh. "Max, this is Arielle, our new house dragon." Arielle nibbled at Jon's earlobe.
Max was dumbfounded. "A
house
dragon? I didn't know they existed."
"They didn't until I conjured a bunch of them this afternoon."
Max extended a tentative hand. "Can I hold her?"
To his delight, Arielle promptly hopped over to his shoulder and smeared his face with hers.
"She's into you," Jon said.
"Go figure."
"Arielle, I'm leaving for a while," Jon said. "You can hang out with Max if he wants you to, or you can go find Adam and Eve. Just don't make a pest of yourself, okay?"
As Arielle trilled in response, Jon hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and gave Max a half-hearted salute. "See you around."
Jon transported directly into the tree house, catching Quixoran just as he was heading downstairs for dinner.
"Grandfather, I'm going home. My fieldwork went great but I need some time. I'll be back next Friday night."
"I understand. Why don't you take the vanyean seed with you to Yrth and work in some drills during the week?"
"Thanks, I'll do that. And if anyone asks, could you say I left early to get some schoolwork done? That's probably close to the truth."
With a heavy heart, Jon pocketed the seed Quixoran gave him and transported to Earth.
****
Although Jon tried to gloss over the details of his unexpected arrival home, his glum face gave him away. In as brief a fashion as he could manage, Jon told his parents about Kira and the homecoming dance.
"Jon, I'm so sorry," Dr. Hansen said.
"We're heading over to Lynn's house for dinner tonight with her and Chaz," his mother said. "Come with us."
"No, that's okay. I'll grab something here after I work out on the heavy bag in the garage," Jon said.
"I don't want you to be alone," his mother said. "Besides, we're watching a movie and eating pizza."
"Pizza?"
"Lots of pizza." Dr. Hansen tousled Jon's hair. "You're coming with us. Doctor's orders."
****
Charles and his fiancée Lynn were both JAG attorneys. They'd met at work the year before when she'd been reassigned from Washington, D.C. Lynn lived in a cozy, two-bedroom bungalow in Point Loma, and she had been to Yden the past summer. Although it had taken a little while for her to get used to the idea of a magical planet in another dimension, she adored Charles and had agreed to marry him anyway. As Jon came through the door, Charles's eyebrows lifted.
"Jon! I thought you always spent the whole weekend at your grandfather's," Charles said.
"Cressidia's a wood sprite, and she hasn't learned to make pizza yet," Jon replied in a feeble attempt at humor.
"Girl problems," Mrs. Hansen mouthed silently with a knowing nod.
Jon rolled his eyes in embarrassment.
"Well, I have good news for you," Lynn said. "My sister is coming to town this week. She's your age, Jon. Maybe you two will hit it off."
Charles held up a promotional DVD for a horror flick entitled
Immortal Soule
.
"This film is still playing in theaters," Jon said. "How'd you get the DVD already?"
"That's Lynn's sister." Charles pointed to the actress on the cover of the DVD. "She sent us a preview copy. Her name is January Beck."
The name January Beck didn't mean much to Jon since he hadn't seen a film in a long time. He'd taken Sela to the movies only once this past summer, to an animated feature starring talking skunks.
"I didn't know you had a sister, Lynn," Jon said with a glimmer of interest. "Is she as nice as you?"
"Nicer," Lynn replied. "But you'll see for yourself."
"Jan is Lynn's maid of honor," Charles said.
"Jan and Jon." Sela giggled. "That sounds so adorable."
"Maybe you could pick January up at the airport Thursday night?" Charles suggested. "It would give you a chance to get to know one other."
"Sure," Jon replied. "I'd be glad to."
"That's a great idea," Lynn said. "The four of us could have dinner afterward."
After pizza and salad, everyone settled down in Lynn's small living room with microwave popcorn to watch the movie.
Immortal Soule
was a somewhat gory, formulaic thriller about attractive teenagers in danger from a good-looking vampire with a scar on his cheekbone. The story was predictable, but Jon had to admit Lynn's sister was truly dazzling. She had a cute little cleft in her chin, big eyes, and curly dark hair. A lock of hair would fall across her eyes when she was in danger, arousing Jon's protective instinct.
Things are looking up.
Before the Hansens left for the evening, Lynn wrote down January's flight and hotel information for him.
"Chaz and I are in court all day Thursday. I was going to hire a limo to meet Jan at the airport, but this will be much more personal," she said. "You'll be taking her to the Pacific Bay Hotel downtown, and we'll meet you there for dinner at six."
"You don't want me to bring her here?" Jon asked, confused.
"No, because Jan has a bunch of publicity interviews scheduled at the hotel Friday morning. I'll pick her up afterward and bring her home," Lynn replied.
"How will she know who I am at the airport?" Jon asked.
"You'll be at the baggage claim area holding a sign marked 'Miss Jane.' That's the name she travels under," Lynn said.
"I can do that."
"I can't believe we're going to have a movie star in the family," Sela said.
"I thought you said
I
looked like a movie star," Jon teased.
"A
real
movie star," she retorted. "Not
you.
"
"Too bad January's not local. I could ask her to the homecoming dance," Jon said.
"Actually, as of Thursday, she
is
local," Lynn said. "My parents are moving to California in time for the wedding, but January will live with me for the time being. She's enrolled at Pacific Prep."
Jon's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Pacific Prep is my old school."
"Maybe your girl troubles are over," Dr. Hansen said.
****
As Jon prepared for bed, the theme music from
Immortal Soule
was running through his mind. He drifted off to sleep thinking about a scene from the movie where January was running from a castle, fleeing a horde of hungry vampiresâ¦
Jon laughed as he hurtled over a glowing statue in Quixoran's garden during a nighttime game of Dragon Egg. January Beck was the Egg, and he blasted anyone who got too close with luminous pigment. The game won, he exchanged a triumphant glance with January⦠but she'd become Kira somehow. Jon's vision was suddenly consumed by icy darkness. Streaks of dragon fire lit the sky overhead, and Jon realized he was in the midst of the battle at Castle Igneous. Cygards and Fox Clan apprentices descended on him then, and he fought desperately to hold them off. As the battle wore on, however, his magic became weak and he was forced to use his fists instead. He drew a torn sleeve across his eyes to blot the sweat away just as a sharp metal harpoon launched into the air from a ballista on the great wall. He watched helplessly as the spear pierced Adam's hide. The dragon twisted in agony and his rider fell fifty feet to the cold, hard ground.
Kira.
His heart in his throat, Jon ran, but his legs seemed glued to the lawn with a sticking spell. Each step was a wretched struggle as he fought to reach the broken, still figure. Tears slipped down his cheeks, but he knew it wasn't too late.
I can save her. I will save her.
At Kira's side at last, Jon reached for his ankh, but his fingers scrabbled against bare skin. He'd lost it in the battle somehow, but he still had his ring. Weeping, he gathered Kira in his arms and waited for the white light to come and heal her⦠but he was too weak. He pulled her close and sobbed, overcome with such overwhelming grief as he'd never known beforeâ¦
Jon woke up, choking on his tears. He sat up in bed, swung his legs to the ground, and dropped his wet face in his hands.
I've lost Kira. She's not dead, but she's gone all the same. How am I going to pretend it doesn't matter when I've been turned inside out?