Page 43 of Here Be Dragons

“Yeah?” Seth covered the shard and photograph. “What are they?”

Carly listed them from right to left. Interesting. Modern Western cultures read things from left to right.

“Hey, not bad,” Seth said checking the icons. “You got it.”

“I…um…kind of cheated.”

“How?”

“I’m still touching the shard. Ever since we figured out the key, it’s been repeating the icons back to me.”

“And it’s listing them right to left?” I asked.

“Yup.”

“Then I guess we have our answer,” I said, taking the Polaroids from her. “Is it still repeating without you holding the Polaroids?”

“It is.”

“And I have the order memorized now too,” Seth said. “There’s only four of them.”

I held up the Polaroids and then, facing the center of the room, turned safely away from my books and friends, I let out a small stream of fire and watched the photos burn.

The wait for themuseum to close so that we could test our theory felt like it lasted an eternity. Neither of us had an appetite, and that had left poor Elana thinking we didn’t like her attempt at Chicken Adobo. I made a note to tell her later that it was very good.

She didn’t know any of the details surrounding the competition; she just knew that there was one happening, and that it wasimportant. Seth hadn’t wanted her to worry. It was better that way.

But finally the only moving things in my museum were my golems, and it was time.

Despite Seth’s assurance that Mateo would want to be here, I did not ask him to join us. I did not bring Carly either. I worried that they’d be injured if anything happened. Seth was powerful, but the more people he had to protect, the thinner he had to spread his magic. It would be safer for everyone, and him, if it were just him and me. Carly had very reluctantly agreed.

He connected the amplifier to the statue, something I didn’t quite understand. Hell, I didn’t understand most of this. I’d never thought of sounds as patterns before in my life. But since both Carly and Seth were so sure of it, I deferred to their superior knowledge of these modern ideas.

Imagine that! A dragon deferring to two humans! But I had to admit that when it came to things like science, I was several centuries behind. I knew that modern technology worked, but nothowit worked. That was Emmett’s claim to fame, not mine.

With Seth standing just outside the exhibition room playing the note, I approached the statue. I felt his magical shield around me.

Taking a deep breath, I found the tiny button-like flowers on the life-sized faun’s pan pipe. I pressed the first one, and this time it depressed with a soft click. Then, it bounced back to its original position.

Well, would you look at that. At least the first part of our theory was correct.

I pressed the other three buttons in order and held my breath. I didn’t know what I expected would happen. Would an army of ghouls descend on me, like Seth had surmised? Or would a giant fireball land right where I was standing?

Neither happened. Instead, one of the statue’s horns swung open to reveal a hidden chamber. Inside was a compass, smaller than a watch face, hanging on a thin chain.

“Don’t touch it!” yelled Seth.

Few dared give a dragon orders, but I understood it was out of concern for my safety so I let it slide.

He approached and focused his attention on the compass for a moment. “Okay. There’s magic, but it doesn’t feel malicious.”

I leaned in and sniffed. “I don’t smell anything dangerous either.”

I picked it up.

“The question is, is this the artifact itself? Or another clue to lead us to the artifact?”

“If it’s the artifact, then the competition is over right now,” I said.

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