Page 50 of Dragon Unleashed

The back door creaks, and Chano steps in front of me.

By the time I’ve pushed past his arm a gaggle of kids has lined up outside, staring at us. A boy in his late teens walks forward, his arm around the shoulders of an older woman.

“It’s all right, Ma. Just strangers, passing through.” He glares at us. “Give the baby back.”

Naeve reluctantly passes the toddler to the outstretched hands of one of the older girls. “She was in the street.”

“Not like anything gonna knock her down. No cars for that,” the boy mutters, before reaching for his mother as she squirms out of his reach. “Ma, Ma, come back…”

The older woman weaves toward us, fingers tracing invisible lines in the air. Her eyes have a weird blankness to them. She grinds to a halt in front of Farrell, her upper body rocking back and forward like she wasn’t quite expecting her feet to stop.

“Ma,” the kids chorus.

She traces Farrell’s face with her fingers, and he sets his jaw, clearly annoyed by the intrusion into his space. Her eyes widen. Suddenly she flings herself to the dirt like a rag doll. She hunches over in an exaggerated bow and stays there, utterly still.

“King. It’s the future king,” she hisses. “Bow, children.”

Uncertainly, a few of the younger kids get to their knees.

Chano strides toward her, yanking the children to their feet as he goes. Ma starts to caress Farrell’s boots, kissing the tips of the toes.

“King Cuelebre. The Dragon King, come to save us.”

Chano drags the struggling woman upright, holding her under her arms.

“What the hell, Farrell, you just going to let her demean herself like that?” he demands.

The woman wrenches herself out of Chano’s grasp and sinks to the ground again.

The oldest boy wraps his arm around her shoulders. “It’s nothing. Sorry, she’s delirious. Some days are better than others. Today isn’t a good day.”

Farrell pats the woman’s head. “You may rise.”

She offers him a beautiful smile and scrambles up.

“Miranda,” she offers. “This is my son, Olaf, and…” She pauses in confusion. “O-other children. Are…are they mine?” She blinks rapidly, then skips off across the yard, arms outstretched and flapping, warbling about the Dragon King.

The oldest, Olaf, bows his head, his eyes shiny. “No disrespect. She heard a rumor. In her addled state, she can’t help talking about it. I didn’t recognize you immediately, sir. We’re honored. Sh-she would be honored if her mind were still whole.”

Farrell grips Olaf’s shoulder firmly, staring at the plain signet ring on the boy’s finger.

“The rumor is true. Only tell those true to the cause.” Farrell rubs his own ring, a thoughtful expression on his face as the boy drops to one knee, bowing his head.

Quicker than a viper, Chano’s up in Farrell’s face. “Why would you feed bullshit to desperate people? They’re miserable enough and you…what? Want them to follow your stupid cause? Risk their lives? And yet you’re lying to them about being a freaking dragon?”

Farrell turns slightly away from Chano, winks at me, and explodes into his beast form. His wings rip out of his back, the silvery scales glittering in the pale light. His giant tail whips from side to side, narrowly missing the whooping children, and he belches fire into the sky.

Silas bursts out in unintelligible curses. Professor Allegra screams and buries her face in Zephyr’s neck. Olaf flattens himself to the ground, forehead in the dirt.

The dragon is impressive, but this full-on worship is creepy.

Chano stands stock still. Not one muscle moves. You’d be forgiven for thinking he’d stared at a medusa. I slip my hand into his big one and squeeze.

“This is what I wanted to talk to you about, partly.”

He licks his bottom lip.

“I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

---