Plight of the Dragon (10 page)

Sebastian presumed that was why the carnival had brought him here, to talk to Zeke. He was searching for a magical resolution, and he prayed Zeke would be the key. The one to deliver a miracle. But now that he was here, with the ravaged mess laid out before him, he had no words. His throat squeezed tight. Sebastian shook his head and scratched his neck. “I don’t even know where to start.”

With a nod and a comforting grin, Zeke sat back and placed both hands on the handle of his cane. “When one is overwhelmed or confused, sometimes starting at the beginning is the best.”

Sebastian peered down and nodded, and then began, spilling forth every detail of his adventure since Zeke had charged him with the deed of finding Bolsvck and the dagger. Plus a few earlier events he’d neglected to mention before, but now thought may be of significance. He told Zeke about the deal he’d made with the Gatekeeper, and the horrid things Marcus had done. He talked about Davies’s company of soldiers, and the death of the man’s daughters. He even mentioned the visit he’d had from the Mara. He talked until his throat was dry and body, numb. So much information poured forth, he could have talked for days, but in actuality it was probably more in the minutes range.
 

Sebastian sighed and leaned over his knees. “And now I have Kyra’s dragon inside of me, and I need to figure out how to get her back to Kyra.” He stared at his clasped hands, played a thumb war.
 

“But you already know the how, don’t you?” Zeke said and stared with his blind eyes out at the carnival entrance.
 

Sebastian cradled his face in his hands. If he could have sunk any lower, he just might have. “If I am to believe what the carousel showed me, yes,” he said, his tone morose and full of bitterness.

“No reason exists for the carousel to show you lies. You should believe,” Zeke said.

Fury and frustration coursed through Sebastian, straightening his spine. “I don’t understand. The ride, the magical…” He waved his hand in the air before him, searching for the right word. “…process was about getting her memories back. It shouldn’t have had anything to do with me.”

Zeke patted Sebastian’s leg once more. “That’s where you are wrong, my dear boy. The whole ordeal was about who Kyra is today, yesterday, and tomorrow, and a hundred or more tomorrows beyond that. That’s where you come in.” Zeke pointed his finger at Sebastian, a mild tremor in the motion. “You hold the key to her future. It is for that reason the carousel showed you what it did.”
 

All of Sebastian’s hope and energy deflated. “There’s no other way?”

“None known,” Zeke said solemnly.
 

“So…in order to return Kalrapura to Kyra, I have to die? Literally shish kabob myself with that strange looking dagger-thing?”

“I’m sorry, son.” Zeke wrapped his arm around Sebastian and hugged him to his side. “I only have this to give you.” With his free hand, Zeke placed a folded piece of paper in Sebastian’s palm then closed his hand around it. “In your darkest moment, find the answer to the question you did not know you were asking.”
 

A frown formed in the space between Sebastian’s eyes. A riddle was not what he needed nor wanted right now. He unfolded the paper and stared at the ink scribbled upon it. Zeke wanted him to find the tent of Magical Bibelots. One item in particular. Thankfully he had Zeke’s expert scribble drawing to help him find it. The tent was tucked away deep within the carnival, never easy to find. Mystic’s liked to play hide-n-seek with that particular destination. But he could find the place; it was the item he questioned. With all its spikes and claws, it didn’t appear extremely friendly.
 

It was astonishing how cold he could feel with a Fire Dragon renting space in his soul. His chill plummeted past Death’s touch. He hadn’t thought he could feel any worse about the situation. He’d been wrong. Remove all hope, and he could feel far worse.
 

And then Kalrapura twisted and spiraled inside his core, roaring for all the kingdoms and realms to hear. Or maybe it was just for his benefit, Sebastian wasn’t sure. But in that instant, he knew. Knew what the dragon was saying.
 

He stood with the abruptness of a killer’s surprise attack. He turned, barely, to face Zeke. Every muscle, tendon, and neuron snapped with needed excitement. “Kyra’s in trouble.”

10

CHILLED

Kyra

“So cold.” Kyra’s
words escaped through chattering teeth. She imagined ice on her lashes and her breath morphing into puffs of smoke. As cold as she was, she wouldn’t have been surprised if she mirrored a frost giant, minus the size. A flurry of activity kept her from slipping into a place of peace.
 

“Look at me, girl,” her father demanded. A soft moan was her response. “Don’t sleep.” His strong hands pressed against her skin, grabbed her arms, rattled her whole body with vigorous shakes.
 

“Stop it,” she said, letting her head loll from side to side. She couldn’t remember where she was, or how long she’d been there. Someone, not her father, tried to wrap a blanket around her. Her eyes fluttered open. Queen Shui kneeled close, pressing the cover to Kyra’s skin, rubbing. The blanket was her own, taken from her bed. Behind her mother, stretched out like a theater backdrop, was her trailer. She was home. “Did you go into my trailer?” her voice hitched, if only slightly.
 

“Sweet child,” her mother began.

Kyra’s hand flailed weakly at her mother. “Don’t, Mom.” She tried to push away from her father, but he kept a strong hold on her. “It may not be much—” Her voice cracked. “But what’s here is mine.” Her hand grasped at her mom. “Understand? Mine.”

“We’re not trying to take anything from you, child,” Bolsvck said. He cupped her hand in his and blew fire-rich warmth upon her. Kyra closed her eyes. “Shui, start a fire to raise her temperature.”
 

Her mother’s footsteps moved away, and her father lifted her in his arms, began carrying her. Shivers and shudders rocked through her body, and she curled into his chest. It was like snuggling against a furnace.

Incomprehensible voices reverberated through her head. She pressed into her skull, wishing the pain to stop. “Get him out of here,” Bolsvck boomed, his chest undulating the tones to sharp stabs in her brain.
 

Kyra sank deeper into Bolsvck’s chest, yet turned to see what the fuss was about. She couldn’t imagine her father being upset by Drakhögg’s presence. Ryhuu, maybe, but not the man her father so heavy-handedly pushed her to marry. Neither stood before them, and she was thankful not to have to face them.
 

Instead, it was Sebastian. He and Queen Shui stood several yards away, heads together and arguing.

He came back
. Her heart leaped, and she clutched her father’s arm, her eyes silently pleading with him to let her stand on her own two feet. He ignored her plea and held her tight.
 

“Bolsvck,” Queen Shui said, turning from her heated discussion with Sebastian.
 

Bolsvck didn’t respond. His silence rumbled through his chest like a fury barely contained. With a pinched brow, he listened.
 

“As much as I hate to admit it,” she said, “this boy does make some sense.”
 

A disgruntled roar rolled deep within Bolsvck’s body. With it, more heat seeped from his skin, enveloping Kyra. “I don’t think—”

“Don’t think. For once, just do as I suggest.” Queen Shui straightened her spine.
 

Sebastian’s gaze met Kyra’s, and as thrilled and happy as she was to see him, he appeared quite the opposite. The cold intensified, turning her insides to ice. If it were possible for her to drop to a deeper low, she didn’t see how. In that moment, she was every bit a dragonling clinging to her father for protection. Protection against heartache. With each advancing step Sebastian made, her heart clenched tighter.

Bolsvck took a step back, away from Sebastian.
 

“Bolsvck, please. For our daughter,” Queen Shui said.
 

“What does he want?” Kyra whispered to her father, then faced Sebastian. “Sebastian?” He stood before her now, so close she could almost reach out and touch him. Part of her wanted to do exactly that. At the same time, fear held her back. Irritating fear. She didn’t remember ever being intimidated when it came to relationships. She was strong. She was dragon.
 

With outstretched arms, Sebastian motioned Bolsvck to transfer Kyra to his hold. “Please, sir.” Sebastian spared Kyra a glance. “I can feel Kalrapura inside me, and she wants to be with Kyra, to help warm her.” He slapped his arm. “See this? This is what she needs.”

Kyra stared at the marking he pointed to. She didn’t recall ever seeing it before. Like a tattoo, but etched in white rather than black, and it resembled a watch or compass. “What is that?” Bolsvck said, speaking Kyra’s thought.

“It’s a bit of magic I recently received. It guides me to things I desperately seek.” He glanced at his hand. “In this case, it’s what Kyra needs right now. As you can see, the arrow is pointing back at me.” He twisted his arm, and the little hand swung and spun then landed back in place, pointing directly at Sebastian. He grimaced at Bolsvck. “The compass isn’t pointing at me. It’s pointing at Kalrapura.” Sebastian’s arms jolted. “Honestly.”

Bolsvck grumbled and released Kyra to Sebastian, a deathly serious warning in his eyes. “This is my daughter, and you are not one of us. You watch yourself, boy.”

“Of course, sir.” Sebastian bundled Kyra in his arms and held her tight. She’d considered her father a comfortable warm fire when she’d nestled into him. Sebastian put out far more heat, and she couldn’t get close enough or warm enough. She wanted more, so much more. She buried her face in his chest. “It will be okay, Kyra. I’ve got you now. I’m going to fix you,” he whispered at her ear.
 

She didn’t like to think of herself as broken, but if anyone were to tend to her less-than-perfect nature, she wanted it to be Sebastian. Besides, if she were honest with herself, she
was
broken, and in desperate need of fixing. She was one of two pieces torn apart, and in order for the world to be right again, those pieces needed to be glued back together. “All right,” she said into his chest.
 

Sebastian’s grip tightened, and he pulled her closer. “I need to employ a little help from our resident witch. Will you allow it?” he asked of her parents.

Queen Shui’s hand fluttered up. “I don’t care much for witches.”

“The fewer involved in the matter, the better,” Bolsvck said.

“Maybe so, but you have this particular witch to thank for Kyra’s returned memories. I believe she will be able to help with the return of Kalrapura, and in raising Kyra’s temperature until that happens.” Sebastian shifted to better view both parents, who stood at far ends of Kyra’s non-existent front patio.
 

“Is this witch a female?” Bolsvck narrowed his glare on Sebastian.
 

“She is. At present, we have no warlocks working at Mystic’s.”

“I will allow it,” Queen Shui interjected.
 

“Shui.” Bolsvck’s voice boomed, and his eyes sparked when he turned his glare upon her.
 

“Shut it, Bolsvck. This is for Kyra. Curb your overprotective nature for now.” Queen Shui jammed her finger at him in an accusatory manner. Peace ceased to exist after that. The quarrelsome pair attacked each other with every hurtful word they could dig from their internal dictionaries. Kyra and Sebastian appeared to be temporarily forgotten, and so Sebastian slinked away unnoticed, Kyra still in his arms. Kyra spied over Sebastian’s shoulder as they left the Backyard. Watched her parents fade into the scenery.
 

Sebastian moved quickly through the carnival, and Kyra watched familiar faces and places move by. From the Backyard, where she and so many other carnies lived, through the Fun Zone and gaming area, toward Mystic’s Magical Market he pushed. Talia’s trailer sat among the many mystics and readers setting up shop at the carnival.
 

“Do you really think she can help me?” Kyra studied his face. He appeared tired, stressed, and bothered. And he didn’t look at her, but kept his attention on their path.
 

“I hope so.”

Kyra bit her lip and stared out at the glare and sparkle created by the lights from all the rides. In the distance, a small peek at the carousel. The very place the two of them had shared a magical moment she’d thought was the beginning of something precious. Perfect and predestined. Until he’d shattered the magic, and their everything. Beyond, ribbons of lights changing color in a mesmerizing manner, the overseeing Ferris wheel spun. Silly as it was, the magical, mechanical beast bloomed hope in her heart. If only they could ride it together to the top, maybe he’d drop the stubborn act and they could get back to what they used to be, get beyond whatever was influencing Sebastian. There was nothing like the magic of a good old-fashioned carnie marriage, or so she’d been told.