Chapter 38
I’ve never been in a home like this; shabby, worn, and filled with warmth.
And I’ve never spent time with people like the Bevans.
I’m extremely uncomfortable.
So I keep to the edge of the room, staying silent and just watching.
Feniks explains how the kids are used like storage cells for the dark energy, and where we rescued them from. He mostly glosses over the fact we can shift into wild beasts, and the Bevans don’t push it. Like they don’t want to know.
They have one priority.
“We need to find these children’s families,” Opal says, her voice is weary but urgent.
“Agreed,” Theo says, “but the question is how? We can’t just put their images out there on a missing child registry.”
Max rubs his bristly jaw. “What about that rebel network, Unbound or whatever they call themselves. Surely, they’d help?”
The Bevans exchange a worried glance.
“Only the gangs would have information about freedom groups in the area,” Gareth says. “But knowing who to approach is dangerous. Asking questions to the wrong person is a surefire way to end up dead.”
“You don’t have any idea who we could speak to?” Alexis asks. “No one?”
This time the aunt speaks up. “The only person I’d trust to ask is my son, and that is impossible.” She blinks, eyes filling with tears. “Tally is locked away at Quo Reformare; visits are not allowed.”
“There must be a way.” Willow leans forward on the table. “Taliesin isn’t someone who abides by rules. Haven’t you found some way to sneak in a message?”
The Bevans exchange another speaking look, then Opal nods. “We can’t talk to him, but every morning, if there’s been no trouble, he’s allowed outside to the yard.”
Gareth grimaces. “When she says yard, she means a concrete box surrounded by razor wire. But if he’s at the top of the stone bleachers, by using binoculars, we can see him. We take the car every few days at dawn and travel up the crag to try and spot him.”
“But there’s no way to get closer?” Willow asks.
Gareth lets out a bitter laugh. “It’s a black hole, Willow. They’ve got dampening fields that kill a spark at the fence line and no-fly wards for miles. There’s no mail, no visits, and definitely no internet.”
“I’m just grateful for a glimpse of him,” Opal sighs. “And that he gets to have a few minutes on his own.”
“On his own?” Feniks asks. “What do you mean?”
The aunt looks almost sheepish. “There are gangs in there, and Tally, well, he’s the leader of one of them. Each gang leader is allotted a little private exercise time in the yard. Not that does you any good,” she sighs. “Communicating with Tally is impossible.”
The room goes quiet, the heavy weight of the "impossible" settling over everyone.
But my mind is ticking.
“Maybe not,” I say, finally pushing off the wall.
Aunt Opal turns to look at me, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the cut of my jacket. “And who are you exactly? You’ve got the look of Elite about you.”
“This is Cosmo,” Theo says quickly, stepping forward to bridge the gap. “He’s… he’s one of us. We wouldn’t have escaped with the kids without him.”
Uncle Gareth’s eyes travel to the gold watch on my wrist then back to my face. “Cosmo…who?” he says slowly.
I meet his gaze. “Drakeward.”
His face pales, then flushes a dark, angry red. “Drakeward?”
He swivels to Willow, then Alexis. “You brought a Drakeward into my house?”
Opal’s hand goes back to the shotgun leaning against the counter. “A Conclave snake? Willow, have you lost your mind? Their family built the system that took Taliesin! They bankrupted this town. Get out. Get him out of my house.”
“Wait, Aunty, wait. I’ll be the first to admit Cosmo is a real jerk, a douche of the highest order, but he’s not like them. He wants to help, he’s trying to be better.”
Color me fucking surprised to be defended by Theo’s little pal.
Opal looks at me with revulsion.
I don’t flinch.
I’ve earned the hate; I’ve lived my whole life on the pedestal they want to kick down. “The wards at the Quo Reformare,” I say, cutting through the snarls. “They’ll be attuned to human and witch signatures, just like at Validus Vale. Dono already proved that wards don’t react to our shifted forms.”
I look at Alexis for support. “I can fly straight through the wards, over the walls, and meet with Taliesin—in my dragon form.”
The room goes dead silent.
“The chances of success are minimal,” the professor says after a moment. “And the likelihood of capture is over eighty-five percent.”
I shrug. “So? It’s the only option. We need the Unbound to find these kids’ families. It’s the only way.”
“You’d risk that?” Gareth asks, his voice skeptical. “Why? You’re a Prince of Havengard. You could walk away right now and be back in a mansion by dinner.”
I glance at Theo. She’s watching me, her silver eyes not giving away a hint of what she’s feeling.
“Because,” I say, turning back to Willow’s uncle, “it has to be done, and if I’m caught, I'll have a far higher chance of survival because of my connections.”
“He’s right,” Alexis agrees. “This could actually work. When does Taliesin get his time in the yard?”
“Sun up,” Opal replies, her grip loosening on the shotgun.
“Then I’d better get going.”
Alexis drags me into the narrow hallway. “It’s only an hour until dawn, so you're racing the sunrise. Give me a moment to think.”
He blinks then nods, and I imagine his gryphon has just figured out a plan.
“The Sensus Repulsi we used at the cabin—you'll need to layer it thick.
Don't just cast it; weave it into your scales. If a guard looks toward the sky, he’ll just see a cloud or a shadow.
And the distraction spell—Confusio Laevis—save that for the landing.
You don't want the guards in the towers to wonder why a patch of yard just went dark. "
For a second, I’m actually grateful to Gimble’s teaching.
"Got it," I mutter as I check the charge on my phone. “At least in theory.”
"Theory won't save," he snaps, “you have to get this right.” Then softens his tone. “Listen. If you get caught, use your name. Go full Drakeward. Maybe you can bullshit that you're there on 'official surprise inspection' or something. They might hesitate long enough for you to escape.”
Theo appears in the hallway.
She doesn't say anything, just walks up and presses her hand to my chest for a moment. I feel the gift of her Lumina pass to me. It’s only a small amount, but I take it greedily. “Thank you.”
"Get the information we need," she says, then after a beat adds, "and be safe.”
The urge to take her into my arms, pull her tight, press my body into hers is almost overwhelming, but instead I turn my back and head out onto the porch.
The pre-dawn air instantly chills my face, but that won’t last long.
I go onto the weed-strewn gravel drive and let my dragon out. The shift is faster than I’ve ever known before, and within seconds, I rise through the dark sky.
As I fly, I look down at the crumbling roads, burnt out buildings and demolished factory ruins of Ashgrave. What must it be like growing up in this land?
I think about Taliesin. A kid a year younger than me, locked in a cage because he dared to punch the Mayor’s son for assaulting a girl.
That was a perfectly reasonable response to the situation, but now that kid’s life is as ruined as this city.
Quo Reformare appears on the horizon—a grim fortress surrounded by circles of wall and wire. I can feel the wards now, and the dampening spells. They try to eat away at my protections but cannot penetrate.
Tightening my grip on the repulsion spell, feeling it ripple across my scales, I bank right, circling wide to catch the wind.
The yard is exactly as Gareth described: a concrete box. I see the stone bleachers, cold and lonely on the far edge.
Here goes nothing.
I dive.
No alarms sound as I land, instantly tucking my wings into my body, then shifting into human form.
Shit.
Like this, the magic dampening has me in its grasp.
I can’t cast. I can’t form a spell.
Fuck.
I sprint to the corner, out of view from the watch towers. Is the repulsion spell even working?
No.
Can I shift back?
Dragon? You there?
For a heart stopping second there is no response, but then a low chuff sounds in my chest.
Asshole. He’s there. My innate magic is OK but the arcane? Dead.
In the fading dark, I sprint up the bleachers until the very top, then settle myself in the most shadowed corner just as the sky is beginning to lighten.
The sun is hidden by a thick layer of smog.
A heavy metal door at the far end of the yard groans open. A single figure walks out, wearing a thin, dirty jumpsuit that looks like it offers zero protection against the cold. He doesn't look around, just starts a fast jog around the space.
I watch, getting stiff and bored as he completes twenty laps. Finally he walks to the bleachers and starts to climb.
His long sandy-brown hair is knotted on the top of his head, allowing me to see the barely healing black eye and busted lip he’s sporting. I watch as he stares out toward the distant hilltop where his parents are supposed to be.
"Taliesin?" I whisper from the shadows.
The boy freezes. He doesn't turn around, but I see his shoulders bunch and fists clench. “Whoever the fuck you are,” he rasps, “you’ve five seconds to get out of here, or you are going to be in a world of hurt.”
“Your mom says to tell you I’m as safe as Grandpa’s Kingfisher.” Whatever the fuck that means. It’s the phrase Opal gave me to show Taliesin I’m friend not foe.
I step forward just enough for him to see my silhouette.
“What the fuck? Who are you, how’d you get in here?” he hisses.
“I’m working with your cousin Willow against the Conclave. We need to get in contact with the Unbound.”
He exhales a long breath. “Willow? As in my cousin Willow Bloomhower? This is bullshit. Last I heard, she was cozying up to the Elites at Validus Vale.” He moves closer, drawing himself up to full height.
The little fucker is actually taller than me. But I’ve no time for this posturing.