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  “That’s exactly how I feel about Caden. I want to love him, not just the idea of him, but I can’t seem to figure out how.”

  “That’s normal.” Skelly flitted down to the bed and sat next to me. “Even though you’re a huge dragon, you’re still growing up.”

  “Oh, about that huge dragon thing…. Did Merlin tell you he stripped my powers?”

  Skelly’s head seemed to take ages to turn toward me. “He did what?”

  “He had these weird ladies who I think might have been the sorceresses strip my powers in the Cave of Pamuya in order to teach me a lesson in humility after I got a little power-hungry and broke the Egg.”

  Skelly leaped from the bed and began to pace. “That kooky old man—that senile, foul-breathed senior citizen—is going to pay for this.”

  “Skelly, calm down. This is Merlin we’re talking about, not some Level Two wizard fixing napkin placement.”

  “I don’t care if he’s the king of all humankind. He’s put you in grave danger, and I won’t stand for it. When I see that white-haired skeleton, I’m going to give him a dressing-down like you’ve never—”

  Before I could stop my godparent, Skelly flew out the door toward the control room. I tried to keep up, but without my wings, I had to plain old walk down the hallway. By the time I reached the main doors, screaming met me at the opening.

  “How dare you. Do you know how much danger you’ve put not just Grian but this whole crew in?”

  “Skelly, if you’ll just give me the chance to explain—”

  “No I will not. You’re a smooth talker, Merlin, but I’m a godparent of action. Give Grian back his powers or so help me I will hunt you down for the rest of your very numbered days.”

  “Wait, you don’t have your powers?” Blair asked.

  I shook my head no.

  “Oh my god, we’re doomed.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Caden asked as Blair joined the shouting match and Bernard put his head in his hands and began to mumble.

  “I couldn’t. Merlin swore me to secrecy for the safety of everyone here. He said if you knew—”

  “We wouldn’t go? Maybe he was right, but that wouldn’t have put us in danger, it would have saved us from it. Or at least we would have had the choice. But what’s the point of even trying to persuade you?” There was no caring in Caden’s face as he continued. “You’re a smart boy, and deep down, I think you knew all that already. The real reason you didn’t tell us was that you didn’t want to admit you’d lost your powers. Is that right?”

  I looked down at my socked feet. Apparently in my efforts to chase Skelly down, I had forgotten my shoes.

  “You gave your emotions free rein… again. The one character trait that drives me absolutely insane. Though I’ve only seen a small sample of your interactions, I can extrapolate that this part of you is never going to change. Worse, one of these days you’re going to get us all killed. I don’t know why destiny would have paired us together when we’re obviously so different, but I’ve had enough. I’m not going to fall in love with someone just because some stupid fortune told me to.”

  Before I could say another word, Caden stormed out the doors. Blair went after him, leaving me with the now sobbing Bernard and the screaming Skelly and Merlin. The four mechanics watched from the sidelines, rolling their heads from left to right and back again with every volley.

  “Well, that was awkward,” said Short Fuse.

  “Did you say Skelly?” Captain butted in. “As in the Skelly Bando and Dawn rescued from outer space?”

  Skelly was too furious to hear her. Instead, my godparent launched Bone Dragon claws at Merlin, who ducked and let Skelly crash into the wall behind him.

  “Skelly, stop!” I cried, but my words did no good. The two were locked in a magical battle, and without my powers, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

  As Merlin gripped Skelly around the waist with a squeezing spell, I felt as though I was the one getting squeezed. I felt the magical fingers on my skin, the exhale of air from my lungs, the taste of bile on my tongue.

  How had I allowed this to happen? It seemed like I kept making mistake after mistake, either too obsessed with my own powers to do the right thing or not sure enough to fight for them. Now my fairy godparent would die doing what I should have done the whole time: stood up for myself. Whoever myself was.

  Suddenly I remembered something from my childhood, a memory with Sara Lee. We were in the apple orchard playing swords with sticks while Nimue watched from the bench nearby. The day was cool as it approached night, but even as bumps rose on our arms and mosquitos came out to play too, we continued to hit and duck. Even though I was very small, I was already a natural with my weapon.

  In fact, I was thinking just this thought when Sara Lee hit me right in the chest with her stick. All the air whooshed out of me, leaving me writhing on the grass and trying to take in a full breath.

  “Sara Lee!” Nimue scolded as she sank to the ground and propped my head up on her lap. “He’s just a child.”

  “No, he’s not. He’s a prince, and a Sun Dragon too. The sooner he learns to fall, the sooner he can learn to get back up again. For he will fall sometimes, Nimue, no matter how hard we try to protect him. That’s what keeps him human.”

  Now, as I watched the color leave Skelly’s face the way it had left mine so many years before, I remembered those words. I was human, and I made mistakes. Not telling Caden about losing my powers had been a mistake. Not saying good-bye to Nimue before I left had been a mistake. Going to the Mansion to get tested had been a mistake. But these mistakes were not something to regret; they were what kept me humble.

  “Skelly, stop,” I commanded. My godparent froze, as did everyone else. “As terrible as his methods were, Merlin was trying to teach me an important lesson. One I should have learned a long time ago, as it turns out. And I have learned it now, so both of you stop your fighting and focus on what’s ahead.”

  I nodded to the window, where Jupiter had snuck up on us.

  “My mother is in there somewhere. All that matters is rescuing her, no matter who does it. Understood?”

  “Yes, Prince Grian.” Skelly glared at Merlin. “But if, when this is all said and done, my godson still doesn’t have his powers back, I will personally rip that long white hair off your head.”

  “I believe you’ll try, my skeletal friend. Now, who would like a cup of tea before we enter Jupiter’s atmosphere?”

  Without Blair or Caden, I was the only one present to groan.

  Chapter Fifteen

  ALTHOUGH I was naturally partial to Earth, there was something about seeing Jupiter up close for the first time that made me breathless. Way larger than Earth, the gas giant really did seem like a god with its bands and Great Red Spot. Moons of all shapes and sizes surrounded the planet, some even bigger than Draman.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Blair whispered. She and Caden had returned to the deck, though Caden sat in the chair farthest from me and refused to make eye contact. “And don’t worry about my brother; deep down he knows that you losing your powers doesn’t really matter. We would have followed you anywhere, powers or not. I think he’s just having trouble taking this all in, you know? Prison, escape, soulmate… a lot has happened to him. Plus, he might look like a jock, but with his head in his math books all the time, he’s never really learned what we call ‘people skills.’ And now isn’t the best time to pick them up, so he’s clinging to his precious logic instead of letting any emotions in or out. Don’t let it get to you.”

  “Thank you, Blair. I needed to hear that. I think I’m clinging to my impulsive confidence just as much.”

  “Are you scared?” she asked as she looked out on Jupiter.

  I wasn’t sure if she meant scared of the planet’s terrible storms or of Shull, but either way, I had the same answer. “Of course I’m scared. I’d be an idiot if I wasn’t.”

  Our ship approached Jupiter’s inner atmosphere, sp
ecifically the Great Red Spot, where, Merlin explained, we would be able to enter the planet’s core. Then we were inside of it. The hurricane’s winds slammed into us, shaking the ship back and forth so violently that my head slammed against the wall, and only with Merlin’s magic could we keep the ship from flying off-course.

  “We’re going to die!” Short Fuse cried. “We can’t survive over-two-hundred-mile-an-hour winds!”

  “And I didn’t even complete my newest invention,” moaned Sprout.

  Lightning struck both wings, illuminating the otherwise dark deck and the helium rain pounding on glass and metal. Diesel, initially so terrifying, clung to Captain.

  “Fly into the center,” Merlin instructed, and Caden directed the ship into the eye of the storm. As we tried to turn, Merlin seemed to strain to keep the ship together amidst such terrible weather conditions. The ship creaked loudly, and a crack began directly under my feet.

  “It’s going to break apart,” I cried. “Caden and Bernard, I’ll take over as pilot. You two help Merlin with your magic.”

  I grabbed the controls as Caden and Bernard scrambled to the back of the ship and put their hands to the floor as Merlin instructed. The storm did not slow, but the crack did, making us safe—at least for the time being.

  Finally, we reached the slower winds, with the faster winds surrounding us like a hula hoop. The ship flew easily, and I directed it downward toward the planet’s center and Shull’s headquarters.

  “How will we know where the entrance is?” I asked, then answered my own question. Right in the center of where we headed, printed on the core in bright red, was the sign of Shull: a large red skull with a bone, ice cube, and sun in its toothy mouth.

  “I’m opening the communication channel,” Captain warned. Then she pressed one of the many buttons in front of her.

  “Please enter the code,” a voice instructed through our ship’s speakers. Six blank dashes popped up on our screen, and Bernard typed a series of numbers into the slots.

  “Thank you,” the computer confirmed. “Please enter the hangar at no more than ten miles an hour and be sure to shut down your vehicle but leave it unlocked. Once you have cleansed yourself of all magic, proceed through the doors on your left to meet with reception. There you will find maps of the facilities, as well as a tour guide to walk you through Shull’s brilliant new office.”

  “This is surreal,” Caden said, apparently forgetting about his pledge of silence. “Did they bake us chocolate chip cookies too?”

  Merlin put a finger to his lips, but it was too late.

  “All food is served in the office cafeteria. There you can find a variety of meal items, including, but not limited, to the following: pizza, Italian, Chinese, Indian, sushi bar—”

  Somehow, Blair managed to turn the computer off.

  From now on, no one says a word, Merlin said in our heads. You never know who’s listening.

  The ship coasted into the hangar, and Caden parked it next to ten other identical ships. After leaving the door unlocked, we filed out of the ship and into the chilly parking lot.

  “Remember, no one with magic can go into Shull’s headquarters,” Merlin whispered.

  Skelly had transformed back into a short human with spiked black hair and the usual pale skin of a Draman. My godparent would not be able to enter, as well as Caden, Bernard, and Merlin.

  “Wait a minute,” I said, finally putting something together. “I can go in because I’m human now, right? Just me, Blair, and the four mechanics?”

  “Exactly. Caden, Skelly, and I will find a different way inside where the magic detectors won’t find us. Get in, find your mother, and get out. Understood?”

  “Yes. And once we’re all safe?”

  “We blow this place to pieces.”

  Our group split in two. Right before my group went through the sliding glass door, I looked over my shoulder at Caden, and he did the same. So much had to be said, but we had run out of time to say it. Or maybe, deep down, we didn’t want to.

  On the other side of the doors, a scanner moved over our faces.

  “One Earth Dragon and five humans,” the scanner spoke. “Please proceed.”

  Knowing a bit about the layout from her days with the EDPS, Blair took charge of leading us. We passed glass offices much like the ones on Earth, now abandoned at the late hour, and found an elevator that needed a badge to move.

  “We can’t use magic,” I reminded her, then remembered that none of us had any magic to use.

  “Who needs magic when you have mechanics?” Diesel asked. He pried off the top of the metal pass swiper, and then Sprout, Short Fuse, and Captain put on their goggles and went to work pulling out wires and rerouting them to new places. They moved like eight hands attached to the same brain, and whether that skill came from being related or from the years they’d spent working together, it was incredible to watch.

  “Done,” Captain said as she slammed the lid back on. She referred to a pocket watch attached to her belt loop that had a clear glass back so we could see the inner workings. “Hmm, one minute and thirty seconds. We can do better than that, guys.”

  “Sorry, Captain.”

  We piled into the elevator, with half of the room taken up by Diesel, and pressed G for ground. According to Blair, the prisoners would most likely be working closest to the core, where an intricate layer of spells would protect them from both us and Jupiter’s elements. Blair’s arm pressed into mine, so I took her hand and squeezed it.

  “Just in case I don’t ever get a chance to say this again,” Blair whispered while the others discussed their methods of disarmament moving forward, “I love you.”

  “Oh, Blair—”

  “I know, I know. You’re gay. I’m not telling you this because I expect anything from you; quite the opposite, actually. I’m telling you this because I believe in who you are, both as my Grian and the one destined to save the universe.”

  “But I’ve royally screwed things up. Merlin’s sorceresses took my powers, my mother is Shull’s prisoner, all dragons are in danger, and Caden hates me. And I’m okay with those mistakes. I’ve come to terms with them, but I can’t be the savior anymore.”

  “You’re an idiot,” Blair whispered as she got even closer to me. “You might be a flawed hero, but you’re still the hero nonetheless. And you don’t need some true love mumbo jumbo to do it. You, my magical Sun Dragon prince, are perfectly capable of saving the world on your own.”

  “But the curse of the Artists requires that Caden and I—”

  “Requires that your love would be born again, and that you would save the universe together. What do you think you’re doing right now? He might not be at your side, but he’s in this building fighting with you for the well-being of all dragons everywhere.”

  Even I couldn’t argue with that.

  “Now get out there and save the world,” Blair said, then pecked me on the cheek.

  The debate between the four cousins stopped as they slowly turned toward the sound of the kiss. Through their goggles, they blinked rapidly at us.

  “Just a friendly dragon thing,” Blair explained. “You know, brotherly love and all.”

  Before I knew it, Blair and I were laughing so hard that we got the hiccups.

  ON THE ground floor were more glass offices and hallways that led to another elevator. We proceeded this way for several floors, passing security measure after security measure in our progress. None of these offices were occupied; perhaps Shull had not brought his Earth staff, and these were the preparations for their arrival. Finally, after the last elevator, the doors opened on a dungeon that smelled like decaying food and human filth.

  “All the cells are empty,” Captain called out after she’d checked them and it was safe for us to proceed. “They must be on work duty.”

  Past the cells, another door led to a stairway cut into the core. A magic spell shimmered along the passageway, keeping out whatever danger waited on the other side, and we follo
wed this spell even deeper into the ground. Finally, after what seemed like hours of descending, we came upon a T-junction where on one side the physical workers cut into the stone and made way for Shull’s expansion, while on the other, the magical prisoners worked in the assembly room Bernard had referred to earlier.

  “Which way?” Captain asked.

  “I don’t know. My mother will be on the left, but if we hope to get out of here alive, we need to persuade the magical workers on the right to help us. Maybe we go both ways? Blair, you go with the mechanics and talk to the wizards. I’ll go to the left and try to get my mother’s attention before the guards notice me.”

  Oh, Grian. Unfortunately, the only way you’ll be going is straight into a cell.

  I whipped around.

  “Did you guys hear that?”

  “Yes,” Blair said grimly. “It’s Shull. So much for hoping he was still on Earth.”

  You didn’t think I would miss all the fun, did you? Now, be a good little Sun Dragon and walk your friends into the room on your left, where I’m holding your mother hostage. Maybe, if you ask nicely, I’ll trade her life for yours.

  My mother. Before I could think, I barreled into the room on the left. Laborers covered in dirt and grime toiled at their digging, and though their eyes looked up when I entered the room, they did not pause.

  Shull stood on the opposite side of the room with a control in his hand. The control seemed to power a security monitor built into the wall, where an image of my mother locked in some kind of travel vessel met my eyes. She looked much older than I last remembered her, and her hair was long and gray, but I still knew it was Sara Lee. I had finally found her, but I knew that I would probably die before I ever saw her face again.

  “See, I can be quite generous,” he said. “Surrender yourself to me and let me strip you of your powers, and I will send your mother back to Draman.”

  The tools cutting into rock paused, then continued their work.

  “Fine,” I spat out.