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“Are you hiding dragon bones around here?” Ash asked, in a teasing tone.
I looked at Killian. “You didn’t tell them?”
Killian shook his head.
“Tell us what?” Evelyn asked.
I gestured to the crack by our side. “There’s a dragon sleeping in there.”
Evelyn’s eyebrows rose sky high. “No way.”
I told them how the dragon ended up there. I also told them about the crystals, the poison, and the fact that it could be hurting the dragon too.
Evelyn paced, her eyes on the crack. “We need to get him out.”
“I agree, but I don’t know how,” I said. “Since the crystals are the thing keeping him asleep, I think taking them out would do the trick. I can easily take two crystals out, but the other two are stuck.”
She halted. “You said the crystals feed from the dragon’s magic. I’ve never channeled from a live dragon before—they are supposed to be extinct—but I can try. I can try using his magic to repel the crystals. Maybe then, you’ll be able to take out the two poisoned crystals.”
“Evie,” Ash said. “You know you shouldn’t use dragon magic. Channeling directly from a dragon might be even stronger.”
“I know, but what’s the other option? Leave the dragon down there? I can’t do that.” She rested a hand on Ash’s chest. “Besides, you know you have my permission to knock me out if I go berserk.” They stared at each other for a minute, until Ash nodded his agreement. She looked at me. “Do you want me to try?”
I considered that. How would the dragon escape the underground? The gap would widen, causing more damage to the town? Would there be another earthquake? “What can go wrong with the spell?”
Evelyn shrugged. “I don’t know. Anything? I’m not really sure what we’re dealing with here, and I’ve never attempted anything like this before.”
“What if we free the dragon and it turns on us?” Raika asked.
Right, I had forgotten about that.
“It’s a possibility,” Ash said.
“If he attacks us, I can use my magic to deflect it,” Evelyn said. “I can trick the dragon and guide him away from here. Isn’t Lavinia here? She can help me with that.”
Could it be worse than leaving the crystals in the vaults, having them kill the land and the dragon, and poison my people? Then us having to run away?
At this point, I was willing to try almost anything.
I let out a long breath. “Do it.”
* * *
I thoughtEvelyn would simply stand there and channel the dragon’s magic, and in two minutes it would have worked, or not, and we would be done.
But she called for Lavinia to gather supplies for the spell. Almae joined them. Meanwhile, Raika and I asked everyone to stay back. No one came within a hundred yards of the main square.
Rue stayed in the infirmary with Minsi, and we told Jay to be ready to flee with them. Tyren, who was still in the infirmary, wasn’t having it. He said he would go where I went.
It was early afternoon when we finally gathered in the square again—me, Raika, Killian, Lavinia, Evelyn, Ash, and Almae.
Evelyn, Lavinia, and Almae placed small, white crystals and smoking herb bunches on the ground around the trench. I opened the hatches where the crystals were hidden and stood by one of the poisoned crystals. Ash stood by the other one. When Evelyn told us to, we would reach for the crystals and take them out.
Raika and Killian stood with Tyren, Dom, and Vallin a hundred yards back. I had told them to keep an eye out. If anything went wrong … well, I didn’t want to think about that.
Raika had argued she wanted to be close in case she could help, but anything could happen and I had to count on her to protect my siblings.
“Ready?” Evelyn asked. Everyone either nodded or voiced their okays. “Here goes nothing.”
