Dragon Sleeping (The Dragon Circle Trilogy Book 1) (36 page)

“Bobby,” he said simply, trying not to sound too excited. He reached for the boy’s shoulder. “I’m going to punish—”

The lapse came again, as if the sentence he was speaking flew from his head. The hand that had reached toward Bobby tightened into a fist. This was too much, a true warning of his exhaustion. The punishment would have to wait. He’d have to put the boy out of the way and collect himself somehow. Perhaps he’d have to look at those spirits inside him to find out if they weren’t quite as dead as he thought. Perhaps he’d have to kill Leo Furlong all over again.

Unless the difficulty didn’t come from Leo. Nunn had swallowed Zachs as well, preferring to keep the light-demon inside rather than put up with the creature’s ever-more-unpredictable behavior. Nunn could not contain everything. At least not yet.

And another of those damned neighbors had thrown himself at Nunn and was consumed before Nunn was truly ready. In fact, the wizard had been a bit surprised that he had devoured the last human’s energy so effortlessly. Perhaps, he realized, the effort was yet to come. He’d need to deposit the boy with his mother and give this matter a bit of an examination.

A door formed in the wall of his study, a door he didn’t recall making himself.

“Who?” he demanded. He turned to stare at the boy. Could Bobby have any of the wizard skills? If so, Nunn would have to show him that he wasn’t to use them without permission.

Perhaps it was time for a little pain, after all. What would it hurt for the wizard to allow himself one simple pleasure?

Nunn licked his upper lip in anticipation. He sent out a bit of discomfort, a simple spell that would make Bobby’s muscles twist inside.

The wizard screamed as the pain hit him instead.

At first, Evan Mills thought he had no idea what he was doing. But his actions all seemed to bring results. Therefore, he decided, his ignorance lay in exactly how these things were really happening.

It began when he had followed Leo Furlong, although he couldn’t even say, exactly, how he had done that. Certainly not by anything as mundane as walking. It was more like he
thought
himself from one place to another, like his whole self had been transformed into energy, and could flash anywhere as quick as he could think.

Leo had entered what seemed to be a long corridor, with endless doors to either side. Mills had followed, feeling a bit like he used to as a kid, when he snuck into movie theaters through the back door. Whatever this hallway was, and whoever had made it, Mills felt he was someplace he wasn’t supposed to be. He traveled down the hall, with no sensation of his feet touching the floor, or even that there was a floor to be touched. He wondered how long he could go before he was discovered.

A door flew open before him, as if someone else had read his thoughts.

“What are you doing?” a high voice screeched. “No one should be here! No one but Zachs!”

A monkey made of light cartwheeled out into the corridor. Its glowing face grimaced as it came to rest inches in front of Mills.

“Is that so?” Mills replied. He figured he had nothing to lose by drawing this creature out. Nothing, that is, that he could do anything about. “But I am here,” he continued. “And I have no plans to leave.”

The glowing monkey smiled at that.

“Bold human! Zachs is surprised. Humans are afraid of Zachs.” It threw its shoulders back and its hands forward, as if it was about to attack.

Mills made no move to leave, or even to defend himself.

“We’re not always afraid,” he said. “But then maybe I’m a little different.”

The bright face stared intently at Mills.

“Human’s something new. Zachs didn’t expect something new.”

Apparently, Mills thought, this Zachs creature wasn’t going to attack him, after all. Maybe Mills could get rid of this thing before Leo disappeared completely.

“I’m not just something new,” he said gently. “I have to go and look for someone.”

“You look for Nunn?” Zachs cried in sudden agitation.

Mills guessed that, in a way, he was. He nodded warily.

“Nunn, and someone else.”

The whole creature pulsed with furious light.

“Nunn causes Zachs pain.” The glow shifted from a dull red to an angry yellow. “Nunn is so unfair—won’t let Zachs eat his full! Wants all the newcomers for himself! Zachs hates Nunn.” Yellow slid to a glaring white that made Mills look away.

“Nunn should have pain.”

“Perhaps he should,” Mills replied. He looked past Zachs. He could no longer see Leo in the hallway. “But if I lose my friend, I might lose Nunn, too.”

“You look for Nunn?” Zachs nodded its head vigorously. “Zachs looks for Nunn, too! Shows Nunn what pain means!”

He supposed, if this creature would stay truly angry with the wizard, it might work to his advantage.

“I am going,” he called as he darted past the light-creature and continued down the hall. “Come if you want.”

“Zachs comes!” the light-creature called from close behind. “Zachs will not be closed in! Zachs will not be trapped! Zachs does what Zachs wants. Nunn will know! Nunn will pay!”

Mills tried to ignore the flaring creature behind him to determine where Leo had gone. The doors to either side remained closed, and Mills had the feeling that Leo wasn’t behind any of those that they passed. Somehow his neighbor’s destination was farther along.

The light-creature was suddenly at Mills’ side. “Zachs knows Nunn.

Zachs knows your friend. So clear to Zachs now!”

“So you can find my friend?” Mills asked.

“Find friend!” The creature, already far from being calm, seemed to grow wilder with every word. “Zachs once had friends! Nunn took them all away! Find friend! Go now!”

With that, the creature of light sped down the hallway so quickly that its form blurred as it streaked along, then was nothing more than a dim glow in the distance.

“Wait!” Mills called. He panicked, thinking he would lose not only Leo but also this strange creature who could lead him to both Leo and Nunn. But the hallway changed again with his thought, and he found himself speeding ahead as well. The light-creature, faint in the distance of this never-ending hall, grew brighter and closer as Mills overtook it.

Zachs glanced over its shoulder, as if it expected to see Mills there all along. The creature pointed down the hall. “Nunn is there.”

Mills looked ahead. This corridor did not go on forever. It ended in a door, an open door, with a different sort of light pouring out. While the light that came from Zachs seemed full of heat, the illumination that waited for them ahead was utterly cold.

Mills knew that Leo had opened that door and was waiting inside. He stepped to the doorway and saw his neighbor standing inside, bathed in the frigid light.

“What did you do to her?” someone said. It sounded like Bobby’s voice.

A deep chuckle shook the room. Nunn’s voice echoed all around them. “She’ll be fine, once she meets your father.”

Leo moaned softly. His form blended with the cold light, so that it became far more difficult to see.

“Dad?” Bobby asked from somewhere far away as the other room disappeared.

“He’s right here, you know,” Nunn’s voice rumbled. Mills realized that Leo had disappeared.

“Bobby?” Leo’s voice rumbled in the same way that Nunn’s had a moment before. “We need to talk.”

“Nunn uses Leo,” Zachs said close by Mills’ ear. “Nunn uses everyone.”

“Things have changed around here,” Leo’s voice said, “but they’ve changed for the better.”

Mills realized then what the creature meant. The magician was able to use Leo’s voice, perhaps even Leo’s physical form, to say whatever the wizard wished.

“We just have to talk about things,” the voice droned on. “We never did talk much about things in the past, did we? That’s another thing that’ll change. Soon you’ll understand.”

“Leo isn’t saying that!” Mills whispered. “How can we stop Nunn?”

“Nunn? Zachs stops Nunn. Nunn and Zachs very close.” The creature of light hugged its arms tight against its shimmering form. “So very close.”

Zachs closed his eyes to concentrate.

The next thing Leo said ended in a coughing fit.

The creature giggled. “Zachs and Nunn are so, so close. Whatever comes from Nunn, Zachs can change.”

Mills looked at his unlikely ally. He actually could interfere with the magician’s speech. Mills wondered if there was some way this creature could rescue Leo, maybe even free both Leo and Bobby from whatever Nunn had done to them. The light-thing did a little dance in the doorway with both its arms and legs. “Nunn has a visitor. Zachs knows this visitor. Zachs will let him in.” The creature seemed to be having a grand time.

Leo couldn’t complete the next sentence, either.

“Come on, now, Bobby. Don’t you see how much easier it will be if you just work with—”

The words ended abruptly this time, as if somebody had flipped an off switch. Zachs laughed and clapped its hands.

A moment later, Mills heard another moan. Leo was again standing in the light. He swayed, as if about to fall. Mills took a step to help him.

A flaming arm barred his way. “No! You go there, Nunn will know you! Let Zachs!” The creature pointed to the swaying Leo. Furlong began to float toward them.

“Nunn taught Zachs!” the creature cried happily. “Zachs learns well!”

Nunn’s voice rumbled on as Leo fell through the doorway, into Mills’ arms.

Furlong opened his eyes.

“Evan,” he said hoarsely, as if he had strained his voice. “I dreamed I saw my son.”

Mills looked back at his friend. “I think you did, in a way.” He looked at Zachs. “Is there any way you can get us out of here?”

“Out of here?” Zachs paused, as if considering something he had never thought of. “Nunn wouldn’t like that. Zachs would. Zachs will do it if Zachs can. Zachs will find a way.” The creature giggled and danced a shuffle step.

Leo Furlong stared at the glowing monkey-thing. “Whatever’s going on here, Evan,” he said at last, “I don’t think I want to know.”

“Nunn is looking for us!” Zachs announced suddenly. “Need a distraction, yes. Zachs will bring the visitor!”

“You know, of course, that I could make life quite unpleasant for you,” Nunn’s voice reverberated in the room behind them.

“Keep away from me!” the other voice exclaimed. “I won’t talk to you. I want to see my father, my real father!”

“Bobby?” Leo asked. “Is that my son?”

“I think it is,” Mills said. “But we can’t get to him. Not from here.”

“He’s threatening my son!” Leo said as forcefully as his ravaged voice would allow.

“Nunn likes to threaten,” the light-creature mentioned merrily. “But Zachs can help that!”

“Now, Bobby,” Nunn’s voice began, “I will teach you how very bad it is for you not to agree—”

His voice stopped abruptly. Zachs danced from one foot to the other.

“Bobby, I’m going to punish—” Nunn stopped. “Who?” Nunn rumbled. At that, Zachs only grinned. The words shut off again. Zachs smiled at the others.

“Nunn is angry. Nunn wants someone to pay.” The creature’s giggling grew higher and wilder. “Zachs will make Nunn pay.”

The white light surrounded Mills and the others. The world was filled with screams.

B
obby had never heard anyone scream like that. Nunn writhed on the floor, clutching at his stomach as if he was being torn up inside.

This was the time to get out of here. Bobby turned to the open doorway that had somehow appeared in one wall.

He heard footsteps outside, odd, heavy footsteps, like one of the feet was being dragged. He approached the door more cautiously than he had first intended.

“I know you!” a voice called from the far side of the door. “You thought you’d get away!”

The owner of the voice dragged his foot into view. He had been human once, before birds and animals had pecked at his face and arms, ripping away bits of flesh to expose the bone beneath, and, of course, certain soldiers had stuck a sword in his belly and a bullet in his brain. But even with all the damage and decay, Bobby knew him well.

“No one gets away who screws with my lawn.” Bobby yelled as he was grabbed by Old Man Sayre.

M
ary Lou saw the black bird cock his head to one side. “Someone is calling you?”

Then he could hear it, too: the strange, high cry of the People as they twisted her name, again and again.

The bird fluttered his wings. “They will get Raven instead.” With a single cry, he launched himself from the low branch from where he had watched the neighbors.

“Raven is good at this,” the Oomgosh reassured her. “He will assess the situation and let us know what is best.”

“Raven is good at everything!” came a cry from high above. “Certain birds also have excellent hearing,” the Oomgosh confided in a quieter tone than usual.

Mary Lou’s mother pulled her daughter closer. “Why are they calling you?”

Mary Lou quickly explained how the People had found her after she had escaped from Nunn; how she tried to leave but was surrounded by wolves; how the People had come to rescue her but wouldn’t let the other humans near her; and how she had escaped a second time for good. She didn’t mention the battle with the red furs or the People’s feast. Her mother already seemed pretty upset without that.

“What sort of place is this?” her mother demanded.

The great tree man spun about to face them. He wasn’t smiling. He looked large and dangerous.

“This is a wild place,” he said, his voice as gentle as his face was fierce. “It’s the sort of place where you might have to prove yourself every day. It’s a place where you’ll learn to survive, or you will die.”

Mrs. Blake came up behind Mary Lou’s mother. “We’re together,” she said, “and we’ve all survived so far. I think we can learn, too.”

“I hope you’re right, Joan.” Mary Lou’s mother scowled down at her daughter. “Why isn’t your father here?”

What good would her father do against the People? Mary Lou wanted to ask. What good were any of them against the People, if the whole tribe decided they had to get her back? Why, when she had to face up to danger, did her mother think of her father at all? Maybe it was something about having the whole family together. Her mother was always big on that. Or maybe it was just easier for her mother if she had someone else to blame.