Raising Dragons

Billy felt her arms grasp him even more tightly, and their strength settled him down, but only a little bit. He couldn’t calm his voice. “B—Bonnie, what’s going on?”

  Before Bonnie could answer, Billy felt the ground press the soles of his feet, and Bonnie’s arms loosened around his chest. He spun his head, looking below from side to side. “I’m on the ground, but the clouds are still below us!”

  “We’re on Mount Hardin. The peak is sticking up through the clouds.”

  Billy turned to see Bonnie sitting on a large boulder. She held a palm on her chest and took several slow, deep breaths before smiling and letting out a quiet laugh. “You’re pretty heavy, you know that?”

  Billy stepped toward her but then halted. “How did you . . . What did you . . .” Finally he raised his hands to the sides of his head. “What’s going on here?”

  Bonnie stared intently at Billy, and for a moment she sat still and silent. Then, as if growing out of nothingness, two enormous wings spread out behind her. Decorated with a light brown hue that resembled rustic gold, the wings flapped slowly, waving toward Billy in friendship. Each wing was at least as large as the girl herself, rippled with sinews throughout, with a mainstay extending from her back all the way to the farthest tip.

  Now that Billy and Bonnie were above the low clouds, sunlight filtered through the higher cirrus and shone through the thin membranes of Bonnie’s wings, making them brighten into a honey-glazed shimmer. With her blonde-streaked hair flowing in the breeze and her flawless innocence shining through, Bonnie’s appearance was like that of a seated angel, her winged silhouette the striking portrait of Michael himself. She was stunningly beautiful.

  A thousand thoughts scrambled Billy’s wits. What was this creature before him? Just yesterday he had learned that he, himself, was somehow of dragon blood. That realization had come riding on the winds of an overheard conversation. It was scary, but it didn’t seem real. This time, however, he rode the winds himself with only the arms of a dragon princess saving him from Dr. Whittier’s fury. The revelation literally jarred his bones, pumped through his heart, and made his hair stand on end. He could only stare in bewildered silence.

  Bonnie rose to her feet and her wings folded behind her, making her appear normal once again. She walked closer to Billy and stood in front of him, face-to-face. Since she was only about an inch shorter, she was able to rise up on her toes and look straight into his eyes. With her hands folded behind her back, her face flushed with sincere gratitude, she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered.

  Billy shook his head, waking himself from his trance, and he put his fingers tenderly on his anointed cheek. “Uh, you’re welcome. But I didn’t save your life. I just kept Dr. Whittier from snooping in your backpack.”

  Bonnie nodded her head in a fast rhythm and let out a short laugh that carried a hint of embarrassment. “And now you know what I was hiding. But I was in such a hurry I didn’t have time to pick it up. I had to fly to the roof before Olga came around the corner.” Her wings flapped briefly again, this time coming around her and within inches of Billy’s ears.

  Billy had to smile. “Your wings are awesome.” He couldn’t believe how calm he felt in her presence, even though she seemed almost alien. Her manner was so disarming, she could have had three eyes and four antennae and it probably wouldn’t have mattered. “But I guess I can understand why you don’t want anyone to see them.”

  Bonnie turned and peered down the mountainside as if trying to look through the clouds. “Not just anyone. Now that I know who Dr. Whittier is, he’s the worst one to find out.”

  Billy looked toward the valley, too, but only for a moment. He couldn’t see anything but the steep, grassy knoll that lay ahead, strewn with rocks and disappearing into the mist. “Who Dr. Whittier is? What do you mean?”

  Bonnie turned back to face Billy, who quickly averted his gaze from Bonnie’s wings and back to her very excited eyes. “I was listening from the roof,” she explained. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard about how you burned that woman. My mother told me about your father, but I never thought I’d find someone else like me, another dragon kid I mean. When I first saw you that day in the principal’s office, I knew there was something different about you, and then when you were scrubbing that wall and we were so close together, I could feel it. Anyway, when Dr. Whittier called me Demon Witch, he gave himself away. He has to be a slayer. ‘Demon Witch’ is what a slayer calls the females.”

  “A slayer? What’s that?”;

  “A dragon slayer. Your parents have told you about the dragon slayers, haven’t they?”

  “Well . . . no.”

  Bonnie’s face contorted. “But . . . but you are a dragon, aren’t you?”

  Billy shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced toward the knoll again. “Yes . . . I mean, I guess so. I just found out yesterday.”

  Bonnie came up to his side and tried to look him in the eye. “You mean you’ve only known for one day?”

  “I overheard my parents talking about it.” Billy shrugged his shoulders and shifted his body to the side, away from Bonnie. “Then they told me, but they didn’t tell me much.”

  “So your father’s the dragon, right?”

  “Uh . . . right. At least that’s what he said. But how did you know?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” Bonnie took his arm and pulled him around so she could talk face-to-face. She smiled and spoke excitedly again. “Do you have any other dragon powers besides breathing fire?”

  “Well, it isn’t really fire breathing,” Billy said, his hands still in his pockets. “My breath’s just real hot.”

  Bonnie pondered that for a moment, her head tilted upward and her eyes wide open in thought. “Then it’s probably just now developing,” she said slowly. “That must be why your parents waited so long to tell you.” She looked back at Billy and brought the tip of her right wing into her right hand. “My wings started growing when I was five years old, so my mother had to tell me what was going on.”

  “So you’ve been flying ever since you were five?”

  “No. They didn’t get big enough until about three years ago. I started practicing my flying on cloudy and moonless nights when no one could see me, but after my mother was killed, I—” The color suddenly drained from Bonnie’s face, and her wings slowly collapsed into a shivering huddled mass.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Bonnie grabbed Billy, squeezing his upper arms in terror. “Dr. Whittier! He’s a dragon slayer!”

  “Right. You just told me that.”

  “But he knows where you live!” she cried, pushing and pulling him back and forth. “He’s probably on his way there already!”

  Billy’s eyes opened wide. “You mean, he’ll—”

  “Yes, he’ll stop at nothing to kill your father!”

  Chapter 7

  THE BAT CREATURE

  Billy’s face paled to an ashen, almost corpselike color, and he paced back and forth frantically. “I—I have to call home. I have to get home.”

  Bonnie’s wings spread out fully once again, and she grabbed Billy’s shirt to stop his pacing. “I’ll fly there right now. Where’s your house?”

  “On Cordelle Road. Fifteen forty-five.”

  Bonnie spread her arms. “Cordelle Road? I don’t know where that is. I’m new around here, you know.”

  Billy stooped and drew a quick map in a dirt patch. “It’s one mile northwest of the main highway from the exit where the Shell station is.” He stood again and turned around slowly, searching for a landmark through the mist. “Over there,” he said, pointing. “The highway has to be right about there, just down the slope from where that clump of trees sticks out. Follow it northeast for about a mile. That’s where the exit is.”

  Bonnie shook her head slowly as she surveyed the murky landscape. “If I fly below the clouds to find the highway, I’ll scare the whole town. And I still might not be able to find your house.”

/>   “But the clouds are too thick,” Billy countered. “If you stay above them you won’t be able to tell which way is which.”

  Billy and Bonnie stared at each other for a moment. Billy felt the stalemate in his brain, like two solitary kings on a chessboard.

  Bonnie leaned over and peered into the valley again. “Where did you say your house is?”

  Billy turned and pointed again while Bonnie circled behind him to follow his line of sight. “See where that cloud puffs up and turns white? I think—Hey!” With a sudden thrust that squashed his breath away Billy felt himself being swept up into the air again, his feet nearly leaving his shoes behind.

  “I’m heading that way, Billy!” Bonnie called out. “Just tell me where to go!”

  “Not again!”

  This time Bonnie’s arms wrapped around his body near his waist, so tightly he could feel his heart pounding against her arm as it pressed under his rib cage. The uplifting pressure pushed out every breath he tried to draw in, but Billy managed to talk in gasping, short bursts. “Bear . . . right!”

  “How much?”

  “Two . . . o’clock!”

  “Two o’clock?”

  Billy extended his right arm in the proper direction, but the move made him slip an inch or so through Bonnie’s grasp. He quickly pulled his hand back and clutched Bonnie’s arms.

  “Keep your arms still,” she ordered. “I get it now. Two o’clock.” Bonnie veered to the right. “Should I fly lower? Higher?”

  “You’re . . . fine!”

  Now that he had his wits about him, Billy noticed that they weren’t flying horizontally, the way Superman always did in the movies. They were almost vertical, their slight forward angle reflecting the position of Bonnie’s wings versus the location of their combined center of gravity.

  The realization of complete airborne helplessness unnerved Billy, but Bonnie’s calm tone and her uncommonly strong arms kept him from panicking. With the fate of his parents in the forefront of his mind, he was able to concentrate on his task—finding his house, and fast. His eyes darted back and forth, straining to see through the clouds, but he could only guess, hoping his sense of direction would get them somewhere close. After a few more commands to correct their direction Billy shouted, “I think . . . we’re right . . . over it!”

  “Okay, I’m going to make a fast drop so no one will see us. Get ready.”

  Billy wasn’t quite sure how to get ready, but holding his breath seemed like a good idea. Every ounce of his dangling weight abruptly reversed direction, and his heart and lungs threatened to take up residence in his throat. He and Bonnie plummeted through the clouds, white mist dampening their faces as they struggled to keep their eyes open to look for a clearing. As soon as they fell under the clouds Billy was able to yell, the pressure of Bonnie’s grasp lessened by their hurtling plunge. “Pull up!” Billy yelled. “We’re clear!”

  Bonnie’s wings stretched out once again, grabbing the air like a muscular parachute, and Billy felt the painful catch under his rib cage again. Bonnie’s arms, though soft and smooth on the surface, felt like steel clamps squeezing his gut up into his esophagus. Through his grimace he could see the housetops, and he recognized where they were. They had descended very close to his house and right above a neighbor’s backyard. “Land here!” he grunted.

  Bonnie glided down to the leaf-covered yard and deposited Billy carefully. His feet hit first, but he couldn’t keep his balance. He rolled over three times before sitting upright. Scrambling to his feet, he hurriedly pulled off his sweater and ran to Bonnie. She was just slowing down from her running stop. “Here,” he said. “Put this on.”

  Bonnie took the sweater, and Billy helped her pull it over her head. As he did so, he guided the bottom hem over her wings, using one hand to hold the sweater and the other to fold her wings down as flat as possible. For a brief moment he wondered about touching her like this. He couldn’t help but admire the feel of her wings, smooth and leathery, not the same as the velvety texture he had already felt on her arms. No, the wings were more primitive and wild, with tactile friction that seemed to grip his skin as he rubbed across their surface. They even smelled of an outdoors freedom, of horses and saddles, or of work belts and new boots, or even of a well-worn baseball glove. Apparently she felt no shyness about his caress.

  “Is this your yard?” Bonnie asked, turning around to Billy.

  “No. We’re three yards down,” he replied, pointing to his right, “but I don’t think anyone’s ever home here during the day. Let’s stay behind the houses and sneak up to mine from the back in case Dr. Whittier’s already there.”

  The two ran, crouching as much as possible while still maintaining a good clip. Billy led the way and signaled for Bonnie to slow down as they approached his house. The small two-story dwelling stood in the middle of a half-acre, fenced yard. Its clean white siding and neatly landscaped surroundings created a perfect model for the quiet, middle-class neighborhood. But the peaceful scene gave Billy a creepy feeling. Had Dr. Whittier already come? Maybe he held his parents captive inside. Or worse.

  With a running start Billy jumped the chain-link fence by leaping with an extended left foot, stepping on the top of the fence, and vaulting over. Billy turned to help Bonnie climb, but she was already scaling the links. He arrived in time to brace her elbow on the way down as she jumped from the top bar. The two now approached more stealthily, heads low and feet careful to pad as softly as possible. Billy was glad he had raked the yard recently. A deep pile of oak leaves would surely have sounded a crackling alarm if they tried to sneak through them.

  Billy stole up the porch steps with Bonnie close behind. He crouched low and raised his head to peek in through the back door window. “Whew!” he whispered to Bonnie. “Mom’s in the kitchen, and I think she’s alone.”

  They stood up as one, and Billy opened the door, walking in nonchalantly to keep from startling his mother, who sat quietly at the kitchen table. Billy guessed she was doing payroll for Dad’s business. “Hi, Mom!”

  His mother looked up and cocked her head to one side. “Billy! What are you doing home? You’re supposed to be at school! And why did you come in the back door?” Just then Bonnie walked out from behind Billy. His mother’s eyes opened wide, and a pleasant smile of greeting crossed her face. “And who is this young lady?”

  Billy spewed out an introduction. “Mom, this is Bonnie Silver.” Bonnie nodded and returned the smile while Billy continued. “There’s no time to talk. We have to get out of here.” He turned his head in every possible direction. “Is Dad home?”

  “No. He had to run out to the airport and then the hardware store. He’ll be a while.” Her face wrinkled and her smile disappeared. “Billy, what’s wrong?”

  Billy’s words poured out breathlessly. “A dragon slayer is coming. At least we think he is, and he could be here any minute.”

  Billy’s mother jumped to her feet, her eyes ablaze. “Dragon slayer?! Who?”

  Billy took his mother’s hand and tried to lead her toward the front door. “Never mind. We have to hurry.”

  She pulled back on his hand and then pushed him toward a chair. “Sit down and start explaining right now!”

  Billy plopped down while Bonnie slid into the chair next to his. He took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly. “My principal is a dragon slayer,” he explained, “and since we’re both dragons, he’s coming after us. We have to get out of here.” Billy gulped when he realized how crazy it all sounded.

  “We’re both dragons?” she repeated. “What do you mean? I’m not a dragon.”

  Before Billy could answer, Bonnie stood and pulled off the borrowed sweater, carefully guiding it over her head. Her wings spread out, and in the enclosed space they seemed even more magnificent than ever. They shielded the overhead light and cast a shadow over Billy and his mother. “I am,” she said softly.

  Billy’s mother raised a trembling hand to her mouth. “Dear God in heaven! You’re one, to
o!”

  Bonnie touched her tenderly on her shoulder. “Now, please. We really have to go.”

  Billy’s mom circled the table. “I have to get the box.” She left the room and thumped up the stairs.

  “Box?” Bonnie asked.

  Billy spread out his hands. “I don’t know, but I’d better see if I can help.” He leaped up the stairs and heard Bonnie calling after him.

  “I’ll keep watch down here.”

  Billy caught up with his mother just as she came out of her bedroom. In her arms she carried a large cardboard box. A layer or two of duct tape wrapped the box in a gray mask, presumably to make it stronger, and maybe to hide any labels or markings.

  Billy slid his arms under the load. “Let me get that.”

  She gave it up gladly. “I have to get one more thing, and we’ll put it all in the Volks.” She turned and ran to another room, returning within seconds with a large book under her arm. “Okay. Let’s get going.”

  The two rushed down the stairs where they saw Bonnie holding back the edge of the curtain to peek out the front window. She had put the sweater back on, but her folded wings made obvious lumps on her back. “Looks safe so far,” she announced.

  Billy’s mom opened the door, and all three hustled into the driveway where a yellow Volkswagen Beetle sat. “We have to pack the box and book in the back seat. Let’s put them behind the passenger seat. It’ll be a little tight, but Bonnie should still be able to fit behind the driver.”

  “No problem. I’m used to my wings getting cramped.”

  “I hope it decides to start okay this time,” Billy said.

  “It had better,” his mother agreed. She opened the car door and placed the book on the back seat. “I’ll run and write a note for your father in case I can’t get him on his cell phone. We’ll go to the airport and try to catch him before he leaves.” She hurried to the house and disappeared through the door.

  Bonnie climbed into the back seat. She reached for the box, and Billy helped her place it securely on top of the book. He withdrew quickly when he heard a strange rattling noise. A boy on a bike pedaled furiously toward them. With sweat plastering his shirt to his chest, he looked exhausted and terrified.