Marci nodded. “Not as much as we’d need for a draining banishment, but it’ll still take a while to repair the circle and get the magic together.”
“How long?”
“To repair a catastrophic break in the greatest piece of spellwork architecture the world has ever known?” Myron blew out a long breath. “I’d have to do the math before I could—”
“More than an hour?”
When he nodded, Svena turned to stare at the Phoenix with unnervingly predatory ice-blue eyes. “Humans do not have all the cards, it seems. If you are going to do this, you will need our help.”
“I thought you’d already agreed to help.”
“Theyagreed,” Svena snapped, waving her hand at Julius and the Qilin. “But I alone speak for myself and my sisters.”
Emily heaved a long-suffering sigh. “What do you want?”
“Complete immunity for my clan from the UN’s dragon hunts,” Svena said without missing a beat. “And no more shipping through the Siberian Sea. That is my private territory, and the vibrations from the cargo ships disturb my magic.”
“Really?” Julius said. “You’re worried about thisnow?”
“I can’t make Russia give up its northern trade lanes,” Emily said at the same time. “I’m general of the UN’s Anti-Dragon task force, not queen of humanity.”
“If we help save the world, I see no reason why our demands cannot be met,” Svena said stubbornly. “I’m promising you the most magical dragons in the world. Surely that’s worth some international leverage.”
Emily ground her teeth. “Fine,” she said at last. “I just hope for everyone’s sake you’re not all talk.”
“You have not begun to see what we can do, tin soldier,” Svena replied, lifting her chin. “My sisters and I were burning spirits to ash back when your kind was still farming dirt with rocks. We will show that black slug what it means to trespass onourplane.”
Katya nodded rapidly at that, clutching Svena’s fluffy hatchlings in her arms. Amelia, however, looked less impressed. “How are you going to do that?” she asked. “Not to dig up old grudges, but you couldn’t beatme. What chance do you think you’ll have against Big and Ugly up there?”
“Why must you always be so literal?” Svena snapped. “I didn’t meanIwas going to beat him. As the Phoenix just pointed out, that’s the humans’ job now. All we need to do is stall the creature. For that, we need dragons, and I know how to get us dragons.”
Amelia scoffed. “Where from? Because unless you’ve got a few hundred more puffball whelps you haven’t mentioned, your clan’s a little short to be making promises like that.”
“Please,” Svena said. “Only your mother confuses children with power. I was referring to this.” She reached out to poke Amelia in the breastbone. “You’re the one who set herself up as a god. Start acting like one.”
Marci had no idea what that meant, but Amelia was staring at Svena as if the white dragon had just shown her magic for the first time. “She’s right.”
“Of course I’m right,” Svena said. “I’ve always been the brains to your brute strength. That’s how our relationship works.”
“Shut up,” Amelia said, but her face was a huge grin as she turned to face her brother. “You need dragons to slow the Leviathan? I can get you every single one.”
“That would be amazing,” Julius said. “But how? Can you open portals straight to dragons now?”
Amelia sighed. “Sadly, no. I’m not that awesome, at least not yet. But I am connected to every living dragon’s fire, which means I know where everyone is, and I can talk to all of them.”
“Great,” Chelsie grumbled. “Of all the dragons, you’re the one with the megaphone.”
“You won’t be complaining when we save your feathers,” Amelia snapped. “I might not be able to bring in the dragons I call, but I don’t have to. As she just proved by teleporting through a magical disaster, we already have the best teleportation mage in dragon history right here with us.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Planeswalker,” Svena said with a sniff. “But feel free to go on.”
“I’d rather you show me yourself,” Amelia said, turning her grin on Svena. “You started this plan. Here’s how we’ll finish it. I can locate any dragon, and I know you can teleport anyone anywhere if you know where they are.”
Svena jerked back so fast that that her daughter, who was sleeping on her shoulder, nearly fell off. “How do you know that?” she cried. “That knowledge is top secret, the hidden weapon of my family!”
Now it was Amelia’s turn to look smug. “Itwassecret, until I read it in your fire.”
“What?”
