“I don’t recall asking your opinion,” Justin said bitterly. “Didn’t I just tell you to go away?”
Julius ignored him, taking a seat on the opposite side of the roof as he tried to think of the best way to deal with this. Obviously, the first step was to get Justin away from this landfill of a roof. Also, get him a shower, because the dragon wasfilthy. His t-shirt and jeans were caked with old grime, and there was blood on his boots. His blood or someone else’s, Julius wasn’t sure, but it looked awful. All of him did.
“Justin,” Julius said firmly. “I know why you’re out here.”
His brother snorted. “I doubt that.”
“I saw your sword in grandfather’s skull.”
Justin went very still, and then he turned on his brother with a look of pure poison. “What wereyoudoing in the throne room?”
“Mother made me go to the party for Svena,” Julius explained. “She picked me up earlier this evening and—”
“Bethesda the Heartstriker came to the DFZ to pickyouup?”
Julius nodded, unable to tell if his brother was furious or disbelieving or both. Either way, he looked like he was about to explode. “Well,” he growled at last. “Good for you. Guess you’re a real big shot now.”
Julius began to sweat. This was backfiring rapidly. “It’s not like that,” he said quickly. “I was only there because of the Katya life debt thing.”
“Yeah? Well, I wasn’t eveninvited,” Justin snarled, hands clenching into fists. “Who put his neck on the line to rescue the Three Sisters’ baby in the first place, huh?Me.There wouldn’t even be a life debt if I hadn’t dragoned-up and saved all your hides. But how was I repaid? By getting snatched out of the sky!”
“I know,” Julius said earnestly. “Believe me, no one appreciates what you did that night more than I do. But…”
He faded off, trying desperately to think of the best way to say this, because it was complicated. There was no denying Justin had saved all their lives the night he’d turned into a dragon and blazed through Algonquin’s Underground. On the other hand, though, Julius also didn’t blame Chelsie for doing her job, especially since, given the sirens they’d heard on the way out, she’d probably saved Justin’s life by getting him out. But there was no way to explain that to his brother when Justin was in a rage. He’d probably just accuse Julius of being on Chelsie’s side, or worse, of pitying him.
In the end, there was only one thing Julius could say without any quantifying statements. Fortunately, he also had the feeling it was the one thing his brother needed to hear. “She was wrong to take your sword.”
Justin’s eyes shot up in surprise, and then he looked away. “You have no idea,” he growled, fists tightening. “That Fang ismine.”
“I know,” Julius said quickly. “And I also know you’re eager to get it back, but—”
“You don’t know anything,” his brother snapped. “You’ve never held a Fang of the Heartstriker. Do you think it’s just some normal sword? No. They’re ancient dragon magic, the kind we don’t get anymore. Each one is different, and they don’t let just anyone use them. You have to be chosen, like I was.” He bared his teeth. “That sword pickedme! She had no right to take it.”
“That’s what I just said,” Julius reminded him. “Look, I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be, but this isn’t the end of the world.”
“Who said it was?”
Julius gave him a flat look. “You did. Maybe not in so many words, but justlookat yourself, Justin. You’re living like a hobo up here.”
Justin turned away with a growl, but Julius just stood up and walked over to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay,” he said quietly. “You’re more than your sword, Justin. I know you’re angry and hurting right now, but—”
“Isthatwhat you think this is about?” Justin said, smacking Julius’s hand away with a look that was equal parts amused and insulted. “You think I’m out heresulking?”
That wasexactlywhat Julius thought, but apparently he was wrong, because his brother was cracking up.
“Why else would you be all the way out here?” Julius demanded, his face heating as Justin doubled over. “We’re in the middle of nowhere!”
“On the contrary,” Justin said, pointing out into the dark. “I’m right where I want to be.”
Julius frowned and turned, but he still didn’t understand. There was just as much nothing where Justin was pointing as anywhere else out here. Just more of the same overgrown lots, broken streets, caved-in houses, and the endless barrier of the Reclamation Land fence running off into the—
“Oh no.”
“Ohyes,” Justin said, breaking into a sharp-toothed grin as he rose to stand beside his brother. “Reclamation Land, Algonquin’s secret base inside the DFZ. That’s what’s leaking all the crazy magic we’re sitting in out here, but no one knows why. No dragon has ever been past that fence.”
“With good reason!” Julius cried. “You’re talking about Algonquin’sprivate property.She doesn’t even let in her humans unless they’ve signed so many NDAs they can’t place an order at a restaurant without consulting their contracts.”
“All the more reason to find out what’s inside,” Justin said with a shrug. “No one makes that big a fuss unless they’re hiding something.”
