“Because I was courting her,” he said, dropping the comb back into its envelope. “Estella wasn’t always like she is now. There was a time, centuries ago, before she dedicated her life to my downfall, that the Northern Star and I were very close. She was the only one who actually understood what it was like to live as a seer. Add in her legendary beauty and I was quite the smitten young dragon.”
Julius couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What happened?”
Bob sighed. “The inevitable. Estella’s greatest weakness has always been her tragically narrow vision. For all her brilliance, she could only ever conceive of two types of relationships: pawns and enemies. Once she discovered I’d never be the former, I became the latter.” He smiled sadly. “I saw it coming, of course, but that’s the dirty secret of seers. We’re forever trying to change our own fate, even when we know better.”
“Is that why she hates you so much?” Marci asked softly. “Because you wouldn’t be her pawn?”
“Of course not,” Bob scoffed. “What do you think this is, a soap opera? Estella dumped me the moment she realized I wasn’t going to be her fawning lackey. She only cared enough to start hating me when I startedwinning.”
He turned around, tossing the comb and the envelope into the trash can at the foot of the couch. “I’m not sentimental enough to believe she treasured this as a keepsake,” he said matter-of-factly. “She’s a dragon; hoarding beautiful objects is her nature. The only reason she sent it back now is because she saw an opportunity. She’s trying to get under my feathers, to distract me from her real goal.”
“Which is?”
“The absolute destruction of our clan.”
Julius winced. “That seems a little extreme.”
Bob cocked an eyebrow. “What about Estella made you think she was anything less?”
He couldn’t argue with that.
“Of course, I’m still unraveling the particulars,” Bob went on. “Genius that I am, it pains me to admit that Estella has the upper hand this time, but not for long.” His lips peeled away from his teeth in a snarl. “She’s not the only one who can cheat.”
The anger in his voice at the end made Julius shudder, but Bob’s happy mask had already snapped back in place when he looked up again.
“I have to go away for a while,” the seer said casually as he leaned down to press a quick kiss against Amelia’s cheek. “I realize you’ve got a lot going on this evening what with your imminent demise, but if you could look after my sister for as long as you can, I’d be very grateful. Amelia and I have been together for a very long time now. She is… precious to me.”
That was the most sincere thing Julius had ever heard his brother say, and he nearly tripped over his own tongue in his rush to return the favor. “Of course I’ll protect her,” he promised. “She’s my sister, too. I’ll do whatever I can.”
Bob gave him a dramatic look of shock. “Not even trying to take advantage of my obvious emotional distress?” He shook his head with atsk. “You really are the worst dragon, Julius Heartstriker.”
“Thank you,” Julius said. “But if you wanted to give me some inside information, I wouldn’t say no.” Because if ever he needed a heads up on his future, it was now.
“Ididhave one important piece of advice I meant to give you,” Bob said solemnly. “Listen closely, because this might just save your life.”
Julius nodded, holding his breath, eyes locked on his oldest brother as Bob leaned in to whisper in his ear.
“Be yourself.”
Julius yanked away. “That’s it?” he cried. “That’syour important advice? Justin is missing, we have two siblings down, Marci’s got a killing curse on her neck, I’m being hunted by Algonquin’s personal dragon slayer, and all you can say isbe yourself?”
Bob looked hurt. “It’s very good advice.”
“It’smeaninglessadvice!” Julius yelled. “I know you said the clan is always in danger, but this isdifferent. You know it’s different, that’s why you’re leaving. But I’m the one who has to stay and deal with all of this, so for once in your life, can you drop the mysterious seer act and just tell me something useful? Unless a miracle happens, I’m going to have to face Van Jeger in less than twelve hours. How is being myself going to stop that? I can’t keep Amelia safe if I’m dead!” He grabbed the seer’s hand. “Please,Bob, I’m begging you here. Give me something I can work with. Anything will do.”
He knew he was being pathetic, but he was too desperate to care. The last twenty-four hours had been one disaster after another, and now that Amelia was down as well, Julius was officially out of tricks. If the Great Seer of the Heartstrikers couldn’t help him, he had nothing. But Bob didn’t give him an answer. He just smiled, reaching out to rest his hand on Julius’s shoulder. “Do you know why I picked you?”
Julius sighed. “Of course not. But I don’t see how this is—”
“It’s because you’re a failure.”
“We’ve established this,” Julius grumbled. “But—”
“Truly terrible,” Bob went on. “Absolutely the worst. I’ve seen all of Bethesda’s clutches—past, present, and future—and I’ve never seen anything like you. You would notbelievewhat a Herculean task it was to keep Mother from getting fed up and eating you when you were still a whelp, but against all odds, I succeeded, and as a result, you’ve grown into something unique. The things you value, the decisions you make, they’re inscrutable to the rest of dragonkind, including me.”
He said this like it was vitally important, but Julius didn’t understand. “How is that useful?”
“Because you are an enigma, Julius Heartstriker,” Bob said solemnly. “And that is your strength. Anyone who challenges you expecting a dragon will get something else entirely, something they are completely unprepared to fight. Something they do not, and most likelycannot, understand. So when I say, ‘be yourself,’ I’m telling you to use the advantage no other dragon in the world possesses.” He stepped back, looking Julius up and down. “You.”
