“I have no choice,” his mother replied. “Amelia is a drunken, grasping whelp who’s been after my throne since she was born. Not that I don’t admire her ambition, but she’d be a terrible leader for our clan, and I have to think of the family. Her death would be for the good of everyone, something you’d understand if you paid any attention whatsoever to clan politics. But I don’t understand why you’re so worked up about this. You’d never even met Amelia until last night, but Justin’s been there for you your whole life. Really, I fail to see how this is a hard decision.”
“I shouldn’t have to decide!” Julius roared. “They’re both my family! I shouldn’t have to choose between my brother and my sister, and youdefinitelyshouldn’t be making me!”
The moment he said it, Julius knew he was dead. For once, though, he didn’t care. With Amelia down, he was probably dead tonight anyway, so he might as well speak his mind. “You’re always going on about how you’re our mother and you know best, but what kind of mother bargains one child’s life for another?”
“An effective one,” Bethesda snarled. “Did I accidentally seal your brain when I sealed your magic, or do you truly believe a clan like ours can be ruled withkindness?”
“I do,” Julius snapped. “Because kindness and weakness arenot the same thing. You treat us all like pawns, throwing us away whenever it benefits you, and you can’t even stop to see what a waste it is! Can’t you understand how much more powerful Heartstriker could be if you actually acted like we’re your children instead of potential enemies?”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” the Heartstriker sneered. “The only thing dragons respect is strength. If I took your advice, if I acted likeyou, Heartstriker would tear itself apart. I would know, too, because it happened to my father.” Her voice turned bitter. “If the Quetzalcoatl had loved his children less and suspected more, he might still be alive. But he was a fool, and nowIam the Heartstriker, and I will not make the same mistake.”
“But that’s not how it has to be,” Julius said. “We’re not all likeyou.”
“No,” Bethesda growled. “You’re not, and that’s why you’ll always be a failure.”
Julius bared his teeth into the phone. “I amnota failure.”
“Yes, you are,” she said. “And unless you grow some claws, that’s all you’ll ever be. The road to the top is one you have to claw your way up, Julius. The moment you flinch, the moment you show weakness, your enemies will eat you alive unless you eat them first. That’s what it means to have power, Julius. That’s what it means to be adragon.”
She stopped there, waiting for him to try again, but Julius had nothing to say. If that was what his mother thought a dragon was, then he didn’t want anything to do with it.
“I’m not here to argue philosophy with a child,” Bethesda continued when it was clear he was staying silent. “This is your last chance, and I do mean yourverylast chance, Julius. I know all about your troubles with Vann Jeger. Algonquin even mentioned it, which means there’s no hope for a last minute save from Justin trying to claim your spot. The Hunter is coming for you in just a few hours, and if you don’t want to be the shortest lived of your clutch, you’d better tell me where Amelia is. She never even has to know you were the one who told me. Just give me a location, something I can work with, and I’ll not only give the order to save you, I’ll save Justin as well. You can save everyone: yourself, your brother, even your pathetic little human, and all you have to do is stop being a traitor to your clan and tell me where my daughter is.”
“You have to believe in something to betray it,” Julius said quietly. “But if selling out my sister is what it takes to make the Heartstriker clan head rescue the son she should already be scrambling to save, I think I’m better off taking my chances with Vann Jeger.”
“Then you are already dead,” Bethesda said with a sigh. “No loss, really. You always were my greatest failure. I’m only surprised it took this long.”
Julius closed his eyes. This had been his decision, and he was sure it was the right one, but Bethesda was still his mother, and her words still hurt. He knew that made him a fool, chasing after the approval of someone who’d never loved him, never even liked him, but he couldn’t stop his voice from cracking as he whispered, “Goodbye, Mother.”
He waited, holding his breath, but there was nothing to hear. Bethesda had already hung up. He was still listening in vain to the silence when a voice said, “Do you mean it?”
Julius jumped, almost dropping the phone as he spun around to see Amelia sitting up on the couch. “How long have you been awake?”
“Long enough,” she said. “The last thing I remember was being attacked by Svena on my island.” She glanced down at the bloody towels covering her body. “I’m guessing it didn’t end so well?”
Julius shook his head. “They did something to you. We’re not sure what, but you were unconscious when Marci and Chelsie brought you here. Bob was here, too. He told me to take care of you.”
“He would,” she said, reaching up to rub her forehead with a wince. “Though that does explain why I had Chelsie’s hammer of a knockout spell on me. She never could learn finesse when it came to magic.”
“It was for our protection,” Julius said. “You started freaking out when I mentioned taking you to the mountain.”
Amelia’s face fell. “Did they tell you why?”
He nodded, and she sighed. “I don’t know why I bother,” she grumbled. “I should probably just kill her and take the stupid clan at this point. It’s certainly what she’s always expected of me, but…”
“But you can’t,” Julius finished.
Amelia shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong. Bethesda deserves whatever I can give her, but if I do it, I’d have to be the Heartstriker, and eff that.”
“Why?” Julius asked, genuinely curious.
“Uh, because running a dragon clan is like trying to ride herd on hundreds of fire-breathing, sociopathic cats who all want to murder me?” Amelia said, like this should be the most obvious thing ever. “I’ve told Mother as much a thousand times, but she can’t see past her own paranoia.” She snorted. “Not that I’m any better.”
“What do you mean?” Julius asked.
“I mean that the cynical part of me wants to believe that whole conversation with Mother just now was all for my benefit,” she said, looking him straight in the face. “It’s a good setup. I’d hear you defending me, finally learn to trust, and thenbam,” she clapped her hands together, “down comes the hammer.”
“B-but it wasn’t!” Julius stuttered, horrified. “Ididn’t! I…”
