The Magic Catcher Read online

at the end of this corridor; not big enough for a dragon but plenty big enough to hide your sister, if someone wanted to.”

  “Someone?” Marcus said. “Who else do you think is here?”

  “Keep your voice down.” Aprestine said, tilting her head so she could look at him. “Someone’s kept that dragon alive, haven’t they? We’d have seen it leaving the mountain if it had been flying through Deniz itself.”

  “Who do you think it is?” Marcus said, clearly not understanding the word quiet.

  “Well, who was it who took your sister?”

  “The magic-catchers, but…”

  “Well then.” Aprestine said. It was the only conclusion she could come to herself, but she still found those magical vines odd. It was unusual for catchers to use the magic they stole for their own purpose. But who else could it be? And why? There was nothing for them to gain by feeding up a dragon, and certainly not this one. George had taken all its treasures when he thought he’d killed the thing, so there was no money to be had, and the beast would soon want to plunder somewhere larger than Deniz. Somewhere like Ezeth. The kingdom of Ezeth had always turned a blind eye to the catchers in the past, but King Annar wouldn’t stand for a dragon being let loose over his city. He would kill every last one of them if he found out they’d been harbouring a dragon. So why risk it?

  Marcus was silent, at last, pondering this. Eventually, the tunnel came to a fork. The left passage was the larger of the two, and it led to the main cavern in the centre of the mountain, the one that stretched downwards into the underground lair where the dragon was sure to be sleeping. Aprestine quickly led him to the right, pricking her ears for any sign of movement behind them. She had been a lot quicker on her feet last time she had met a dragon. The passage didn’t last much longer, and at the end of it they came to another door, this one in much better condition than the one at the front of the mountain.

  It swung upon with a groan. The room was dimly lit by a few sparse candles, but it was enough for them to see a figure on the floor. She was slumped over, her arms chained to a handle in the wall, and her face was partially obscured by her limp, dark hair.

  “Katherine!” Marcus pushed Aprestine aside, kneeling down beside the woman who Aprestine could only presume was his sister.

  Marcus pulled Katherine into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Not wanting to interrupt, Aprestine took the opportunity to look around the room. If the magic catchers were the ones storing Katherine here, who knows what else they might be keeping stashed away in this lair? There could be more magic here.

  She opened a small chest which sent a cloud of dust flying into the air. Aprestine sneezed loudly, which seemed to coax Katherine awake. Aprestine turned around at the sound of the girl’s groaning. Marcus hushed her, stroking her hair away from her face. Aprestine looked away from the intimate gesture, returning her gaze only when she was sure they were finished. She tried to mentally calculate the last time she had shared affection with another person and found herself drawing a blank.

  “Wh-where am I?” Katherine asked, looking around. Her eyes were unnervingly blue, like water on a bright summer’s day.

  “You don’t remember?” Marcus said.

  “No, I…” Katherine trailed off. “I was sent a note. It said I had to come to the water’s edge or something terrible would happen to you, so I went and then…I remember something hard hitting my head. I woke up here…I can’t remember how I got here, Marcus, how did I get here?” There was a tremor of panic in her voice, and her knuckles whitened where they clutched Marcus’s jacket.

  Marcus’s jaw clenched. “You were kidnapped.”

  “But by whom?”

  Aprestine fought to stop herself from rolling her eyes at Katherine’s insipid tone. “Perhaps we should leave?”

  “Yes.” Marcus said, reaching across and wrenching Katherine’s chains out of the wall, leaving her wrist still encased in iron, the chain dangling to the floor. “Do you think you can manage like this until we find a way to get them off? Unless, Aprestine, do you see a key anywhere?”

  “They’re hardly going to leave it hanging around, are they?” Aprestine said. Katherine was looking at the iron links rather doubtfully, as though she couldn’t possibly stand up and move with them still on. With a small sigh, Aprestine clicked her fingers and the chains undid themselves. Katherine ran her fingers over her wrists, exclaiming that Aprestine’s use of magic was “marvellous!”

  Aprestine had only known Katherine a few minutes and she had reached the point of irritation. She had always had an intense dislike for anyone who couldn’t help themselves – survival was something that been instilled in her from an early age – and Aprestine was starting to worry that if the dragon were to turn up now she would find herself having to use even more of her precious magic to help the girl.

  Aprestine didn’t reply to Katherine’s comment, instead giving the room one final, sweeping glance, before suggesting again that they leave. There was a niggling feeling in her gut that something was starting to stir beneath their feet.

  And she was right.

  She felt it first. They exited single file, Aprestine in front once again, Marcus a step behind her with Katherine holding onto his arm for dear life. They were just reaching the fork in the tunnel when she felt a blast of hot air on her flesh. She raised her hand to cover her face, wincing as the tender skin on the back of her hand began to blister and boil.

  And then she saw it.

  Fire, burning its way steadily towards them, red around the edges but pure-white in the middle, hotter than anything Marcus and Katherine would have ever experienced.

  But Aprestine had seen it before. She knew what it meant.

  “Run!” She screamed.

  FOUR

  The fire was followed by a roar of anger. It felt like a clap of thunder echoing throughout the tunnel, causing clumps of rocks to cascade around them. Aprestine kneeled over and flung her hands over her head, whilst Marcus covered Katherine with his body to try and shield her from the onslaught.

  “We have to go!” Aprestine shouted over the chaos. Rocks were still tumbling around her, but less so than before, and she risked a glance over her shoulder. Marcus was on his feet but Katherine was still cowering on the floor, visibly trembling. Something was stamping its way down the tunnel to their left, the roof above them shaking with every step, and Aprestine knew it wouldn’t be long before the dragon was in their view. She reached out for Marcus.

  “If she won’t get up, we’ll have to leave her.” Aprestine said. “We can’t out run the -”

  It was too late. Another burst of flame shot towards them, and Aprestine braced herself against the wall. It travelled in a straight line, sailing over the heads of Marcus and Katherine who now lay flat on the ground, but clipping Aprestine’s hair slightly as it flew past. She grimaced as several strands fell to the floor in blackened pieces.

  “Come on!” She gestured in the direction of the exit. “Marcus, leave her and run!”  They could easily get there in less than five minutes if they ran flat out. The dragon still hadn’t reached the fork in the tunnel, they had time. The passage that led to its cavern was large, but not large enough for it to move easily. It would have to squeeze its way through, which would buy them valuable time…

  If only Marcus would move.

  He was looking at her as though she’d grown two heads. “I won’t leave my sister!”

  Aprestine cursed, exasperated, and looked once again towards the exit. She could leave them both to it. Take the boat. She had the magic Marcus had given her, that would buy her enough time to get to Ezeth and get the jewel. That’s what she should do.

  And yet.

  Marcus was dragging Katherine to her feet; she was wailing incessantly and clinging to his arms, tears running down her cheeks. The next thing Aprestine knew, without even really being aware she was doing it, she was making her way back towards them, putting one of Katherine’s arms over her shoulder whils
t Marcus did the same with the other, and they were carrying the distressed girl towards the exit. Aprestine could feel, rather than see, the dragon gaining on them. It hadn’t emitted any more fire but she could still feel its breath on her back, scorching through the fabric of her cloak and searing her back with heat.

  They tumbled, rather than ran, down the corridor, throwing open the door and slamming it shut behind them. The dragon inside roared with fury. The doorway to the mountain was too small for it to escape through, and Aprestine doubled over in relief, letting go of Katherine who immediately plunged face first into the sand as though she really was incapable of standing up on her own.

  The cold air was a welcome change after the heat inside the mountain, and Aprestine welcomed the feel of moisture against her skin. Marcus looked similarly relieved, and, after regaining his breath, he sidled next to Aprestine, murmuring, “You almost left us. I saw it in your eyes, you were considering it.” He didn’t sound angry, more curious as to what had changed her mind.

  “Would you have blamed me?” Aprestine said, avoiding his gaze.

  “No. In fact, I’m surprised you didn’t. You don’t owe me anything.”

  Aprestine licked her lips, choosing her words carefully before answering. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

  “Careful. I’ll start to think you’re a nice person beneath that cold