Fever dreams

The enormous movement in the darkness stopped.

Joey froze.

Cassandra's eyes narrowed.

Behemoth stood perfectly still, his golden eyes scanning the darkness between the enormous bones scattered across the valley.

For several seconds, nothing moved.

Then Behemoth finally spoke.

“We should keep moving.”

Joey looked at him.

“You're not going to tell us what that was?”

“No.”

“That's reassuring.”

“It was not something I recognized.”

Joey sighed.

“Somehow, that's less reassuring.”

Cassandra stepped closer to Behemoth.

“You said the Dragon's Graveyard was dangerous. How dangerous?”

Behemoth looked across the landscape.

“Dangerous enough that even ancient dragons avoided certain areas.”

Joey looked around.

“Then why the hell did they put a graveyard here?”

“They didn't.”

Joey frowned.

“What?”

“The graveyard came later.”

Behemoth pointed toward the enormous bones protruding from the ground.

“This land was once a battlefield.”

Cassandra looked around.

“Between dragons?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

Behemoth's expression became grim.

“Enough.”

Joey looked at the enormous skeletons surrounding them.

“I'm beginning to think that word is doing a lot of heavy lifting tonight.”

They continued deeper into the graveyard.

At first, nothing happened.

The terrain itself was difficult enough.

The ground was uneven and cracked, with enormous ribs and vertebrae jutting from the earth like the remains of some ancient stone forest. In some places, the bones had fused with the rock itself.

Blue-white mist drifted along the ground.

Occasionally, the earth gave a low rumble beneath their feet.

Joey stopped.

“Did you feel that?”

Behemoth nodded.

“Yes.”

“Earthquake?”

“No.”

Joey waited.

“Then what was it?”

“Magic.”

Joey looked down.

The ground beneath his boots shimmered faintly.

“That's magic?”

“Yes.”

“It feels like we're standing on a live electrical wire.”

“That is because you are.”

Joey stared at him.

“Could you maybe mention things like that before we step on them?”

Behemoth's mouth twitched.

“I thought you knew.”

“I absolutely did not know.”

Cassandra laughed quietly.

They moved on.

The farther they traveled, the stranger the graveyard became.

Bones seemed to shift when they weren't looking directly at them.

A distant roar echoed through the valley.

Then another roar answered it.

Joey turned toward the sound.

“Was that—”

“There are no living dragons here,” Behemoth said.

Joey stared at him.

“I really don't like the word 'here' anymore.”

Cassandra smiled.

“You'll get used to it.”

“I don't think I will.”

The mist thickened.

Joey suddenly felt warm.

He wiped sweat from his forehead.

“Is anyone else hot?”

Cassandra looked at him.

“No.”

Behemoth glanced over his shoulder.

“You are beginning to react to the magic.”

Joey frowned.

“What does that mean?”

“It means we should move faster.”

They did.

But after another hundred yards, Joey's vision blurred.

He stumbled.

Cassandra immediately grabbed his arm.

“Joey?”

“I'm okay.”

“You're sweating.”

“I noticed.”

His heart was racing.

His skin felt like it was burning.

Then Cassandra stumbled.

Joey caught her.

“Cassandra?”

She looked at him.

For a moment, her expression was completely confused.

“I'm fine.”

“You don't look fine.”

Neither of them noticed Behemoth watching them closely.

The mist around their feet had begun glowing.

A low hum filled the air.

Joey blinked.

The graveyard disappeared.

He was standing in the manor.

Everything was wrong.

The walls were covered in blood.

Furniture was overturned.

The windows were shattered.

“Cassandra?”

He ran through the hallway.

“Cassandra!”

No answer.

He reached the main room.

Taylor was standing there.

Her face was streaked with tears.

“Joey…”

He rushed toward her.

“Where's Cassandra?”

Taylor didn't answer.

“Taylor, where is she?”

She looked toward the doorway.

Joey followed her gaze.

Leviathan stood there.

His enormous body filled the doorway.

Cassandra was in his grasp.

Joey's blood went cold.

“NO!”

He charged.

Leviathan threw Cassandra aside.

She hit the wall with enough force to crack it.

Joey screamed.

He reached her.

“Cassandra!”

She looked up at him.

Her eyes were frightened.

Something Joey had almost never seen.

“Run.”

“No.”

“Joey, run!”

Leviathan's hand closed around Joey's throat.

He was lifted from the floor.

Cassandra attacked.

Leviathan struck her aside, this time causing a significant wound to her side.

Joey struggled.

“NO!”

Taylor screamed.

Leviathan turned toward her.

“You will belong to me.”

Joey's heart pounded.

He kicked and punched Leviathan in vain.

Taylor tried to attack using her wings.

Leviathan snatched both her wings in one move, pinning them together.

“No!”

He tried to reach Taylor.

He couldn't.

Leviathan's grip tightened.

Cassandra crawled toward him.

Her hand reached for his.

Their fingers barely touched.

Then Leviathan threw Joey across the room. Joey hit the wall, rolling to a stop, the air gone from his lungs and too damaged to rise.

Cassandra screamed.

Leviathan had Cassandra by the neck, his claws drawing blood. With a sickening sound, he sliced through Cassandra's neck, her body and head tumbling in different directions.

This time, it was Joey's turn to scream...

---

Cassandra awoke on the ground, her hands bound by magical restraints.

Sitting up, she looked around, not knowing where she was.

Turning, she saw her captor, Leviathan.

“Glad to see you are finally awake. I would have hated for you to miss the big event,” Leviathan said, smiling to show off his razor teeth.

“What are you going to do, shed your skin or something?” Cassandra snapped back.

“Clever...” His tone implied it was anything but that.

“Metaphorically speaking, I think that's not far off,” he said. “It is, in fact, my wedding day and the day I become immortal.”

Two large guards that looked like giant alligator men picked Cassandra up, dragging her while Leviathan followed.

Once in the courtyard, Cassandra saw Taylor standing at an altar, guards surrounding her. She looked defeated. She had definitely been crying.

“Taylor!” Cassandra yelled, pulling against the alligator men, but her efforts were futile.

Taylor just looked over and started to cry again.

Leviathan strode to the altar, giving a signal to a fat, frog-looking creature in ornate robes.

A roar erupted around the courtyard.

Leviathan's army was celebrating.

Taylor was dragged to the altar.

“We are here today to witness my rebirth into Godhood. The Avalorian has finally decided to become my mate!”

Another roar from the crowd arose.

Cassandra couldn't believe it. How was Taylor allowing this?

As the guards attempted to lift Taylor onto the altar, she transformed her wings in a split second, taking four of the guards' heads off before Leviathan himself grabbed her by her wings, holding her dangling below his grasp.

“I see you still need some persuasion, my dear.” Leviathan bared his teeth in a very predatory smile. “Bring him out!” he commanded to the guards.

Before Cassandra knew what was happening, a prisoner was dragged out and tossed to the ground.

What was left of his hair was matted and bloody. He was naked from the waist up. His back and arms were a labyrinth of wounds and bruises. His form looked uneven, like one side was not the same as the other, perhaps from broken bones or the like.

Then he raised his face, mostly undamaged except for a long cut that went from his hairline to the front of his jaw.

Cassandra knew immediately it was Joey.

His mouth was gagged, but he still tried to call out to her.

“No!” Cassandra shrieked.

Before she knew it, she was pulling both alligator men with her toward Joey's form.

She was hit in the back of the legs, falling to her knees. She could feel almost a dozen scaled hands holding her in place.

“Complete the ritual, or I will flay the skin from his bones,” Leviathan said to Taylor as if stating a fact.

Taylor looked at Joey again. Joey's eyes pleaded for her to refuse.

Her eyes watered again, and her face fell.

She climbed onto the altar, changing into her Avalorian form completely.

Leviathan did not make the mating easy or painless for Taylor.

When it was done, Taylor, in an impressive display of self-immolation, was reborn, a new woman standing up from the altar.

Leviathan, looking mostly unchanged, threw his arms toward the sky and roared, followed closely by his army and minions.

Taylor was still being held by, albeit more hesitant, guards, unable to go to Joey, who had managed to sit back on his heels in a sitting posture.

Leviathan looked furious that she was still trying to show affection to her first choice as mate.

With a few short strides, he was beside Joey.

“Now, my dear. What type of a mate would I be if I didn't grant the one reason that brought us together?” he said. “It is time to finally free your companions.”

Joey looked more tired than she had ever seen him, but he turned and looked at her, a lopsided smile on his face and a wink in his eye.

Leviathan's claws barely made a sound slicing cleanly through his neck.

The screaming Cassandra heard moments later, she realized, was coming from her own lips.

She jolted awake.

Cassandra gasped.

She was on the ground.

Her heart hammered violently against her chest.

She looked around.

The Dragon's Graveyard surrounded her.

“Joey?”

He wasn't there.

She scrambled to her feet.

“Joey!”

Nothing.

She turned toward Behemoth.

“Where is he?”

Behemoth stared at her.

“He is beside you.”

Cassandra looked down.

Joey was lying on the ground a few feet away.

He was unconscious.

She rushed to him.

“Joey!”

She grabbed his shoulders.

“Wake up!”

Joey suddenly opened his eyes.

He gasped.

“Cassandra!”

She pulled him against her, openly weeping.

“I've got you,” Joey said, wrapping her in his arms.

Joey's eyes suddenly shot open.

“Where's Taylor?”

“She isn't here.”

Joey stared at her.

Behemoth took this chance to say something.

“You have both been through a terrible nightmare. It is because of the magic here.”

Joey said,

“I saw Leviathan.”

Cassandra's expression changed.

“So did I.”

They looked at each other.

Joey swallowed.

“What did you see?”

Cassandra hesitated, tears still flowing.

“You.”

Joey's face fell.

“Leviathan had you.”

Cassandra tightened her arms around him.

“I saw you die.”

They said together.

Neither spoke.

They embraced harder.

Behemoth approached.

“You are experiencing a magical fever.”

Joey looked up.

“A fever?”

“The graveyard's magic is entering your minds.”

Cassandra stood.

“Why?”

“Because you are both spiritually connected.”

Joey looked at Cassandra.

Behemoth continued.

“The magic is searching for weaknesses.”

Joey looked around.

“So it showed us our worst fears.”

“Yes.”

Cassandra's expression hardened.

“It made me believe Leviathan had killed Joey.”

Joey looked down.

“And it made me believe he'd taken Taylor and killed you!”

Behemoth nodded.

“Your minds filled in the rest.”

Joey rubbed his forehead.

“I could actually feel it.”

“So could I,” Cassandra whispered.

For the first time since they had entered the graveyard, Cassandra looked genuinely shaken.

Joey took her hand.

“I’m here.”

She squeezed his fingers.

“Me too.”

The ground suddenly shook.

A crack opened several feet away.

Blue light erupted from beneath the earth.

Behemoth immediately turned.

“Get behind me.”

Joey and Cassandra moved without hesitation.

The crack widened.

Something inside it began screaming.

Not an animal.

Not a person.

Something older.

The bones surrounding them began glowing.

Behemoth's eyes widened.

“We have stayed too long.”

Joey looked at him.

“You think?”

Behemoth grabbed Joey by the shoulder with one hand and Cassandra with the other.

“Hold on.”

Golden light exploded around them.

The world twisted.

For one horrifying instant, Joey felt as though his body had been stretched across miles of space.

Then—

everything stopped.

Joey dropped onto solid ground.

Cassandra landed beside him.

The air felt different.

The oppressive heat was gone.

The glowing mist had disappeared.

Behemoth released them.

Joey lay on his back, staring at the sky.

“I hate this place.”

Cassandra sat beside him.

“You're not the only one.”

Behemoth looked back toward the region they had escaped.

The distant valley was still glowing.

“We are in a safer part of the graveyard.”

Joey sat up.

“Safer?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn't mean safe, does it?”

“No.”

Joey sighed.

“Of course not.”

Cassandra helped him to his feet.

She looked toward Behemoth.

“Could you have moved us like that at any time?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn't you?”

Behemoth looked at her.

“I did not know the magic would affect you so quickly.”

Joey frowned.

“And now?”

“Now I know.”

A silence followed.

Joey looked back toward the glowing valley.

He still remembered Cassandra's terrified face.

He remembered reaching for her.

He remembered losing her.

Then he looked at Cassandra standing beside him.

Real.

Alive.

He pulled her close.

She rested her head against his chest.

For once, neither of them made a joke.

Behemoth watched them for a moment.

“You should remain close to one another.”

Joey looked over.

“Trust me. After that, we're not going anywhere without each other.”

Behemoth nodded.

“Good.”

He turned toward the deeper graveyard.

“We still need the flower.”

Joey looked at Cassandra.

Cassandra looked back.

Then they followed Behemoth.

Behind them, deep within the corrupted section of the Dragon's Graveyard, something moved beneath the bones.

And this time—

Behemoth heard it too.