take a
whack at his head. It just wouldn’t be Dean doing it.
He wanted Amanda, needed to grab her and get her with him so
he could be sure she made it out with the others. Before he could do that,
however, he had to start the process that would begin the revolt against the dragons.
And that meant turning out their lights.
The dragons loved their electricity, used endless amounts of
it as if it took nothing to make it, use it and depend on it. Perhaps for them
it didn’t. He’d bet the entire plan on the idea that they would have a minor
panic when all the lights went out. After all, they had one small opening over
their heads to let them see the sun. It would get mighty dark and uncomfortable
without their machines to lighten up their lairs.
Flying around outside in the dark constituted one kind of
fun. Living inside in the heat without air-conditioning or any light to see by?
A whole different problem.
He’d really lucked out that the dragons were so careless
with their security. Not that he blamed them. They’d never had any reason to
suspect anyone would ever be capable of beating them. No one had ever tried.
Dean made it into the generator room. He stopped as he
entered. The sounds of grinding from the power source reminded him of his
childhood. Watching his father try to maintain the machines for New Strauss. Funny
how scents and sounds could do that. One second he stood among the dragons’
electrical source, the next he was back in his childhood watching in awe as his
father meticulously fixed the power shortage for their whole township.
“Dad. Why do the dragons kill us?”
His father glanced up at him before looking back down at
his work. “I don’t know. You’ve heard the story, the same as I have. They came
from the skies and the world that was ended. Now we make do as best we can.” He
lifted his gaze, giving Dean the smile that always told him how much he loved
him. “But when you grow up you’ll be able to do something about it. I just know
it, son.”
Dean blinked, finding himself back in his adult body
standing in the dragons’ electric room. “You’re right, Dad.”
He’d spoken to his late father as if he’d been standing in
the room with him. His father had died trying to save a little girl from being
eaten by the green scaly monsters they could never get away from. He’d lived as
a good man, died a hero.
A million heroes .
They deserved remembrance and maybe, finally, vengeance.
He stormed forward. As he took the final two steps, he
pulled the lever to turn off the electricity to the entire enclave. The power
made a swishing noise before it dimmed into blackness.
He grinned as he pulled out the knife he’d stuck himself
with earlier. It would come in handy again. With a swish of his wrist, he
jammed it into the device, cutting every wire he could find.
When he felt he’d made a good enough dent in the system that
it would trip them up for hours, he turned and left the structure. Shouts
sounded as he approached the courtyard.
Good . That meant the servants had done what he’d
asked.
He stepped out just in time to see Ruby slamming a wooden
board into the face of one of the female dragon-joined humans.
Dean winced. Maybe he should have been more specific when
he’d told them to cause the humans pain. The woman staggered backward, her eyes
widening. She blinked several times.
“Can you hear me?” the former joined human asked.
Ruby grinned. “Come with me. We’re getting out of here.”
Ruby took the woman’s hand and ran for the exit. That was
good. They’d all be getting out just as planned, assuming they didn’t screw up
using the harnesses he’d spent most of the morning constructing out of the
climbing equipment.
It helped to be the son of a carpenter who had a knack for
electronics. Dean knew how to make things work and how to reconstruct things
for his own purposes.
Princess stormed forward, fury flowing from her gaze,
directed straight at
whack at his head. It just wouldn’t be Dean doing it.
He wanted Amanda, needed to grab her and get her with him so
he could be sure she made it out with the others. Before he could do that,
however, he had to start the process that would begin the revolt against the dragons.
And that meant turning out their lights.
The dragons loved their electricity, used endless amounts of
it as if it took nothing to make it, use it and depend on it. Perhaps for them
it didn’t. He’d bet the entire plan on the idea that they would have a minor
panic when all the lights went out. After all, they had one small opening over
their heads to let them see the sun. It would get mighty dark and uncomfortable
without their machines to lighten up their lairs.
Flying around outside in the dark constituted one kind of
fun. Living inside in the heat without air-conditioning or any light to see by?
A whole different problem.
He’d really lucked out that the dragons were so careless
with their security. Not that he blamed them. They’d never had any reason to
suspect anyone would ever be capable of beating them. No one had ever tried.
Dean made it into the generator room. He stopped as he
entered. The sounds of grinding from the power source reminded him of his
childhood. Watching his father try to maintain the machines for New Strauss. Funny
how scents and sounds could do that. One second he stood among the dragons’
electrical source, the next he was back in his childhood watching in awe as his
father meticulously fixed the power shortage for their whole township.
“Dad. Why do the dragons kill us?”
His father glanced up at him before looking back down at
his work. “I don’t know. You’ve heard the story, the same as I have. They came
from the skies and the world that was ended. Now we make do as best we can.” He
lifted his gaze, giving Dean the smile that always told him how much he loved
him. “But when you grow up you’ll be able to do something about it. I just know
it, son.”
Dean blinked, finding himself back in his adult body
standing in the dragons’ electric room. “You’re right, Dad.”
He’d spoken to his late father as if he’d been standing in
the room with him. His father had died trying to save a little girl from being
eaten by the green scaly monsters they could never get away from. He’d lived as
a good man, died a hero.
A million heroes .
They deserved remembrance and maybe, finally, vengeance.
He stormed forward. As he took the final two steps, he
pulled the lever to turn off the electricity to the entire enclave. The power
made a swishing noise before it dimmed into blackness.
He grinned as he pulled out the knife he’d stuck himself
with earlier. It would come in handy again. With a swish of his wrist, he
jammed it into the device, cutting every wire he could find.
When he felt he’d made a good enough dent in the system that
it would trip them up for hours, he turned and left the structure. Shouts
sounded as he approached the courtyard.
Good . That meant the servants had done what he’d
asked.
He stepped out just in time to see Ruby slamming a wooden
board into the face of one of the female dragon-joined humans.
Dean winced. Maybe he should have been more specific when
he’d told them to cause the humans pain. The woman staggered backward, her eyes
widening. She blinked several times.
“Can you hear me?” the former joined human asked.
Ruby grinned. “Come with me. We’re getting out of here.”
Ruby took the woman’s hand and ran for the exit. That was
good. They’d all be getting out just as planned, assuming they didn’t screw up
using the harnesses he’d spent most of the morning constructing out of the
climbing equipment.
It helped to be the son of a carpenter who had a knack for
electronics. Dean knew how to make things work and how to reconstruct things
for his own purposes.
Princess stormed forward, fury flowing from her gaze,
directed straight at
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