Chapter Twenty-One

"Biscuit, I need you to find PJ," Bev said, kneeling down to her laelaps. "Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Biscuit retracted his tongue, giving her an odd look with his lip curled up, then turned and darted down the street. Dusk was falling, and there would be hungry folks at the inn looking for dinner, but this was far more important. She'd stopped at the inn long enough to grab Biscuit and her glowing stick then headed east.

Her laelaps had a white spot on the tip of his tail, which was visible even as the light dwindled around her. Bev didn't know if Apolinary and the Norrises had taken a horse or a wagon or gone on foot, but with an hour head start, they were pretty far down the road.

Biscuit's gait went from a trot to an all-out gallop, and Bev could only just keep up. In the distance, figures huddled on the side of the road and her heart sank. Had Flanigan already found them?

But as she came closer, someone moaned in pain, and a new fear came over her. Was the dragon about to take shape?

"Go get the grannies, Biscuit," Bev said. "I don't know where they've gone off to, but—"

The laelaps didn't need to be told twice and scampered back toward town. Bev hoped he would be fast enough to find them before PJ shifted.

"PJ?" Bev called, holding the glowing stick aloft.

The light from the glowing mushrooms illuminated Apolinary, Holly, and Pip, who were blocking the fourth person. The three adults turned to Bev as if she were a snake, and she took a step back from their ferocity.

"Be on your way, Bev," Pip snarled.

"This is none of your business," Holly said, turning back to her son.

"It is, because I know what's happening to him," she said, coming closer. "I promise, I mean you no harm."

"What's happening to him?" Holly asked, her voice quiet as she brushed his forehead.

The poor teenager was as ashen as the dead grass he lay in, sweaty and pale as he clutched his stomach. Bev wished she'd thought ahead to bring him some mint, but something told her that wouldn't do much to stave off the inevitable.

Before she could say a word, there was movement in the fields beyond. Bev put her finger to her mouth and rose.

Out of the darkness, no fewer than six soldiers appeared—led by Dag Flanigan.

"What in the world is going on here?" he asked, sounding as if he knew exactly what was happening.

"We were headed to Sheepsburg," Apolinary said, her voice steady. "Our mother's taken ill."

"And so has your boy," Dag said, grinning like a cat that caught a bird. "Seems to be going around, isn't it?"

"He ate something that didn't agree with him," Pip said, sounding much less confident than Apolinary.

"And you, innkeeper," Dag said, turning his attention to Bev. "How fortuitous you're out here. Shouldn't you be back at your inn, making dinner?"

Bev thought quickly. "My dog got loose. Chased him all the way up here, and I came across Pip and Holly."

"Well?" Dag looked around. "Where is he?"

"Told him to go get help," Bev said, cracking a smile. "He's a good listener when he wants to be. Probably ran all the way here to let me know that the Norris boy wasn't doing so well."

PJ let out a whimpering moan as he clutched his stomach. He certainly looked like he'd eaten something that hadn't agreed with him. But as he let out a small belch, a little smoke rose from his lips.

"Besides that, I left the grannies at the inn to tend to the meal," Bev said, praying Flanigan hadn't seen that. "Seeing as they eat most of it anyway—"

"They weren't there, and neither was your dinner," Dag said, taking a step forward. "Your story seems to have plenty of holes in it, Bev."

"Oh! Here you are!"

"Good thing we caught you!"

"Can't see a darn thing out here."

To Bev's surprise, the grannies emerged from the other side of the fields, chattering and talking as if nothing were wrong. Biscuit was right behind them, his tail up and his golden eyes fixed on Dag Flanigan.

"What are you three doing here?" Dag asked.

"Well, we were on our way back from Middleburg," Janet said.

"Off to get some more wood for the schoolhouse," Rita said.

"We've worn a hole in these roads, I'll tell you that." Gladys nodded.

"When this lovely dog came to us and barked," Janet continued. "Well, we assumed he wanted us to come with him."

Rita walked toward the ill teenager. "And here we find poor PJ Norris in need of help."

"And wouldn't you know, we have just the ticket." Gladys reached into her pocket and pulled out several green sprigs.

"Mint! Best thing in the world for indigestion," Janet said.

Under Dag's suspicious glare, Rita knelt beside PJ and helped him eat the sprigs. "There you go. Yes, swallow it all. You'll be right as rain in a moment."

Indeed, from Bev's vantage, the boy's color improved almost instantly.

"Thanks," he croaked—and Bev wasn't so sure a little smoke didn't come out of his mouth.

"There, now. Let's get you up and on your feet," Gladys said, reaching to take the boy's arm. "That's a good lad."

"Brush off this dirt and grass," Janet said, patting him on the back. "Can't be walking around like we've been rolling in the grass."

"Now, shall we head back into town?" Rita asked brightly.

"You three aren't fooling me," Dag said, walking toward them with a menacing sort of stare. "I know you're all dragon shifters, and I know this boy is about to turn into a giant monster. It's the reason for all the destruction in town, and if the rumors are true, you three are the most powerful dragons—"

The three grannies burst into twittering laughter. "Oh, Mr. Flanigan, you are quite the comic!" Rita bellowed.

"Dragons? Us?" Janet wiped away tears.

"Oh, dear me, cousin, look at my wings." Gladys put her hands under her armpits and flapped her elbows. "I'm a big dragon!"

"You mock me," Flanigan said.

"Would you take a look at us?" Janet said, gesturing to her and her sisters. "We're here to help the town. And you think we're dragons?"

"Dragon shifters," Flanigan said through gritted teeth. "And if you aren't, then who is?"

ROOOOOAR!

The sound echoed from the left, not from the ill boy, who seemed as perplexed as everyone else. All heads turned toward the east, where a giant fireball flew up into the sky and exploded into multi-colored sparks. A red tinge illuminated the trees, before orange flames reached toward the sky.

"What's going on?" Dag barked at the Norrises as if they were somehow responsible. "What did you do?"

"We didn't do anything," Holly said, blinking wildly. "I—"

Another ear-splitting roar echoed through the valley before a huge, winged shadow floated across the sky.

"The dragon!" Dag cried. "It's shifted! Let's go!"

They didn't need to be told twice, pulling their swords and running after the dragon in the sky, leaving the grannies, Bev, and the Norrises staring in awe.

"There can't be a second shifter in town, can there?" Bev said, looking at the grannies.

"Not to our knowledge, but anything is…" Rita squinted. "Wait a second."

Bev followed her gaze. The shadowy figure didn't appear to be flapping its wings but bobbing along on the wind. Had Bev not seen PJ fly the night before, she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

"That's not a dragon," Janet said.

"Then what the heck is it?" Holly snapped.

Before anyone could answer, PJ let out a loud groan and clutched his stomach as he swayed. His parents swarmed on him, fretting and fussing at him.

"We have to keep moving," Apolinary said. "Get him out of here."

"Getting him out won't help what's happening," Rita said, rolling up her sleeves.

"Not much will stop it, but we can delay it," Janet said, gently kneeling down next to him.

"Give him here, dearie," Gladys said, gently taking PJ's hand as she reached into her pocket. "Here you go, sweetheart. Have some more mint. It'll help with the heartburn."

"Who are you?" Holly asked, though her tone had softened as PJ chewed on the green leaves.

"We're here to help," Rita said, patting PJ's hand. "There, is that better?"

"M-much." His color had improved. "What's happening to me?"

"How much do you remember of last night?" Janet asked.

"I remember… Grant gave me a scone," he said, rubbing his head. "Then I woke up at the edge of town."

"I told you to steer clear of him," Pip said. "Nothing but bad news."

"You can't blame Grant for giving PJ a scone covered in magic icing," Rita said. "You can blame Bev for that."

"Hey…" Bev scowled.

"What's happening to our son?" Holly asked. "Please, we're desperate for answers."

"What's your last name, love?" Janet asked.

"Our…what?"

"Your last name?"

"Norris," Pip said.

"Mm. Not you, then." Rita turned to Apolinary and Holly. "And yours?"

"McGraw," they said in unison.

The grannies shared a look. "I think there might've been a McGraw out this way," Janet said.

Gladys shook her head. "No, I think that was a McAlister."

"Maybe a McPhearson?" Rita offered before turning to the adults again. "Any other names in your family?"

"I don't understand," Holly said. "What in the world is going on? Why do you need our names?"

"Your son is a dragon shifter," Rita said matter-of-factly. "He's quite young to be presenting already, so he must be descended from a powerful line. We're trying to pinpoint which family it might be."

"D-dragon?" Holly said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Pip replied.

"I'm not a…" PJ looked at his hands. "You're mad."

"Only a bit, but that's all right," Rita said. "Why don't you tell us what's been happening to you lately? Start with Earl's workshop."

"He was nowhere near the workshop," Pip said.

"Is that true?" Gladys asked.

PJ cleared his throat, looking a little guilty. "Not exactly."

"Pip Junior!" Holly cried. "You lied to us!"

"We weren't… I mean, we weren't trying to… We didn't mean to burn it down!"

"Tell us what happened," Janet said, a kind smile on her face.

"Valta, Grant, and I… We like to take a nip of Earl's spirits."

"PJ."

"Let him finish," Gladys said, holding up her hand.

"So we took a nip one day then the next thing I knew…" He swallowed. "I let out a huge burp…of fire."

"Yes, that'll do it," Janet said. "What about Alice's barn?"

Holly started, looking at PJ. "You'd gone there to retrieve my knife."

He nodded. "I cut through ol' Bathilda's yard. Saw her weird sheep. Petted them. Then I started to feel funny." He shivered. "Next thing I knew, I'm lying in the rubble of Alice's barn. Got away before she saw me."

"You were in my shop, weren't you?" Apolinary said, coming down off the wagon. "Did you touch any of the fabrics?"

"Grant wanted help moving them," he said, averting his gaze.

"Oh, PJ." Holly shook her head.

"What about the night of the town meeting?" Bev asked.

"Valta stole a couple pastries off the table," he said. "We were eating them behind the schoolhouse when it all went blank again." He paused. "But…they said I'd sprouted…wings."

"I should've stayed home with you," Holly said. "But I knew if I didn't go, Earl would stand up and tell everyone it was PJ's fault. I couldn't risk a mob coming after my boy." She smoothed down his hair. "He's a good kid."

"Of course he is," Janet said. "He can't help that he's got dragon blood in his veins."

"This is insane," Pip said. "Our son isn't a…dragon. If he were, why aren't my wife and I?"

"Sometimes it can skip a generation—or three," Rita said. "But somewhere in you or your wife's line, there's a dragon shifter. And your son has manifested it." She paused. "Or will, soon."

"You know we're telling the truth," Janet said gently. "Otherwise, why were you leaving town?"

Holly shared a look with her husband before turning to her son, lip quivering. "We don't know what's going on with our boy."

"Then let us help you," Rita said.

"How?" Holly asked.

"We'll take PJ—" Janet started.

"And you, of course, if you'd like to go," Gladys interjected.

"To a safe place," Rita finished. "Help him through his first full transformation. Keep him from destroying anything else."

"Or hurting anyone," Gladys said.

"Once he's got his powers under control, he'll be free to come back to Pigsend and continue his studies," Janet said. "And we'll move on to find another shifter in need."

Holly seemed ready to argue, but PJ weakly lifted his hand to rest on her arm. "Mom, I want to go with them."

"Are you sure?" Holly took his hand. "What if…"

"It's not like things can get any worse," he said, inching off the wagon. "I'm burping fire and sprouting wings. At least if I go with them…maybe I won't make a mess of things."

"If you're sure…" Holly cupped his face. "I—"

Footsteps approached, and the grannies went stick-straight. Fear dripped down Bev's back. Had there been a soldier nearby listening to the conversation? Was Dag on his way back to finish what he'd started?

"Show yourselves," Janet said, her voice full of ice.

Bev squinted as the bushes nearby rattled.

"C-Grant?" PJ sputtered. "Valta?"

The two teenagers emerged from the darkness, the moonlight illuminating their soot-covered faces. They looked sheepish, almost as if they'd been caught sneaking Earl's spirits.

"What are you doing here?" Bev asked. "And what did you do?"

"Got those soldiers off your back," Grant said proudly.. "So you can go off with these grannies and turn into a big honking dragon."

"How did you do that?" Rita asked, with an approving smile.

"We heard those soldiers planning to catch you," Valta said. "So we put our heads together."

"I used some fabric in the shop to make a dragon-shaped kite," Valta said. "Grant nailed together some wood to make a frame."

"I made the candle," Grant said. "Lit it on fire, just like those sky lanterns Bardoff had us making." He nodded to the dragon floating in the sky. "And there it goes."

"Only had the one big fireball in it, though," Valta said.

"How'd you manage that?" Rita asked.

"Chemical reaction," Grant said. "Wrapped a small ball of cinnamon in burlap and set it on fire. By the time it got high enough in the sky, it exploded."

"We weren't sure what a dragon's fire looks like," Grant said. "I hope it's enough to fool the soldiers."

"By the time he gets back here, we'll be long gone," Rita said. "And by the time your friend gets back, Flanigan won't be able to tell whether he's a shifter or not."

The two teens shared a relieved smile before PJ let out a small belch, and a puff of black smoke came out.

"But we'd probably better hurry," Janet said. "Are you ready, PJ?"

"Be careful," Holly said, squeezing his hand.

"You three should go visit your mother in Sheepsburg," Rita said. "Just in case."

"She'd love to see us," Apolinary replied, tears in her eyes.

PJ gave his family and friends a final hug then followed the grannies into the darkness. Holly let out a small sob before climbing back onto the wagon with Pip. Apolinary clicked her tongue, and the horse moved forward.

Then it was just Bev, Grant, and Valta.

"I must say…" Bev said with a smile. "Floating lantern? Burning cinnamon? Bardoff would be proud his lessons are sinking in."

"Yeah, well, don't tell him," Grant said, rubbing the soot off his face. "Bad enough you know."

Bev laughed as they turned back to town. "I think you'll find that I keep a great many secrets. I think I can keep one more from your schoolmaster."