EVERY EYE TURNED TO ABEL when he stepped through the door of Chimera’s All-Night Coffee + Comics.
Behind the register, a tired-looking teen with more piercings than face sat up straight on his stool. The store’s well-fed pangolin curled into a ball on the counter beside him. The barista in the café paused from the coffee she was whipping into a froth and looked Abel up and down over the rims of her rose-gold glasses. Her head was shaved, and a tattoo of a black dragon curled around a white wyvern decorated her scalp. She had different colored serpent rings on all her fingers.
The line of customers waiting for their coffee on the other side of the pastry case also looked at Abel. They were a colorful cross-section of every kind of person in the city, from the business people in suits to the students in hoodies and pajamas to the punks in every kind of thing imaginable, all of them united by a craving for early morning coffee and pastry.
There weren’t a lot of customers in the bookshop section of the store this time of day, so he figured that’s where he should go. The shelves were bursting with books—comics and novels and nonfiction. There were how-to guides on every topic imaginable, from telling fortunes with DrakoTek cards to the history of the glass trade in Drakopolis. There were picture books and young adult novels and an entire section of romances between humans and dragons labeled H/D, which seemed pretty weird to Abel, but that’s what he loved about the store where his sister worked: there was something for literally everyone, even people whose lives and tastes were incomprehensible to him.
He wondered if Lina was here, watching from somewhere he couldn’t see. If she was, she didn’t reveal herself. He wandered down the first comic book aisle, acting interested in the new titles for the week. Then he realized he’d missed new comic day, and that he was actually interested. Abel pulled out the latest issue of Sky Pirates, a series about a group of outcasts from every kin in the city who unite to take on their former bosses and steal their riches to give to the poor and hungry. As he flipped through the issue, he found he couldn’t focus. Maybe it was stress, or maybe reading made-up stories about kinners wasn’t fun anymore, now that they were actually terrorizing him and his family in real life.
“You need help with something, kid? I’ve got good books on pirates all over the store. Histories, adventures, even how-tos.”
Abel turned to see Fitz, the store’s owner, right behind him. For a big guy, Fitz moved without making a sound. He had a huge smile and gave no hint that he’d seen Abel at the battle the night before. He did, however, hand Abel a bag with a sweet bean pastry in it.
“On the house,” he said. “No one should browse hungry.”
Abel smiled. He was starving. “Thanks.”
“No wind off my tail.” Fitz waved his thanks away. Unlike the kin leaders, Fitz was a guy who understood kindness.
Back when their dad was really sick, Abel and Lina had spent a lot of hours in this store, reading, listening to stories, learning about new bands, new authors, and new kinds of pastry, which Fitz sometimes let them taste for free. The café was famous for its creme-filled “dragon’s teeth” and “sticky claw” buns. The shop was neutral territory for all the kin, so it was a safe place for Abel and Lina to spend their time when they weren’t in school.
By the time their dad got out of the hospital, Lina had read half the books in the place, which was why Fitz hired her. He had a way of hiring all the neighborhood kids who needed it, but he somehow never seemed short on cash. Abel hadn’t wondered about it before, but now that he knew his city was full of secrets, he wasn’t sure he could trust Fitz. Half the time, he let people take books for free when he thought the book was just right for them. Even at thirteen, Abel knew that was no way to run a business.
“So, not interested in pirates today?” Fitz asked innocently. “A shame. You can learn a lot from pirates. My favorite was Mad Hazel the Marauder, who commanded a fleet of dragons that ruled the skies over half of Drakopolis five hundred years ago. She rode a dragon with a beautiful white mane of hair that was famous over the whole city. When she was finally caught, she braided her dragon’s lovely mane with golden ribbon, put on her finest cloak and jewels, and commanded her dragon to burn down her own palace.”
“She burned her own house down?” Abel shook his head. “Why?”
“I guess she’d rather see her riches burn than see them fall into her enemies’ hands,” Fitz said. “Or maybe pirates are just unpredictable?”
“Maybe,” Abel said, not sure why Fitz was telling him this story.
“Anyway, you don’t want pirates,” Fitz said. “What are you looking for? I’m an expert at matching the right book to the right kid at the right time, you know?”
“I’m just … uh … browsing.”
Fitz pursed his lips and nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll mind my business.” He looked around his store to make sure no one was eavesdropping on him—though, of course, someone was always eavesdropping. Any place that sold books would have at least one Dragon’s Eye spy lurking about, and you never could tell who it was. “But if you’re looking for a specific issue of Dr. Drago, you should know I’m sold out.” He winked.
“Okay …”
“The customer who bought my last one just went across the street to the Drag On Lounge … if you wanted to talk to them about it. I think they’re family.”
“Family? Like—” Abel started.
“The family of comics fans.” Fitz winked again, and Abel understood. His sister was across the street inside the Drag On Lounge. “If the bouncer gives you any trouble at the door because you’re too young, just tell them Fitzy sent you.”
And before Abel knew what was happening, Fitz had steered him outside.
“One more thing,” Fitz told him. “They have a delicious green-tea milkshake. Don’t leave without trying it.” He patted Abel on the shoulder and disappeared back into his bookstore.
Abel stood blinking on the sidewalk in the morning sunshine. It glittered and gleamed off the glass shopwindows all around.
Just then, a short-winged pink dragon glided right above him, nearly taking his head off with its foot. The pilot on the back shouted, “Watch it, short stuff!” like it was his fault. A Wingless Millifoot dragon scuttled by with a full cargo of deliveries on its long back and a sour-looking driver in the saddle by its shoulders. The dragon splashed Abel with the first twenty of its steps through a puddle before Abel was able to jump back. He suspected the driver had done that on purpose. People weren’t polite this early in the morning in this part of town. Well, in any part of town.
The neon sign for the Drag On Lounge blinked and buzzed at him across the pavement. He brushed off his pant legs and strode over to it, looking side to side—and up—very carefully before he crossed. He tried to walk with as much confidence as he could, though he feared it was unconvincing.
He hoped his parents were doing okay with their part of the plan.
They’d hatched it this morning after he confessed everything.
Right about now, those Red Talons goons would be waking up in his apartment, bound and gagged, and his mom would be demanding a meeting with their boss. Dad was supposed to text Instructor Ally to get her to the same meeting. Abel had to arrange a meeting with all the kin leaders if his plan was going to work, and he was supposed to get Lina to invite the Sky Knights. He also needed his dragon back; he hoped Lina would help with that too.
Or he could be walking into another of her ambushes.
Either way, it was time to go inside. He’d never been inside a nightclub before, and he didn’t know what happened there. Is it still a nightclub if the sun is up?
As promised, once he said Fitz had sent him, the bouncer let him in, even though there was a glowing sign that said NO CHILDREN ALLOWED. It had a dragon eating a little baby on it and part of it was flickering and buzzing. It was such an old sign the little neon baby on it would be a neon adult by now.
Inside, the club was dimly lit and nearly empty. There were round booths with red velvet seats spread around the edge of a huge semicircular room, facing a stage that took up an entire wall. Lush green velvet curtains hung along the back of the stage, with gold curtains off to the side. Abel could see that one of those curtains covered the door to a janitor’s closet, which kind of ruined the illusion of luxury.
“Find a seat, kid! The morning show’s about to start!” a host yelled, waving him toward the booths. The host was dressed in a dark suit and their long hair was tied into a ponytail. They looked pretty unremarkable, except that their face was painted with elaborate makeup that looked just like a dragon’s face.
Suddenly, something jostled Abel from behind. A drake—an undersized dragon—trundled past. It had purple scales and golden feet but was dressed to look like a person in a tuxedo, complete with a black bow tie and four little sleeves down its four legs. It had a silver tray strapped to its back and was carrying two bright green milkshakes.
Don’t leave without trying it, Fitz had told him. That wasn’t a suggestion; it was a hint!
He followed the trained dragon waiter to an empty booth in a shadowy corner and took a seat as the dragon rested one wing on the table and tilted to the side so the milkshakes could slide onto the table. It didn’t spill a drop.
“Thank you,” Abel said, mindful of a dragon’s pride. It made a snorting sound and padded away. The lights dimmed. A spotlight hit the stage.
A pop song burst from the speakers, an old hit about a person in love with someone from a different kin. The beat thumped as the lyrics began.
Our gang’s at war, but I love you more
Than any dragon loves her hoard.
The skies are on fire, with my burning desire
For youuuuu … for youuuu … for YOUUUU!
On the last “YOUUUU” a golden curtain fluttered, and the performer strode onto the stage like a vision from a dream.
They were human but dressed and made up to look like a huge and glorious Dazzler dragon, with wings of bejeweled cloth and a sequin dress of rainbow scales. Their boots had heels so high they made Abel dizzy to look at them, and they were covered in tiny mirrors that caught the spotlight and refracted it into a thousand rainbows all over the empty club. Even though they were human, they had captured the feeling of a rare Dazzler dragon perfectly. They spread their arms wide in front of their grand wings and lip-synched the next verse with such passion it made Abel’s belly button tingle. He’d never seen a performance like this.
Bare your teeth and show your claws!
For you, I’ll break my jail cell’s walls!
I’ll be your dragon queen,
greater than you’ve ever seen!
Your Dragon Queen!
Your Dragon Queen!
“Her stage name is Raina Terror,” Lina said, sitting down at the table opposite Abel without even saying hello. Where had she come from? “She’s great, right?”
“Um …” Abel feared “um” was officially his catchphrase.
“Just be cool,” Lina said. “I asked her to perform this morning, because she’s so good no one can look away.”
“So no one will look at us,” Abel said. “Smart.”
“Thanks,” Lina replied. “And thanks for meeting me. I’m sorry about last night. I had to get Karak back.”
“You didn’t have to,” Abel said, taking a big sip of his milkshake. It was really good. “You chose to.”
Lina tapped the rim of her glass. “Following orders is one of the first lessons you learn in the Sky Knights.”
“I guess you let their lessons make less of you,” Abel said, remembering what the hostess at the laundromat-casino had said to him.
“I did what?” Lina frowned. “Is that some line from a comic?” She shook her head, changing the subject. “Here’s the problem: There’s a kin battle coming up, and I was supposed to battle with Karak for the Sky Knights … But he won’t let me ride him now.”
“Maybe your boss shouldn’t have stuck that poison in him after all?”
“I don’t approve of what Drey did, but he had to act quickly before the cops showed up.”
“It’s not right to treat a dragon that way,” Abel said. “It’s cruel. And it offends them. Karak is very sensitive to good manners.”
“I know that,” Lina told him. She played with the straw in her milkshake but didn’t take a sip. Onstage, Raina Terror was twirling in circles and dancing so that her huge wings flapped and caught the light at different angles, painting the walls all around with light. “Karak is loyal … to you. He chose you, Abel, and we need you to fly him for us.”
“What?” Abel almost snorted green milkshake from his nose.
“We have to win this next battle,” Lina said. “We need more dragons. The Red Talons are too powerful, and they’re plotting to take over more neighborhoods. If they do that, it’ll start a war, one no one can win. If we can get more of their dragons, maybe they’ll think twice about a conflict and we can keep peace in the city.”
Abel grunted. “Some peace this is,” he said. “What’s the difference between one gang of kinners or another controlling a neighborhood? It’s not like any of the kins are the good guys.”
“We’re good guys,” Lina said. “The Sky Knights are good guys. We’re not just kinners. We’re”—she lowered her voice—“revolutionaries.”
Abel frowned.
“Come with me,” she said. “I’ll show you.”
She got up from the table and walked toward an emergency exit door in the corner of the club. Lina didn’t look back to see if Abel was following; she just assumed he was, because she was his big sister and she knew he was curious and that he wanted his dragon back.
He hated that she was right.
He took one more gulp of the milkshake and one more look at the dragon performer on the stage, pretending to belt out a song of heartbreak. Then he followed his fugitive sister into the alley, hoping she hadn’t planned another ambush.