Tales from Dargo Island: The Complete Trilogy Read online

  I leaned against a table. “We found Dargonius.”

  “That must’ve been a grisly sight,” Victor said with a grin. “Did you find anything that will help with the plague?”

  I sighed. “I mean, we found Dargonius alive.” I let that sink in for a second; Victor and Champagne looked shocked. “He said he is the only cure for the plague, but he’ll only do it if we let him out of his prison. He’s trapped in some kind of cylinder in the middle of a round room, surrounded by an acid pool.”

  “You don’t trust him,” Victor guessed.

  I looked at Aneela, who was on the other side of the chamber, seeing to some of her sick people. “He said he would cure everyone on this island, but he would kill everyone else in the world. That was his plan before he was captured.”

  “Well, that sounds like a crappy deal,” he said, his grin vanishing.

  “Our lives aren’t worth that of the rest of the world, honey,” Champagne said. She said to Victor, “Help me lie down.”

  He helped her up onto a bed against the wall. My friends were dying and there was nothing I could do. A doctor, her face painted the way of the Dargons, checked on Champagne. Even through the yellow-and-blue paint I could tell she looked worried.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked the doctor.

  She looked at me. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say the illness is progressing much faster in her than anyone else. See the dark veins on her neck?” I saw them. “None of the others are showing this symptom. I studied the body of the first victim. He looked much worse than this, but he had these same dark veins.”

  “I remember,” I said. Champagne looked like she’d been infected a week ago, even though it had only been a couple of hours. She wouldn’t last much longer.

  I hadn’t known her that long, but I considered her a friend. We almost died together, fighting Nalke’s army for Rockne. Looking around the chamber, I couldn’t imagine any of the sick Dargons dying. They hadn’t done anything wrong. I believed Dargonius when he said he would cure all of them in exchange for the rest of the world, but Champagne’s words kept going through my head: Our lives aren’t worth that of the rest of the world, honey.

  It seemed logical enough to keep Dargonius in his cell.

  In exchange, I had to watch my friends die. I locked eyes with a man a few decades older than me. He was comforting a little boy who I assumed was his son. The man looked angry. I felt his pain.

  Chapter 12: A Visit Interrupted

  A beep distracted me from my dark thoughts. I pulled out my cell phone and saw a reminder flashing on the screen. My phone was pretty much only good as a calculator, clock and camera, since I couldn’t make or receive calls on the island.

  “Oh, no!” I said, reading the reminder. “Estevan is visiting today. I completely forgot.”

  “When?” Astrid asked.

  “Tonight, when I turn young. We’re supposed to hang out. He doesn’t know about the plague, and I can’t call him.” I thought for a moment. “I’ll meet him at the station and send him back before he can even get off the train.”

  “Keep an eye out for the birds,” Aneela said, walking up to us. “We haven’t accounted for all of them, and as far as I can tell, there are at least five left.”

  “What did you do with the dead ones?” I asked.

  “We’re studying them very carefully.”

  “Good idea,” Victor said as he checked on Champagne.

  Aneela looked at the elderly woman. Champagne was asleep, her breathing very heavy. “Am I doing the right thing?” she asked no one in particular.

  “Yes,” Victor said. “Even if we don’t find a cure, at least the rest of the world is safe. There are over a billion people on this planet. From what I’ve heard about Dargonius, he wouldn’t bat an eyelash at killing every last one of them. Would you want that on your conscience?”

  She grinned at him. “I suppose not. Thank you, Victor.”

  He nodded, his red beard swaying. “Think nothing of it. You’re a wonderful, responsible queen. Let no one tell you different.”

  Astrid, Shae and I returned to the Village, leaving Victor and Champagne in the care of professionals. I sat in a chair in the living room and stared out the bay window by the front door. My thoughts, as well as my body, were fading with this aging spell. It really was getting worse every day. Pretty soon, I wouldn’t be able to do anything until I returned to my real age at night.

  Even then, I felt sick. Whatever was affecting me in old age was spilling over.

  Astrid sat next to me and took my hand. “How are you doing?”

  “I think I’m dying. Really dying.”

  “You can’t die. Remember?”

  I shook my head. “If my time comes, I’m going to take it. I’m not going to leach off anyone. If I die this time, it’ll be final.”

  We stared at each other for a while, neither of us speaking. The sun went down and we returned to our original ages.

  And then I kissed Astrid.

  She pulled away, laughing. “What’s happening?”

  “I’m sorry. I just thought I’d see what it would feel like.”

  “To kiss a girl?”

  “To kiss you.”

  We kissed again, for almost a minute. Then we stopped and stared at each other.

  “Anything?” she asked.

  “No. You?”

  “Not a thing. Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I figured as much.”

  I tried to stand, but as expected, needed help. After Astrid got me to my feet, I was able to make it outside. I tried to start Shae’s car, but it wouldn’t kick. I called Aneela and she sent a soldier with a horse for me to borrow. We rode to the train station.

  The train was just arriving as I walked onto the platform. I could barely see the Edge of the World from where I stood. Estevan still claimed he hadn’t gotten used to seeing that miles-wide waterfall as the train passed over it. I didn’t doubt him; I still wasn’t used to it. My nose bled from fear the first time I saw that startling sight.

  The train stopped in front of me, and just as the doors opened I stopped Estevan from stepping off.

  “You can’t stay here,” I said, holding up my hand. “There’s a plague on the island, and I don’t want you catching it. Go back to Dallas.”

  He stood there, mid-step, his eyes wide from all the information I’d just given him. “Okay….”

  I looked at the sky, making sure there weren’t any birds around.

  “Are you sick, too?” he asked me. “You look like hell.” He, of course, looked like a perfectly healthy nineteen-year-old, with a full head of dark-brown hair.

  I got a brief glimpse of my reflection in the one of the windows. My skin was wrinkled and pale. “I don’t have the plague, but I am sick. It’s the old-age curse. It’s doing something to me.”

  Estevan looked worried. We’ve been friends since we were kids. He’s the only friend who knows about Dargo. He even saved the island from a tidal wave, though he had Nalke’s help with that. I hated putting such responsibility on his shoulders, but he seemed to be handling it well enough.

  “How are my parents?” I asked him.

  “They miss you a lot. You should visit more often.”

  “I know. When this is over, I’ll visit. But not before then; it’s too dangerous.”

  “I hope it won’t be too late by then.”

  Those words stuck with me. What if I died before seeing my parents again? I’d inherited my life-leaching power from my mom’s side of the family, and she had just told me a few weeks ago. Imagine my surprise when I found out I’d killed my twin sister while we were still in the womb. I’d been mad at Mom for keeping the secret from me my whole life. I felt it was time to forgive her.

  “We’re working on a cure,” I told Estevan. “It shouldn’t be much longer. After that, I’ll visit them. I promise.”

  Estevan valued his family more than most teenagers valued theirs. That’s one thing I respect most ab
out him.

  He backed away from me and retook his seat on the train. I set up the controls to return to Dallas, and then watched the train glide away. The soldier took me back to the Village and returned to the palace.

  I was so tired when I got home. I usually tried to make the most of my “young time,” but I couldn’t imagine staying up much longer. I used to sleep during the day so I could take advantage of the night, but the appearance of the birds threw my schedule off. I meant to only rest for an hour, but when I woke up, it was morning and I was old again.

  Chapter 13: Desperate Measures

  Two days went by and we still hadn’t found a cure. Champagne was even worse than before. I visited her every few hours, always running into the father from the other day. Though he sat with his son every time, he never took his eyes off me. He’d stopped applying the blue-and-yellow paint, but never washed it off. It had started to fade, giving him a creepy, undead look.

  The red eyes completed the effect.

  Though Champagne slept through most of my visits, she was awake now. “Why so sad, Sugar Plum?”

  I gladly looked away from the angry father and smiled down at her. “I hate seeing you like this.”

  “It’s no picnic for me either. But I don’t feel as bad as I did the other day.”

  Nearly every surface of skin was covered in dark veins. The bartender’s face had been covered with paint so I couldn’t tell what he looked like when he died, but I feared it was something like this.

  “Aneela’s doctors are trying to reverse-engineer a cure using some of the birds,” I told Champagne. “We should have one very soon.”

  “Thanks for that, Sugar Honey. That makes me feel a little better.”

  I didn’t know whether or not we were close to a cure, but I wanted her to feel better, however I could. She could probably read from my emotions that I was deceiving her.

  “I’m scared, Daddy,” I heard a tiny voice say. I looked up and saw the angry dad look down at his sick son.

  “I’m scared too, baby.” Tears spilled down his faded cheeks. “The queen is doing all she can to take care of you.”

  “He’s lying,” Champagne whispered to me. “He doesn’t believe the queen is doing enough. Help me up. Take me over there.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to try something.”

  I helped her up. She’d lost so much weight and energy that she couldn’t support herself. Her legs were nothing but skin and bone. I carried her over to the father and son; she weighed next to nothing.

  Angry Dad stared at us as I sat Champagne down in a chair in front of him. “What do you want?” he asked.

  “To help soothe his fear,” she replied. “May I?” She held her hands up. He stared at them for a moment before nodding.

  She placed a hand on the boy’s chest, another on his forehead. His skin was completely covered in veins. Champagne closed her eyes and smiled. The boy smiled as well.

  “Wow!” he said, looking at something we couldn’t see. “That looks so cool.”

  “What does, son?”

  “The whales. They’re swimming through space. I’m riding one. We’re passing Saturn.”

  Angry Dad cried more. The boy looked around, his eyes seeing all sorts of amazing things. He looked happier than he had in days. Champagne took her hands away and nodded to me. I carried her back to her bed, where she died moments later.

  * * *

  We held a funeral for Champagne and others who died sooner than expected. Most of them were children and elderly islanders—six people in all. Everyone else had at least three or four days left. Something had to be done.

  At the mass funeral, Angry Dad walked up to Aneela. “My son is among the dead. You let him die to save a world we are not even a part of. How could you?”

  Aneela didn’t reply. She stared at him, trying not to cry. He walked away without another word.

  “He’s right,” Aneela said quietly.

  “No he isn’t,” Astrid said.

  “I’m letting my people die in order to protect people I’ve never met. Nearly half the people infected are now dead. Am I supposed to let the others die and then try to move on? We have a cure.”

  “It’s not a cure,” I said. “It’s entrapment, or extortion, or something.”

  Aneela stared at me for a moment, and then nodded and walked away. I wasn’t sure if I’d convinced her.

  Chapter 14: Trouble on the Mainland

  After the funerals, I hopped on the train and rode to Dallas. The trip took “five minutes,” though I’m sure it really took significantly longer. I wondered how long the train would last now that Rockne was gone. It seemed to hold up well.

  When I got to the station in Dallas, I took a cab to my parents’ house. After watching so many people die so quickly, I missed my family more than ever.

  The cab driver coughed a lot on the way to the house, so much that I worried he would accidentally crash. He dropped me off in Fort Worth. I had a key for the front door, but since I didn’t live here anymore I decided to ring the doorbell.

  My dad answered and seemed happy to see me. He was like an older twin; we had the same nose and ears.

  * * *

  I sat in the living room with my parents. We talked about things, though I didn’t mention the plague on the island.

  “Estevan’s been here a lot,” Dad said. “He’s good people.”

  “He seems wiser than his years,” Mom added. “Like an old soul. You two used to be inseparable as kids. You played every day.”

  “I get it,” I said. “He’s the son you never had.”

  I regretted it the moment I said it. My parents grew quiet.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean it like that. I love him too. He’s a great friend.”

  “Why don’t you call him over and we can have dinner?” Mom suggested.

  I called him and he said he’d be there in “no time.”

  When he got here and I answered the door, I nearly passed out from shock.

  Dark veins were starting to appear on his right hand.

  * * *

  “You wouldn’t believe it,” he told me on the front porch. I didn’t want my parents hearing our conversation. “On the way back from the island, I saw a bunch of red birds under my seat. One of them pecked my thumb when I tried to pet it. Now I’m sick. I didn’t feel bad until today.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. I told him about the birds carrying the plague, since I’d left that out earlier.

  “Oh,” he replied. “That sucks.”

  “What happened to the birds after you got to Dallas?”

  “They flew out of the train.”

  “How many were there?”

  “Five or six, I think. Dad and I saw on the news right before I came here that a lot of people in Dallas are sick.”

  I started breathing heavily, feeling dizzy. I had only days to find a cure before my best friend died. I honestly didn’t know what to do.

  “Go with me to the island,” I said. “I have a plan, but I need you to be with me on the island. Okay?”

  “Okay, bud,” Estevan said. I knew he could sense the worry—and possible lie—in my voice, but didn’t mention it.

  Chapter 15: The Cure

  Estevan rode back with me to Dargo Island. The horse I’d ridden to the station was waiting for me when we got there. I rode home and asked Shae to keep an eye on Estevan, which she gladly agreed to do.

  Astrid was Up There, visiting Nalke, so I rode to the palace to check on the status of the cure. I was still running on the adrenaline from the shock of finding my friend—and possibly all of Dallas—sick with the plague. Otherwise, I would be wasting away my youth with sleep.

  The news at the palace wasn’t good. Aneela’s doctors were no closer to finding a cure than they were days ago. I told her that I brought Estevan to the island, and she was okay with it. Though, the news that my friend was also sick only made her feel more guilty.


  “What’s on your mind?” she asked me.

  I must’ve looked troubled, though I tried to hide it. We walked through the grand corridors of the palace, occasionally passing soldiers. The rest of the island was asleep. “I was thinking about what Dargonius said when we first met him. He mentioned the crystal in the chamber, where the birds were trapped. How could he have possibly known about that?”

  “Someone told him?” she guessed.

  “How? The island was hidden. Plus, the island reappeared when the crystal was taken out of that chamber. It doesn’t add up.”

  “And what about the body?” she asked me. “We still haven’t figured out who died in the chamber.”

  “Where is the body?”

  Aneela took me to a palace-version of a morgue. The dead Dargons had been prepared for burial here.

  The mystery skeleton was on a table in the middle of the room. Someone was standing next to it, his back to us.

  “This island has taken so much away from me,” Angry Dad said. I recognized his voice.

  “What are you doing here, Andor?” Aneela asked.

  He turned to us. “I know who this is.” He indicated the skeleton. “He was my great-grandfather.”

  “How do you know that?” I asked.

  He indicated the back of the skull, and then pointed to his own. “A genetic family trait. Our skulls curve inward.”

  “Why was he in that chamber?” Aneela asked.

  “My grandfather told my father, who told me, that Great-Grandfather planned to release Dargonius from his prison. Great-Grandfather didn’t care about the rest of the world—this island was his home—and he didn’t agree with Rockne’s decision to hinder his plans. I don’t know what happened after that.”

  “Thank you for telling us,” Aneela said quietly.

  Before she could say anything else, Andor spun around and pointed a gun at her face. “Take me to the key,” he said.

  “No.”

  He hit her in the face with the gun and she collapsed. He pointed it at her head and said to me, “Take me to the key.”