And how on earth could Gabriel ever know the location of the last dragon, even if there really was one? They’d talked about it in the skeleton room, but he hadn’t said he knew of one. Or was he bluffing?

“YOU MUST BE LYING,” the dragon said finally, whirling around to glare at them. “IF ANY OF MY CHILDREN YET EXISTED, I WOULD KNOW. THEIR FATE IS WELL KNOWN TO ME, AND NONE ESCAPED!”

“I’m not lying,” Gabriel said. “Use your magic to confirm it, I don’t care. If you don’t want him, then I’ll give him to the Old One with the tentacles. He was willing to give me my brother for it.”

The dragon sneered. “KETAS. HE WAS THE ONE WHO EXACTED MY FAMILY’S REVENGE UPON ME, FORCING ME TO CHANGE MY CHILDREN INTO THE MONSTERS THEY ARE NOW.”

“You did something to the dragons?” Jia asked. “What did you… wait, the Dracsi?”

“YES, THE CURSED DRACSI WERE ONCE MY DRAGONKIND,” the Old One said, whipping his tail about in sadness and rage. “KETAS CONTROLLED MY MIND AND USED MY POWERS TO EVOLVE THEM INTO THOSE MINDLESS BEASTS, A WEAPON HE AND THE OTHERS USED AGAINST HUMANITY.

“BUT YOUR KIND USED THE MAGIC MY CHILDREN TAUGHT YOU AND EXILED US FROM OUR HOME. AND NOW, WHENEVER AN OUTSIDER IS BROUGHT, KETAS USES ME AGAIN TO TURN THE OFFENDER INTO A NEW DRACSI, REPLENISHING THEIR RANKS.”

Fort’s eyes widened. The dragon created Dracsi out of any outsiders? If that was true, then—

“You turned my brother into one of those… those monsters?!” Gabriel roared, his muscles bulging as he struggled against the magic holding him in place. “If you hurt him, I’ll spend every last day of my life hunting you down—”

The dragon turned to him, his hand glowing, and Gabriel’s body stretched out until it was flat, then compressed to the size of a mouse, only to grow back to normal height a moment later, leaving the boy stunned and silent.

“I AM MASTER OF CORPOREAL MAGIC, WORM,” the dragon said. “YOU THINK I INFLICT PAIN FOR THE PLEASURE OF IT? I CAN MANIPULATE A LIVING BODY IN ANY WAY I WISH, AND CAUSE AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE DISTRESS AS I REQUIRE. IF YOU SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH WAYS, I WILL ILLUSTRATE IT AGAIN, THIS TIME CAUSING EVERY NERVE IN YOUR BODY TO FLARE IN PAIN.”

“… I’m sorry,” Gabriel said, catching his breath. “I shouldn’t have said that. But our deal still stands. I know where there’s a dragon on Earth. My friend has Summoning magic, and he can use it to take you there.”

“Um, Gabriel, maybe don’t give everything away?” Rachel hissed.

“I HAVE SAID THAT NO DRAGONS LIVE ON IN THEIR TRUE FORM,” the Old One said. “IF YOU DON’T LIE, THEN MY BRETHREN DID.”