‘Of course I’m worried,’ said Ling-Fei, looking up. ‘But I know it’s the right thing to do. The only thing.’
Billy nodded.
‘I’m terrified,’ said Dylan. ‘But I’m glad I’ll have you all there with me.’
Billy knew what Dylan meant. He’d always had friends back home, but they were school friends. Surf friends. Not the kind of friends he felt as if he could truly be himself with. But with these three, even though they’d just met, he felt as if he could trust them no matter what. They were all so different, but somehow, when they came together, they clicked and became something more. Billy didn’t know if it was because of what they’d experienced and faced together, or if it was deeper than that. If it was destiny.
‘Exactly,’ said Charlotte. ‘You heard the dragons. Together we can win.’ She smiled at them. ‘I’m so happy I met y’all. Not just because we broke a magic curse together. But that definitely helps.’
Back at camp, things looked normal. Some kids were playing on the grassy field, a few were lying in hammocks and a couple were heading into the canteen, all of them enjoying a morning of free time.
In that moment Billy felt the full weight of what could happen, and not just to him, but to everyone. If they didn’t stop the Dragon of Death, this would all be gone. Everything. His parents, his brother. The dragons had made it clear that the Dragon of Death would destroy the world as they knew it.
‘It’s weird, isn’t it, that everything looks so normal?’ said Dylan as they went into the canteen. It was mostly empty, except for Shreya and Caroline in a far corner. ‘Nobody here knows there are dragons, like… right there. And that we’re all in imminent danger.’
‘Do you think we should tell someone?’ said Billy, the thought just occurring to him. ‘Maybe Old Gold? That way we don’t need to break into his office. We could just ask for the pearl.’
‘I don’t know,’ said Charlotte. ‘He wouldn’t believe us.’
‘He might,’ said Billy. ‘He’s the one who told us about the legend in the first place.’
‘Even if he did believe us, he wouldn’t let us go back to the mountain,’ said Ling-Fei as they approached the steamer and grabbed as many stuffed buns as they could carry. ‘He’d want to protect us. I know that. And… we can’t let the dragons down. You heard them. It has to be us.’
‘I guess you know Old Gold better than any of us,’ said Billy.
They took their food to a table at the back of the canteen. Billy was ravenous and the buns were delicious. They were fluffy and hot and filled with tangy, sweet meat.
‘These are good,’ Dylan said with his mouth full. ‘What’s in them?’
‘Char siu,’ said Ling-Fei. ‘It’s a kind of barbecued pork.’
‘I like it,’ said Dylan, reaching for another bun. They chewed in silence for a few moments, letting the buns revive them. They were so focused on eating they didn’t notice Old Gold walk up to their table, JJ right behind him.
‘Good afternoon,’ said Old Gold.
‘Good afternoon,’ they chorused.
‘Do you mind if we join you?’ he said.
There was only one answer to that.
‘Of course not,’ said Charlotte graciously. ‘Would you like a bun?’
‘I’ve already eaten, actually. I just wanted to have a little chat,’ said Old Gold, settling into a chair next to Billy. JJ stayed standing, his arms folded.
‘JJ said he saw something quite interesting this morning. Or rather what he didn’t see. Apparently, he couldn’t find any sign of you all over camp,’ said Old Gold. ‘I know you had free time, but it is strange for you four to be so hard to find.’
Billy bristled. Why had JJ been looking for them? He glanced over at Dylan to roll his eyes, but Dylan was staring directly at JJ and Old Gold with a strange expression on his face.
Ling-Fei’s eyes grew enormous. ‘Yeye, we can explain,’ she started, her voice beginning to rise in panic, before Dylan interrupted smoothly.
‘JJ,’ he said with a grin, ‘that is so kind of you to be looking out for us. But you know we were studying Mandarin in our cabins. Remember?’
JJ stared back at Dylan and then blinked. ‘Oh, yeah,’ he said slowly. ‘I guess I forgot.’
‘You were all studying?’ asked Old Gold, sounding much more sceptical.
‘We were,’ said Dylan, turning his gaze on Old Gold. ‘We wanted to make up for our abysmal performance in the scavenger hunt.’
Old Gold nodded. ‘Of course you were,’ he said.
‘Thank you for checking on us,’ Dylan went on. ‘Oh, and one more thing…’
It suddenly hit Billy. Whatever was going on here had something to do with Dylan’s power. It had to.
‘Yes?’ said Old Gold, looking a bit dazed.
Dylan stared directly into Old Gold’s eyes. ‘Tonight, you should leave your office door unlocked. Everyone here at camp is very trustworthy.’
‘Leave my office door unlocked?’ repeated Old Gold.
‘Yes,’ said Dylan. ‘Unlocked.’ Then he cleared his throat. ‘Was there anything else you wanted to ask us, Old Gold?’
Old Gold shook his head, as if he was clearing it.
‘Glad to see you four getting along so well,’ he said. ‘Come along, JJ. I need your help organizing my files.’ He shuffled away.
JJ stared at the table. ‘I don’t know what is happening, but something weird is going on with you guys,’ he said.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ said Dylan, taking a big bite of pork bun.
As soon as JJ had left the canteen, Dylan turned to the others with a grin.
‘I think I figured out my power.’
‘Lying?’ said Charlotte, eyebrows raised.
‘How insulting,’ said Dylan. ‘Not lying. Persuading.’
‘Whatever it was, it was impressive,’ said Billy. ‘I can’t believe you got Old Gold to leave his door unlocked.’
‘He hasn’t done it yet,’ said Dylan. ‘But I decided it was
