"And they've got a lot of force." Keller turned to the old woman. "I need to tell you about that. I didn't want to say it on the phone, but they already tried to get Iliana once today. We had to fight them at the mall." She took a deep breath. "And they had a dragon."
Grandma Harman's head jerked up. Those steely lavender-gray eyes fixed on Keller. "Tell me."
Keller told everything. As she did, Grandma Harman's face seemed to get older and older, sinking into haggard lines of worry and sadness. But all she said at the end was, "I see. Well have to try to find out how they got him, and what exactly his powers are. I don't think there's anybody alive today who's an expert on-those creatures."
"They called him Azhdeha."
"Hmm-sounds Persian."
"It is," Galen said. 'It's one of the old names for the constellation Draco. It means 'man-eating serpent'"
Keller looked at him in surprise. He had been sitting quietly all this time, listening without interrupting. Now he was leaning forward, his gold-green eyes intense.
"The shapeshifters have some old scrolls about dragons. I think you should ask for them. They might give some idea about what powers they have and how to fight them. I saw the scrolls once, but I didn't really study them; I don't think anybody has."
He'd seen the ancient scrolls? Then he was a shapeshifter, after all. But why hadn't she been able to sense an animal form for him?
"Galen-" Keller began, but Grandma Harman was speaking.
'It's a good idea. When I get them, I'll send copies to you and Keller. He's one of your people, after all, and you may be able to help figure out how to fight him."
Keller wanted to say indignantly that he wasn't any connection to her, but of course it wasn't true. The dragons had ruled the shapeshifters, once. Their blood still ran in the First House, the Drache family that ruled the shapeshifters today. Whatever that monster was, he was one of her people.
"So it's decided. Keller, you and your team will take Iliana home. I'll go back to Circle Daybreak and try to find out more about dragons. Unless..." She looked at Iliana. "Unless this discussion has changed your mind."
Iliana, unbelievably, was still prattling, having a conversation about presents with nobody in particular. It was clear that her mind hadn't changed. What wasn't clear to Keller was whether she had a mind.
But Keller had other things to worry about. Tm sorry-but you're not serious, are you? About taking her home?" "Perfectly serious,*' Grandma Harman said. "But we can't"
"We can, and we have to. You three girls will be her bodyguards-and her friends. I'm hoping that you can persuade her to accept her responsibility by Saturday night at midnight, when the shapeshifters and the witches convene. But if not..." Grandma Harman bowed her head slightly, leaning on her cane. She was looking at Iliana. "If not," she said in a barely audible voice, "you'll just have to protect her for as long as you can."
Keller was choking. 1 don't see how we can protect her at all. With all respect, ma'am, it's an insane idea. They have to know where her house is by now. Even if we stick beside her twenty-four hours a day-and I don't see how we can even do that, with her family around-"
The white head came up, and there was even a faint curve to the old woman's lips. 'Illtake care of that.
Ill have a talk with her mother-young Anna, Elspeth's granddaughter.Ill introduce myself and explain that her daughter's long-lost cousins' have come to visit for Christmas."
And undoubtedly do something witchy to Anna's mind, Keller thought Yeah, after that they'd be accepted, although none of them looked a bit like Iliana's cousins.
"And then I will put up wards around that house." There was a flash like silver lightning in Grandma Harman's eyes as she said it "Wards that
will hold against anything from the outside. As long as nobody inside disturbs them, you'll be safe." She cocked an eyebrow at Keller. "Satisfied?"
"I'm sorry-no. It's still too dangerous."
"Then what would you suggest we do?"
"Kidnap her," Keller said instantly. She could hear Iliana stop babbling in the background; she wasn't gaining any Brownie points there. She bulldozed on grimly. "Look, I'm just a grunt; I obey orders. But I think that she's too important for us to just let her run around loose where they might get hold of her. I think we should take her to a Circle Daybreak enclave like the ones where the other Wild Powers are.
Where we can protect her from the enemy."
Grandma Harman looked her in the eye. "If we do that," she said mildly, "then we are the enemy."
There was a pause. Keller said, "With all respect, ma'am-"
"I don't want your respect. I want your obedience. The leaders of Circle Daybreak made a firm decision when this whole thing started. If we can't convince a Wild Power by reasoning, we will not resort to force. So your orders are to take your team and stay with this child and protect her as long as you can."
"Excuse me." It was Galen. The others had been sitting and watching silently. Nissa and Winnie were too smart to get involved in an exchange like this, but Keller could see that they were both unhappy.
"What is it?" Grandma Harman asked.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go with them. I could be another 'cousin.' It would make four of us to watch over her-better odds."
Keller thought she might have an apoplexy.
She was so mad, she couldn't even get words out While she was choking uselessly, Galen was going on.
His face still looked pale and strained, like a young soldier coming back from battle, but his dark gold hair was shining, and his eyes were steady. His whole attitude was one of earnest pleading.