Mercury stared up blearily from the sterile, white cell he inhabited while they decided what to do with him. The sound of footsteps, light ones. He knew from the tempo that they were Marina’s.

She was a funny thing, always coming to see him. He’d gotten used to her visits, not sure what she got out of them, since he never spoke.

He just watched her, not sure what to make of her. He’d been cold inside ever since he’d been speared on Silver’s sword. Something had changed in him, and he wasn’t sure what.

Perhaps it was the cryo-sleep he’d been put in before he was awakened, or perhaps it was something in the blade of Silver’s sword, but he didn’t feel the burning hatred anymore that had driven him for so long.

He felt hatred, true. For the world. For how things had turned out. For himself, even, for being the type of dragon who deserved the place he was in.

For the fact that he’d still been using the past weeks to store up what little energy he could in case there was some chance to escape.

But he could tell that wasn’t happening. He could sense the mood in the air and the oracle’s mood when she came down to interview him.

He answered her questions dully. What did it matter? He’d failed to take revenge on any of the metal dragons. He’d failed at finding his own clan. He’d failed at building any meaningful relationships.

The only thing he had to look forward to now was the visits from Marina, and who knew how much longer he would have those?

He didn’t stay silent with her because he was trying to annoy her. He simply didn’t have anything to say.

There was no way to defend who he was, what he’d done, and she had some insane idea that he was salvageable, when he knew that was far from the truth.

Maybe very long ago, when he was young and still hoping for someone to accept him. When he’d been so very alone.

But that was so long ago he almost couldn’t remember, and what did it matter after what he had done? He’d attempted awful things that made him shudder to think of them, and he’d done it in a rage so black he hadn’t even seen them as problematic.

He was screwed up, and the world was better off without him. Everyone would win who should win, and he would go into the darkness to answer for his punishments.

He wouldn’t even regret it, except that he would sort of miss seeing Marina’s face.

So why did he hang on to that little bit of energy, as if some part of him were still hoping for escape? What would he even do? Go back to his dark deeds like before? Go back to trying to hurt people who had wronged him? What was the point there?

He just knew he was deeply corrupted and there was probably no point to keeping him around any longer. He couldn’t tell them anything about Lead or his kind. He’d been shocked to learn that his parents hadn’t started on Earth, but he only ever remembered being here, so it was pointless to talk to him.

He’d be going to sleep soon enough.

He raised his head, wondering why Marina wasn’t down here yet. It was almost as though she had paused. That wasn’t like her. She laughed in the face of other dragons warning her to stay away from him, and everyone pretty much let her do what she wanted.

And why not? She was sunshine personified. Blue skies and kindness and light smiles. The opposite of him, walking, talking darkness.

He leaned back on his bench, feeling the chain on his ankle jingle. It was made of unbreakable metal and kept him within the bars of his cage, no danger to others. He could walk anywhere within his cell, but that was it.

The door at the front of the stairs opened, and he stood to get a better look.

He caught his breath as Marina appeared at the top, radiant as always.

Too beautiful. The dragon who got her would be lucky. And yes, there would be many candidates; he was sure. They would have to be spectacular. Female dragons were rare, a special treasure.

If only he’d been a different kind of dragon who could have deserved a chance with her.

She was quieter than usual, and her head was lowered as she came down the stairs and walked toward him. He cocked his head and walked forward, confused by her demeanor. He’d never seen her like this.

When she didn’t look up and smile at him, he narrowed his eyes. Had someone hurt her? He would kill them, get out of here and—

“I need your help,” she said dully.

He was dumbfounded. She needed his help? What did she think he could do as a prisoner that she couldn’t as a free dragon?

He eyed the bracelet on her wrist. Well, not totally free, then.

Her eyes raised to his, and he was shocked by the despair in their depths. He knew that despair, had felt it before his own heart locked up and he’d known only rage.

So long ago.

But this wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t anyone’s hero, and besides, he was caged, powerless, chained.

Well, you have a little power, a voice said inside him.

Shut up.

“What is it?” he said a little sharply, not used to being the one to talk.

Her head snapped up. “You talked!”

“I’m not mute. The oracle interviews me, you know.”

“Yes, but you don’t talk to me,” Marina said, her eyes looking less sad as she eyed him eagerly. “What changed?”

“You said you needed my help,” he said flatly. “Not that I have any to give, but I’m interested in what you could possibly want from me.”

And why she had that trapped, helpless look in her eyes that he knew so well.

“My brother, he’s in trouble.”

Mercury’s lip curled. Ah, yes, her brother. Some people actually had families and people who cared for them. Some people didn’t just emerge from a flaming wreckage all alone, with no one who wanted them. “He is?” As far as Mercury was concerned, her brother could hang.

“Yes,” she said.

“And you think I would care why?”

She blinked, and he was astonished to see tears well in her eyes. How could someone like him even have the power to put them there?

She was much too good for that.

She swiped at the tears and turned away from him. “I didn’t expect you to care. I don’t know why I came down here. Perhaps to say good-bye because I don’t know how much longer you’ll be here.”

That was bleak but true.

He sighed. “How could I help anyway?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I just thought I should come down here. I’m silly sometimes. I don’t know.”

He thought for a moment. “You want to go to your brother. Why don’t you go to him?”

“I can’t,” she said, turning back around and showing him the bracelet.

“Ah, she has you on a leash, too,” he said sardonically. “Figures.”

“I think I liked it better when you couldn’t talk,” Marina said, pouting.

“Come here,” he said. “Let me look at it.”

She did hesitantly, holding out her hand. Her trust in him was shocking.

He didn’t think he’d ever been that innocent. “Closer,” he said, waving a hand.

She did, coming so close to the bars that he could reach forward and touch her if he wanted to. He looked down at the bracelet, took her hand in his, ignoring her little gasp at his touch as he turned the trinket in his hands.

Maybe there was something he could do after all.

He’d been saving the energy to break the lock on his chain, but what was the point really?

Besides, as much as he didn’t care about Marina’s brother, he didn’t want Marina to cry.

Couldn’t stand the thought of it, really. He didn’t know what that meant, if he was going crazy or simply feeling the effects of the corruption inside him as it ate away at his soul.

But he wanted to help her. Wanted to do one good thing before going back to the dark.

“Closer,” he said, pulling her forward.

She came, standing so close to the cell that he could smell her, feel her warmth close by, think of all the times she’d come to him, brightening his darkest moments.

He reached out, grabbed her other hand, pulling her against the cell, his other hand still on her bracelet. Holding her almost like a lover.

Yes, a lover, like perhaps he could have been in another lifetime.

“Marina,” he said, pushing closer, tilting his head down until his lips were almost brushing against hers. Why didn’t she step back? Why didn’t she run? She blinked up at him with innocent eyes, not even aware of the danger she was in.

“I’m not leashed,” she said. “I trust the oracle, but just this once, I need to run. Please. Help.”

Her words undid him. There was no way he could resist. But as one hand stayed on her bracelet, the other reached through the bars, curving around her waist and quickly pulling her against him as his lips came down on hers.

Soft. Warm. More light than he’d thought he would ever experience. He felt energy surge in him and summoned everything he had saved, channeling it to her bracelet.

He heard her gasp against his lips as the chain fell to the floor with a clatter.

He released her, stepping back into his cell and looking at her for what he knew would probably be the last time.

She was so beautiful, so shocked as she looked at him. She put a hand up over her lips. “You are good,” she said, almost wondering.

He ignored her, sitting back on his bench and going back to staring at the wall, as usual.

When she didn’t leave for a few seconds, he gave her a hard stare. “Didn’t you have something you needed to do?”

She looked at him warily, picking the chain up off the ground and clutching it close. “I’ll save you, Mercury. I promise you that. Just wait.”

He doubted it as she ran up the stairs and out of the dungeon.

Besides, she was wrong. He wasn’t good. He was a very bad dragon. He had never deserved her at all.

For one shining moment, he’d wished he had. But then he’d done the right thing and let her go.

He could go back to the darkness in peace.