Morning finally arrived. After breakfast Ariel followed Jett out into the subterranean city. Instead of heading toward the wall of the cavern to begin the long climb to the surface, he proceeded deeper into the city.

“We’re not leaving?” she said.

“Not yet,” Jett said.

Ariel frowned. “More surprises up your sleeve?”

Jett merely shrugged.

“Hopefully we’re not going to say goodbye to that crazy sister of yours or something,” Ariel said.

“We’re not,” Jett said. “And she’s not crazy. Just… eccentric.”

“Yeah, I guess living in a subterranean city all your life can have that effect,” Ariel said. “You know, she used that power of yours on me.”

“What power?” Jett asked.

“The invisible clamp around my lungs, choking me if I tried to disobey…” Ariel replied.

“Ah,” Jett said. “That power. Yes, she has it.”

“You never did explain what it was,” Ariel said. “This ‘compulsion.’ Some kind of dragon spell, or Weave as you call it?”

“Not really,” he told her. “More of an Ability. Only the most powerful dragons have it.”

“I want you to promise me you’ll never use it on me again,” Ariel said, crossing her arms under her breasts.

Jett studied her, seemingly conflicted. Finally, he slumped slightly. “That’s a promise I can’t make at the moment.”

“Bastard,” she said softly.

He guided her to a quaint estate set well apart from the others. The exterior walls that girded the estate were not coated in precious metals or gems, and the gray stone remained bare.

“Is this one of the dwarf estates or something?” Ariel asked.

“I assure you, the resident is a dragon,” Jett replied.

“Then why so… ordinary?” Ariel said.

“This particular dragon is not a fan of ostentation,” Jett explained. “At least, not in the typical sense.”

Beyond the gate, a small footbridge crossed a shimmering pool to a tiny island, where a giant mushroom grew from the ground. There was a door built into the side of the mushroom.

“What the hell is that?” Ariel said.

“The home of our resident witch,” Jett told her. “She is an ancient, powerful creature. Stronger even than me. Not physically, mind you, but because of the powers at her beck and call. She has something I’ll need if I’m going to travel among the humans.”

Inside, spongy walls partitioned the giant mushroom’s interior into different rooms. The furnishings were spartan: a few hard-backed wooden chairs next to low tables, some shelves, some counters, the occasional closet. There were no TVs, computers, or kitchen appliances—none of the amenities of a modern home.

There was, however, a library packed to the seams with bookshelves.

“You should really introduce your witch friend to an ereader,” Ariel told him.

“You can’t get any of these books in digital form, trust me,” Jett said.

The inside seemed bigger than the exterior, and only after passing many rooms did Jett reach his destination.

Within a smaller chamber, a woman sat at a table reading a book. She looked nothing like Ariel would have expected a witch to look like. Ariel had imagined a black gown with a matching pointy hat and broomstick, or maybe a hooded blue robe and a staff topped by a glowing gem. But instead, she saw a young girl who appeared to be no more than seventeen, dressed in business casual: a knee-length black skirt, with a black blazer fitted neatly over a white dress shirt. She wore dark-rimmed glasses and shiny black shoes.

More shelves covered the walls there, those filled with strange artifacts, not books. Tribal masks. Twisted wands and staffs. Creepy statuettes. Jeweled scabbards.

Ariel found her gaze drawn to a pair of intricately carved gauntlets beside her. They were pure white, though slightly porous, which made her believe they were made of bone.

Without looking up, the woman answered the question that was on the tip of Ariel’s tongue: “Those are the gauntlets some wear to help with the Weaving. I need no such contrivances, of course, being a dragon.”

“This is Ephephany,” Jett said to Ariel. “Our resident witch.”

“Why don’t dragons need gauntlets?” Ariel asked.

“We dragons can siphon the Strength directly through our bones,” Ephephany said. “Those of us with the ability, anyway. Humans and shifters who have the ability to Siphon can do so only while touching the bones of a dragon. This is why you’ll never see a human witch, or Wayfarer as they like to call themselves, without some sort of staff or gauntlet or something touching their skin. Made of dragon bone, of course.”

Ariel stared at the gauntlets in a new light, feeling slightly disgusted at the revelation. “I’m surprised these human witches you mentioned don’t hunt you for your bones, then.”

“They have no need,” Ephephany said. “We freely give the witches the bodies of our dead to stave off that very thing. And not just any bodies mind you, but those of us who were powerful in the Strength while living. The witches revert the carcasses to dragon form so that they have ample bone to carve. Someday I will experience a similar fate, my bones scattered across the world and shaped into staffs and accessories to satisfy the needs of non-dragon witches.” Ephephany finally glanced up from her thick tome. “In any case, I’m sure Jeddah didn’t come here for your education. Or re-education, as it were. What can I do you for, Jeddah?”

“I’ll be traveling outside Midnight City,” Jett said.

“Ah.” She stood. “You’ll be wanting the vise, then. Come with me.”

“Wait here,” Jett told Ariel. “And don’t touch anything.”

Ephephany arched an eyebrow at his words, but then turned around and vanished into an adjacent room. Jett followed her.

Ariel tiptoed to the doorframe and peered past. Ephephany and Jett stood in a room that was filled with even more artifacts.

“You care for her?” Ephephany said softly.

Jett glanced toward the doorway and Ariel quickly ducked from view.

Shit!

But apparently he hadn’t seen her, because he replied, just as quietly: “I do. What happened to her wasn’t right.”

“You could try being less bossy around her,” Ephephany told him. “Especially if you plan to bring her into the territory of our vassals. I know you can’t help it—you’re used to people leaping to attention on your every word. But still, it could help smooth things over for you if you asked her if she wanted to do something once in a while, rather than ordering it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Jett said.

“How long are you planning on being outside Midnight?” Ephephany asked.

“Not long,” Jett said. “A few days max.”

Ariel summoned the nerve to slowly peer past the doorframe once more. She saw that Ephephany was studying him critically, hands on the hips of her black skirt.

“You’re not trying to escape your duty, are you?” Ephephany said.

“Not at all,” Jett said. “I will return.”

“You remember what I told you, many many years ago before you were crowned?”

“Of course I remember,” Jett said.

“Then tell me.”

He sighed, and when he spoke, his voice seemed even softer. “You told me: ‘You are destined to lead. You might try to escape it, but no matter where you go, you will rule.’”

“Yes, good,” Ephephany said. “I wanted to make sure you hadn’t forgotten.”

“Duty is a garment I wear tight around my breast every day,” Jett said. “It’s not something I can forget.”

“And yet I can see the struggle clearly inside of you,” Ephephany said. “You would give it up, if you could.”

Jett didn’t have anything to say to that.

“Turn around.” Ephephany ordered. She held a thin collar in her hands. It was made of smooth, featureless silver, with a clasp on one end.

“You have no compunctions about ordering me around, I see,” Jett said.

“Why would I?” Ephephany replied.

Jett reluctantly turned.

Ephephany set the collar around his neck then shoved the clasp closed. The collar seemed to shrink, tightening around his neck.

“I forgot how uncomfortable these things are,” Jett said. He tried to pry at it, but couldn’t get his fingers underneath the tight rim.

Ephephany glanced toward the door; once again Ariel ducked from view.

She was certain she’d been spotted that time. Sure enough:

“Come here, child, I know you’re watching,” Ephephany said.

There was no compulsion in that voice, which Ariel appreciated.

Reluctantly, Ariel stuck her head past the edge and then approached. She studied the thin band around Jett’s neck. “What did you do to him?”

“This collar is an extension of the Weave that envelopes Midnight City,” Ephephany said. “It will prevent him from transforming while it is worn, no matter how far away from the city he travels. As required by treaty, all dragons must wear one outside such domains. He will still have his innate strength and resiliency, though none of his other dragon Abilities.”

“Well that’s handy,” Ariel said. “An anti-change collar… I don’t suppose I can get one? Then I’ll finally be able to return to civilization.”

“Unfortunately,” Ephephany said, “because of the concentration of power packed into such a tiny space, you’d need the resiliency of a dragon to survive the suppressive effect. Wearing the collar for longer than a few minutes would kill you.”

“Damn,” Ariel said. “I knew it was too easy.”

“By the way, you’ll be happy to know he can’t use his compulsion Ability while wearing this particular collar,” Ephephany said.

“That is good news,” Ariel said.

Jett scowled at the witch. “I thought we agreed—“

“We agreed on nothing,” Ephephany snapped. “You know the rules of the treaty. You signed it!”

Jett sighed. “Very well.”

Ephephany handed Ariel a mallet and chisel. “Take this.”

Ariel accepted the items uncertainly. “Why?”

“Usually, the collar can only be removed by the proper Weave,” Ephephany told her. “Our friend Jett certainly won’t be able to break it off even with his latent dragon strength. However, I’ve left a back door. With this special mallet and chisel, dear child, you can release our mutual friend. But only in times of great need, do you understand?”

Ariel nodded slowly.

“Let me show you where to strike,” the witch said.

Ephephany pointed out a small, featureless area at the base of the collar, behind Jett’s neck.

“There is a release lever here that can be triggered only with this particular mallet and chisel,” Ephephany said. “Try it.”

Ariel placed the pointed tip of the chisel on the designated spot—at least she thought that was the spot, since there were no markings or other indicators whatsoever on the smooth surface—and then slammed the mallet into the base. Vibrations passed through the chisel and up into her hand, jarring her, but the collar didn’t open. She half expected Jett’s head to sway under the force of the blow, but he remained completely motionless. It was like she had struck a rock.

She tried again. Still no luck opening the thing—she succeeded only in jolting her arm.

“Well, it takes some practice,” Ephephany said. “Which you can do on your own time. Now, if you don’t mind, I was in the middle of some reading…”

Ariel stuffed the mallet and chisel into the backpack Jett had provided her with.

After some final words with the witch, Jett led Ariel from the mushroom and they crossed the footbridge toward the borders of the estate.

“Well that was interesting,” Ariel said.

“Visits to the witch always are,” Jett replied. He scratched at the collar, as if it itched or was too tight.

“How’s it feel?” Ariel asked.

“You wouldn’t enjoy it,” Jett replied.

As they passed from the estate and into the street beyond, he said: “Did you know that those dragons with the ability to siphon the Strength are among the most powerful witches in the world?”

“Of course not,” Ariel said. “How would I?”

Jett smiled vaguely. “Do you want to know why?”

Ariel shrugged. “Not really. But I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“It’s because of the blood pulsing through their veins,” Jett said. “The Strength has a particular affinity for dragon blood. Not to mention the fact that they use their own bones to Siphon the Strength, rather than relying on external interfaces.”

“Quit your bragging,” Ariel said. She deepened her voice to mimic him: “Oh, we dragons are so very powerful and strong. We’re the best in the world! So tall and beautiful, even our blood is superior! Not to mention our bones. In fact, speaking of bones, did I ever tell you we have the biggest dicks in the world?”

Jett stared at her, eyes twinkling. “I can already see that this is going to be a very enjoyable trip.”