Dragon Shield by Charlie Fletcher

had just passed in front of their unseeing eyes.
    ‘Right,’ said The Fusilier. ‘Let’s scarper.’
    Will remembered how he’d wished he’d kept hold of the shield, so he ran over and picked it up.
    ‘Seriously sonny. We need not to be here,’ said The Fusilier. ‘Dragons are all brothers, least them silver ones are. They’ll know something’s up with one of theirs and be flocking over here for a look-see.’
    ‘Come on,’ said Tragedy. ‘Why aren’t you moving?’
    ‘Wait,’ said Will. His eyes had seen something else on the ground. ‘Just wait a moment. Please.’
    That wasn’t the question, thought Will, remembering how frozen and lifeless Jo had suddenly looked in the dragon’s talons. He could move if he wanted to; it was Jo that wasn’t moving. Why?
    He knelt and pulled something familiar out from under one of the exercise bicycles.
    It was Jo’s bracelet.
    He stared at it. Something clicked in his head, like a puzzle piece landing in place. He looked at the scarab on his wrist.
    ‘What?’ said Little Tragedy.
    ‘I think I might know why Jo stopped moving,’ said Will slowly.
    ‘Who?’ said The Fusilier.
    ‘My sister. And I think that means I know why I’m moving and everyone else is frozen in time.’

11
    Under the Blue Light
    Jo’s eyes blinked and she woke up. She was lying on the bottom of something with steep black sides. A couple of feet above her was a ceiling, not quite solid, like a layer of smoke with light rippling slowly across it, through which she could make out shapes bending over and looking down at her.
    She had the terrifying thought that she was under water, but realized that couldn’t be because she didn’t feel wet and could breathe.
    She did not feel strong enough to move much more than her hand, however, which reached up and touched the blue plane of light, making ripples as her fingers poked through it.
    ‘Where am I?’ she said.
    The voice that answered her seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, like a voice that bypassed her ears and spoke right inside her head.
    ‘WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE.’
    ‘Hospital’ she answered, without thinking.
    She saw a hand reach down through the light and feel the brace on her knee. She was pleased that it was not aching. Maybe they’d given her something for the pain. Whoever they were. Wherever this was . . .
    YOU HAVE BEEN HURT.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘TELL US WHAT WE ASK AND WE WILL HURT THOSE WHO HURT YOU.’
    Jo’s heart bumped out of rhythm. Something was wrong with a voice that said things like that.
    ‘This isn’t a hospital.’ She said.
    ‘IT IS A PLACE OF SAFETY.’
    ‘No it’s not.’
    ‘IT CAN’T BE.’
    ‘Where’s Will?’
    She could feel fear welling up inside her.
    ‘WHO IS WILL?’
    ‘My—’
    Jo tried to crush the fear by stopping talking and trying to think. She didn’t want to give this voice anything. Not until she knew what was happening.
    ‘AH.’
    ‘Who are you?’ she said.
    ‘WILL IS THE BOY.’
    ‘Who are you?’
    ‘DID WILL HURT YOU?’
    ‘No.’
    The voice was like a purr. Gentle. Comforting, even.
    ‘HE BETRAYED YOU.’
    Dangerously soft. Like a cat with claws hidden but ready . . .
    ‘No.’
    ‘IF HE DID NOT BETRAY YOU, HOW DID YOU COME HERE?’
    ‘You said this was a place of safety.’
    The voice said nothing.
    ‘So how can he have betrayed me by bringing me here, if this is somewhere safe?’
    ‘SHARP GIRL. DON’T CUT YOURSELF ON YOUR CLEVERNESS.’
    There they were. The claws.
    ‘Who are you?’ she asked carefully.

12
    The Dark City
    The sun had set. Will hadn’t noticed exactly when, but as The Fusilier led them at a fast trot away from the gardens he realized the city had got much darker.
    On reflex he pulled his phone and checked the time. It was stuck. The clock had not moved on from the moment he’d first seen the dragon back in the hospital window.
    ‘What you doing, slowcoach?’ said Tragedy. ‘Keep up.’
    ‘Checking the