“All right, so how do we decide who gets which dragon?” Ansel asked, direct and to the point as always.

  The cavern hummed around them, a low, omnipresent thrum that Emily felt in her teeth more than her ears. The five Dragons stood in their cradles of dim, distant light, motionless and waiting.

  Michiko broke the silence by flicking ash into the void below the walkway.

  “You don’t choose a Dragon,” she said. “It chooses you. Or it rejects you. At least, that’s what the Mercury Riders told us.”

  “That’s reassuring,” Lachlan faintly replied.

  Michiko ignored him. “Color matters. Temperament matters. What you’re willing to lose matters.” She glanced at Emily. “If you hesitate, it will feel that. And it will be harder for you all, being older than we were. I can’t guarantee what will happen.”

  Emily’s mouth went dry. “But we have to try.”

  “I suppose so,” Michiko replied. “But that doesn’t mean you’ll succeed.”

  Michelle let out a short, incredulous laugh. “So, what, choosing a dragon is like a personality quiz?”

  “Or a draft?” Lachlan said, his voice wavering.

  Michiko exhaled smoke. “Something like that.” She raised the pink wand. The glow reflected in her eyes. “Pink Dragon is already bound to me. It won’t accept another.”

  She put the pink wand in her pocket, and pulled out the first wand from the plastic grocery bag. It was different from the pink wand, longer and more sleek.

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  “Blue,” Michiko said, turning the object in her hand. “Fast and precise. That was Kaito’s dragon. He always said it would tear him apart if he couldn’t keep up.”

  Lachlan swallowed. He still looked pale, but there was a faint spark behind his eyes now, the beginning of a nervous excitement that Emily knew all too well.

  “I ran cross-country in high school,” he whispered, swallowing. “And I’ve never been good at standing still.”

  Michiko sighed, and reluctantly handed him the blue wand. “I’m not sure that’s good enough, but it’ll have to do. Here.”

  Lachlan stared at the wand for a moment, then closed his fingers around the base. The distant light around the blue dragon brightened.

  “Well,” he said, forcing a grin, “guess that’s a yes.”

  “We’ll see,” Michiko mumbled. She pulled out another wand. “Next is red. Power. Aggression. That was Keiko’s dragon. She was always pissed off.”

  “Give it here,” Michelle stated without hesitation, putting out her hand. Michiko placed the wand gently in her palm, and Michelle curled her fingers around it. A mile away, the bloody light around Red Dragon pulsed.

  “What?” Michelle said, glancing at Emily’s disbelieving look. “You don’t think I can get angry? Try growing up with four younger brothers.”

  Michiko ignored Michelle, and pulled out the next wand. “White,” Michiko said. “Endurance. Protection. Pain.” She paused. “Sora was always saying how much it hurt.”

  Ansel let out a slow breath. Then he straightened, tall shoulders squaring. He muttered something in German, and held out his hand. “I’ll take it. I don’t like being comfortable, anyway.”

  Michiko nodded, and handed him the wand. In the distance, the light around White Dragon flared, harsh and bright.

  That left one. Emily felt her stomach tighten again.

  Michiko weighed the wand in her hand. “Green Dragon. Shinji’s dragon. Not the fastest, or the strongest, or the quickest. But he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Just like you, I suppose.” Michiko pushed the wand into Emily’s hand. Far away, a verdant glow erupted around Green Dragon.

  Michiko bent and picked up Miss Yama, holding her tight against her chest. “Follow the pathway,” she said, nodding toward the walkway that led away from Pink Dragon. “It branches in the center. Take the elevator to the head. Then place your hand on the pilot hatch while holding your wand. The rest is up to the dragon.” She looked at each of them in turn. “And good luck.”