Perhaps I’ll just rescue myself, then. That’ll show them. And then I’ll fulfill the prophecy all by myself, too, and then they’ll see that it was real all along.
She knew that was exactly the kind of thing her friends would roll their eyes at her for saying. But if no one else cared about their destiny anymore … if she was the only dragonet who still believed in it … what was she supposed to do?
The NightWing holding the mirror tilted the glass so the smoke tendrils swirled together, and then he shot a small burst of fire across the surface. The smoke vanished, and the black glass went still.
“There’s another option,” Preyhunter said, regarding the others with a sly expression. “Someone else who definitely does want this stunted SandWing — pretty badly, I’d guess.”
Fierceteeth inhaled sharply. “You’re right. Three someones. We could sell her to the highest bidder — whoever’s willing to raise an army and take back the rainforest for us.”
Uh-oh. Sunny was not about to be handed over to one of the SandWing queens. She’d spent enough time in cages and prisons already, thanks very much. She snuck a look at the leaning trees and tangled vines around them, searching for the closest gaps in the foliage.
“Start with Blister,” Strongwings said, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight. “She always pays her informants well, and she needs us the most.”
What does she pay them with? Sunny wondered. All the SandWing royal treasure was stolen by the scavenger who killed Queen Oasis, wasn’t it? And if there’s any left, it would be in the SandWing stronghold, which Burn controls.
“But Burn would love to have this weirdling in her collection,” argued Preyhunter. “From what I hear, a deformed dragonet would fit right in with the two-headed creatures and stuffed scavengers.”
“I am not deformed,” Sunny said hotly, but none of them paid any attention to her.
Queen Scarlet had been planning to hand Sunny over to Burn for this ominous “collection” as well. Sunny was quite sure she never wanted to see what else Burn had collected.
“Who has the strongest army?” Fierceteeth asked. “Burn, right? And it would only take us a few days to get to her, if we fly straight over the mountains and don’t stop.” She flicked Strongwings in the snout as he opened it to speak. “Don’t ask stupid questions. We can’t use the tunnel to the Kingdom of Sand. They’ll be guarding — YEEEEOOOOW!”
Fierceteeth’s howl of pain sent raindrops flying off the leaves around them as Sunny sank her teeth into the vulnerable spot on her tail. Strongwings lunged to grab Sunny, pried her jaws loose, and threw her aside.
“Fierceteeth!” he cried, bending over the NightWing dragonet. “Are you all right?”
Behind him, Sunny hit the ground rolling, sprang up with her wings spread, and shot into the trees.
“Don’t let her get away!” Fierceteeth shrieked. “Strongwings! Catch her! Kill her if you have to!”
Dangling wet vines smacked against Sunny’s snout as she flew up into the treetops. She remembered what she’d learned from the RainWings about rainforest flying and kept her wings tucked close. She couldn’t use her tail to swing from the trees like they did, but she was small enough to maneuver through narrow gaps and swerve quickly.
But the three NightWings were right behind her, roaring angrily.
I should lead them back to the tunnels and the others. Glory needs to know that they’re not loyal — she needs to lock them up and keep an eye on them.
For how long? Sunny wondered. Forever? They’ll never be trustworthy; they’ll always be plotting to overthrow her. What do you do with dragons like that?
One of her wings hit a branch as she flew past and a family of monkeys went leaping off into the trees, howling and chattering with alarm. She twisted to glance back and saw a bolt of fire engulf one of the monkeys as the NightWings attacked them, thinking it was her.
They won’t be foolish enough to follow me all the way back, Sunny realized, even if I can keep ahead of them for that long. They won’t let themselves be caught.
What will they do instead?
She narrowly missed knocking herself out with a giant tree branch, ducking to avoid it at the last second.
The same plan, just without me. They’ll go to Burn and tell her we’re here in the rainforest — where her army can find us easily.
I need to hide. I need to think.
She curled into a ball and threw herself into one of the dragonfruit trees, where the leaves were huge and overlapped one another like scales. Her momentum nearly carried her out the other side, but she was able to fling her talons out and hook onto the trunk, slamming her body into it. She froze in place, clinging to the rough bark, hoping the NightWings had lost sight of her in the dark.
“By all the moons, Strongwings!” Fierceteeth swore from somewhere to Sunny’s left. “How could you let her escape?”
“Sorry,” his voice mumbled.