“What a nightmare,” Grandeur’s voice whispered behind him.
“It’s worse than I expected,” said Jambu. “How can anyone live here?”
“You carry this,” Glory said, handing Starflight one of the guard’s spears. “We might need it, and it’ll look less weird in your claws — if I hold it, it’ll look like it’s just flying around through the air by itself.”
Starflight nodded, although the weight of the spear felt extremely strange in his talons. It was more likely that he’d accidentally poke his own eye out than that he’d be able to use this to fight. He tried to hold it as far away from himself as possible as he lifted up into the sky.
“Take us to the prison caves first,” Glory’s voice said from the air beside him. “Once Mangrove and the others are set up to free the prisoners, you and I can head for the fortress.”
“You?” Starflight said. It was really odd not being able to see her; he felt as if he were arguing with the air. “That’s the most dangerous part. As the queen, shouldn’t you keep yourself safe? You can send someone else for Splendor.” He tilted his wings to soar toward the prison caves and the lava river.
He could feel air currents shifting around him as several invisible dragons flew alongside. He wasn’t sure how many RainWings were following him, but he hoped none of the NightWings would hear the wingbeats and get suspicious. There were very few NightWings in sight — one or two on the balconies of the fortress plus the guards in the cave entrances below. Starflight guessed that the rest were assembling in preparation for their planned attack tonight.
“I’m not going to be the kind of queen who sends other dragons into danger that I’m not willing to face myself,” Glory said. “And even if I could send someone for Splendor, I can’t send anyone else to face Battlewinner.”
Starflight sucked in a surprised breath. “Battlewinner?” he said. “Is that a good idea?”
“Weren’t you the one who suggested diplomacy?” Glory said, and he could hear amusement in her voice.
Yes, but that was before I knew anything about the NightWings.
“Rescuing the prisoners is the top priority,” she went on, “but if I can threaten her somehow — maybe if I tell her I’ll expose her secret — perhaps I can get her to leave us and the rainforest alone from now on.”
“I doubt it,” Fatespeaker said. “The NightWings really want your rainforest.”
“Well, too bad,” Glory snapped.
“Shh,” Starflight said. They were approaching the first prison cave. He dipped his head toward it and felt a whoosh of wind as one of the RainWings dove past him. A moment later, the two guards in the cave entrance both reached for their necks, looking confused, and then, in slow motion, they crumpled into slumbering heaps.
“We’re lucky the caves line the river,” Starflight said, circling around in the sky. “The guards at each entrance can’t see any of the others get knocked out.”
He saw the guards in the next cave collapse to the ground, and then the next, and the next. The RainWings were fanning out, following instructions Glory had given them before leaving the rainforest. He saw the shimmer of scales and teeth here and there as the RainWings landed in pairs, shifted color, and darted into the prison caves.
“You said you saw Orchid in one of these caves,” Glory said to Fatespeaker. “Do you remember which one?”
Fatespeaker nodded and twisted into a dive, aiming for one of the caves closest to the fortress. As they approached, its two guards looked up. Although all they could see were two NightWing dragonets, one of them frowned a little as if he sensed something was amiss. Starflight’s stomach lurched as the guard reached for the gong that would summon the rest of the tribe.
Then the air beside Starflight’s ear went zzt zzt, and the two guards wobbled and went down.
“That was close,” Starflight said, but after a moment he realized he really was talking to empty air. Below him, the two guards were dragged aside, and as he landed he heard the thump of talons hurrying to the back of the cave.
“I want to see this,” Fatespeaker whispered, darting inside. Starflight followed just in time to see Mangrove appear in front of Orchid, his gray and black scales shifting all at once to a joyful pink shot through with worried green.
Orchid let out a cry of joy that was muffled by the iron muzzle around her jaws. She reached toward Mangrove and he leaped for her, wrapping his wings all the way around her and twining his tail with hers.
“I’m here,” he said. “I wouldn’t give up; I’d never give up on you.”
She couldn’t speak, but the rose colors of Orchid’s scales said everything.