“Because a whole tribe already lives there.” Glory’s scales were flashing to red and orange in places — hints of her anger showing through, although she quelled them quickly. “And if you try to hurt my RainWings, I will make you regret it.”
“Wait,” Starflight said. His brain was suddenly spinning forward — a new idea unfolding across his mind like a scroll rolling open. “Wait — maybe — maybe there’s a way to compromise. Glory, stop and think. There’s lots of space in the rainforest; the RainWings say so all the time. What if we let the NightWings move in and build their own village somewhere in the rainforest — but only if they all swear to accept you as their new queen.”
There was a shocked pause.
“WHAT?” Battlewinner roared.
Glory tilted her head at Starflight, looking skeptical but intrigued.
“Think about it,” Starflight said. “A new home for the NightWings, safe and peaceful, and all they have to do is give up their cruelty and violence and obey you. You know you’d be as great at being NightWing queen as you are at ruling the RainWings.”
“Hmm,” Glory said. “There would be something poetic about being the boss of a tribe that’s always called me lazy and useless.”
“NEVER!” Battlewinner shouted, then had to stop and double over coughing for a long minute.
Uneasily, Starflight felt the ground shake again, much stronger this time.
“We’ll never bow to RainWings,” Battlewinner snarled finally.
“Actually, Mother,” Greatness said nervously, “it sounds like a decent plan to me.”
Battlewinner spat out a shard of ice that sizzled into steam when it hit the lava. “You never wanted to be queen,” she rasped. “You’re a pathetic heir.”
“I know I am,” Greatness said. “Being queen is awful.”
Battlewinner hissed again, loud and long. Starflight realized that he was also hearing something else — a faraway rumbling that seemed to be getting louder and closer.
“What about our real queen?” Mastermind asked.
Starflight stared straight into the icy blue depths of Battlewinner’s eyes. “I think she knows she’s not making it to the rainforest. There’s nothing you can build that will work to keep her alive there. She’s going to die here, crushed by the volcano along with the NightWing home, and if she wants her tribe to survive, she needs to hand them over to Queen Glory.”
Battlewinner’s tail was thrashing hard enough to spill lava over the edges of the cauldron, splattering dangerously close to their talons. “I am their queen. I am,” she spat.
“Wait, Starflight,” Glory said. “I haven’t agreed to this. How could we ever trust the NightWings in our rainforest? These are the same dragons who’ve been abducting and torturing my tribe. How can we just forgive them? I don’t want them anywhere near us.” She shook her head. “I don’t think it’ll work.”
Mastermind looked sick at the words “abducting and torturing.” He turned away from Starflight, staring down at the armor in his claws.
“It might work,” Greatness said desperately. “Give us a chance, please! I promise we can be better.”
“Shameful,” Battlewinner snarled.
“It’s not up to you,” Starflight said to the NightWing queen, and realized his voice wasn’t even shaking. He was right, he could feel it, and that helped him get past his fear. “You’re stuck here. We’re negotiating with Greatness now.” He turned to the NightWing princess. “Come on, let’s talk about this somewhere else.”
“No!” roared Battlewinner. “You can’t do this. I won’t let you.” She gripped the sides of the cauldron with glistening claws, and then, to Starflight’s horror, she heaved herself up and out of the lava. Her back talons crunched down on the edge of the cauldron. Her wings flared open, scattering molten orange droplets across the room. Her thick head swung back and forth, glaring at all of them. She was massive, as big as Morrowseer, and glowing horribly as lava dripped between her scales and claws and slithered off her tail.
“Mother, stop,” Greatness cried.
“Your Majesty!” Mastermind shouted. “You can’t come out! Wait — my experiment —” He scrabbled frantically at the armor around him.
“I will lead my tribe to safety,” the queen hissed. She landed on the rocky ground with a thud, but the aftershocks went on too long to be caused by her. It was an earthquake, a serious one, Starflight realized as bits of the walls began to crumble.
“We have to get out of here,” he said to Glory.
Queen Battlewinner took a step toward Glory and Starflight, then stopped, clutching her neck again. She hissed in a frightening, hoarse way and took another step. Her tongue flicked out and in and she started to shake. When she stared around at all of them, Starflight could see the icy blue spreading rapidly over her eyeballs.