The Dragonet Prophecy: Chapters 14–20

His prison cell was at the top of a towering spire of rock.

He guessed she was only a year or two older than him; her horns were full size, but her teeth were still sharp and white, not yet blunted or stained.

"Oh, gross," she said. "Too bad the barracks aren't down there. The guards seriously deserve that."

"Because I don't want you to die before I kill you," she said, her tone so matter-of-fact that it took Clay a few moments to register what she'd said.

"I've never fought a MudWing," she said, deftly avoiding the wires as she looped around him again.

It looked like a tree with no leaves, a sinuous curving shape with four branches, carved from a single spear of pale gray marble.

But as the sunlight hit her, new colors exploded through her scales—constellations of gold sparks, galaxies of swirling violet, shifting pale blue nebulas.

Art! Clay thought furiously. As if Glory's nothing more than a tapestry to hang on the wall, not a dragon with feelings and ideas and a destiny and friends who care about her.

But he knew that if he might have to fight Peril one day, he should study her technique. He glanced up at the distant figures of Tsunami and Starflight. It looked like they were watching intently, too, along with most of the prisoners above the arena.

He threw his wings around her and buried his face in her shoulder with a high-pitched keening sound.

Smoke billowed off the two dragons and black marks crawled along Horizon's wings until they started disintegrating into ash.

Disfiguring burns had melted his facial features, and his wings were charred into black strands between large holes.

Even so, there was only about the length of a dragon tail between them, and Clay could clearly feel the burning heat coming off her scales. It wasn't a warm, basking heat like Sunny and Dune had. It felt like standing too close to an erupting volcano.

She seemed much more subdued than she had been when they first met.

"They're a little unpredictable," he hazarded. "He's not full grown, you know. He's still learning how to use them. Although, of course, they're very scary when they work."

A moment later, there was a clang and then a furious roar briefly silenced the hubbub.

Starflight was kneeling before the queen in a submissive bow.

"Personally, I think the war is quite entertaining," the queen went on. "I pick up lots of contenders for the arena from the battlefield. And it's a terrific distraction for those dragons who might otherwise have challenged me for the throne. No one's even tried in about eight or nine years. Saves me a lot of trouble."

Starflight trod on his foot, trying to shut him up, but Clay jostled him away.

"Oh, the funny-looking SandWing," Queen Scarlet said. "I think Burn will like her very much. She collects curiosities. You should see her palace. It's quite horrifying—full of two-headed lizards and seven-toed dragon talons and stuffed scavengers with the palest skin you ever saw."

“That misshapen dragonet will be the perfect present for her."

"You're delusional," Tsunami snapped at him. "I beat you all the time. I'm the strongest of all of us."

He'd never been called "of the MudWings" before. It might have been a warmer feeling if he hadn't been surrounded by more than two hundred dragons, including MudWings, ready to applaud his imminent death.

His eyes were slightly darker blue and full of malice.

Fire? Clay looked at Fjord dubiously. He didn't think IceWings could breathe fire.

Fjord's talons locked around Clay's chest, and they grappled across the sand.

Clay's wings were pummeled by Fjord's, which were silvery and strangely tough.

After Fjord finally died, to the sounds of uproarious cheering, Clay was flown back to his tower and locked down again.

"I think it was Queen Scarlet. She wanted me to win. She must have done something while everyone else was distracted."
Peril looked skeptical. "I've never seen her do anything like that before," she said.

"Let me see," she said, pointing to his back imperiously.

Peril gave an outraged squawk and nearly hit him with her tail. "I don't want to be queen! What an awful thought! Stop saying treasonous things and turn around."

The SkyWing who did all the arena introductions climbed onto one of the two boulders and spread his blood-red wings.
"That's Vermilion," Peril whispered.

"Tough bargain," Clay said. He felt a wave of heat as Peril rustled indignantly.

"The facts are clear. You gave an order. Kestrel disobeyed you and fled the kingdom. She has been living under your mountains for the last seven years, aiding and abetting the Talons of Peace, who also refuse to follow Your Majesty's orders. She deserves a long, painful execution. There is no need to drag this trial out."

Kestrel roared unintelligibly through the chains.