get away with it?
It wasn’t her, though, whispered another part of his mind.
But she’s still one of them.
“You say you don’t know anything,” Winter said, settling his wings. “But you know the other NightWings. You can find out the truth and come back to tell us. Right?”
Ha. They’d probably tell an IceWing all their secrets long before they ever trust me, Moon thought. “Um,” she said. “Maybe?”
“I want to know everything about their powers,” he said. “Were they ever real? How do we know they’re gone? What else are they lying to us about?” He cleared his throat. If I’m scary enough, she’ll do what I want, his mind whispered . That’s what Mother would say. “I mean you. What else are you lying to us about?”
“Hey, igloo-face, that’s not cool,” Qibli barked.
“Yeah, Moon’s in our winglet,” Kinkajou said, bristling. “We’re supposed to support each other.”
“I’m with igloo-face,” Carnelian said. She stood up and stretched her massive wings, making Umber duck so he wouldn’t get whacked in the head. “If we’re supposed to get all snuggly with each other, there shouldn’t be any more secrets. Let’s make her tell us everything.” Her orange eyes glared at Moon, and an ominous image flashed through her head of Moon pinned under her talons.
“I wasn’t joking!” Tsunami yelled, swooping by outside. “We’re going hunting! Come on!”
Carnelian stalked to the ledge and leaped out. Umber glanced at the others — Poor Moon, he thought, but I want to know the truth, too — and then hurried after her.
Turtle shrugged. “Whatever you guys decide.” And a moment later he was gone as well, leaving Moon, Kinkajou, Qibli, and Winter facing off.
I’ll fight him if I have to, Qibli was thinking fiercely. He curls his claws like he relies on his front talons in fighting, so I’ll go for his shoulder first, slow him down without doing too much damage. Have to disable his snout to stop his frostbreath, too. Will Moon like it if I fight for her? Or is she the kind of dragon who would rather see me try a peaceful argument first? Kinkajou would like me either way. I like that about her. But I can’t even guess about Moon. Doesn’t seem like a fighter but she’s not scared in a normal way. Hope she stands up to him. She can’t let him get away with intimidating her like that.
On Moon’s other side: It is SO WEIRD that I can’t tell what he’s feeling by looking at his scales! Kinkajou thought, watching Winter. His shiny, shiny, gorgeous scales. Don’t get distracted! No being mean to my new best friend, no matter how dazzling you are!
Moon blinked at Kinkajou, her fear shrinking. New best friend? Did she mean that? Or was Kinkajou the kind of dragon who had a new best friend every two minutes?
Either way, for these two minutes, at least, she had backup, even if she hadn’t done anything to earn it.
She turned and met Winter’s eyes, which felt a little like staring into a glacier. “All right,” she said. “But please stop trying to scare me.” She hesitated, and then, riding one of Qibli’s sharp observations, she added, “You are not as terrifying as you think you are.”
He took a surprised step back, his mind whirling.
Nice, Kinkajou thought, grinning. Take that.
Knew she was cool, thought Qibli.
Stop liking her, Winter ordered himself with an internal growl. Remember what Father said: They’re all liars. Be strong, be vigilant, strike first. Trust nobody. Not even interesting NightWings with silver teardrop scales.
“Fine,” he said. “You find out the truth about NightWing powers …”
“And you stop threatening everybody,” Kinkajou said.
He paused, and then an unexpected expression creased his face. “Hey, I didn’t promise anything about everybody,” he said. “Just her. I have an IceWing warrior mystique to maintain, after all, come on.” He looked at Moon again, and then he turned and jumped out into the sky,
It wasn’t her, though, whispered another part of his mind.
But she’s still one of them.
“You say you don’t know anything,” Winter said, settling his wings. “But you know the other NightWings. You can find out the truth and come back to tell us. Right?”
Ha. They’d probably tell an IceWing all their secrets long before they ever trust me, Moon thought. “Um,” she said. “Maybe?”
“I want to know everything about their powers,” he said. “Were they ever real? How do we know they’re gone? What else are they lying to us about?” He cleared his throat. If I’m scary enough, she’ll do what I want, his mind whispered . That’s what Mother would say. “I mean you. What else are you lying to us about?”
“Hey, igloo-face, that’s not cool,” Qibli barked.
“Yeah, Moon’s in our winglet,” Kinkajou said, bristling. “We’re supposed to support each other.”
“I’m with igloo-face,” Carnelian said. She stood up and stretched her massive wings, making Umber duck so he wouldn’t get whacked in the head. “If we’re supposed to get all snuggly with each other, there shouldn’t be any more secrets. Let’s make her tell us everything.” Her orange eyes glared at Moon, and an ominous image flashed through her head of Moon pinned under her talons.
“I wasn’t joking!” Tsunami yelled, swooping by outside. “We’re going hunting! Come on!”
Carnelian stalked to the ledge and leaped out. Umber glanced at the others — Poor Moon, he thought, but I want to know the truth, too — and then hurried after her.
Turtle shrugged. “Whatever you guys decide.” And a moment later he was gone as well, leaving Moon, Kinkajou, Qibli, and Winter facing off.
I’ll fight him if I have to, Qibli was thinking fiercely. He curls his claws like he relies on his front talons in fighting, so I’ll go for his shoulder first, slow him down without doing too much damage. Have to disable his snout to stop his frostbreath, too. Will Moon like it if I fight for her? Or is she the kind of dragon who would rather see me try a peaceful argument first? Kinkajou would like me either way. I like that about her. But I can’t even guess about Moon. Doesn’t seem like a fighter but she’s not scared in a normal way. Hope she stands up to him. She can’t let him get away with intimidating her like that.
On Moon’s other side: It is SO WEIRD that I can’t tell what he’s feeling by looking at his scales! Kinkajou thought, watching Winter. His shiny, shiny, gorgeous scales. Don’t get distracted! No being mean to my new best friend, no matter how dazzling you are!
Moon blinked at Kinkajou, her fear shrinking. New best friend? Did she mean that? Or was Kinkajou the kind of dragon who had a new best friend every two minutes?
Either way, for these two minutes, at least, she had backup, even if she hadn’t done anything to earn it.
She turned and met Winter’s eyes, which felt a little like staring into a glacier. “All right,” she said. “But please stop trying to scare me.” She hesitated, and then, riding one of Qibli’s sharp observations, she added, “You are not as terrifying as you think you are.”
He took a surprised step back, his mind whirling.
Nice, Kinkajou thought, grinning. Take that.
Knew she was cool, thought Qibli.
Stop liking her, Winter ordered himself with an internal growl. Remember what Father said: They’re all liars. Be strong, be vigilant, strike first. Trust nobody. Not even interesting NightWings with silver teardrop scales.
“Fine,” he said. “You find out the truth about NightWing powers …”
“And you stop threatening everybody,” Kinkajou said.
He paused, and then an unexpected expression creased his face. “Hey, I didn’t promise anything about everybody,” he said. “Just her. I have an IceWing warrior mystique to maintain, after all, come on.” He looked at Moon again, and then he turned and jumped out into the sky,
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