all right?” a familiar voice asked.
“Bonnie?” Billy tried to turn his head to see behind him, but with his body dangling in the air, the effort was hopeless.
“Stop wiggling! You’ll make me drop you!”
“Drop me?” Suddenly the realization of where he was flooded Billy’s senses. He looked down and saw nothing but the top of the cloud bank that had rolled in that morning. “Bonnie!” he screamed. “What’s going on?” He gasped for breath and thrashed his arms and legs in useless attempts to steady his mind and body.
“Be still! I can’t hold you if you do that. You’re too heavy.”
Billy felt her arms grasp him even more tightly, and their strength settled him down, but only a little bit. He couldn’t calm his voice. “B—Bonnie, what’s going on?”
Before Bonnie could answer, Billy felt the ground press the soles of his feet, and Bonnie’s arms loosened around his chest. He spun his head, looking below from side to side. “I’m on the ground, but the clouds are still below us!”
“We’re on Mount Hardin. The peak is sticking up through the clouds.”
Billy turned to see Bonnie sitting on a large boulder. She held a palm on her chest and took several slow, deep breaths before smiling and letting out a quiet laugh. “You’re pretty heavy, you know that?”
Billy stepped toward her but then halted. “How did you . . . What did you . . .” Finally he raised his hands to the sides of his head. “What’s going on here?”
Bonnie stared intently at Billy, and for a moment she sat still and silent. Then, as if growing out of nothingness, two enormous wings spread out behind her. Decorated with a light brown hue that resembled rustic gold, the wings flapped slowly, waving toward Billy in friendship. Each wing was at least as large as the girl herself, rippled with sinews throughout, with a mainstay extending from her back all the way to the farthest tip.
Now that Billy and Bonnie were above the low clouds, sunlight filtered through the higher cirrus and shone through the thin membranes of Bonnie’s wings, making them brighten into a honey-glazed shimmer. With her blonde-streaked hair flowing in the breeze and her flawless innocence shining through, Bonnie’s appearance was like that of a seated angel, her winged silhouette the striking portrait of Michael himself. She was stunningly beautiful.
A thousand thoughts scrambled Billy’s wits. What was this creature before him? Just yesterday he had learned that he, himself, was somehow of dragon blood. That realization had come riding on the winds of an overheard conversation. It was scary, but it didn’t seem real. This time, however, he rode the winds himself with only the arms of a dragon princess saving him from Dr. Whittier’s fury. The revelation literally jarred his bones, pumped through his heart, and made his hair stand on end. He could only stare in bewildered silence.
Bonnie rose to her feet and her wings folded behind her, making her appear normal once again. She walked closer to Billy and stood in front of him, face-to-face. Since she was only about an inch shorter, she was able to rise up on her toes and look straight into his eyes. With her hands folded behind her back, her face flushed with sincere gratitude, she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered.
Billy shook his head, waking himself from his trance, and he put his fingers tenderly on his anointed cheek. “Uh, you’re welcome. But I didn’t save your life. I just kept Dr. Whittier from snooping in your backpack.”
Bonnie nodded her head in a fast rhythm and let out a short laugh that carried a hint of embarrassment. “And now you know what I was hiding. But I was in such a hurry I didn’t have time to pick it up. I had to fly to the roof before Olga came around the corner.” Her wings flapped briefly again, this time coming around her and within inches of Billy’s ears.
Billy had to smile. “Your wings are
“Bonnie?” Billy tried to turn his head to see behind him, but with his body dangling in the air, the effort was hopeless.
“Stop wiggling! You’ll make me drop you!”
“Drop me?” Suddenly the realization of where he was flooded Billy’s senses. He looked down and saw nothing but the top of the cloud bank that had rolled in that morning. “Bonnie!” he screamed. “What’s going on?” He gasped for breath and thrashed his arms and legs in useless attempts to steady his mind and body.
“Be still! I can’t hold you if you do that. You’re too heavy.”
Billy felt her arms grasp him even more tightly, and their strength settled him down, but only a little bit. He couldn’t calm his voice. “B—Bonnie, what’s going on?”
Before Bonnie could answer, Billy felt the ground press the soles of his feet, and Bonnie’s arms loosened around his chest. He spun his head, looking below from side to side. “I’m on the ground, but the clouds are still below us!”
“We’re on Mount Hardin. The peak is sticking up through the clouds.”
Billy turned to see Bonnie sitting on a large boulder. She held a palm on her chest and took several slow, deep breaths before smiling and letting out a quiet laugh. “You’re pretty heavy, you know that?”
Billy stepped toward her but then halted. “How did you . . . What did you . . .” Finally he raised his hands to the sides of his head. “What’s going on here?”
Bonnie stared intently at Billy, and for a moment she sat still and silent. Then, as if growing out of nothingness, two enormous wings spread out behind her. Decorated with a light brown hue that resembled rustic gold, the wings flapped slowly, waving toward Billy in friendship. Each wing was at least as large as the girl herself, rippled with sinews throughout, with a mainstay extending from her back all the way to the farthest tip.
Now that Billy and Bonnie were above the low clouds, sunlight filtered through the higher cirrus and shone through the thin membranes of Bonnie’s wings, making them brighten into a honey-glazed shimmer. With her blonde-streaked hair flowing in the breeze and her flawless innocence shining through, Bonnie’s appearance was like that of a seated angel, her winged silhouette the striking portrait of Michael himself. She was stunningly beautiful.
A thousand thoughts scrambled Billy’s wits. What was this creature before him? Just yesterday he had learned that he, himself, was somehow of dragon blood. That realization had come riding on the winds of an overheard conversation. It was scary, but it didn’t seem real. This time, however, he rode the winds himself with only the arms of a dragon princess saving him from Dr. Whittier’s fury. The revelation literally jarred his bones, pumped through his heart, and made his hair stand on end. He could only stare in bewildered silence.
Bonnie rose to her feet and her wings folded behind her, making her appear normal once again. She walked closer to Billy and stood in front of him, face-to-face. Since she was only about an inch shorter, she was able to rise up on her toes and look straight into his eyes. With her hands folded behind her back, her face flushed with sincere gratitude, she kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for saving my life,” she whispered.
Billy shook his head, waking himself from his trance, and he put his fingers tenderly on his anointed cheek. “Uh, you’re welcome. But I didn’t save your life. I just kept Dr. Whittier from snooping in your backpack.”
Bonnie nodded her head in a fast rhythm and let out a short laugh that carried a hint of embarrassment. “And now you know what I was hiding. But I was in such a hurry I didn’t have time to pick it up. I had to fly to the roof before Olga came around the corner.” Her wings flapped briefly again, this time coming around her and within inches of Billy’s ears.
Billy had to smile. “Your wings are
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