His uncle flew there upon a massive roc larger than any dragon. The chieftain wore a cloak of buffalo hide and bore a long, scrimshawed bow. Yet he no longer looked like Jeid, his twin. Years in the wilderness had weathered the chieftain, turning him into a lanky strip of a man. Half his head looked like melted wax, hairless and grooved and sagging. His left ear was gone and his eye drooped, peering out of the scars, blazing with hatred.

Dragonfire did that, Tanin thought, and hope sprang through his fear. There are other dragons.

"You die now, traitor!" Maev shouted. She blasted fire and soared, knocking past two rocs. She seemed to barely feel their talons, even as those talons tore into her legs. "You betrayed your own family. Now I will burn the rest of you."

She blasted out a jet of flame.

Zerra kneed his roc and the bird banked, dodging the inferno. He soared and aimed his bow. His arrow flew, capped with metal, and sank into Maev's back.

She cried out.

Suddenly she sounded very young—no longer the gruff warrior but the frightened girl fleeing her town.

"Maev!" Tanin cried out.

He flew toward her through a rain of arrows. He howled as one scraped along his head. He blasted fire, aiming at Zerra, but his uncle banked again. Tanin swung his tail, driving its spikes into Zerra's roc. The oily bird screeched, its stench overwhelming, and fell back.

Tanin grabbed his sister. "Fly, damn you! Show me your speed."

She panted and growled. "I will kill him."

"Not tonight! Not like this. Tonight we flee." More rocs flew toward them, and more arrows whistled. "I have a plan. A plan to trap him. See if you can fly faster!"

He turned and darted forward, motioning her to follow. She blasted flame, scattering rocs, and dashed after him.

A dozen of the rank birds flew toward them, eyes blazing and talons gleaming. Twin blasts of flame sent them scattering. Tanin and Maev shot forward, claws lashing, teeth biting, tails clubbing the vultures aside. Talons drove into Tanin's flank, and he howled as his scales cracked. He torched a roc, cursed as an arrow hit his left horn, and kept flying.

They broke past the last defenders and entered open sky. They beat their wings madly, flying faster than ever. Tanin's wounds ached and sticky, black roc blood still filled his mouth. When he looked over his shoulders, he saw the horde following. Zerra led them, sneering as he drew another arrow. Tanin ducked and the projectile whistled over his head. He answered with a blaze of fire, turned back forward, and kept fleeing.

"What is your damn plan?" Maev shouted at his side. Her fangs were bared, her eyes narrowed. Blood seeped from the wound on her back; the arrow still thrust out of her flesh.

"Save your breath and keep flying!" he shouted.