Dragon Fire

The Unwanteds Quests

Dragon Fire

Lisa McMann

New York Times Bestelling Series

To the dreamers and the creative ones (that’s you): Dare to do your thing.

Abandoned

When Dev awoke to a loud slam in the castle turret, the Revinir was standing over him, her dragon tail snaking out through the open set of doors. Her eyes flashed in anger. Smoke drifted from her nostrils and traveled out the window’s iron bars, and flames curled around her teeth and licked her lips. Her scales shone iridescent in the moonlight, and her long, curved dragon claws gripped tiny vials of broth.

Dev gasped and scrambled to his feet. He pressed his back against the wall, and a sickly wave washed through him. There was nowhere for him to go. Through the barred window he could see a great number of dragons in flight, circling a little too close for comfort. Some looked in at him with dull eyes—they were under the Revinir’s mind control and would attack him at her command.

“Where are they?” the Revinir demanded in a horrible voice. She leaned closer. “Where?” Her wretched, fiery breath caused Dev to squint and turn his head to one side to protect his eyes.

His whole body began trembling uncontrollably, and he squirmed against the wall, trying to put a little more space between him and the Revinir. He knew she was asking about Thisbe and Rohan and the other black-eyed slaves who’d managed to escape the catacombs. And he knew they’d fled Grimere on the backs of two ghost dragons. Leaving him behind. He didn’t reply.

“Tell me where Thisbe and Rohan went!” The Revinir loomed closer. “Answer me! Did they go to the forest to find the twin? Is Fifer there?” She grabbed Dev’s shoulders and shook him. The points of her claws broke his skin.

Dev winced. He was almost as furious at Thisbe for leaving him behind as the Revinir was for tricking her and escaping. But Dev wasn’t about to give Thisbe up, even after what she’d done. That was out of the question. He yelped as the Revinir dug her claws deeper into his shoulder, then yanked himself out of the dragon-woman’s grasp. He dropped to the floor and started crawling in a wild attempt to slip past her to the doors. But she slammed her foot down on his back, flattening him and pressing so hard that he was having trouble breathing. He could feel his heartbeat reverberate in his empty stomach as his spine sagged under the weight.

Dev struggled to free his arms, then covered the back of his head to protect it. His nose pressed uncomfortably against the sooty, uneven line of mortar between the stones, which scraped his tender skin. He gasped and coughed, trying to get enough air and sucking in some ash particles left over from the recent fire. He couldn’t answer the Revinir now even if he wanted to. Gray spots formed and floated in his line of sight, and his body began to buck and twist on its own, trying to survive.