Ren flicked her purple tail, blocking his way.

‘Argh!’ he cried in frustration. ‘You may be right.’ He bent down and rolled Noah over. ‘But if we die saving him, it’s not my fault!’ Then he grasped one foot in each hand and leaned back with all his weight, managing to heave Noah’s body along the ground, his head bouncing alarmingly.

They reached the stable building, and he kicked open the metal door to the tunnels.

‘In!’ he ordered the dragons.

Then he crawled in backwards and dragged Noah after him. Jumping down into the passageway, Joe posi­tioned himself below the unconscious body of Noah and pulled him down over one shoulder, while Ren went ahead and Della crawled behind, making distressed sounds. 298

Grunting with effort, Joe just managed to shut the gate behind them. Taking deep breaths, he staggered down the tunnel in darkness into the heart of the island.

After twenty paces, Joe fell on his knees, ready to collapse. He rolled Noah off, as gently as he could manage, and rested there, gasping. ‘That’s it, Ren. I can’t carry him another step.’ It would have to do.

She seemed satisfied enough, and they left Della guarding Noah, while Joe stumbled on, dripping with sweat, legs shaking with exhaustion, ready to drop. Ren guided him all the way.

Every time he paused, uncertain of the way, Ren chittered in the dark: aark for the right way, an alarmed mraa if he tried to take a wrong turn.

After stumbling many times, Joe finally heard the distant buzz of voices and the perfect darkness was pierced by light. He’d made it. He reached the bottom stone step, and stood there, trembling, looking down on the crowd in the cave he always thought of as the dragonhall underground.

Where was his mother? There she was! Tarya and Vigo! They were alive, their heads bent low over the baby in Tarya’s arms. Isak was with them. And Matteo, sitting with Amina and Conor. Winter was there, helping Milla and Thom. All the dragons were there, from Ando and Ruby, Iggie, Petra and Heral to the smaller Ariel and Maric. Tiago and Flavia, with Lina and Elias. Simeon and all the fisherfolk. Rosa and the duke’s army. He saw his friends from school, all the market traders. There was a group of black-clad Brotherhood soldiers, with their hands tied, who must’ve surrendered when they heard the news. 299

Somehow, they’d done it. They were safe.

He swayed where he stood, overwhelmed with relief. His legs finally gave way and he sank down onto the lowest step and put his head in his hands.

He checked again. Yannic wasn’t there.

‘It’s Joe and Ren!’ Isak’s voice pierced the hubbub. ‘They made it!’

There was a loud rush of applause and cheering.

He looked up, hardly able to believe his ears. Were they laughing at him? What had he done now?

But no, they were smiling, waving, beckoning him down.

He was too stunned to move. His cheeks were burning and his eyes prickled, then a slow grin spread across his face.