Joe met his mother’s eyes in the crowd and waved at her. ‘Save me some of your food?’ he mouthed.

She pulled a mock-stern face, and then nodded in reply.

‘Nobody will miss us, will they?’ Winter said.

‘Never, we’ll slip away like two cats,’ Joe said, smiling. ‘No one could possibly notice the island’s only shadow dragons flying overhead.’

‘They want a swim, and fresh fish. Don’t you, Fidell? Not this mashed-up picnic …’ Winter still wasn’t keen on crowds and had a habit of melting away from gatherings, just as she used to.

‘You need a swim, more like. I think you’re amphibious now,’ Joe teased, planning to come back afterwards and feast on his mother’s cooking.

‘Fidell’s rubbing off on me – though I can’t quite fly yet.’

‘I’ll race you to the western beach!’ Joe said, slipping one leg over Ren’s enormous shoulders. She unfurled her wings, making people back away, and moments later they were in the air, waving down and yelling their goodbyes.

As the city streets receded below them, Joe held tight to Ren’s neck and looked around for Winter. There they were! Fidell was catching up, his green wings flashing in the sunshine.

‘Come on, Ren! We can beat them,’ Joe laughed, feeling his heart speed up, as they headed out to the open sea – and freedom.

323

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dragons might only live in our imaginations, but you don’t have to look far in our miraculous natural world to find dazzling examples of power and transformation. From the dragonfly to pyrophytic plants, I have taken inspi­ration from real living things to make shadow dragons.

The tunnels also came from real-world examples, and the impact of a trip to Naples and a visit to Vesuvius are probably obvious here! There are many cities around the world that have underground tunnels or caves – from Edinburgh to Paris to Rome or Berlin – and they fascinate me. Having said that, I have stretched the limits of possibility in many many ways, so please do forgive and bear with me (and please don’t try to shelter in caves if you should ever face a tsunami – it’s only the very specific height and location of the tunnels in Arcosi that makes that even a fictional solution).

I’m not a scientist, but I’m lucky enough to be married to one, and I thank him most gratefully for all the help he gave 324me with research, not to mention everything else. Christoph, this one is for you (sorry there’s not more geology). Thanks to all my friends and family for your endless generous support.

Thank you to everyone at David Fickling Books, espe­cially Rosie for continuing to believe in me, and Bron, for allowing the dragons to fly far and wide.

Thank you to my agents Abi Sparrow and Phil Perry for their leap of faith.

Thanks again to Angelo Rinaldi for yet another stunning cover. And thank you Paul Duffield for more beautiful interior art. I am dazzled and inspired by the work of both of these talented artists.