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Contents ( 50)
  1. CONTENTS
  2. PROLOGUE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  32. CHAPTER THIRTY
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  42. CHAPTER FORTY
  43. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  47. EPILOGUE
  48. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  49. Also by Liz Flanagan:
  50. COPYRIGHT

He stayed still. He stayed silent. It was better that Amina 109and Conor should remember him well, than live with him and come to fear him.

‘Joe’s our best friend,’ Conor cried then. ‘He wouldn’t—’

‘Was,’ Noah interrupted. ‘Was your best friend.’

Joe bit his lip to stop from crying out.

‘It’s all right, Della,’ Noah crooned to his dragon. ‘Joe’s gone, and he won’t be able to hurt anyone any more.’

The words landed like blows. Joe staggered backwards across the grass, towards the palace stables, not caring who saw him now. With tear-blurred vision, somehow he found the small iron gate, yanked it open and threw himself into the tunnels. They’d left a couple of makeshift lamps to use on the return journey: Winter’s was gone already.

He stumbled through the tunnels, his thoughts spinning faster and faster, like a whirlpool.

Because of what he’d done, Joe was dead to everyone who’d loved him. He’d caused them terrible pain. He’d hurt them, shamed them, risked their dragons’ lives on Hatching Day. Noah was right; that was why it hurt so much. To pro­tect them, he had to stay away from his friends and their dragons.

Even the thought of his egg didn’t soothe him now. Of course he was drawn to some weird egg that no one had ever heard of, a strange egg that belonged underground in the shadows, just like him. Maybe the creature that hatched would be angry and dangerous, just like him, while his friends lived in the light with the proper dragons.

He felt hot and breathless, desperate for air. He lurched forwards, one hand holding the lantern, the other patting 110along the rough tunnel walls, until finally he found himself in the huge cave with the underground pool. Stopping to catch his breath, he dipped his free hand in to take a drink.

He spat it out immediately.

The water tasted strange – acrid and sour.

But there was another difference, which changed every­thing: today the water was warm.

111

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Joe slept in the large cavern. He woke when the shaft of sunlight from above reached his face. He heard footsteps and realised he wasn’t alone.

‘Morning,’ Winter mumbled.

‘Morning.’ Today, Joe felt like a snail without its shell, raw and exposed. He hid his face under one arm and wished he could just disappear. He took a deep breath, as if he could breathe in strength along with the muggy air. He had to start doing better. He had to start now. He dragged himself into a sitting position and blurted: ‘I’m sorry about last night.’

At exactly the same moment, Winter said, ‘Sorry I ran off.’

They exchanged small, hopeful, slightly shaky smiles.

‘Joe?’ Winter said.

‘Yes?’

‘Food.’ 112

‘Thanks.’ He reached over and took the lump of bread Winter was offering. He nibbled it, trying not to think how much he missed his mother’s cooking, or Matteo’s fresh cinnamon rolls. He was too thirsty to swallow the dry crumbs, and suddenly he remembered why.