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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

‘Why?’ Joe was bewildered. ‘It was my fault, no one else’s.’

‘And that Noah!’ Milla swore. ‘Amina told me, after­wards, how he teased you.’ She shook her head, so her black curls escaped their blue band.

‘Milla, please – did you hear what I said about these eggs? It’s urgent.’ Everything else faded in comparison with them, burning brightly in his mind.

‘But Joe, your parents! You’ve can’t just walk in and expect us to f—’

‘I know! I don’t expect anything. But please, please will you help us find some silverblue?’

Thom had been listening, hanging back to give them space. Now he came up and greeted Joe with a hearty slap on the back. ‘Hey, Joe. Good to see you’re still with us,’ he said. ‘I know silverblue. What do you need?’

Milla finally released Joe’s other hand, accepting that her cousin wasn’t about to disappear along with the morning mist. ‘Go on, then. Tell us everything.’

So Joe and Winter joined Milla and Thom on their bench, 124and he began the story again, more slowly. He told them all about the new eggs, with Winter chipping in to add clarity.

Thom said afterwards, ‘The water, the sudden heat – it all matches what I’ve seen, flying east these past months. There is a volcano, Mount Bara, out at sea, several hours from here. There’s smoke and steam, underwater jets bubbling up in the ocean.’

‘Isn’t it dangerous?’ Winter asked.

‘Maybe. I don’t know,’ Thom said. ‘I didn’t think so – it hasn’t erupted for a very long time – but I’ve been meaning to go back, to speak to the people living near there. Just to make sure.’

‘Joe, we’ve got so much to talk about, I don’t even know where to start.’ Milla sighed, shaking her head. ‘Are you sure this can’t wait?’

‘I’m sure! We found the eggs. We did the research. We need to act now.’ How could he convince her? ‘It’s import­ant. As important as Iggie’s egg was to you.’

‘But everyone thinks you’re dead. We had a ceremony and everything.’

Joe felt sick. He pictured his parents at his graveside. ‘What will happen, if I come back?’ he made himself ask. ‘Will they punish me?’

‘I think you’ve been punished enough, don’t you? And Lanys has answered for Ravenna’s lack of control. But we need to see these eggs – will they need a Hatching Day soon?’

Joe gulped. He hadn’t thought of that. He’d been so sure the purple egg was his. He imagined having to give it up, having to watch the dragon bond with someone else. 125He shook his head. ‘We don’t have time. We need to get the silverblue first. Please, Milla!’ He swallowed his pride and begged her. ‘We can’t let everyone sit around deciding what’s best. We can’t let the shadow dragons die, trapped in their shells. Please!’ He would risk everything, let them take his egg to a hatching ceremony. But he had to be sure they would live, before anything.