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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

‘A bagful. Maybe two. I wish I’d kept it!’

‘What did you do with it?’ Joe couldn’t help asking.

‘I sold it, after I’d had it made into jewellery. I’m sorry, Joe: if I’d known, I never would’ve. But the coin was welcome, and there’s a silversmith in Sartola who owes me a favour,’ Thom finished, apologetically.

‘Oh, I’m sure he does,’ Milla replied. ‘Why didn’t you tell me if you needed money?’

‘I’ve got to keep up with my fancy friends, don’t I?’ Thom’s eyes were alive with mischief now. ‘Some of them are even related to ancient royalty.’

‘Oh, stop it,’ Milla scolded, but she was laughing too. ‘I guess there was no harm in taking some of the silverblue before you knew what it was for.’

‘Thank you!’ Thom retorted, ‘I didn’t realise I needed your permission …’

They carried on teasing each other, as Joe laid himself 150down in the warm sand and closed his eyes, giving in to the tiredness.

In his dream, Joe was trapped underground and water was rising all around him, bubbling, boiling. It was getting higher and higher. It covered his feet, then his legs, then his torso. It rose over his neck and he started to panic. He felt the water covering his mouth his nose, his eyes. All he could see was water, and bubbles, filling his thoughts until—

‘Joe!’

He woke, gasping, and jerked up to a sitting position.

‘All right, Joe?’ Winter was there, still looking unfamiliar in Milla’s borrowed jacket and clothes.

‘Bad dream.’

‘I was about to wake you anyway. It’s time to go.’

Joe couldn’t shake off the feeling that the dream was a warning. He wanted to fly straight back to the eggs, but he couldn’t return empty-handed. Last night, he had made a promise to his egg. Next time I come, he’d whispered to the purple egg, I’ll bring silverblue, and you can hatch!

He got wearily to his feet, ready for the last part of the journey, hoping he would be able to keep his promise.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The rest of the journey passed in a hazy blur for Joe. He felt so befuddled with tiredness it was all he could do to cling to Ruby’s back and not tumble over her neck into the sea far below. His joy at flying was now numbed by exhaus­tion. He kept his eyes on Winter and Milla on Iggie’s back, their black plaits down their backs, the dragon’s blue wings wide open with the wind beneath.

‘Wake up, Joe,’ Thom said, ‘We’re there. You can see the Spice Islands, in the far distance …’

Joe peered ahead and, sure enough, there was a scatter­ing of small islands like pebbles in the sea. ‘Does anyone live there?’

‘Not on the first three,’ Thom answered. ‘People prefer the southern ones. You can’t grow much on these steep hills.’

Ruby started losing height, getting ready to land.