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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

‘The quicker I go, the sooner I’ll be back,’ Winter said. She looked miserable but determined. She lit another candle, hoisted the backpack on her shoulder, and left.

Joe tried to ignore the gnawing ache of hunger in his stomach. He was glad when the shadow dragons jumped down and started to play with each other. They looked something like the sea otters he’d seen on the western beach. They rolled around, growling and play-fighting, then went back to the pool. Ren put her nose in the water, twitched, sneezed, and then dived right in, smooth and sinuous. She swam deep into the pool, rising for air, rolling on her back to see where Fidell had got to, and then diving again.

The green dragon joined her, tumbling in with a splash.

Joe tried to keep an eye on both hatchlings at once. It took all his concentration – and he felt the anxious weight of the responsibility. What could he say to Winter if anything happened to Fidell on his watch? To his relief, the two hatch­lings soon got tired of swimming. They climbed out, stronger today, and shook the water off, preening a little and then coming to roost on Joe. They scampered towards him, making little cries of excitement, very pleased with themselves.

‘Oh yes, didn’t you do well? Fine swimmers! Come on then, come and get warm!’ He gestured for them to climb up, laughing at the feel of their tiny claws as they swarmed up his body. 186

Ren lifted her head up and touched her nose to Joe’s, greeting him as her person, telling him she was his. Joe’s heart melted. He’d never felt anything like this before. His love for Ren felt vast and limitless: as big as the world.

Ren and Fidell grew sleepy. Ren yawned widely, showing tiny sharp teeth and a dark purple tongue. The shadow dragons curled up, one on each collarbone, and Joe cupped a hand over each of them, blinking hard.

Finally! A dragon had chosen him. He would build his life around her. He wouldn’t let her down. He would prove he was worthy of her trust.

Winter returned soon after, with as much water and food as she could carry, dropping it all to scoop up Fidell. He watched them, realising it was the same for Winter and Fidell as it was for him and Ren. They belonged together, and they always would. Winter’s face had lost that anxious, pinched look. There was still sadness in her eyes, even now, but it was overlaid with loving attention and delight in her dragon.

So began their winter underground.

Over the next few months, Joe and Winter took it in turns to forage or buy supplies, using the hoard of gold they’d found with the dragons. Joe learned the tunnels by heart till he knew them as well as the streets above ground. He man­aged to stay unrecognised, always pulling his hat low over his face. He felt like a different person now, walking with pride and purpose – maybe that helped.