She moved in a blur. Frosty air glimmered around her fingertips as she dodged and ducked her way to the water’s edge. Then, her chainmail coat glinting like a knight’s armor, she created a tunnel of ice to shelter sailors as they ran across the beach—

A Sleábeak’s wing struck Barclay hard in the chest. With a surprised “oof,” he fell back onto the sand. Stab! The Sleábeak tried to spear its beak into him, but Barclay rolled over just in time. Stab! That one punctured his scarf, pinning him down by his neck.

“G’t’ff—! Hey—! Don’t—” Barclay tried to shove it away, but the Sleábeak thrashed wildly. Its solid white eyes whirled from side to side, as if in a frenzy. Barclay choked as his scarf was yanked tight.

Finally, Barclay raised his hand toward the Sleábeak and thought, Wind! A spiral of air blasted from Barclay’s palm toward the Beast, sending it whirling away.

Gasping for breath, Barclay clambered to his feet and searched the havoc for his friends. He spotted Viola braced on a ship’s stern, Mitzi flying above her head. Being only a baby dragon—a whelp, technically speaking—Mitzi was smaller than the Sleábeaks. But she was far more agile. She darted swiftly out of the way before the other Beasts could peck at her silver wings or sparsely feathered tail.

Viola, meanwhile, was using her Lore to shine great bursts of light from her hands, so bright that the blinking made Barclay dizzy. The Sleábeaks didn’t seem fazed, though. They flapped around her like moths beckoned to a lantern flame. She shrieked and tumbled onto the docks.

“Viola!” Barclay called, running toward her. He summoned a second gale of wind and blew the Sleábeaks around her away.

Viola staggered to his side, Mitzi clinging to her shoulder.

“I don’t understand!” she panted. “It’s like the Sleábeaks are all in a fit! Why would they—”

“I don’t know,” Barclay said. “But we need to find Tadg.”

He looked to the sheep pen, where he’d last seen the other apprentice. But Tadg was gone.

“Come on.” Barclay squeezed Viola’s hand, and the two dashed from the beach into town, Mitzi soaring after them. The streets were strewn with sand and feathers and shattered window glass. Villagers whacked at the Beasts with brooms or fishing rods. The Sleábeaks drilled their beaks into walls, covering every surface with holes as though Knunx was a giant dartboard.

“There!” Viola pointed around the corner, where Tadg stood braced against a wall, batting at two Sleábeaks with a rake.

Barclay blasted the Sleábeaks away. Several roof tiles from the nearby buildings flew off with them.

“A rake?” Viola snapped at Tadg. “That’s the best you can do?”