Read Online Wings of Fire Book Four: The Dark Secret by Tui T. Sutherland - Free Book Online
Authors: Tui T. Sutherland
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bolted into the room and lifted the RainWing’s snout gently in her talons. The trapped dragon barely responded.
“This one is done for the day,” Mastermind said. “We were testing to see whether they run out of venom at some point, if they shoot it for long enough, but she fainted before we could get any really useful data.”
“She needs water,” Fatespeaker said, glancing around the room, then looking straight at Starflight.
He hesitated, remembering Fjord and Crocodile again. If this dragon did suddenly spray venom at them, he wouldn’t blame her — but he didn’t want to be in the way when it happened.
“Starflight,” Fatespeaker said, and the tone of her voice reminded him again so much of Sunny that he couldn’t say no to her.
“I’ll get some.” He flew to one of the pipes on the desalinization machine, where he’d seen a faucet earlier, found an empty cauldron that smelled clean, and filled it up.
Fatespeaker had one of the prisoner’s wings unclamped by the time Starflight got back. Mastermind stood in the doorway, watching through the holes in his helmet but neither interfering nor helping. It was hard to know what he was thinking with his face completely hidden.
Starflight brushed past him and set the cauldron down, then unclamped the dragon’s other wing. She slumped forward so suddenly that both Fatespeaker and Starflight were nearly knocked over, but they managed to catch her and lean her wings over their shoulders. Fatespeaker held the cauldron up and the RainWing revived enough to drink a little.
“What’s your name?” Starflight asked her.
She coughed and looked sideways at him. “No NightWing has ever asked my name before,” she whispered hoarsely. “It’s Orchid.”
“Oh!” Starflight gasped, then closed his mouth quickly and glanced at the door.
Mastermind was leaning into the hallway, yelling, “Strongwings! Strongwings, you blockhead, get up here!”
“Mangrove is looking for you,” Starflight whispered hurriedly. “He hasn’t given up. He’ll be here to rescue you soon.”
Fatespeaker stared at him as if he’d just peeled off his scales and revealed a hippo underneath. But Orchid lifted her head, her eyes flooding with hope. A shimmering rose pink spread over her, starting on her chest and drifting out to her wingtips.
“Soon,” she said softly. “Then I can hang on until he comes.”
I hope it’ll be soon, Starflight thought. I hope he doesn’t die on his way here. I hope Glory survives, too. I hope my friends are planning to rescue me as well.
Fatespeaker’s expression was ten kinds of confused. She tilted her head as if she was listening, and Starflight realized with a jolt of panic that he’d been having several unguarded thoughts since they’d started this part of the tour. He’d forgotten — how could I forget? — to worry about having his mind read.
But his father hadn’t reacted to any of his thoughts; Mastermind looked as pleased as ever. Not a mind reader, then, perhaps. Maybe those kinds of powers aren’t “genetically dominant” in us. Maybe it is enough just to be smart like him.
He’d always thought all NightWings could read minds and all NightWings could see the future. That’s what it sounded like in the scrolls he’d read. But Glory thoughtmaybe it was only some of them, and perhaps she was right. Maybe I’m not completely defective.
“Three moons!” Mastermind barked from the doorway. “How did you turn her that pink color? I’ve never seen any of them look like that before.”
That’s because it’s the color of happiness, and there’s no happiness on this twisted island.
Starflight met Fatespeaker’s eyes.
“I think she’s just grateful for the water,” Fatespeaker said, blinking at him. He didn’t have to read minds to guess she was thinking, We’ll be talking about this later.
“Fascinating.” Mastermind came over and prodded the scales on Orchid’s neck with one claw. She closed her eyes.
“This one is done for the day,” Mastermind said. “We were testing to see whether they run out of venom at some point, if they shoot it for long enough, but she fainted before we could get any really useful data.”
“She needs water,” Fatespeaker said, glancing around the room, then looking straight at Starflight.
He hesitated, remembering Fjord and Crocodile again. If this dragon did suddenly spray venom at them, he wouldn’t blame her — but he didn’t want to be in the way when it happened.
“Starflight,” Fatespeaker said, and the tone of her voice reminded him again so much of Sunny that he couldn’t say no to her.
“I’ll get some.” He flew to one of the pipes on the desalinization machine, where he’d seen a faucet earlier, found an empty cauldron that smelled clean, and filled it up.
Fatespeaker had one of the prisoner’s wings unclamped by the time Starflight got back. Mastermind stood in the doorway, watching through the holes in his helmet but neither interfering nor helping. It was hard to know what he was thinking with his face completely hidden.
Starflight brushed past him and set the cauldron down, then unclamped the dragon’s other wing. She slumped forward so suddenly that both Fatespeaker and Starflight were nearly knocked over, but they managed to catch her and lean her wings over their shoulders. Fatespeaker held the cauldron up and the RainWing revived enough to drink a little.
“What’s your name?” Starflight asked her.
She coughed and looked sideways at him. “No NightWing has ever asked my name before,” she whispered hoarsely. “It’s Orchid.”
“Oh!” Starflight gasped, then closed his mouth quickly and glanced at the door.
Mastermind was leaning into the hallway, yelling, “Strongwings! Strongwings, you blockhead, get up here!”
“Mangrove is looking for you,” Starflight whispered hurriedly. “He hasn’t given up. He’ll be here to rescue you soon.”
Fatespeaker stared at him as if he’d just peeled off his scales and revealed a hippo underneath. But Orchid lifted her head, her eyes flooding with hope. A shimmering rose pink spread over her, starting on her chest and drifting out to her wingtips.
“Soon,” she said softly. “Then I can hang on until he comes.”
I hope it’ll be soon, Starflight thought. I hope he doesn’t die on his way here. I hope Glory survives, too. I hope my friends are planning to rescue me as well.
Fatespeaker’s expression was ten kinds of confused. She tilted her head as if she was listening, and Starflight realized with a jolt of panic that he’d been having several unguarded thoughts since they’d started this part of the tour. He’d forgotten — how could I forget? — to worry about having his mind read.
But his father hadn’t reacted to any of his thoughts; Mastermind looked as pleased as ever. Not a mind reader, then, perhaps. Maybe those kinds of powers aren’t “genetically dominant” in us. Maybe it is enough just to be smart like him.
He’d always thought all NightWings could read minds and all NightWings could see the future. That’s what it sounded like in the scrolls he’d read. But Glory thoughtmaybe it was only some of them, and perhaps she was right. Maybe I’m not completely defective.
“Three moons!” Mastermind barked from the doorway. “How did you turn her that pink color? I’ve never seen any of them look like that before.”
That’s because it’s the color of happiness, and there’s no happiness on this twisted island.
Starflight met Fatespeaker’s eyes.
“I think she’s just grateful for the water,” Fatespeaker said, blinking at him. He didn’t have to read minds to guess she was thinking, We’ll be talking about this later.
“Fascinating.” Mastermind came over and prodded the scales on Orchid’s neck with one claw. She closed her eyes.
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