Read Online Wings of Fire Book Four: The Dark Secret by Tui T. Sutherland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tui T. Sutherland
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Her color didn’t change. “Utterly fascinating.”
A burly NightWing slouched grumpily in from the balcony. Half a lizard hung from one corner of his mouth, and his shoulders were almost too wide for his wings to fit through the door.
“What?” he mumbled, chewing.
“This one can go back,” said Mastermind. “Oh, and Strongwings, guess what? This is my son .” He waved gleefully at Starflight. Starflight wished he could go back half an hour in time, to when he’d been just as happy about those words as Mastermind was.
Strongwings gave Starflight a dubious look. “Heh,” he said. “All right. So when do I get a helmet like that?” He nodded at the thing on Mastermind’s head.
“This is just a prototype,” Mastermind said. He turned to Starflight. “As you can imagine, the hardest part of creating venom-resistant armor is coming up with a solution that protects the eyes but still allows one to see . I’d love to hear your thoughts, because I must admit I’m stymied. This is a thoroughly imperfect solution.” He tapped on the helmet with his talons. “Peripheral vision is negligible at best, and of course, venom could still splash through the holes if one were unlucky.” He shook his head. “There must be a more ingenious approach.”
“Whatever,” Strongwings grumped. “Where’s her band?”
Mastermind waved at the corner, and the muscular NightWing picked up a heap of metal and one of the spears. He brought it over and fitted a kind of muzzle around Orchid’s mouth, twisting the lock into place with a practiced flick of the spear tips. Then he shooed Starflight and Fatespeaker aside, snapped a chain around the RainWing’s neck, and gave it a yank. Without protesting, Orchid followed him out of the room.
“But why are you doing this?” Starflight blurted. “Why study their venom at all?”
Mastermind pulled off the helmet and gave him a confused look. “It’s science! We’re expanding dragon knowledge!”
“There’s got to be more to it than that,” Starflight said. “Why is this so important? Why do you need venom-resistant armor? The RainWings would never have bothered you if you left them alone.”
His father shrugged. “The queen has her reasons, I have mine. I don’t get involved in her plans. For me, scientific discovery is reason enough.”
Starflight looked at the clamps on the wall, then down at the floor, too sickened to ask any more questions.
“Well, I wish I had time to show you more,” Mastermind said, setting his helmet up on a shelf. “But my daily scheduled meeting with the queen is upon me.”
“Do you get to see her?” Starflight asked.
“No, no,” said Mastermind. “Three moons, no. No one sees the queen. Not for the last nine years or so. She’s very private.”
Really, Starflight thought.
“I wish I had some more progress to report,” Mastermind mused. “But telling her about you will certainly be a triumph. Come back tomorrow and we can get to know each other better, yes?” He wrapped his wings around Starflight and hugged him, not waiting for an answer. “It was fantastic to meet you, son. I am so very proud.”
He ushered them out the door and locked it, then slid away toward a tunnel at the far end of the balcony. Starflight glanced along the row of doors, imagining tortured RainWings behind each one.
“Wow,” Fatespeaker said. “So. Turns out we might be horrible . I did not foresee that at all.”
Starflight sat down, his shoulders slumping. “I believed everything I read — about NightWings being so noble and brilliant and perfect. This … I can’t understand this.”
“So where have you been?” she asked curiously. “You’re not like them. And who’s Mangrove?”
“I was raised by the Talons of Peace, too,” he said, hoping he could avoid the Mangrove question by distracting her. “Actually, I’m the one in the prophecy. Or I was. I guess I’m expendable, since they’re replacing me with
A burly NightWing slouched grumpily in from the balcony. Half a lizard hung from one corner of his mouth, and his shoulders were almost too wide for his wings to fit through the door.
“What?” he mumbled, chewing.
“This one can go back,” said Mastermind. “Oh, and Strongwings, guess what? This is my son .” He waved gleefully at Starflight. Starflight wished he could go back half an hour in time, to when he’d been just as happy about those words as Mastermind was.
Strongwings gave Starflight a dubious look. “Heh,” he said. “All right. So when do I get a helmet like that?” He nodded at the thing on Mastermind’s head.
“This is just a prototype,” Mastermind said. He turned to Starflight. “As you can imagine, the hardest part of creating venom-resistant armor is coming up with a solution that protects the eyes but still allows one to see . I’d love to hear your thoughts, because I must admit I’m stymied. This is a thoroughly imperfect solution.” He tapped on the helmet with his talons. “Peripheral vision is negligible at best, and of course, venom could still splash through the holes if one were unlucky.” He shook his head. “There must be a more ingenious approach.”
“Whatever,” Strongwings grumped. “Where’s her band?”
Mastermind waved at the corner, and the muscular NightWing picked up a heap of metal and one of the spears. He brought it over and fitted a kind of muzzle around Orchid’s mouth, twisting the lock into place with a practiced flick of the spear tips. Then he shooed Starflight and Fatespeaker aside, snapped a chain around the RainWing’s neck, and gave it a yank. Without protesting, Orchid followed him out of the room.
“But why are you doing this?” Starflight blurted. “Why study their venom at all?”
Mastermind pulled off the helmet and gave him a confused look. “It’s science! We’re expanding dragon knowledge!”
“There’s got to be more to it than that,” Starflight said. “Why is this so important? Why do you need venom-resistant armor? The RainWings would never have bothered you if you left them alone.”
His father shrugged. “The queen has her reasons, I have mine. I don’t get involved in her plans. For me, scientific discovery is reason enough.”
Starflight looked at the clamps on the wall, then down at the floor, too sickened to ask any more questions.
“Well, I wish I had time to show you more,” Mastermind said, setting his helmet up on a shelf. “But my daily scheduled meeting with the queen is upon me.”
“Do you get to see her?” Starflight asked.
“No, no,” said Mastermind. “Three moons, no. No one sees the queen. Not for the last nine years or so. She’s very private.”
Really, Starflight thought.
“I wish I had some more progress to report,” Mastermind mused. “But telling her about you will certainly be a triumph. Come back tomorrow and we can get to know each other better, yes?” He wrapped his wings around Starflight and hugged him, not waiting for an answer. “It was fantastic to meet you, son. I am so very proud.”
He ushered them out the door and locked it, then slid away toward a tunnel at the far end of the balcony. Starflight glanced along the row of doors, imagining tortured RainWings behind each one.
“Wow,” Fatespeaker said. “So. Turns out we might be horrible . I did not foresee that at all.”
Starflight sat down, his shoulders slumping. “I believed everything I read — about NightWings being so noble and brilliant and perfect. This … I can’t understand this.”
“So where have you been?” she asked curiously. “You’re not like them. And who’s Mangrove?”
“I was raised by the Talons of Peace, too,” he said, hoping he could avoid the Mangrove question by distracting her. “Actually, I’m the one in the prophecy. Or I was. I guess I’m expendable, since they’re replacing me with
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