Page 30 of The Dragon Queen

Amymustfeelthesameway,becauseshebounces,claspingherhandsinfrontofhermouth.

Finally,wehavesomesemblanceofaplan.Thisisallalong-shot,butit'ssomething,andthat'sinfinitelymorethanIhadwhenIwokeup.

ButIneedtobesoberandclear-eyedaboutthis.MetrainingwithRhiannonandRook,preparingtoseekoutthemythicalCrownOfCindersandprayingthatsomehow,I'llbeabletoaccessawholebunchofamazingpowersagain?It'sastart,butit'snotenough.

"Weneedtodomoretoprepare."Ibreatheindeeply.Yetagain,Mariutza'swordsfloatbacktome.Foramoment,myvisionunfocuses. "Weneedtogatherourallies."

"Um."Amyglancesaroundinconfusion. "Whatallies?I'mnotsureifyounoticed,butwe'rekindofinarogue,rebeloutcastsituationhere."

Iblink,andmyvisionsnapsbackintofocus.IlooktoRook. "TheShadowKingmusthaveotherenemies."

"Onlyhalfthedragonworld,"heagrees. "Buthisreachiswide.Hehasoperativesineverykingdom--atthehighestlevels."

"Iknow."I'vebeenblownup,chasedbyarmedguards,attackedbyShadowDragons,andkidnapped,allwhiletheoreticallyundertheprotectionoftheFourGreatDragonKingdoms. "Believeme,Iknow."

ButRookpresseson. "Hisembedsareactivating.ThecloserwegettotheDragonMoon,thetighterhewillclosehisfist."

Iremainresolute. "Thenallthemorereasontoseekoutthosewhowouldopposehimnow.Whilewestillcan."

"It'sagoodidea,"Rhiannonallows.

"Buthow?"Amyasks. "Youhavetostayhereandtrain,soyoucan'tleadsomeexpeditionaroundtheglobe,lookingfortraitorstojoinourmerryband."

Mystomachsinks.

Buttheanswercomestomeatonce.Instinctively,Ibuckagainsttheidea,butIcanfeelitinmybreakingheart.It'sright.

Iglanceoutthewindowagain,settingmygazeontheskyandtheroilingsea.Thestonesoftheshoreandthefieryballofthesun.

MyvoiceisdistantasIreply. "We'regoingtohavetosplitup."

Chapter

Ten

STORM

Unsurprisingly,Rafeisthefirsttoreact,onceEmbertellsusherplan. "No.Nofuckingway--"

"Idon'tlikeit,either,"Emberinterrupts.She'sstandingtall,buttensionradiatesthroughourbond. "Butthere'snoothergoodoption.Ihavetolearnafewdecades'worthofShadowDragonmagic,andwebasicallyneedtorallytogetheranarmyifwewanttodefeattheShadowKing."

"Totallydoable,"Rafeinsists,buthe'sclearlybluffing.

AndEmbercallshimonit. "Inlessthanamonth?"

Sohetriesadifferenttack. "Rememberthelasttimewewereplanningtosplitup?Afterthesummitgotbombed,whenmeandJujubothwantedtoheadhome?"

Shewinces,crossingherarms,andglancingatJianyu,whoseemstornbetweencallingRafeoutonusingthatridiculousnicknameandbasicallyagreeingwithhim. "Thatwasdifferent,"shesays.

"How?"Rafeasks,incredulous. "Iwasgoingoneway,andJujuwasgoinganother,andweaskedyoutochoose,anddoyourememberwhatyousaid?"

Shesoftensslightly--butonlyslightly. "Irefused."

"AndIrefusenow."Rafe'seyesarealightwithdeterminationashegesturesateachofus--Jianyu,Malik,andme--inturn. "We'reateam."

"Ofcourseweare."Hervoicecracking,shedropsherarmstohersides. "Don'tyousee?That'swhyIknowwecansurvivethis."

Rafelooksaroundagain. "Backmeup,guys.Thisiscrazy,right?Shecan'tsendusallofflikethis."

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