Rise of the Shadow Dragons Read online

  ‘Yes, we learned about this in dragonschool,’ Winter said. ‘About the bond between dragon and their person, and the ways to block it, using a barrier like yew wood, or a herb like lavender … But I never knew before that anyone could see it.’

  Joe could dream now of attending the dragonschool one day. He might finally get to learn everything he’d craved. ‘Can everyone do it? Do you learn how to see it at dragon­school?’

  Milla looked embarrassed. ‘Er, no. I think it’s just me. I’ve never found anyone else who can do it. But Isak always checks with me in a hatching ceremony that I’ve seen the connection begin, before he confirms the bond.’

  ‘Oh! That’s what it was.’ He remembered Milla’s nod to Isak, back on Hatching Day. He could think of it now with­out the same awful pain. He was quiet for a while as he went back to his task, absorbing all the new information, still glowing with joy that his bond to his egg would never be challenged now.

  Thom was surprisingly strict, swift and highly organised, piling a heap of dried meat for the dragons to eat, and filling huge flasks of water. Joe watched him pack a leather back­pack with maps, compass, knife, snare, tinderbox, ropes, water flask and bandages.

  ‘Are you expecting trouble?’ Joe said, only part-joking, seeing Milla also packing healing supplies.

  ‘You have to take the right equipment,’ Thom said. ‘The dragons’ lives might depend on it, and ours. If I got injured, Ruby wouldn’t leave me. I need to make sure I can get us back safely, whatever happens.’

  Thom’s enormous scarlet dragon was dozing near the stove, alongside Iggie. Hearing her name, she lifted her huge head and sighed a long smoky breath.

  ‘Hey, Joe, come over here, get to know Ruby a bit more. It’s a long flight tomorrow and everything will be easier if you’re used to each other before we start.’

  ‘Good idea, Thom,’ Milla said. ‘Winter, same to you. You’ll be flying with me and Iggie so come and have a sit on his back now while he’s basking. He’ll get used to the flavour of your thoughts.’

  Joe had been worrying about Winter: would she be able to handle being so close to two dragons? Would it bring back memories of Jin? He watched her with concern now, but her curiosity seemed to be winning as she went to greet Iggie.

  ‘What do you mean, her thoughts?’ Joe asked Milla. ‘Do they have a flavour?’

  Winter didn’t seem surprised – maybe she’d learned this during her training too.

  ‘Of course.’ Milla looked up and grinned at him, her hands busy rolling a cloak so it would fit in a small side pocket. ‘Dragons can sense more than anyone used to realise: moods, thoughts, feelings, or if you’re about to do something.’

  ‘How?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know exactly,’ Milla replied. ‘It could be a mix­ture of scent, or if they’re sensitive to every movement we make – even ones we aren’t aware of. But it’s been proved time and again. You saw me tell Iggie to bring your parents today. And when I had to leave him and flee the island during the revolution, your sister’s dragon sensed my arrival on the mainland.’

  Joe would look forward to sharing all his thoughts with his purple shadow dragon. For now, he focused on approach­ing Ruby with nothing but calm and welcoming feelings uppermost in his mind. ‘Hello, Ruby,’ he said, stopping an arm’s-length from her massive head, which was still resting on the floor, her scales glittering in the sunshine.

  She opened one eye, full of swirling lights and keen intelligence. It had a massive green iris slashed with a verti­cal black pupil. She grunted, and Joe wasn’t sure what that meant: the sharing of thoughts obviously only went one way. Maybe it would be different with his own dragon.

  ‘Go on,’ Thom urged him. ‘She’s saying you can approach. Just talk to her. Don’t worry – if she didn’t like you, we’d all know by now.’

  ‘Can I touch her?’ Joe called.

  ‘I’m not the boss of her, Joe. Why don’t you ask Ruby?’

  He focused on the purple-red dragon, trying not to think about how easily she could squash him if she wanted to. He pictured the journey they were about to make. ‘Er, hello, Ruby?’ he tried again. ‘Uh, uh, thank you for letting me ride with you tomorrow. I hope I won’t be too heavy.’

  Did that sound disrespectful, like he was doubting her strength?

  Ruby twitched her ear and let out a whoosh of hot air that smelled of smoke and charred meat.

  ‘I’ve never ridden a dragon before,’ Joe told her, ‘so thank you for taking me along.’

  Ruby was watching him now with both eyes open. She raised her head slightly and leaned out to sniff him. Her head was the size of Joe’s whole torso, and her jaws could snap his arm as easily as he’d take a bite from an apple.

  He held his arm steady. Be calm, Joe, he told himself, she’s just finding out about you. He thought then about his hopes for their journey, how he really wanted to find the silverblue so he could take it straight to the hidden eggs. His mind turned to the eggs: his excitement at finding them; his concern for them; his love for the purple one.

  Ruby growled gently and then nudged him with her nose, tucking him closer to her massive body.

  ‘See!’ Thom shouted over. ‘She likes you. Told you.’

  Hardly able to believe it, Joe spent some time whispering to Ruby, passing his hands gently over her scaly sides, getting to know her, telling her what was on his mind.

  When he looked over her broad back, he could see Winter doing the same with Iggie.

  ‘Right!’ Milla called finally. ‘That’s all our bags packed. You two can sleep here tonight so we can leave at dawn.’

  Winter looked at Joe. He knew she wanted to say some­thing. When he’d finished talking to Ruby, he sidled over to join Winter. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

  Winter’s face showed conflict and concern, but she couldn’t speak.

  ‘Do you want to check on the eggs?’ he guessed. ‘It feels wrong to leave without telling them, doesn’t it?’

  Winter’s smile was brief and bright as a flash of lightning. She nodded.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Later that night, Joe and Winter slipped out and went back to the hidden eggs. They chose the fastest route: running through the deserted streets of the shadow strip.

  ‘Wait,’ Winter said, stopping so suddenly that Joe bumped into her shoulder. ‘What’s that noise?’

  A high-pitched cry floated on the still night air.

  ‘A cat?’ Joe guessed.

  But then a loud jeering blotted out the cry. It came from a few streets away.

  ‘Oh no.’ He recognised a voice. ‘The Brotherhood.’ He started sprinting towards the sound.

  ‘Joe, no!’ Winter shouted after him. ‘Wait! Not tonight!’

  But he had a horrible feeling about that noise. He sped round the last corner, and halted.

  There were only a handful of men, but they were making so much noise, echoing from the walls of the ruined shadow strip, that it seemed like more. They were standing round something huddled on the floor. One held a lantern high, casting a pool of greasy yellow light.

  Joe tried to peer through their legs.

  It was a person. A young man, Joe saw. He was curled up, with his hands protectively over his head. They were taking it in turns to kick him.

  Joe was filled with that boiling rush of anger again – just like on Hatching Day – but this time he welcomed it. He let it fill him – burning, powerful – and without a second thought he pushed through the men.

  ‘Stop!’ Joe roared. ‘What are you doing?’

  They paused, surprised to be interrupted.

  His anger won him a few moments. With his heart racing, he glared round the circle. Only then, standing there, facing the men, did he realise how foolish he’d been.

  He became their new target.

  One of them pushed him hard from behind, and he stum­bled into a black-clad man who looked familiar.

  Yannic!

  ‘Hey, look, Asa. Loo
k, lads: it’s our new friend, Joe Thornsen. The waddler!’ Yannic shoved his face close to Joe’s.

  Backing away, Joe almost tripped over the young man on the floor. He glanced around the circle of faces – three new ones, and the tall man, Asa, their leader.

  ‘We meet again. It must be a sign,’ Asa said with a slow smile.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Joe clung to his anger, because the alternative was helpless fear.

  The man on the floor groaned.

  ‘Let me get rid of him, Asa. We were nearly there with the other one. Quick, before someone comes,’ Yannic said.

  ‘We’ve got to get help – he needs a healer now.’ Joe looked over his shoulder, and by the wavering lantern-light, caught a glimpse of the injured boy’s round face, patched with the beginnings of a beard. He spat blood-streaked saliva. With horror, Joe realised it was Tiago, from Conor and Amina’s dragonhall. ‘I don’t understand. Why would you hurt him?’ He searched their faces for some clue. Last time these men had offered him food, ale, warmth. He’d sung with them.

  There was silence.

  Five men stood there. Tiago was barely conscious. Joe was unarmed. He prayed that Winter had run to fetch some­one. He had to make this last long enough for help to arrive.

  It took all his strength to ignore the fears that clouded his mind. If they’d welcomed him once before, maybe he could use that now? He forced his shoulders back and looked Asa in the eye. ‘So,’ he said, ‘last time, you said I could join you.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Asa said. ‘Not so fast …’

  Joe guessed that they wouldn’t be fooled for long, but he tried to sound interested. ‘Why don’t you tell me more about your Brotherhood?’

  ‘You should be on our side, after what you did at that ceremony. You have the courage to challenge things,’ Asa said. His voice was softer now and his eyes narrowed warily. ‘If anyone should understand, it should be you. Your father is a great Norlander. And you were cheated of your dragon, by these, these … incomer scum.’

  Joe shivered, hearing the hatred in his voice.

  ‘Bloody Sartolans,’ another one was saying angrily. ‘Or Silk Islanders. Or whatever they are. They’re like cockroaches.’

  ‘Yeah, we should burn their boats.’

  ‘Leeches, more like. Coming here, taking our jobs. Taking the dragons.’

  Joe’s mouth went dry and sour with fear. He didn’t want to make them angry. He was totally outnumbered. But he couldn’t agree with a word they said. The island was full of different people from all over the world – everyone knew that! His father’s people had travelled here, seeking a better life. So how could Norlanders object when others settled here too?

  He wanted to yell in Asa’s face – You know nothing: Tiago didn’t steal my dragon. She chose him! Lina was never going to choose me! – but he needed to buy more time.

  ‘What do I have to do to join the Brotherhood? I know you were soldiers, from the old duke’s army, but do you take new recruits as well?’ Joe lied boldly, thinking he could at least learn something before they started beating him too.

  ‘You have to be a Norlander,’ Yannic said.

  ‘You know I am. You know my father,’ Joe said, feeling disloyal to his mother and praying no one started calling him a halfie.

  ‘You have to share our values.’ That was Asa, sounding suspicious. ‘And I don’t think you do. Unless you prove it, right now.’ He gestured at Tiago on the floor. ‘With him. You can take over the persuasion. Get him to talk.’

  ‘What did he do?’ Joe played for more time.

  ‘What does he know, more like. Dragonschool schedules, patrol routes …’ Yannic said before Asa shushed him.

  ‘Too many questions,’ Asa said quietly. ‘I think it’s time you chose sides, Joe Thornsen. Are you with us, or against us?’

  Joe met his gaze, thinking fast. There was no way he could join them in hurting Tiago – but he needed a distraction.

  ‘If you don’t choose, we’ll take it badly,’ Asa purred. ‘We’ll take that as a no.’

  Just then, a hail of rocks started raining down on the narrow street. One hit Yannic hard on the temple. Joe saw his eyes roll back in his head and he slumped down on the cobbles.

  Joe put his hands over his head and crouched low, trying to avoid the rocks and half cover Tiago at the same time.

  Asa backed away, sword raised, looking all around for the hidden assailants.

  Stones came whizzing down – now from this broken window, now from that rotting balcony. But there was no one to be seen.

  ‘It’s the ghosts!’ one man yelled. ‘I told you we shouldn’t come here.’

  ‘Don’t be a fool—’ Asa ordered. But then a stone hit him on the back of his head, and he spun round, looking furious.

  Above them, a pair of shutters burst open and a stream of bats came pouring out, a mass of fluttering shadows, flying in all directions.

  ‘Argh! There’s a bat in my hair!’ one man cried, dropping his sword to brush the bats away.

  Meanwhile, the stones kept coming, sometimes hitting the men, sometimes the bats, but never hitting Joe or Tiago, though one bounced off the cobbles right by Joe’s foot.

  It was too much. The men fled in terror, leaving Yannic unconscious on the floor, while Asa stood there, still search­ing for his hidden enemy, his vision clouded by the swooping swirling bats.

  Joe saw his chance. He bent and grabbed Tiago under the arms and dragged him to his feet. Struggling under his weight, he managed to wrap his right arm round his shoul­ders, and stumble away down a side street. He ignored the bats – he was used to them now from the cave.

  ‘Walk! Come on, Tiago,’ he hissed in his ear. ‘Use your feet. We’ve got to get away.’

  With his eyes still closed, and blood dribbling from his nose, Tiago managed to stay upright and help Joe a little as they fled the scene.

  They struggled through the streets back to the healing house, always choosing the narrowest ones.

  ‘Joe! Wait for me.’

  He gently lowered Tiago to sit down, and peered round, as a patch of shadow detached itself from the walls.

  Winter emerged, breathing hard, dangling a catapult from one hand. She held a stone in the other.

  ‘It was you!’ Joe could hardly believe it. ‘Where did you learn to do that?’

  ‘A girl alone has to be able to defend herself,’ she said.

  ‘You were amazing! Thank you!’

  ‘Not really. They’re superstitious fools. Scared of harm­less bats! Is he all right?’

  Tiago was folded forwards on his knees, holding his head in both hands. One eye was so swollen he could barely see, and his face was dappled with bruising.

  ‘He will be, once the healers have him.’ He asked, ‘Did you hear those men? What they said?’

  ‘Once I thought they were drunken fools,’ Winter said tightly. ‘But the Brotherhood are getting bolder. I’ve seen them – meeting at night. They’re not going to go away.’

  ‘My sister and the duke will have a plan to deal with them. I’m sure they will.’ But Joe shivered, remembering the meeting he’d been to, and he hoped he was right.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Joe and Winter got barely any sleep after running around the city all night. They managed a brief visit to the eggs after they’d left Tiago at the healing house, making him promise never to say who had helped him. It seemed to Joe that he had only just closed his eyes when Thom was there, shaking him awake in the dim warmth of the old dragonhall.

  ‘Come on, today’s the day.’ Thom sounded painfully cheerful.

  Joe struggled into his warmest clothes, clumsy with fatigue, yawning constantly. Milla had found the fur-lined hat and long leather gloves his mother had given him on his birthday, which he had left behind that awful day, and he pulled them on gratefully now. He was going to ride on a dragon!

  Milla lent Winter a set of her dragonrider blues, insist­ing she needed to be well wrapped up for t
he heights they’d reach on their flight. ‘The winds go right through you up there,’ she said, making her put on a hat, scarf and gloves. ‘And, Joe? I’ve got something else that belongs to you. Come here.’

  She stood on her tiptoes and reached up to fasten some­thing round Joe’s neck. He felt the cool metal disc settle into place at his throat, where it belonged, and he knew it was the medal she’d given him on his birthday. ‘I haven’t earned it yet,’ he whispered.

  ‘You never had to. We are family, Joe. Nothing will change that.’

  ‘Thank you,’ he mumbled, praying that he would be worthy of it one day soon.

  ‘What’s wrong with you two today?’ Milla asked next, peering at them more closely.

  Joe met Winter’s glance. Milla was right: she looked awful, with purple shadows under her eyes. Winter shook her head slightly. They’d agreed not to talk about the attack last night. Tiago was safe and cared for. If they told Milla now, she would want to investigate, the trip would be delayed, and their eggs might miss their chance at hatching. They didn’t know how long the cave stream would run warm.

  Time was running out.

  ‘Didn’t sleep much,’ Joe said, ‘from excitement.’ That part was almost true.

  While the dragons ate huge quantities of roast goat, Joe forced himself to eat a bread roll, even though it seemed tasteless and claggy in his throat.

  The dragons took themselves for a short warm-up flight before their long journey, and Joe, Winter, Milla and Thom walked in a strange procession, laden with supplies, to meet them on the highest point of the island. The hill behind the palace was the easiest place to launch from, Milla told them.

  ‘You all right, Joe?’ Thom called as he led the way. ‘Ready?’

  Joe let out a strange laugh. No. He wasn’t all right. He was something else entirely. ‘Fine,’ he managed to say. He was shivering hard, and he had no idea if it was from cold, nerves or excitement. One thing was clear: he felt as though his real life had begun. At last. It had begun the day he met the purple egg. Here he was, setting out to achieve something, finally.