Wings of Fire - Eclipse Burning (1)

Prologue

Only one guard tonight. Nobody really believed any of the rainforest dragons could find their secret tunnel. The guards were often asleep when she came, and Secretkeeper had frequently been able to sneak past without waking them.

But not tonight. Preyhunter was sitting out on the ledge overlooking the beach, watching the volcano and fidgeting nervously.

"Do you think it'll be tonight?" he asked her as she landed beside him. It took her a frightening, disoriented moment to realize he hadn't guessed her secret. He probably didn't even remember that she'd lost her eggs - she was only one of many dragons who had in the last few years after all. He was talking about the volcano.

"No," Secretkeeper said, looking back at the hulking shape that loomed over all their lives. "It can't be. Mastermind said we have more time before it erupts."

Preyhunter snorted. "Right. And I'll remember why we trust him any minute now."

She knew what he meant. If Mastermind was wrong. . . well, that was why she'd made her choice, wasn't it? That was the whole point of her dangerous secret.

"Where are you going at this hour?" Preyhunter asked, eyeing her up and down. "Shouldn't you have backup for night hunting?"

"I'll be alright," Secretkeeper said. "I just - can't sleep and I thought - maybe I'd bring back a sloth or a boar for Greatness to give to the queen. . ."

"Ah." Preyhunter nodded slyly. "Keeping the queen happy. Always a good idea. Right, see you soon, then."

Secretkeeper edged past him, her heart pounding. She bolted through the cave and into the tunnel that led to the rainforest. Hurry! Hurry! It's happening now! You have to be there!

She fell through into the clearest, most brightly lit night she'd seen in the rainforest. The worst luck; she'd have to hope that no RainWings were out for a moonlit stroll tonight. Even through the thick canopy of the treetops overhead, she could see that two of the three moons were full.

Just like the night I left them there.

Secretkeeper stopped. Her heart seemed to be doing some kind of painful aerial loops in her chest.

Her. Suddenly she just knew. She was certain. They would be female.

She flew through the trees, following the small signs she'd left for herself. There wasn't time to travel quietly and cautiously. If a RainWing heard and followed her. . . well, it wouldn't be a good night for that RainWing.

Plunging down, down toward the fall tree, the artful pile of leaves, the curving ferns. Finally she was here, finally -

Her eggs were gone.

Secretkeeper scrabbled frantically in the dark hollow. They couldn't be, they couldn't be gone. Two black eggs in the darkest hiding place in this gigantic rainforest - who could have found them? Where did they take them?

I should have kept them with me. I shouldn't have lied to my tribe.

I only wanted to protect them from that island - from the smoke and the smell and the rules and the misery, and from the constant fear that the earth will swallow us in fire at any moment.