Don't react, Darkstalker cautioned. Eclipse kept herself still, although she felt like she just got slapped in the chest by a SeaWing tail full force. Flame was glaring at everyone viciously now, eyeing all the NightWings with particular suspicion.
How did he do that? Eclipse asked Darkstalker. I've never met anyone who could do that before.
I don't think he knew exactly what was happening, Darkstalker said. I don't want to risk probing deeper while he's on the defensive like that. But I suspect he just felt. . . a presence, let's say. He can't be sure it was a mind reader. Especially if you stay calm.
Eclipse wasn't sure she could accomplish that; no one in this entire cave was calm.
But to her relief, a moment later, Sunny announced, "That's all we had to say. Please come see us if you feel like you want to leave, or if you have any questions. There are no classes today, but we're all here to take groups out hunting or swimming or flying, and the art and music caves are both open. We'll let you know what we decide about tomorrow."
She turned to Clay, and the students became a milling mob of whispers and flashing teeth. Moon was able to slip through the crowd and back to Qibli and Eclipse.
"Are you alright?" he asked immediately, ducking his head to study Moon's face. He steered her into a corner, carefully not touching her, and spread his wings to shield them from the other dragons. Eclipse was stood next to him, looking at Moon and feeling quite uncomfortable with the warmth coming off of Qibli. He must have been focusing to much on his own thoughts and Moon to notice though.
I wonder if reading minds is tiring. Is it an infinite resource, or is it a power that drains as she uses it? His mind wondered. Or is it like a muscle that gets stronger the more she exercises it? Sure wish I'd had a skill like that when I was living at home; could have dodged a few more attacks from Sirocco and Rattlesnake. Maybe could have figured out how to make Mum like me. Moon looks like she's been slammed into a mountain. "You look. . . tired." he said diplomatically.
"I just had a weird experience in Flame's head," Moon said in a low voice. "It's horrible in there."
"It was like being stuck in ink," Eclipse offered. Moon nodded slowly, sighing.
"So he did it?" Qibli asked. His tail flicked up in a stabbing position and his brain went, Did he bring the cactus from the Sky Kingdom or find it somewhere near Jade Mountain and how long he been planning this how did Scarlet choose him and -
"No, no, stop," Moon rushed. "I don't think it was him. I don't think it was any of them."
"They all spoke as if they wanted to know who did," Eclipse added.
"Camel farts," Qibli cursed. "They all seemed like perfect suspects."
"Yes," Moon agreed. "They may all still do something terrible, just not this particular thing."
Qibli squinted at Moon. "Was that a prophecy? Did you have visions of them?"
Moon shook her head. "Just guessing."
Qibli swiveled his head around to watch Icicle parading out of the hall with the other IceWings trailing behind her. "If you know that. . ." he said thoughtfully. "If you had a list of the dragons with the darkest thoughts, you could keep track of them. You could check their minds everyday and catch them if they're planning something. You'd know who to keep an eye on." Like Thorns potential enemies list, but even more targeted, with more inside information, he mused.
"That, um," Moon started. "That seems kinda wrong, doesn't it?"
"Not if you catch a killer doing it," Eclipse said.
"I mean," Moon continued, glancing between Qibli and Eclipse periodically. "Judging dragons by their dark thoughts, and using that to justify spying on them? Lots of dragons think dark things sometimes; it doesn't mean they'll ever actually do them. Almost half the NightWings in the rainforest had an occasional fantasy about killing Glory and stealing the throne, but most of the time they're just grateful to be alive and fed. I don't know, I guess I don't like to think of myself as sneaking around in dragons' heads. I can't help what I hear; but it doesn't seem fair to do it on purpose. I mean, unless we're catching a murderer, like now."
"Hmmm," he said, but before his thoughts could swoop off on that tangent, he shook his head and stepped back. "Let's go find Onyx. She seems like the best suspect we have left."
"We can't hear her thoughts," Eclipse said, turning to face Qibli.
"How will we learn anything from her?" Moon questioned as well.
He grinned. "The old-fashioned way. With our eyes and ears.
That sounded inefficient to Eclipse, but she followed the SandWing either way, Moon following closely. They trotted over to the cave entrance where most of the dragonets had gone, ducking out into the sunshine. Everyone seemed to want to be out in the light. It felt sort of inappropriate how gorgeous and sunny it was outside, an early morning full of whistling birdsong and humming bumblebees among the purple mountain flowers.
Eclipse noticed that most of the dragonets were staying in clumps with others from their own tribes. Flame had slithered back into the mountain, but the other three SkyWings took to the air together, beating their huge wings and soaring as high as they could. She saw Coconut and two subdued RainWings find a large swathe of sunlit grass and lie down; spreading their wings. Umber and Marsh had gone to check on Sora, but the other two MudWings were tramping down the mountain together, looking for a cool, muddy spot.
"So much for our winglets," Qibli said.
"It's only been a couple of days," Moon said. It was true - she felt as though she'd been here for months, but really she'd stood right here with Moon and their mother barley four days ago. "Maybe the winglets will stick together more once we all know each other better."
"If we get the chance to know each other better," Eclipse said sourly. Her neck had begun to ache and it was irritating her.
Anemone brushed past them, leading Turtle, Pike, and the other SeaWings. She cast an arch look around at the other dragonets.
I could find out who did it in two shakes of my tail, she thought indignantly. But Tsunami won't let me. Shouldn't use my powers! When it's something important like this? She shook her wings and tossed her head. Maybe she'll change her mind by the time we get back.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Pike asked her. "Going to the lake? You could be attacked -"
"Not with all you strapping dragons along to defend me," Anemone said, shooting him a smile. Ha, she thought to herself. I'm more dangerous than any of you, if I have to be.
Her mind flashed to an image of her own claws holding a spear, then a dragon disappearing in a cloud of bubbles and slithering green shapes. She shuddered and forced her thoughts back to the mountain skies. "Come on, let's go."
Eclipse watched them soar away and wondered what Anemone was capable of.
From beside her Qibli was thinking the same about Turtle. But he turned instead toward the clump of SandWings who had found a stretch of flat grey boulders and were baking their scales in the sun. Sprawled comfortably in the middle of them was Onyx, whose black forked tongue kept flicking in and out. Seeing her with all the others, it was clear how much older - and bigger - she was. She was no dragonet; Eclipse couldn't understand why she was here. Maybe she had a goal in mind. Maybe she was a spy, working for a certain SkyWing.
Eclipse noticed Ostrich next, who saw Qibli, Moon, and Eclipse approaching and her whole face lit up.
"Eclipse!" She cried. "How do you feel? I came by the healing cave earlier but you were still sleeping."
"I'm a little sore," Eclipse confessed. "But other than that I'll be ok."
"That's a relief," she turned to Qibli. "Are you going home? I might go home. Do you think Father or Thorn would be mad if I went home?"
"They'd be happy to see you, Ostrich," Qibli said with extra gentleness in his voice. "They want you to feel safe. But I promised to protect you, and I will, so remember you are safe here, too. It's up to you."
"I do feel better now that you're here," she said. He reached one of his wings around her, and she leaned into his shoulder.
"Why've you got a pair of NightWings stuck to your tail?" one of the other SandWings asked. The question didn't sound friendly, but his mind was more curious that hostile. The primary impression Eclipse got from all of them was that if Qibli decided to do something, it was probably a good idea. They all had him closely linked to Queen Thorn in their minds, and even the two that hadn't been Outclaws before were deeply respectful of her and anyone associated with her.
"She's in my winglet," Qibli said, motioning to Moon. "Everyone, this is Moon and her sister Eclipse."
They all nodded, even Onyx, and Ostrich said, "I like the silver scales by your eyes. They look just like Eclipse's. They're not diamonds, are they? I wish I had some treasure, or scales that looked like treasure. They're pretty."
Moon managed a smile, although she was panicking on the inside. All these eyes on her seemed to make her extremely anxious. But luckily, after a moment, the SandWings mostly stopped thinking about them. Their thoughts were all What's going to happen to me? and What's everyone else going to do? and If I leave, will the others think I'm a coward? If I stay, will they think I'm an idiot?
Moon curled herself as small as she could on one of the boulders. Eclipse followed her, intwining their tails and feeling Moon relax against her side. Granted, it hurt to have Moon brushing against her but she didn't want Moon to feel alone.
"Will you go back to the stronghold, Qibli?" one of them asked.
"No," he said. "Thorn sent me here to learn, and I know she'd want me to stay."
Just a few words, and instantly the others were all thinking, Yes, stay, I should stay, he's right, Thorn would want that.
"What about you, Onyx?" Qibli asked her. "Where would you be going back to, if you left?"
She narrowed her black eyes at him. That quiet fuzzy hum surrounded her, like what listening to fog would be like if it were turned into a sound. Eclipse bristled. What was going on in Onyx's head? How was she blocking Eclipse so completely?
And me, Darkstalker reminded her quietly.
"I didn't grow up in one of the big oases, if that's what you're asking," Onyx said. She was definitely suspicious. "It was just me and my mother, roaming the desert, and she's dead now. Which is why I applied to come here - I have nowhere else to go. But it doesn't matter, because I'm staying."
"Did you fight in the war?" Qibli pressed.
"Did you?" Onyx shot back.
"In a way, for Thorn and the Outclaws."
She flicked her tongue in and out, staring at Qibli questioningly. "I chose not to choose a side. None of those dragons were fit to be queen."
The two non-Outclaw dragons both had unhappy rippling reactions to that comment: Blaze wasn't so bad and Perhaps not a good queen, but Burn would have been a strong queen. Then both thought, Thank the moons it's Thorn instead.
"Wow," Qibli said. "I'm amazed you were able to avoid Burn's soldiers for so long - what are you, twenty years old? And without hiding in the Scorpion Den either; at least, I don't remember you being there."
"Nineteen," Onyx said. "And no, we stayed away from the Scorpion Den, too."
"Your mother wasn't a fan of other dragons?" Qibli joked lightly. He was trying to figure out whether to ask if they'd had help, perhaps from Scarlet, but in a way that wouldn't make her even more suspicious. But he could tell that she was already displeased. Questions in general seemed to tick her off.
"That's right," Onyx said.
"Your diamonds are so cool," Ostrich said. "Did it hurt to get them set between your scales like that?"
Onyx blinked, and Eclipse noticed that Ostrich was deliberately disarming her. The little SandWing was young, but smart, and although she wasn't sure what Qibli was fishing for, she instinctively knew how to help him get past the surly older dragons defenses.
"Yes," Onyx said, stretching out one wing so the small black diamonds could catch the sun, winking and sparkling between her yellow scales. "But that is half the point. If I could endure that much pain just for a little beauty, image how much I could handle in battle, or for my own survival. I think the most beautiful things should also be frightening."
Qibli shot Moon a look, but before he could say anything, Ostrich leaned forward and peered at Onyx's amulet.
"And what's that?" she asked, genuinely curious now. "Does it mean something?"
"Yes." Onyx wrapped her claws around the amulet, paused, and then flipped a catch to reveal that it opened up. Inside was a twisted hunk of black rock, bound to the amulet with copper wires. "This is the piece of the rock that killed my mother."
The other SandWings gasped, and Onyx smirked at their expressions.
"Oh, I didn't do it," she said. None of the other dragons had had that thought, but now they all did. "No," Onyx went on, "this rock just fell from the sky one night. It went straight through her head, leaving a burning hole behind, and over she went. That's when I thought, Well, time to join the world." She snapped the locket shut, making Ostrich jump. "Beautiful and frightening, don't you agree?"
"Can I see it?" Ostrich whispered.
Onyx turned the amulet between her claws for a moment, then lifted it off her neck. "Just for a moment," she said. "I think it came from the comet - you remember? The one in the sky when the war ended? The false brightest night? It was up there when the rock fell. So I call it skyfire."
She dropped the amulet into Ostrich's talons.
And suddenly, there was a new voice in Eclipse's head.
That's right, admire me, fear me, wonder about me. You all have no idea who I am or what I'll do one day. One day soon. No more hiding, Mother. I make decisions now.
At the same moment, Ostrich's thoughts vanished; the only thing Eclipse could hear from the little SandWing was that quiet, shimmering hum.
Eclipse stared at the small amulet set in Ostrich's talons. The black rock glittered at her like the dark heart of a faraway star.
That was it.
That was why neither Moon, Darkstalker, nor Eclipse could read Onyx.
It was the skyfire.