One True Queen: A Wings of Fire fanfiction

21.

Content warning: cults, brief description of blood

***

Permafrost

I wake up in a panic, gasping for breath.

My head throbs. It takes a second for my blurry vision to fade into focus.

I'm in a large tent, made of golden silk, and lying atop a soft bed—the frame seemingly forged from gold, sheets and pillows made of the same silk the tent is. It's so delicate and soft, it makes my scales crawl. There are no other adornments, and our things are nowhere in sight.

Where's Shadowhunter? I throw off my blankets and spin around in a disoriented circle, letting out a sigh of relief.

You have to learn to be cool under pressure. Don't let them see how scared you are, or they'll never take you seriously, Mother would say.

Not the time, I cut in. My mother is a thousand miles away right now, and I am not about to let her boss me around.

Shadowhunter doesn't look visibly injured—but who knows what that creepy darkness spell could have done to her. I check her pulse and her breathing, feeling weird about touching her without her permission. Everything seems normal. When I was four, I learned a little bit of basic medicine—it was a requirement for all the royal guards, just in case. But all I know is how to keep dragons alive until an actual doctor arrives, and I never actually had to use it.

I should have protected her.

Isn't that what girlfriends are supposed to do?

I shouldn't have encouraged her to keep chasing after the Gifted.

They have magic, I remind myself, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I feel all dizzy--little black spots dancing in my vision. I hold out my wings for balance. How long was I out for?

Jerboa can literally do anything she wants--there's no way to outsmart her. In some ways, she's right--she may as well be a god, for what she's capable of.

This was out of my control.

I still don't totally believe it, though.

"Shadowhunter?" I try, shaking her gently. "Shadowhunter, wake up."

She doesn't stir, lying perfectly still on her side.

She probably just needs a little more time.

I linger for a moment, then shoot her an apologetic glance, and push through the door of the large canvas tent.

She'll be fine. Don't be irrational, I remind myself.

I shield my eyes from the blazing sunlight, wincing a little. Identical golden tents create rows, stretching out as far as the eye can see. A NightWing, a SandWing, and what looks like their dragonet plant a flower garden in a terracotta planter--the dragonet giving me a quizzical look as I pass by, eyes catching on a familiar face.

It's the invisible dragon, the one who tried to recruit Shadowhunter first. She looks up at me in surprise. Definitely Aloe. I took it upon myself to commit the missing dragon's face to memory--ghostly pale scales, and soft brown freckles on her snout. She looks so kind--I have to remind myself she can't be trusted.

"Oh! You weren't supposed to be up for a few more hours. How are you feeling?" She has a soft, whispery voice, that instantly puts you at ease.

"Um. I'm fine. No thanks to you, for kidnapping me." I clench my jaw. "I want to speak to Jerboa."