Wings of Fire: Rise of the RainWing Queen

Prologue

Greatness watched as the girl slipped the key into the lock, twisted it quickly, then pulled open the heavy metal door. Her turquoise-blue eyes darkened as Deathbringer stepped out, and she pointed to the ladder.

"Get out of here," she said simply. "The guards won't catch you."

"Of course not." Deathbringer's tone was smug. "I'm smarter than them."

She snorted in amusement. "They couldn't even if they wanted to. They're currently lying in a pool of their own blood. Not dead. Yet."

Greatness stared at her in disbelief. Fatespeaker's vision swirled in her mind again and again. I have the key.

Of course Fatespeaker couldn't see visions of the past. It was against everything that was possible, everything that NightWings were supposed to have. Visions of the past didn't happen. Only the future.

And this was the future, and Fatespeaker had seen her with Victory . . .

"Bye." Deathbringer didn't look at Greatness, and Greatness knew he hated her now. But she was still going to try. She had a duty. Quickstrike would have wanted her to do it.

No one knew Quickstrike had died besides her and Deathbringer. She'd been killed in the battle.

Greatness gritted her teeth. She had had every single right to do what she did. Quickstrike hadn't deserved that. So she'd given Quickstrike's murderer what she deserved.

Payback. She'd been protecting Deathbringer. And now she felt regret.

"You're my sister, then," she said to the girl. She stiffened, glaring at Greatness furiously. Greatness was taken aback by the intensity of her gaze.

"Victory Diamond," Greatness added for confirmation. The girl looked even more enraged. "You . . . survived? I thought Peril killed you?"

And I will kill Peril, and Scarlet, for this, she thought darkly.

"I am not Victory Diamond!" the girl spat. She pushed back her long midnight hair, her small diamond necklace glinting, and Greatness stared at her, confused.

"But you look exactly like Victory," Greatness pointed out. "You are Victory. You have to be. Fatespeaker's vision . . . "

"I am not," the girl repeated. Greatness wondered if she had memory loss. "I am Victoria Diablo."

"Who was Victory," Greatness pressed on.

She snorted. "No. I am not your precious sister. She was Victory Diamond. I, on the other hand, am Victoria Diablo."

"I don't get this," Greatness said. "Did you forget who you are?"

"Victory died ages ago," the girl snarled. "I am Farsight and Darkfire's daughter. Farsight Diablo. Victoria Diablo. I was there to keep Victory hidden. You were Victory's twin sister that did no wrong. Obeyed orders. Listened to the queen. But Victory was the one that was a traitor and knew too much, and was preparing herself to challenge Battlewinner."

"How did Battlewinner know this?" Greatness demanded. "I was taken away to live with Quickstrike so young! And Victory was - what happened to her?"

"Morrowseer saw a vision of that future. And Victory lived at the volcano for sixteen years," the girl said coolly. "I was the one that had the false execution."

"What?"

"Battlewinner needed Victory. She was an animus, too special, too precious. But also dangerous." The girl's voice - Victoria? - was harsh and furious. "So they imprisoned her, for sixteen years, except when she had to make repairs to the volcano or the tunnel. Battlewinner needed you alive, as a possible heir. Because if she died, someone had to rule the NightWings. But she knew you wouldn't kill her."