Timeline: a Wings of Fire fanfiction (COMPLETED)

32.

Clearsight

Allknowing has written a new article.

Great.

I know because we get the paper she writes for delivered to our door every week--not because I even read it most of the time; why would I when I can see the news before it actually happens, and when either Darkstalker or I was there for most of the major political decisions in the Night Kingdom? (Also, most of it is kind of terrible writing). But no matter how painful it is, I need to keep a distant eye on Allknowing's influence.

And so it's staring up at me on the doorstep, just like I predicted it would be, with its stupid front page headline. Lady Clearsight: Who is she really?

My stomach churns. I don't want to read this.

I chuck it at the table, rubbing my eyes sleepily. I need coffee to deal with this.

***

I do make myself a coffee. It mostly just makes me more anxious. Shadowhunter wanders sleepily out of our bedroom and stumbles over to me. (She's almost fully mastered walking now, and is currently becoming fascinated with jumping, knocking things over, climbing, chewing on my talons--but never Darkstalker's--and loads of other fun stuff.)

I spread the paper out on the table. Whatever she says, it won't be the end of the world. It's not like there aren't other dragons out there who don't like everything we do, and it's not like they're threatening our ability to even live in the Night Kingdom.

But those dragons are speaking up about it because they don't like what we do. They don't have a personal vendetta against us as dragons.

Allknowing... does.

Shadowhunter gurgles a little, looking up at me needily. I sigh. "I'll make you breakfast in a sec, squiggle. Or Dad will. You know how I feel about cooking."

I pick her up and give her a quick nuzzle. Set her down, and race down the hall into Darkstalker and I's room.

"Darkstalker?" I always feel guilty about waking him up. (It's not like I ever have to that often.)

He rubs his eyes. He looks even more exhausted than I am, and not just in the way you can fix with sleep.

"Allknowing published another article."

He flinches a little. His eyes jerk open. "What?"

I pass him the newspaper. He scans over it with a kind of urgency I hadn't expected of him, mouthing along to the words. His talons clench around the paper, crumpling it around the edges.

Lady Clearsight: Who is she, and is she really as trustworthy as she seems?

By Allknowing of the NightWings.

It's not common knowledge, but Lady Clearsight, now-head-seer and close adviser to the queen, used to be my student, back when she was a three-year-old dragonet in Diamond Academy.

From the moment I saw her, I knew something was off. There was an arrogant air to her, something snide and all-important.

I never trusted her--not entirely sure why, but nevertheless, I followed my instinct.

"She was crazy powerful for her age," Old classmate Jewel-eyes says. "And it was like, where's the proof, you know? There's talent, and then there's just... something completely unbelievable."