Wings Of Fire: Closing Eyes (Prequel To The Last Day Series)

Epiphyte - 9

"Well," Epiphyte said. "There's a pretty serious disease going around; it's infecting the dragons. All patients have this wound that would usually be fatal, and all they have been to Pantala. They slowly go crazy, and then... disappear. We... we don't know where."

   "Oh!" Crevasse said, pressing her talons over her snout. "I'm so sorry, Splinter. How long does it take to affect them like that?"

   "Two months."

   "How far along are your parents, Splinter?" Exo asked. She seemed more talkative when Agate wasn't around, Epiphyte noticed.

   "Two or three months, I think." Splinter sighed. He flexed his claws and smiled softly at Epiphytye.

    His smile was like a warm light in a dark room. He couldn't help himself but smile back at Splinter. His talon ran over Epiphyte's and grasped it gently. He fought down the strong wave of pink scales that started to blossom behind his ears.

    "That's got to be enough time to find a cure, I'm sure." Landslide said a little uncharacteristically. Epiphyte tried not to give him a funny look. 

    "I'm not," Splinter said. "They've been looking for a cure ever since the sickness came out."

   "Anything can happen in two months," Epiphyte said. Splinter smiled at him.

   "I'll hold onto that thought," he said, as Agate came stomping back into the room, forcing a calm face on. The faint smoke rising from her nostrils gave her away. 

   "This needs to stop, Agate!" Bloom said, following her, with Blackbird in close pursuit, trying to grab Bloom's tail. The sister had matching streaks of red on their frills.

    "Stop what?" Agate turned with a snarl so fierce that Epiphyte forgot to breathe for a moment.

    "Being awful!" Bloom shouted. "You are acting like such an ass lately, trying to impress him!" She thrust a reddening talon at Crab, who was blinking in surprise and concern.

    "What the hell?" Agate snarled. She was lucky her mom wasn't home.

    "Agate-" Epiphyte tried.

    She whipped her head around at him and hissed, and she was met with Splinter hissing and drawing a vine of some sort from his bag.

    "Agate?" Crab said, cutting the tension. Agate looked around for a moment, at everyone's fear or anger, or in Landslide's case, mild amusement. She shoved past Splinter and grabbed Epiphyte's arm.

    "Talk with me, please." Epiphyte saw the tears welling in her eyes. She's so embarrassed, especially when Bloom called her out about Crab.

    She pulled him out of her room, and stuffed him into the bathroom and turned on the light, and closed the door. Agate burst into tears.

    Epiphyte sat there awkwardly, watching her cry as his scales had a colorful war across his scales. 

   "Um-" he tested. "Are you okay-?"

   "No!" she choked out. She sniffled and sneezed a burst of flame. "It's all too weird, loving someone!"

    Epiphyte understood that. He was still questioning as he figured out he loved Splinter. "Elaborate."
   "I want him to like me- and Crab seems like the type to want someone loud and bold and brave, and I'm trying to become that because I want him to love me!" she covered her face in her wings.

   "Well... I do know that he loves you too, Agate." Epiphyte hadn't forgotten his chat with Exo yesterday. He would have to be careful; he didn't want to end up in a sticky situation.