Poisonous Rage

Chapter Thirteen

"What?" Sundew asked, not sure she'd heard right. "But... this makes no sense. I sliced through the root. Mandrake was freed. The village was freed. So why are the HiveWings still controlled?"

"The Breath of Evil toxin," Qibli spoke up. His talon had been properly bandaged, and he was lying on a bed of leaves. "You destroyed the plant, so anything that was directly under its control was freed. But Wasp injected all her subjects herself. It still caused mind control, but it linked them to Wasp. I'm not sure whether the plant could control them directly or if it possessed Wasp and used her to possess them, but the point is that Wasp still has control, even though the Breath of Evil is dead."

"Then we still have to fight," Belladonna insisted. "We can defeat the HiveWings. We're stronger than they are!"

Sequoia glared at her. "Look around you, Belladonna. We're outnumbered a dozen to one. I won't throw away the lives of the LeafWings for nothing. No, we need a different plan. If we kill Wasp, I believe most of the HiveWings will surrender. Many of them simply want to live their lives."

Belladonna roared. "HiveWings don't change! They're murderous and cruel. We have to wipe them out!"

"You're the one who won't change," Sundew spat. "You're so unwilling to see any perspective other than your own that you'd rather send hundreds to their deaths to defend what you believe instead of admitting you might be wrong."

Belladonna's rage turned to Sundew. "You are a disgrace of a daughter. You're disobedient and weak. You let yourself love a SapWing and she corrupted you."

Sundew looked back at Willow and Mandrake and Hazel and she felt a weight lift from her. She turned back to her mother. "I can't make you accept me. I can't even make you love me," Sundew responded, her voice cracking slightly. "But I don't need you. I've forged my own family."

"I should teach you a lesson!" Belladonna screamed, slashing her talon at her daughter, but Willow stepped in front of Sundew. Belladonna's claws sliced through Willow's skin.

Belladonna's face twisted in surprise, and then Sequoia rose from where she had been sitting, spreading her wings and looming over Belladonna. "Get out," the queen spoke calmly, "and never return."

Belladonna looked up at the huge, ancient dragon, her face twisted in fear. She stepped forward as if to challenge the queen before turning and flying away.

Sequoia settled back, and Sundew looked at the queen with newfound respect before running to Willow. "Are you ok?" Sundew asked.

Willow smiled up at her. "I'm fine. It's not too deep."

Sundew's talons clenched in fury and part of her was tempted to leap into the air, chase down Belladonna, and attack her.

She took a deep breath and let her anger go. She wasn't going to forgive Belladonna, but she wasn't going to let her anger consume her anymore.

A doctor wrapped Willow's wound but said she'd be fine. "The only way to win this war is by killing Wasp and hoping the HiveWings don't want to fight." Sequoia began. "So how do we do that?"

"We can't send anyone, it'd take a day, maybe more, and by then we'd be wiped out," Sequoia's top general answered.

"We could retreat into the jungle, but ourselves some time," Tsunami suggested.

"They might set the forest on fire," Qibli responded, "try to smoke us out."

"Can we contact the Chrysalis?" Willow asked.

"The SilkWing resistance group? We never got into contact with them on our mission," said Sundew.

"Then we don't have a choice. We have no way of killing Wasp from here, so we have to send someone," another LeafWing insisted.

An idea popped into Sundew's head. "Maybe not," she said. "Outside Wasp Hive, I dropped a few tree seeds to spite Wasp. It's a long shot, but if I can get one to grow tall enough, Wasp might be speared by the branches."

"It's our only chance," Sequoia murmured. "Wasp's army will attack any minute. We'll buy you time. Go someplace quiet and concentrate."

"Can Willow come with me?" Sundew asked.

Sequoia gave her a wry smile. "Of course." Then her posture changed to that of a queen. "Redwood, gather our forces and prepare for an attack."

Sundew and Willow moved to the side as the area became alive with activity. "Good luck. I'm sure you can do it, Sundew," Qibli assured.

Hazel hugged Willow. "Don't die. I don't know what I'd do without my best friend."

Willow and Sundew flew off. They landed at the edge of the forest, away from the battlefield. "I'm sorry, Willow," Sundew apologized. "I was reckless and angry. I should've listened to you. I put others in danger because of it. And I love you, whether you love me or Hazel."

Willow tilted her head, a small smile playing on her face. "You're cute when you're insecure. Hazel's just a friend. And I love you no matter what, my forever dragon."

Willow twined her tail around Sundew, and for the moment, that was enough.

Suddenly, the roars of dragons echoed from the battlefield. Sundew turned and saw the LeafWings fighting the HiveWing army.

Sundew snarled as she saw her people dying at the talons of the HiveWings. She wanted to plunge her talons into the earth and let the jungle eat Wasp's puppets alive.

"Hey, hey. Remember what I said." Willow murmured, moving in front of Sundew, wrapping her wings around the LeafWing's head, blocking out the war. "Concentrate. Your most powerful point is somewhere between rage and peace."

Sundew tried. She tried to think, but all her life she had been filled with anger. It was all she knew. Until a sparkle-eyed, crinkle-smile dragon came into her life and changed her.

She opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of the dragon she loved, and she knew what to do.

Then, there was a thump of talons, and a spear plunged through Willow's chest.