Wings of Fire: Overcast

Chapter Five

Eclipse nodded sharply. She agreed with her father. It was likely that Princess Seashell had been intercepted on her way to the NightWing palace. It made sense; the princess had brought no guards, yet she was definitely meant to be well protected. Queen Pearl would never let one of the heirs to her throne leave the Deep Palace unprotected.

The guards had surely perished, maybe eve Seashell herself, but there was only one way to find out. Eclipse saw the realization flash in her father's eyes, and he shook his head immediately.

"I'm not sending you to the SkyWing palace," he snapped. Thoughtful was a gentle dragon, but not weak at all when it came to keeping his dragonets safe. "Eclipse, you're so young. You're barely four years old. I'm not sending you there. At least not alone. I'm going with you."

Eclipse stared at him, and a sad smile quirked at the edges of her mouth. She closed her eyes before shaking her head, her galaxy-colored eyes sympathetic. "You can't," she whispered, and her gaze hardened. "You never told me you were the son of Queen Vigilance."

Thoughtful flinched. "Whiteout doesn't know. I think it's better if it stays that way, Eclipse. Please - you know what it would do to your mother."

"She will be fine," Eclipse hissed. "But you won't, if you follow me." Her stern expression collapsed. "Look, I don't want any of you hurt. I'm the animus. The burden is mine."

"And I'm disturbed by how freely you used your magic," Thoughtful said. "How many spells did you cast on Sunset?"

"Two or three?" Eclipse asked by rough estimation. It might have been four, but judging by the way Thoughtful already looked terrified, that was probably something she should keep to herself.

"Two or three.... Eclipse, that could have turned you over by itself!"

"It was essential, Father. And I didn't harm Sunset. I cast a soul protection spell, and Sunset has some stupid scroll she uses."

"Sunset, or Seashell?" Thoughtful asked.

"It could be Seashell's scroll, used by Sunset. For all we know, Sunset may be faking being an animus, using Seashell's power instead. You think so?" Eclipse asked, flexing her claws at the SkyWing princess.

Thoughtful looked alarmed. "Don't hurt her, Eclipse. That isn't something Queen Carmine will forgive."

"She'd better ask us to forgive her," Eclipse snarled. "I'm headed to the SkyWing palace."

"I'm coming with you!" Thoughtful argued, pushing himself closer to her.

"No, you aren't. You're staying home to look after Whiteout and Cloudchaser and Shadowseer." Eclipse raised a talon as Thoughtful spluttered excuses behind her.

The moonstone bracelet she wore around her wrist was apparently similar to the one Darkstalker had gifted Clearsight all that time ago. The one Fathom and Clearsight had used to put Darkstalker to an enchanted sleep. Eclipse wasn't sure how she felt about that. She'd never met Darkstalker, but he hadn't seemed all that evil to her. Sure, he did kill a bunch of dragons, like all those unknown IceWings and even his own father, Prince Arctic, and he had tried to kill Queen Vigilance, but they had done the same to him. The IceWings were perhaps his natural enemy, after what they'd done to Foeslayer.

She activated the enchantment on the bracelet, and she vanished, the teleportation having been activated.

But she didn't appear in SkyWing territory. She appeared on the top of Agate Mountain, where all this mess had began.

She held out her palms, and put a golden seashell in them from her personal collection. "Enchant this seashell to give me a connection to Darkstalker's mind and allow me to speak with him without truly awakening him. Enchant it to make it a dream to Darkstalker, a dream that would not arouse him, but would make it seem like a dream visit."