Wings Of Fire: The Claws Of Vengence (book 2)

Chapter 1-Belladonna

Like most mornings, I'm awoken by searing hot pain.

I jerk upwards in the chair I'm attached to but don't get very far thanks to the tight chains holding me down. I grit my teeth to stop from screaming as a dragon slams his talons against my ribs.

"Wakey wakey," the dragon hisses in my ear.

"Good morning Bluey," I grunt to the navy Seawing, I've nicknamed 'Bluey' standing over me.

I have a new torturer every day, they come in and shout questions that I don't know the answer to, beat the moons out of me, I go unconscious with pain, they heal me slightly so I don't die, feed me rotten catch, sleep, and repeat.

"Ready to answer our questions, soldier?" Bluey growls.

"No," I bite back.

Bluey snarls and slaps me across the face. I spit out blood. This ones got a temper, I note.

Bluey doesn't stop, his talons rake my legs, my arms. He punches and slaps until tears spring from my eyes and whimpers escape my mouth.

The thought of Storm's vibrant, periwinkle blue eyes are the only thing keeping me focused, keeping me from screaming back answers to Blueys repeated questions just to get the pain to stop.

"Where is it?" A Nightwing snarls, Big snout, my second interrogator.

"I don't know! I don't know, I promise!" I sob, tears falling fast down my snout.

"Yes. You. Do." He says, his snout close to my ear now. "There's no one to protect your secret for. Your friends are next. We're going to kill them, starting with your little girlfriend." He snarls.

And I don't know why, but I almost smile at the fact he referrs to me as Storm's girlfriend, but another punch to the ribs brings me back to my senses.

"WHERE IS THE CROWN?" He shouts, finally losing his patience after the weeks of my silence. I'm about to shriek a reply before his fist appears out of nowhere and slams against my forehead.

I see stars as I collapse, my head lolling to the side while the chains hold me up in an awkward position. The last thing my blurry vision captures is Bluey slapping Big Snout across the face, saying something like "Not yet you imbecile," before my vision darkens to nothing and my mind wanders.

Blurry darkness consumes me and the pain from my injuries stab in sharp contrast. Before the pain overwhelms me completley, my thoughts flicker, searching the continent for a mind to latch onto.

Finally sharp thoughts fill my mind. But not as sharp as the pain that aches and stings my body. In the seconds before I lose consciousness, I latch onto the random dragon's thoughts and find myself in their mind...

"Queen Blister," A low voice hisses in my ear as I swoop past a stall selling scorpion tails.

"Dingo," I reply calmly, not even having to glance over to know it's him, just like how Dingo can tell it's me even though my face is blurred from my animus amulet.

"I thought you were dead," He says, walking in sync beside me.

"I was." I say, not giving an explanation. Dingo doesn't inquire further, he knows I hate ignorant dragons.

When I turn into a dark, abandoned alley deep in the heart of the Scorpion Den, Dingo pauses.

"Cobra Coil? Are you sure?" He stammers.

I glare at him and he shrinks under my gaze. "If you're too scared to witness a fight, I suggest you don't come at all."

"No, You're Majesty. It's just that I heard a rumour of a rebel attack happening in there."