Wings of Fire: Tangled in Darkness (Paused)

Chapter 13

Monarch and Ivy sat up against the wall, their talons lightly touching as Hawkmoth reported the possible escape routes he saw.

As their friend babbled on, Monarch turned to Ivy. "Hey, I was wondering about something. At the hotel, why do you think those HiveWings were chasing us? That hotel was meant for everyone."

Ivy frowned, thinking. "I-" Monarch held her breath. She could tell that was Ivy's, Should I tell this dragon this, hesitation and not her, I'm thinking, hesitation.

"I didn't want to worry you about this, but during the night I snuck off to spy on the guards." She said in a rush. "I heard them talking about a really scary dragon, one that lives underground. They were talking about you." Monarch gasped.

"They said the dragon told them to retrieve a SilkWing meant for something great, and they were going to kidnap you and Lacewing."

Monarch almost fainted. What? What? WHAT?

Ivy grasped her talons. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you. Nothing will ever, ever, take you away from me." Monarch was breathing heavily, but she stared at Ivy's face and calmed down.

"This is horrible." She whispered. "Who wants me? Who wants anything to do with me? I'm not meant for something great. I'm just a regular SilkWing!"

Ivy shrugged. "I disagree. I think you could change the world." Monarch stared at her, and they leaned together, almost kissing again before they realized Hawkmoth was still there, and still talking.

"There's another one where a gap was cut into the railing, and we could slide out onto a deck in the level below, but I don't know what the deck leads to." He put his talon to his chin, thinking.

"Walking out onto a thin railing millions of miles above the savannah?" Monarch asked. "Doesn't sound like something I want to do."

Ivy laughed. "What about the lunch area? There's a door that leads to a hallway."

Hawkmoth shook his head. "I followed the hallway, it leads to a door with two guards."

They all went silent as they thought, Monarch wondered if they could distract the guards somehow.

Suddenly, a long glistening dragon entered. Monarch had no idea which tribe she was from, but she certainly looked like every tribe combined.

She had two wings, but an antenna unfurled from her head, and her wings were the color of grass in the summertime, slightly yellow. She had gold scales littered throughout her body, and a curved barb at the end of her tail.

"Who are you?" Hawkmoth said, clearly interested.

"My name is Left." She said, softly, but somehow loud at the same time. "I work here at the orphanage, and I'm afraid I have bad news for your SilkWing friend."

Hawkmoth glanced at Monarch and they exchanged a look. "Us? Or do you mean Lacewing? She's not with us right now." Hawkmoth said.

Left (which Monarch thought was a very odd name) pointed at Monarch. "For her, and for you two I suppose."

She pulled off a blanket from the pile and folded it into a neat square, casually putting it beside her and sitting on it. Left nodded towards the pile and waited with a patient expression.

Monarch and Hawkmother did the same, with Ivy doing it very reluctantly the next moment.

Left folded her wings back and said to Ivy and Hawkmoth, "A dragon named Julia and Ringtail are coming to retrieve you two, and they will take you back to the LeafSilk Kingdom. Monarch, however, will stay in the orphanage until she is adopted or transferred."

Ivy growled, standing up. "What? What do you mean? Monarch has to come with us! Why is she not coming with us?"

Left sighed, and turned to Monarch, grasping her talons. Monarch sat there with her mouth open. What was going on?

"After Queen Jewel became queen, she made it mandatory that a dragonet under the age of eight would have to stay in an orphanage if there was no family member present to take care of them, even if they weren't currently living with any family." Monarch opened and closed her mouth.

"But-" She paused. "But that doesn't apply to me. I have three family members, who live in the LeafSilk Kingdom. My mom, Marblewing, my dad, Sulphur, and my brother Bronze."

Left sighed. "Monarch, you are not understanding me. You're parents and brother went missing a couple of hours after you left, and since we have not found them in 48 hours, detectives have declared them dead."