Yellow Light (Dragonfly #5)

To See the Stars

Arroyo
________

Ostend hadn't gotten much better.

It scared me.

I stared at him, through the bars. Xanthos had his eyes closed in deep concentration, he was focused on something. And he wouldn't tell me.

"Ostend?" I asked weakly, trying to make conversation.

He cracked an eye open at me. Then smiled warmly.

"I've seen the most amazing things." He whispered.

"What?"

"The stars Ary, they're so beautiful, when I grow up, I want to be a scribe-claw so I can study the stars."

"Oh, I don't know what I want to do. I guess I'll just wait until the time comes." I replied honestly.

"No." He answered.

"What?"

"The time may never come, you should savor it, don't live a lie."

His words ran over me like cool water. It was unnerving. It shocked me to the core, I stared at him. This little twelve year-old kit. It made me realize a lot of things.

"Mom?" I started suddenly, turning to face her.

She jolted from her sleep. "Yes dear?"

"I have something to tell you, it's important. I should have told you sooner."

She was wide awake now. Her eyes or liquid gold staring down at me wide, worried, and slightly fearful. I took a deep breath, my paws were shaking. What would she possibly think of me?

"I can't fly, I never learned. After you disappeared, I thought you were dead, the days just went by and I didn't learn how to. I promise I'll make it up to you somehow, and I know I'm a disappointment to the royal bloodline-"

"Arroyo, my son." She interrupted.

I winced, swallowing dryly. My heart beating like war drums, waging battle with my soul.

"I know, I knew from the moment I first saw you again. No claw in my entire family has had wings that small at your age." She explained, wrapping one of her own massive mottled chocolate-moca wings around my shivering shoulders.

"I still love you dear, I have always loved you, with all my heart."

She purred softly, licking the tears off my face. I didn't realize I was crying.

"Got it!" Xanthos cried in triumphant victory.

There was a terrible creaking sound, and the bars twisted and bent, broke and snapped, splintered and melted before my eyes. Xanthos was gasping for breath at the amount of energy that took, but now there was a huge hole in the sides of the cages.

"We're free." I breathed, it seemed almost to good to be true.

"Come on we have to run!" Xanthos ordered, forcing himself to stand, scooping up Ostend and breaking into a fast hobble.

I didn't think twice, Mom and I shot off across the cracked and dead grass. It had been forever since I had stretched my legs like this. If only it weren't in such dire circumstances.