Hidden Wings

Chapter 8

   Maria woke with a jolt out of a dream that she was back in her house reading her favorite fantasy novel. She opened her eyes and waited a moment for them to adjust to the lack of light. None of the lighting globes had been lit, so it must be the middle of the night, she reasoned. As her eyes got used to the dark, Maria realized that Spry wasn't in his bed. She scanned the room, then spotted his tail slithering out the door. What?
   Maria waited a moment, then climbed out of bed and followed him.
   Walking softly up the hallway outside their room, Maria caught a glimpse of Spry's tail disappearing around another corner. She sped up and came into a corridor that split into two separate passages, but no way to know which one Spryvern had taken. Even worse, both ways looked exactly the same.
    Maria frowned. Maybe it's nothing important. I should just go back to bed. After wrestling with doubts for a few minutes, she turned around to go back to her room.
    Only a few steps down the hall, she stopped. The click-click of claws on stone was coming her way. She spun around and looked down the passage on the right. Green scales flashed in the light of the candle the dragon had taken from the bedroom. Maria crept down the hall like a phantom.
   After following Spry's tail down several corridors, she stopped around a corner, waiting for him to to get farther ahead. She heard him set down the candle, blow it out, and then open his wings. A second later there was a whoosh, and a gust of wind blew around the corner. Maria snaked her neck around to take a peek. The ground dropped away a few feet from her talons, the space becoming silvery shapes of trees and hills. A sky covered in sparkling stars stretched overhead and cold night wind washed across Maria's face. The lights of Colorado Springs gleamed in the distance like a handful of glitter tossed across the horizon.
  Maria sighted Spry's sleek green form gliding away from the mountain palace. She swallowed, looking down at the ground below. This is such a bad idea. What if I loose my balance and fall? He won't be there to catch me. She tapped her claws indecisively. Then a thought hit her so hard she almost fell off the ledge and went tumbling down the cliff. What if he's going after Vycan? Her mind made up, Maria spread her wings and tensed. She bit her lip and, taking a deep breath, launched herself off the edge.
   The wind caught her like a leaf and flung her across the sky, soaring on the cool breeze. She beat her wings once to gain height, drifting into a cloud. The mist engulfed her, but the purple dragon kept flying forward. After what felt like forever, she exited the cloud. The wind hit her scales, turning the water droplets collected on them to ice. Maria shivered. I wish Spry had taught me how to breathe fire.
    Spry. Maria scanned the skies for her friend. Nothing. Where did he go? She turned her head to look back at the mountain. She was shocked at how far away it was. I must have flown farther than I thought.
    Now fully awake, Maria realized that Spry would never go after Vycan alone. She sighed and started to wheel around, regretting that she had ever come out here in the first place.
    Clawed talons wrapped around Maria's snout, preventing her from making a sound. The dragon had materialized out nothing. A sharp spike that smelled of venom pressed against her neck. "Not one word," whispered a voice close to her ear as Maria froze in terror. "Or it will be your last."
    The dragon let go of her snout, keeping the barb pressed to her throat. Maria spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see Spry hovering in the air in behind them. The black dragon hadn't spotted him, but he let out a low hiss and prodded Maria forward. Still hopeful, she turned and followed him. Glancing back, Maria could barely repress a choked cry as she saw Spry start toward her, stop, then turn and fly away.