The guards weren't much trouble. I ordered them to go, and they listened.
The halls blurred as I ran ahead, Shanti's and Crow's footsteps loud behind me. We burst out the doors into the cloudy afternoon, and immediately I knew.
My mother was going to be more of a problem.
"Moonsong!"
I froze, squeezing my eyes shut. What would I see if I opened my eyes?
"Moonsong, you are ordered to freeze where you are. Do not attempt to move."
Hesitantly, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Queen Iridescent, anger radiating off of her. "You have abandoned your kind. Disobeyed an order. Endangered us all by bringing them here."
"We have names, you know." Crow piped up, and thousands of eyes focused on him. I took a step back when I saw who was behind my mother. The entire kingdom seemed to be watching us, gathered in the pavilion, on the roofs, perched everywhere and on everything in sight.
I shivered. This isn't good.
"What's with the spectacle?" Shanti's voice was soft as she spoke to me. "My mother's planning something," I said in return, "Though I'm not sure what."
Shanti made a noncommittal noise, drawing her wings into her body.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of orange, and my heart sank. "Mo..." Tigermoth's anguished face swam in front of me. I snapped my head to the side, water cold against my neck. "Not you too!" I blinked furiously. "Tigermoth, I thought you of all dragons would understand my-"
"You'd forsake your duty as heir?" Queen Iridescent stepped forward. I swallowed, feeling bare before the eyes that watched my every move. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, Crow beat me to it.
"I wouldn't."
He smiled, and a shadow flashed overhead, dropping something that glinted obsidian and ruby.
It landed on his head, a band of darkness shot through with blood.
"The legendary SkyWing crown. Lost for a millennium and said to contain the magic of ten animuses." Shanti breathed in awe.
The crowd was still. Stunned into silence.
"Crow, what are you doing?" I asked, my chest heavy with dread.
He turned to me, eyes glittering.
"Doing my own duty as heir."
YOU ARE READING
The Ghost Crown - FlashWing Chronicles
Fantasy**FlashWings are a closed tribe owned by me, aka LoveArdent (on deviantArt) **Cover created by MoonrisetheMage on deviantArt ------ Moonsong was born different. As the youngest, she was the heir to the FlashWing...
