Timeline: a Wings of Fire fanfiction (COMPLETED)

20.

Darkstalker

"You ready?" Clearsight glances at me, shooting a smile.

"I'm ready."

I grab her talon, and give it a squeeze.

***

We're kind of ridiculously well-known around the palace. I'm fairly convinced that half of the dragons here like us more than the queen does. We can barely go two steps without getting congratulated.

I mean, it's going to make us late for our conference with the council and then the rest of our jobs.

But I like making dragons happy. I like talking to them--handing out visions and making toys for the children of servants who live at the palace for them to show off to their friends. It's... one of the few things that doesn't feel tainted, to be honest.

And besides--I know Queen Vigilance is just going to spend this entire meeting trying to figure out how to exploit our daughter the second she hatches.

***

"I heard about the child," the queen snaps, in lieu of "hello."

"She's not an animus," Clearsight says, quickly. "Darkstalker, tell her. We promise--she isn't."

Queen Vigilance scowls.

That's right. You don't get to touch my daughter. You don't get to touch my wife.

I clench my talons underneath our stone meeting table.

"Are you sure? There's no way that could be changed?" She furrows her brow suspiciously, clearly not used to us not being able to fix everything.

It's taking the world of self-control not to flat-out explode right now.

"No. Your Majesty," I say quickly, forcing my smoothest, calmest voice on, a cold shell of a personality. "There is no way to manufacture animus power, and no possible future where our daughter becomes an animus."

"Manufacture it," Queen Vigilance says slowly, rolling the words around on her tongue.

Maybe that's a good idea, her mind murmurs.

Clearsight's entire posture stiffens. "Your Majesty! It's not possible. That is one of the few things animus magic cannot do. It's not to do with the power of my husband's magic, there is no animus alive who can manufacture another one. It's simply not possible."

That's a lie. Thank the moons the queen isn't smart enough to know it. I silently thank Clearsight.

The queen pauses for a second, her talons tapping ominously on the stone table. "How soon can you have more dragonets? As this one is useless, what if we just killed the spare, and you tried again--maybe this time, you'll have more--"

Have to show them who's in charge. Show them who gives the orders around here, make them respect me, make them--

"Your Majesty. That is out of line," Clearsight snaps, leaning forward on the table. "This is my daughter. She might not be hatched yet, but I would kindly ask you to treat her, my husband, and myself WITH RESPECT."

There's spit flying out of her mouth, and smoke hissing out of her nostrils. The queen just looks more irritated now.

"I don't see the problem with killing the spare. It's useless. Unless it hatches under a moon--is there any chance it'll inherit your talent at prophecy, perhaps--or could we manufacture--"