"Excuse me," Clandestine said politely as she entered the healing center. "I heard in your mind that you wanted to talk to me ?"

Firefly nodded in response. "I need a favour."

"Whatever you say, Firefly."

"It's totally fine if you don't want to do this, but I was hoping you could... spy on the DoD's conversation ?"

The Nighwing dragonet's eyes widened for a split second. "W-what ?"

"You know.. read their minds while they have their meeting."

"I don't know if my dad would appreciate that."

"That's okay." Firefly gave a sideways glance at her cousin. She was still unconscious, the scavenger she had saved resting next to the Rainwing's head, but her white scales were slowly turning into an extremely pale pink, getting closer to her normal color scheme. I wonder what dream Lychee's having. Must be a really nice one to make her turn pink like that. Maybe about the rainforest ? Or about her father ?

"It's about you," Clandestine interrupted her train of thoughts.

Firefly perked up at this and raised an eyeridge at the petite dragonet in front of her.

"Apparently dream-seeing is a type of mind-reading," she shrugged. "It's about you, Lychee, and two other Rainwings. You're playing hide and seek and you just the last hider, a tiny Rainwing-Nighwing hybrid, under this giant root." A soft smile made its way to her face when she said, "You all look very happy."

Firefly stared at Clandestine, then at Lychee. Her previously light blue ruff changed to rose pink on the edges and her emerald eyes were glassy with tears that were threatening to fall again.

"That's nice," was all Firefly could say before she went silent again.

After examining her friend's situation, Clandestine sighed. "I'll do it. But don't tell my dad about this, promise ?

Firefly gave her a small nod. "I promise."

The two dragonets waited for about an hour before Glory arrived at Jade Mountain. Clandestine was able to detect her mind right away, along with a few unfamiliar ones. The queen was planning to discuss last night's incident with the school founders quickly before checking up on her daughter.

"They're starting," Clandestine whispered.

Firefly watched intently as her Nightwing friend closed her eyes to focus on the upcoming conversation. What they were doing was wrong, she knew, but she wanted to know what they're planning.

"Tsunami.." Clandestine mumbled. Firefly edged closer to the smaller dragonet, her ruff a orangey-purple now. "..She thinks you and Lychee should go home. To the rainforest. Da-Starflight thinks it's a bad idea because if the murderer's key weapon is fire, a forest full of flammable trees is the last place you should go to. Glory.. she's .. hesitant ? Upset ? She's guarding her thoughts and feelings very well. There's this other dragon who thinks he should send invisible Rainwings to guard the whole school."

"That would be my dad, Deathbringer," Firefly interrupted.

"Oh," was all she said before continuing. "Starflight is contemplating where the safest place to send you to would be. The Ice Kindgom would be safe, but you won't be able to survive there. The Kingdom of Sea can't be harmed by fire, however, you can't breathe underwater. Tsunami is now wondering if she should ask Anemone or Turtle to enchant something to protect you. Clay is wondering who could look after you, since Glory is a busy queen and the rest of the DoD need to stay at the school. And Sunny.. she has a pretty good idea, actually."

"What is it ?" Firefly asked.

Clandestine opened her dark green eyes, a thinking expression on her face. "It could work. You and Lychee can be escorted to one of the islands of the Kingdom of Sea, then have one of Tsunami's animus siblings enchant a barrier around it so that only certain dragons can enter."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Firefly replied. "Do the others agree ?"

"They- wait !" Clandestine shut her eyes again. "Mirage just joined them."

"Mirage is there ?"

"He... He said he heard everything and he wants to offer the island he lives in as a safe hideout for you two. He'll accompany you there while Sunny reach out to his uncle, Turtle, with her dream visitor."

"And what do the adults think of this idea ?"

"Your parents are a little worried, especially your dad. He's thinking about how he knows you and if you've been close." Clandestine laughed at the last bit. "But other than that, they seem to think it's a good solution."

"What's a good solution ?"

The two dragonets turned around to see Lychee with her eyes half-opened. Firefly next to her cousin's bed in a second, taking her talon in her's.

"Lychee !" she exclaimed, yellow spreading onto her Rainwing scales. "Do you feel okay ? You got burnt very badly. Can you tell us what the three moons happened ?

She smiled, peachy-pink and pastel yellow replacing the pale colors of her scales. "I'm okay, sore and tired, but okay." Her smile faded, and a slight frown now adorned her features. Lychee almost never frowns. She always at least calmly smiles.

"Firefly ?" the Rainwing said carefully. "When your cave was on fire, you heard a voice, right ? You said it was all low and raspy."

A shiver went down Firefly's spine as she recalled the memory. "Yes. Yes, I did. Why ?"

"I had been hunting with my winglet when I found a scavenger crying. I went to help it but then a the grass around me just went up in flames and there was this voice not far away. I think.. I heard the same one as you did."

Firefly was now frowning aswell. Her jaw was clenched and her whole body felt stiff. "What did he say this time ?"

Lychee looked very uncomfortable, but not because of embarrassment or anything like that. It was because she was traumatized. "This one better die," she quoted, her scales becoming greyer.

The air around them was tense, filled with realisation, anger, and fear. So I was right, it is the same dragon. Why does he want Lychee and I to die ? Is it because we're royalty ? Because we're heirs to the Rainwing and Nightwing throne ?

Clandestine brushed her wing with her's, signalling that her hypothesis was probably correct. But why should he care ? Does he want to be the leader of the rainforest ? A king like Darkstalker tried to be ? Would that mean he's coming after mom next ?

This time, Clandestine took a deep breathe in and let it out as a sigh, meaning she had no idea.

Firefly needed to talk to her parents about this. They needed to know if their home is in danger. Calndestine, can you please distract Lychee for me ? I need to go do something urgent.

Clandestine wasted no time. "Hey, Lychee ? That scavenger you found is right here, you know. What do you want to name it ?"

The Rainwing turned her head around and saw the tiny scavenger napping beside her. "Aaaaaaaaawwwwww !!..."

Firefly slipped off and darted to the teachers cave, a large, no window cave near the founders' and teachers' sleeping caves. She entered without hesitation and was officially part of the meeting as she explained her newly found theory to six adult dragons and one other hybrid dragonet.

Note : I was thinking about making an art book since I can draw pretty okay. I've also been practicing drawing dragons and trying to make my own style so that I can draw the characters of this book. I'm not going to update it often though so should I ?