Moon Rising by Tui T. Sutherland Read Free Book Online Page B

a lying, smoke-breathing NightWing.” He took a step closer, and Moon felt the cold coming off his scales. “I could freeze you one part at a time — first your horns, then snap them off. Then your tail — freeze it and snap it off. Then your claws, and your wings … Should I go on?”
    Moon closed her talons around the scavenger and brought her wings forward to wrap around it, too. It was impossible to focus her thoughts; the IceWing’s mind was so bright, like the sun dazzling off a glacier. In between his threats were images of another IceWing, laughing and shouting in the snow, then the same dragon surrounded by SkyWings in a mountain forest.
    She couldn’t follow the threads — if that was the dragon he mourned, how did he get killed by NightWings if he was captured by SkyWings? If the IceWing wanted to eat this scavenger, why had he brought it “all the way here”? If he hated Moon so much, how could he also be noticing how gently she held the scavenger?
    Say something, she yelled at herself, but already she couldn’t remember what he’d said and what she’d only seen inside his mind.
    “Hey, calm down, all right?” A SandWing shoved his way through the watching crowd and stepped between Moon and the IceWing. Moon recognized him as the dragon she’d made eye contact with outside her cave. The one who had noticed how nervous she was.
    “No one is getting sliced up or frozen and snapped apart,” he said to the IceWing. “What is wrong with you? Did you even try just asking nicely?” He turned to Moon. “Hey. I’m the idiot clawmate, although most dragons call me Qibli. My intimidating acquaintance here is Winter. What’s your name?”
    He had a gold earring in one ear with a warm orange amber teardrop hanging from it. A few dark brown freckles stood out on his nose, which also bore a small zigzagging scar; the rest of him was a light sandy color. His poisonous barbed tail was tucked neatly into a safe spiral, although it kept twitching in Winter’s direction.
    He looked like a normal SandWing, but he didn’t think like one — or like any dragon she’d met before. Brushing against Qibli’s mind was like stepping into a speeding river. He was almost unconsciously scanning the cave as he spoke to her, assessing threats and deciding which dragons were the most dangerous. (She was not on the list.) While he was focusing on defusing Winter’s tension and negotiating with Moon, he was also checking escape routes and noting who wore the most jewelry. A small part of his brain was even clocking a chicken in his peripheral vision that he thought might scurry close enough for him to catch.
    This did not help clear her mind at all.
    They were waiting for an answer from her — to what question? Her name?
    “Moon,” she managed to whisper.
    “Moon what?” the IceWing snapped.
    Moon what? She didn’t understand the question. The scavenger was moving between her claws, and his fear now had streaks of confusion in it, which was muddling up Moon’s head as well. Not to mention the crowd of watching dragons and their excited mind clamor: Maybe they’ll fight! I wonder what scavengers taste like! Why isn’t she saying anything? I can’t believe she took his scavenger! I bet if he slices her face off, he’ll totally get expelled!
    “Moon what?” Winter nearly shouted. “Come on, NightWing. We know your names are all lies. So what’s yours? Moondestroyer? Mooneater? Mooncrusher?”
    “Winter, you need to seriously cool down!” Qibli yelled. He shot a grin at Moon. “Get it? Because he’s an IceWing? I know, I’m hilarious.”
    “It’s Moonwatcher,” said Kinkajou, coming up behind Moon. She twined her tail around Moon’s. Moon knew that the RainWing was trying to be reassuring and supportive, but the effect was that Kinkajou’s thoughts were suddenly as loud as thunder, clashing up against the scavenger’s small hot spark of terror.
    An IceWing! He’s so glittery! And fierce and dangerous!