The Lost Heir by Tui T. Sutherland Read Free Book Online

blindfolded.”
    “What am
I
going to do?” Glory asked. “Round up some scary RainWings to come sleep on your roof? I thought no one was afraid of my tribe.”
    “We’re not,” Riptide objected. “Afraid of RainWings. Pffft. What a thing to say.”
    More streaks of pale green appeared along Glory’s scales and then faded away. “Wonderful,” she said. “So no blindfold for me, then.” She tossed her head and turned back to the ocean.
    Riptide looked doubtfully at Starflight and Sunny.
    “The NightWings know every thing,” Starflight said loftily. “It’s no use trying to keep secrets from them. I mean, us. I could just use my powers to figure out where your palace is.”
    Tsunami rolled her eyes. Starflight had no powers whatsoever, as far as any of the dragonets knew. But if he wanted the SeaWings to think he did, maybe that could be useful eventually.
    “Please don’t argue with him,” Tsunami said to Riptide. “Once he starts yammering on about how amazing NightWings are, we’ll never get him to shut up.”
    Starflight ruffled his wings in outrage. Riptide muttered something under his breath and started poking around in the shallow water below the rocks.
    “You can blindfold me,” Sunny offered. “I don’t mind.”
    “If you do that, she can ride on my back,” Tsunami suggested. She missed having the little SandWing come lean against her trustingly. Sunny was still acting jumpy and ner vous around her, four whole
days
after her fight with the SkyWing soldier, as if Tsunami might suddenly attack someone out of nowhere, for no reason.
    “Or my back,” Starflight jumped in quickly. Tsunami frowned at him. Why was he trying so hard to take her place?
    “You think you’re strong enough?” she challenged.
    “Sure he is,” Sunny said. “I’ll ride with him, and you can lead Clay.”
    Well, fine, then,
Tsunami thought.
I guess everyone’s giving the orders now.
    Riptide came stomping back with several long strands of thick black seaweed. Sunny immediately looked like she was regretting her offer. But she let the big SeaWing wrap the seaweed tightly around her head, covering her closed eyes.
    “Ew,” she said, shivering. “It’s all wet and slimy.”
    “I like wet and slimy,” Clay said, ducking his head to make it easier for Riptide to blindfold him.
    “That’s weird, Clay,” said Glory.
    Riptide’s attention was focused on plastering seaweed all over Clay’s broad head. When he was done, it looked more like an octopus trying to eat Clay’s brain than a blindfold. But of course, Clay didn’t complain. He never complained about anything except being hungry. It was one of the things Tsunami loved about him.
    Tsunami helped Sunny climb awkwardly onto Starflight’s back, balancing in the narrow space between his wings. The SandWing was small, but Starflight wasn’t as burly as Tsunami or Clay.
    “If you can’t handle it, tell me and I’ll take her,” Tsunami said to him.
    Starflight nodded, breathing deeply. His wings curled in, and he shivered as Sunny lay down, rested her head on his neck, and clasped her forearms trustingly around his shoulders.
    Tsunami turned to Clay and brushed one of his wing tips with hers.
    “Can you feel that?” she asked. “If I do that in the air, can you stay with me?”
    “I think so,” Clay said doubtfully.
    “I’ll fly on your other side,” Glory said, hopping down from her rock. She reached up and nudged his other wing. “That way we can steer you together.”
    Clay shook his head a little and a loose flap of seaweed went
glop flop
against his neck. “This is really strange,” he said. “It’s as dark as the underground river. Only with breathing, so, better. I’m in favor of breathing. Definitely better than not breathing.”
    “Just don’t go too fast. And listen to me,” Tsunami ordered.
    “To
us
,” Glory chimed in. “And we promise not to drown you.” She gave Tsunami an arch look.
    If I do decide to drown somebody, I