Page 51 of The Infirmary for Dragon Burns and Midair Mishaps

Vaela sighed.

“You’re worried,” I said. Was it her brother she fretted over, or was there more that frightened her?

Her jaw tightened in response. “What the king wants, the king gets.”

And then, not that far from us, a ball of light shot into the sky.

“What was that?”

“A flaming arrowhead,” Vaela said, frowning. Another marked the sky. And then another. “They’re going to try to bring it down.”

“This close to town?” I said.

Vaela started up the path toward the infirmary.

I followed, ducking out of the way as Min surged ahead of us. As we came around the front of the infirmary, chaos exploded. A line of flaming arrows shot into the sky. Campfires blazed and the kingsguard barked orders. Above us, there were answering roars.

I blinked away the balls of light behind my eyelids.

Vaela darted forward, knocking an arrow from the closest kingsguard as he drew back his bow. The arrow fell and she stamped it out. “You’re bringing unnecessary attention to the town!”

“Do not involve yourself in matters of the king!” another soldier barked, getting in Vaela’s face.

My heart thundered. I reached for her, but she held her arm out, holding me back. Putting me between her and Min, who growled menacingly behind me.

“Back off, wrangler!” the soldier hissed. “Take your dragon. You’re not needed here.”

Vaela rose up to her full height. “Is landing the Wretch on an unsuspecting town part of your idiotic plan?”

The soldier pressed forward, hand on the hilt of his blade, but another man appeared suddenly. Trystan. Vaela’s brother stood between them, holding the tension at bay.

“Peace, friends. There’s no time for this now. The beast moves and we must move with it.”

More dragons roared overhead. My eyes lifted to the dark shapes darting around. One dove at the group of us, curved claws coming into view. Min snapped at it, scaring it off at the last second.

Vaela swore, pulling me under a nearby tree for safety. “Stay here.”

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure these fools don’t bring the Wretch down in the middle of the square.”

“We ride!” the kingsguard cried, climbing onto their horses.

Vaela turned to her brother. “Be careful.”

“You too,” Trystan told her, pressing a hand to her face. He tipped his head, their foreheads touching briefly, then he fled onto his black steed.

Another dragon screeched, diving close.

“Get back to the cottage,” Vaela said, turning to me.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Please,” she said. “The last thing I need is to fret over your safety.”

“Vaela?”

“Go now,” she cried, racing for Min as another dark shape descended from the sky. She ducked a set of snapping jaws, scrambling up Min before shooting off. As they rose, higher and higher, I squinted to follow their movements. A dark shape collided with them, and Min screeched so loudly I had to clap my hands over my ears to drown out the sound.