Island of Dragons (Unwanteds #7)(11)

“I mean that dragons are born,” Alex went on, “like people and nonmagical animals. “They’re not created out of materials, or sculptures brought to life.”

“So?” asked Lani. “Does that matter?”

Alex knit his brow, trying to figure out how to explain what he meant. “It’s like with you, Lani. Say you decided you just couldn’t live another moment without a third arm. Could I make a human arm for you and attach it and have it become part of you?”

Lani frowned. “Why would I want a third arm?”

“That’s not the point,” said Alex.

“Why would anyone want a third arm?” Lani went on. “Where would you put it? On your back? You’d always be uncomfortable sleeping, and I doubt it would be all that useful.”

“Ms. Octavia makes it work with eight,” Kaylee said. “She’s very efficient.”

“But she’s not human shaped,” Lani said. She thought for a moment. “I wonder how she sleeps? With all the arms splayed out, do you think?”

Alex sighed. He glanced at Aaron, who was lying on his back looking at the sky, content to listen to the conversation. Aaron noticed Alex looking at him and winked.

“The point is,” Samheed said, “you don’t know what or who Pan wants wings for. That cylinder could be an island filled with statues just like ours. Mr. Today probably had a whole secret world next door that he never bothered to mention to anybody.”

Aaron turned his head and glanced at the jungle. “Like that one?” he almost said. But he wasn’t sure Alex and the others knew about all the creatures in the jungle. Some of them must have seen Panther coming from it firsthand. Had none of them ever tried to go there? He doubted it, because the rock certainly would have mentioned it the other day when Aaron had paid them a visit.

“I wonder what other business Pan has to attend to that would force her to come back here so soon,” said Sky. “Maybe the wingless inhabitant of the cylindrical island is dependent on her. After all, she was feeding him.”

Alex nodded, then stared out over the water, lost in thought. “Is it even possible?” he mused after a bit. “The wings?”

Aaron had been thinking about that as well. Attaching wings to a creature and making them come alive couldn’t be all that different from turning a vine into a tail. “Sure it is,” he said softly.

Alex looked curiously at his brother. Aaron seemed so confident—it was almost disconcerting. “How do you know?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” added Lani. “How would you know?”

Aaron sat up on his elbows, but remained silent for a time. “It’s just . . . it’s logical,” he said, sounding a bit off. “I could make wings work.” The others just looked at him.

“You’re so sure,” prodded Alex. “But you’re not answering the question. How do you know? Because I admit I don’t.”

Aaron flashed Alex a quizzical glance. “Well, how do you not know?” he asked. “I try things, and they just . . . happen. But you should know—you’re the head mage. You can do anything.”

“That’s not exactly how it works,” Alex said, sounding defensive. “I mean, obviously things come more naturally to you. Like—like accidentally turning a scatterclip into a lethal weapon and nearly killing me with it, remember that one? Or being able to see out of the secret hallway from the moment you first stepped into it. Or killing Gondoleery when none of us could do it, or putting Simber back together from a giant pile of sand . . .” He trailed off. Impatiently he batted at a lock of hair that had fallen into his face. “But apparently the rest of us have to actually learn things, okay? From instructors and books. Or by experimenting. And we don’t get it right every time.”

Aaron was sitting up now. “Okay, okay. Sorry,” he said. He wasn’t ready to explain how he knew the wings would work. And he didn’t feel like arguing that magic didn’t always come naturally to him—he’d worried and failed plenty of times, but Alex hadn’t witnessed those moments. “Beginner’s luck, I guess,” he said lightly. “I probably don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Quite right, you don’t,” said Samheed.

The air prickled uncomfortably.

Aaron looked down. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Alex sighed. “No, it’s all right.” But something in the conversation wouldn’t leave him alone. When he’d listed all of Aaron’s seemingly effortless feats of magic like that, he’d realized the increasingly broadening scope of things Aaron could do. And it was beginning to dawn on him that perhaps Aaron was actually much more magical than anyone knew . . . more magical than Alex was. The thought made Alex’s insides hurt a little. He shifted, adjusting the robe that fastened at his neck.

The group grew silent again.

After a while, Aaron excused himself and went inside the mansion, past Simber and up the staircase to the balcony. He entered the not secret hallway and walked to the end of it, then turned into the kitchenette and got inside the tube. He pushed all the buttons at once and found himself in the jungle.

He sucked in a deep breath of the familiar, musky jungle scent, and let it out. Panther bounded over and screamed in his face, and the rock rumbled and rolled into sight.