Island of Dragons (Unwanteds #7)(37)

“Let’s give them a try. Which dragon shall we work with first?”

“Arabis the orange is the most mature,” said Pan. “She will sit quietly while you work on her.”

“Then we’ll work on Arabis first,” said Alex.

Aaron picked up a wing for the orange dragon and handed it to Alex, then went back for the second one. He gave a dubious look at the ruler of the sea, afraid to ask where they had to go, exactly, to find the orange dragon.

Pan gripped the side of the cylindrical island and dropped her tail, letting it slither around the boys. “We must hurry so no one notices your boat,” she said.

Alex frowned, thinking Pan was acting a bit paranoid. “We’ll go as fast as we can, but we want to get it right.”

“Of course,” said Pan. With her tail tightly wound around the boys’ chests, she lifted them out of the boat.

Aaron clung to the wing and looked around anxiously as he began to rise in the air next to Alex. “This is quite frightening, isn’t it?” he whispered.

“A bit,” Alex agreed. “But she won’t let go of us.”

“Let’s hope not,” said Aaron.

Pan climbed up the wall, her body moving jerkily but her tail remaining quite calm as she went. Soon she reached the top and swung the boys over and down into the core of the island.

In daylight, the dragons were much easier to spot in the shallow water. Aaron looked as if he were about to faint. He began to tremble and sweat profusely.

“They won’t hurt us,” Alex said. “I promise. Aren’t they beautiful?”

Aaron had to admit they were, but his fear reminded him of the day he met Panther. A pang of guilt mingled with the fear. He still needed to tell Alex about the jungle animals.

Pan called to Arabis, the orange dragon, in a strange language. “They are learning to communicate in your language,” said Pan. “But for safety we speak the language of the dragons.” She continued to speak to Arabis the orange, coaxing her to climb up and sit on a rock ledge out of the water. Pan lowered the boys down next to her, and Arabis turned her attention to Aaron, sniffing him.

“Oh my,” Aaron said, beyond uncomfortable. “Hi there.” He shrank back and pressed against the wall, holding the wing in front of him like a shield. He gave himself a silent pep talk to build his confidence, knowing the dragon, like Panther, could probably sense his fear.

“Hold out your fist, like this,” said Alex, showing him how to greet the dragons.

“Why?”

“So they can smell you and determine if you are more good than evil.”

Aaron’s face went gray. “You’re joking.”

“No,” said Alex.

“What if . . . what if I’m . . . not?”

Alex shrugged. “You are.”

“How do you know?”

Alex gave his brother a sympathetic look. “Just do it.”

Aaron did it, trying not to shake. His eyes closed and he held his breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

Arabis sniffed Aaron’s fist. Then she sniffed again, lingering over him for several moments as if trying to decide. Eventually she seemed satisfied with him and moved her head over to Alex to do the same thing. Alex greeted her.

Aaron opened one eye. “Is she done?” he whispered.

“You passed,” said Alex. “Congratulations. You are more good than evil.”

Aaron let out a deep breath. “I was worried.”

One of the other young dragons blew a small blast of fire into the air nearby, making both boys jump.

Pan nodded at Alex. “She’s ready.”

Alex took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He plucked a meld component from his pocket and lifted the base of the first wing in the air. He pressed the wing against the dragon’s back, moving it around, trying to find the exact best angle to secure it. Once he felt confident the wing was placed correctly, he applied the meld spell and watched as the base of the wing melded into the dragon’s back, and the wing magically took on the exact sheen of the dragon’s body. Alex stepped back and looked carefully at it from all directions, as Arabis turned her head curiously to see what had been attached to her.

Aaron handed Alex the second wing, and Alex did the same with it on the other side of the dragon’s back. Once attached, it also took on the magic sheen of the dragon’s body. “Okay, Aaron,” said Alex. “Can you bring them to life?”

Aaron nodded and gingerly stepped toward Arabis. The orange dragon’s spiny back rippled as she tried to get used to the new appendages, and she shifted uncomfortably. Aaron put his hand out and touched the dragon’s side. “Don’t be afraid,” Aaron whispered, partly to remind himself to calm down.

The dragon turned her face so she could see Aaron, and the two gazes connected. Arabis’s trembling stopped, and Aaron smiled at the beast. “I’m going to make your new wings feel better,” he said. He didn’t know if the dragon could understand him, but she bowed her head as if she did.

After a moment, Aaron touched her right wing and concentrated on it, thinking about bringing it to life. “Live,” he said softly.

The wing shimmered and began to move of its own accord. Aaron gently guided the wing into its folded position while Arabis craned her neck to see what was happening. Then Aaron moved around to her other side and did the same with the left.