Billy led the way through the trees. Then he stopped suddenly, unable to believe what he saw.
There were hundreds of dragons. But that wasn’t the shocking part.
The dragons were in cages.
Dragon Hearts
The sight of the caged dragons made Billy feel sick. They weren’t ordinary cages either. The bars buzzed and sizzled, seemingly made of electricity. Each cage was a different size, made to fit the dragon inside it – and around each dragon’s neck was a tight collar made of the same electric material. The cages were positioned in a circle around a pulsing black hole that was swirling with electricity. Eight purple fires floated at various heights above the clearing, each giving off a plume of smoke.
Billy couldn’t see Spark and the other dragons, but he knew they must be in there somewhere, having their life force drained. When they had first arrived in the Dragon Realm and seen the dragon bones in the cave, he’d thought that was the worst thing that could happen to him and his friends. But now, feeling flashes of Spark’s pain as her energy was sucked away, he wondered if the dragons in the cave had died merciful and quick deaths.
‘Can you see that?’ whispered Charlotte. ‘We have to release them! All of them! These must be the good dragons – the ones on our side who survived.’
Ling-Fei looked as though she might cry. Billy thought that he might. Seeing such majestic creatures confined like this, and knowing how much pain they must be in, was unnatural. It made his skin crawl. He still couldn’t see Spark, but he could feel her agony through their bond even more now. It pulsed through him, strong enough to make him gasp.
‘We are so out of our depth,’ said Dylan.
‘This must be the portal they’re creating to bring back the Dragon of Death,’ whispered Ling-Fei.
‘I think you’re right,’ said Billy, trying to focus as another wave of pain came rolling in from his dragon bond. ‘We have to find our dragons. They’re close, I can feel it.’
‘Look!’ said Dylan, pointing. ‘They are in those cages over there!’
Billy looked up and his heart jumped. Spark was staring right at him. With a sickening jolt, he realized how weak she had become since they’d been separated. Her eyes weren’t the bright gold they had been when he last saw her. They were dimmer, faded. But, as she kept her gaze on him, her eyes started to clear.
‘We need to get closer,’ said Billy, but as he took his first step the ground began to rumble. The portal in the centre of the dome turned a dark, swirling violet. Then a crackling purple beam shot out from the portal up into the sky. Dark clouds formed around it, throwing everything in shadow.
There was the sound of beating wings up above. ‘Quick,’ said Billy. ‘Behind the trees!’
A moment later, Dimitrius and dozens of other nox-wings landed in a circle around the portal. Dimitrius roared triumphantly, waving his head from side to side and throwing a column of fire into the sky. ‘Nox-wings! We have done it! The portal is finally ready! We have enough life force to summon the Great One! Right at this very moment, she is making her journey back to our current time! Let it be known that we are the future of both the Dragon and the Human Realms, and, with the power that the Great One grants us, all shall fall under our rule.’
Dimitrius and the nox-wings turned and gazed into the swirling portal, anticipating the Dragon of Death’s imminent arrival.
‘We need to get to our dragons!’ Billy said. ‘Maybe they know how we can open their cages. And then we can fight the nox-wings and figure out a way to close the portal.’ He cut through the bushes towards Spark, with Charlotte, Dylan and Ling-Fei following close behind. The nox-wings were so focused on the portal they didn’t notice Billy and his friends sneaking by.
‘Billy,’ said Spark quietly, as they approached. ‘You came.’
‘Of course,’ said Billy. Spark’s eyes glowed bright and Billy was filled with peace. Now that he was with Spark again, he felt as if he could achieve anything.
‘Thank you,’ said Spark. ‘We must act fast. Listen carefully, children. We are weak from having our life force drained and we need you to be stronger than ever. Do you see those floating flames above us? Inside each one is a dragon’s heart that has been possessed by dark magic, and that is what is sucking away our life energy. Take the hearts out of the fire and the cages will open. Once we are free, the portal won’t have enough life force—’
A bolt of purple electricity shot towards them and wrapped round Spark’s snout, sealing her mouth.
‘Who are you talking to?’ asked Dimitrius, thundering over.
Spark looked directly at Billy. Jump, Billy, she told him and, as soon as he did, blue frost shot out of Spark’s nostrils, forming an ice board that slid right under him and latched onto his feet. You can control the board, Spark told him. Use our bond.
Billy understood instantly. The ice board felt as if it was part of him. Billy squatted down, as if riding his surfboard, and he flew up towards the closest flame.
‘Get the human children!’ Dimitrius yelled and he hurled a ball of fire at Billy.
Billy dodged to the left, the flame just missing him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw more nox-wings coming towards him. He dipped and dived as he flew into the air, dodging fireballs and ice boulders. As he approached the first purple flame, Billy thrust his arms in as fast as he could. Electricity buzzed through him, and then his hands closed on a wet, throbbing mass. He grabbed it and pulled. The fire immediately vanished, and the black beating heart in his hand burst into a cloud of ash.
‘Nooooo!’ yelled Dimitrius. ‘GET THAT BOY!
