By the time we reached the surface, three dragonlings had scaled the rocky mountain-side, their long necks arching over the path as their talons pulled them onto it. They were beautiful creatures, to be sure- dusky blue in color, with shimmering scales and watery movements. Their eyes glowed amber in pointed elliptical sockets, and they had heads like lizards, but long like that of a horse. Whiskers like a catfish’s trailed back from their mouths. Their wings, pulled tight against their long slender bodies, were too small to lift them, and leathery like a bat’s. They seemed the concocted result of several animals combined, with all the beauty and grace of magical beings.

  The four sentinels that had dared journey with me now drew their spears into a combative hold. Nyx still slept, black fur against near-black rock, almost invisible in the gathering dark. The dragonlings, glowing faintly with silver sheen, clambered fully onto the pathway- and began to push past each other, racing toward their prey.

  This was my first moment of panic.

  Aside from wooden sword duels against trees, the occasional wrestle with whatever sister I could convince, I had no combat experience. I had plenty of experience standing still and cowardly as I waited for danger to pass. I had plenty of experience telling myself not to be afraid in safe situations that sparked irrational fear.

  I had no experience fighting dragons, or doing anything remotely similar- and now three dragonlings, the size of full-grown horses, charged toward me.

  If only I could disappear-

  In the midst of swelling panic, the thought emerged and a sound like a bubble popping inside my head seemed to echo inside my ears. My hand flashed up, against the sound and the charging dragonlings, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to think of anything to do-

  And then realized the dragonlings were no longer charging.

  I opened my eyes and glanced up. The three were staring blankly, heads tilting from side to side like a begging cat. One glanced at the leader, who sniffed desperately and then glanced around. I could feel the tension of the sentinels behind me as my own fear began to subside.

  Why weren’t they attacking?

  Nyx sat up then and stared around with blinking silver eyes. He spotted the dragonlings and his fur bushed up as he shrank closer against the rock. He then sniffed lightly, and surprise widened his eyes further. He glanced in our direction and his eyes seemed to search for something they couldn’t find. He sniffed again, but still seemed unsatisfied in what his senses perceived.

  He was still too close to the dragonlings. They would notice him, surely.

  I tried to think of what else to do. It had become apparent to me, at this point, that, somehow, some sort of barrier of invisibility had been erected between the dragonlings and my party. Nyx couldn’t see through it- but perhaps his sense of smell was sharper than that of dragons?

  We had to find a way to lure the dragonlings away, before they noticed Nyx. I glanced around the dark slopes. For the moment, my sentinels and I were invisible, safe from harm. The darkness held only rock and the occasional rivulet, as night descended rapidly, concealing any other possible adornments of the barren mountainside. The dragonlings’ shimmering light offered little by way of illumination, and clouds covered the sky. Perhaps a storm-? But then, if I had learned anything in my time with Cervis in my life, I had learned not to trust my own assumptions about magical beings. To think these dragonlings creatures of fire was entirely baseless.

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  But there had to be something.

  A thought occurred to me, an absolutely insane one. I didn’t know how I’d created the invisibility, or if it had even been me- but magical illusion of that strength must be transferable to more than invisibility, right? Perhaps… Disguise was possible. Disguise, or a different illusion.

  Nyx could do it.

  I remembered the cloaked messenger, and that he had somehow warded off a Palewalker. Somehow, the night-fox had magical powers, and he could, perhaps, solve this situation on his own- but there was a way to do so without killing the dragonlings. My eyes narrowed. Would Nyx even participate?

  I remembered drawing myself up in the woods upon meeting the faye that tried to prevent my return to Cervis. I remembered her reaction to learning I was Everly’s daughter.

  I remembered speaking with the Reine Chouette, and flying through the Palewood.

  Perhaps I didn’t have experience fighting dragons- but I had experience dealing with magical beings, dangerous magical beings, and coming out unscathed.

  I noticed a silvery ripple near the edge of the rock. On assumption, it was the edge of the barrier of invisibility. I also noticed I was definitely about to get myself killed.

  I turned to the sentinels and gestured toward the gate, indicating for them to hurry through. They glanced at each other, and I held a finger to my lips for silence, and then gestured once more. Slowly, uncertainly, they backed toward the impenetrable darkness of the tunnel, disappearing one by one into inky black. Once they were all in, I turned around once more, and stepped out of the barrier.

  At once, the three dragonlings turned to me and charged. I knelt before them and kept eye contact with the leader. Fangs bared, claws raking the path, it charged for me. Nyx lurched forward and I called to him, “Nyx, don’t!”

  I focused my mind in the final seconds before the lead dragonling reached me. One foot extended, it tackled me onto my back, teeth bared inches from my face. Its fellows circled around, tails lashing, as Nyx’s horrified silver eyes stared from peripheral shadows. The lead dragonling parted its jaws as I continued to meet its glowing gaze. It lowered its teeth toward my neck, a strong smell of putrid acid accompanying its breath, and I realized I had misjudged. I was to meet a bloody death here, slaughtered by dragonlings-

  And then Nyx swept through. The dark gray cloak swished around as black-clad limbs emerged from it, and arms edged like swords carved through the dragonlings, splattering blood everywhere. I ducked into a ball, arms over my head, as the dragonlings were lacerated. With strong kicks from tall boots, Nyx launched each dragonling’s corpse off the path, and they fell, tumbling, along the mountainside, till they landed in a dismembered circle at the base. Nyx turned to me, cloak having fallen to reveal an ebony face, fox-like features, glowing silver eyes from the midst of it.

  “Please don’t make me do that again. I made Cervis a promise, one I intend to keep, but I would like to keep it without having to save you from your own stupidity.”

  With a blink, he shifted back into a night-fox and sauntered into the inky black of the tunnel into the Kingdom Under the Ice.