Moon Rising Read Online Free

in the vision). Or perhaps he was simply much better at hiding his true nature than any other dragon she’d met before.
    “Wow. A real queen,” Secretkeeper said. “I’ve never seen one before.”
    “You see Queen Glory all the time,” Moon pointed out, only half listening.
    “Queen Glory is barely older than you are,” Secretkeeper answered. “I mean a real queen, someone who’s ruled her tribe for years and years.”
    Moon studied her mother sideways. Many of the NightWings harbored bitter thoughts about having a RainWing for their queen now, but she didn’t think her mother was one of the grumblers.
    “All right,” her mother said, suddenly and briskly. “That’s enough hiding in shadows and ‘observing.’ Time for you to go find your cave.”
    Already? Moon was seized with a horribly familiar feeling of terror. “Alone? Aren’t you coming inside?”
    “This will be good for you,” her mother said. I hope. Remember, Secretkeeper: Be strong. Just turn and fly away. “I love you, and I will see you soon.”
    Secretkeeper took a step back, averting her face, and Moon glimpsed a thought track her mother had been carefully burying: Oh, I hope this is the right thing. What am I doing? How do I know if this will be good for her?
    Moon’s heart leaped. She doesn’t want to leave me! she realized with a surge of hope. But her mother was already hugging her and whispering hurried good-byes in her ear.
    “Wait,” Moon said desperately. “What if I came next year instead? What if —”
    “Trust me, moonbud,” her mother said, cupping Moon’s snout in her front talons. “You will love it here. Just keep your curse hidden, and you’ll be fine. Act normal, no matter what happens. And write to me soon! Good-bye!”
    A moment later, Secretkeeper was just a dark shape winging away through the threadbare clouds, taking Moon’s heart away with her.
    Moon stayed under the tree for a while, decidedly not crying, and watched more students arrive. There weren’t actually a thousand, she knew. There were only thirty-five students, and it was a privilege to be one of the first few invited to attend. Which made Why me? an even more mysterious question.
    Well, then, she thought, when she couldn’t put it off anymore. Imagine this is the rainforest, and you’re hungry, and your mother’s been gone for three days, and you can smell a bunch of bananas inside the cave. If I could be brave enough to feed myself when I had to, I can be brave enough to walk into a school and find the place I’m supposed to be.
    She shook back her wings, waited for a moment when all was quiet on the landing ledge, and darted forward into the yawning mouth of the entrance cave.
    “Hello!” a voice accosted her loudly, while Moon’s eyes were still adjusting to the dimmer light inside. “Welcome to the Great Hall of Jade Mountain! Let me guess — you’re Moonwatcher, aren’t you? I’m tremendously good at guessing. In fact, one might even say I’m mysteriously good at it.” The welcoming dragon, whose scales were midnight black, lowered her voice. “Almost as though I’m … reading your mind , eh?”
    Moon stared at the NightWing in fright. Had she been discovered already? Before even saying a word? What will Mother say?
    “Just kidding,” said the older NightWing. “MAAAAYBE. I’m Fatespeaker. I’m not a teacher like the others; I’m just helping wherever I can. Here’s your welcome scroll and your map.” She thrust two scrolls into Moon’s talons. “Hey, look, you have silver scales next to your eyes just like I do! Yours are bigger and sparklier, though. It is Moonwatcher, right?”
    “Yes. Um. Moon.” Now she recognized this NightWing, which she should have been able to do from her first thought. She only knew two NightWings apart from her mother who didn’t radiate gloom and anxiety. Starflight had a more thoughtful energy, while Fatespeaker’s hopefulness poured out of her like overenthusiastic sunlight.