‘Hello, Rhydderch,’ I say. ‘We’ve come to warn you.’
The dragon lets out a huff that sends smoke streaming out of his nostrils.
‘Warn us?’ he says.
The reflection of Muirgen’s blue tail flashes on thewater of the lake. She’s listening.
‘Prime Minister Wyvernmire is planning an alliance with the dragons of Bulgaria,’ I say. ‘They’ll be here in two days, to crush the Coalition and force your Queen into submission.’
Rhydderch lets out a deep laugh. ‘The Bulgarians are the very reason the Peace Agreement exists,’ he says. ‘Why would Wyvernmire betray it, especially after she deliberately upheld it when that criminal dragon burned Downing Street?’
I shrug. ‘The Prime Minister grows impatient. She still hasn’t won the war, despite having the Queen and all her dragons on her side. She’s resorting to other means of victory.’
Above us, Muirgen lets out a screech.
‘The Dragon Queen and the Prime Minister came together to fight the rebels when they could have fought each other,’ says Rhydderch. ‘I don’t believe such an arrangement could be—’
‘The Bulgarian dragons owe Britannia, remember?’
Marquis grabs my wrist and squeezes it in warning. I know why. I’ve just interrupted a dragon. Rhydderch growls. Is he surprised that I know of Britannia’s role in the Massacre of Bulgaria?
‘Yes, the dragons of Bulgaria are in Britannia’s debt. In the debt of the human governmentandQueen Ignacia.’
‘Except Queen Ignacia can’t make the promises Wyvernmire can. If she can promise your old, senile Queen the flesh of human children in exchange for peace, what do you think she’ll pay the Bulgarian dragons for their strength?’
Rhydderch roars and the ground beneath our feet shakes. Marquis stumbles backwards as the dragon’s eyes flash.
‘Are you angry because I insulted your Queen?’ I say. ‘Or because I know of the secret clauses she had written into the Peace Agreement? It seems Queen Ignacia is not as honourable as the stories say.’
‘Shut up, Viv,’ Marquis says from behind me, but I ignore him.
‘Why would you betray your leader to me?’ Rhydderch says. ‘If what you say is true, my Queen will have this place burned to the ground.’
‘She’s not my leader any more,’ I say. ‘And I’m telling you because …’ I hesitate. ‘Because we need your help.’
‘We?’
‘The Human-Dragon Coalition,’ Marquis says.
‘You are with the enemy,’ Rhydderch hisses.
‘The Coalition isn’t your enemy, not any more!’ I say. ‘Not if Wyvernmire is going to betray Ignacia the same way she’s betraying Britannia’s humans.’
Muirgen’s shadow momentarily blocks out the sun as she continues to circle.
‘You have joined the cause that seeks to destroy the Peace Agreement!’ Rhydderch roars. ‘You are spies!’
He steps backwards, swinging his head from side to side, and then his eyes dart up to Muirgen in the sky. In a split second, she lands beside him and lets out a scream in our direction, so loud that it lifts the jacket off my back. Marquis grabs me and pulls me away, but I shake him off.
I look at Rhydderch. ‘You asked Muirgen to land. With the Koinamens.’
‘I will kill you this time, human traitor,’ Muirgen spits.
‘I lied to you before,’ I say quickly. ‘It wasn’t a dragon who told me about the Koinamens. It was Wyvernmire. That’s why I was recruited by Bletchley Park. To use special machines to decipher the Koinamens. We call it echolocation.’
Muirgen breathes inwards and her chest inflates, buoying her body upwards until she’s towering over me, the lingering smell of blood on her breath. There’s a blast of heat and suddenly the tree next to us bursts into flames.
‘Viv!’ Marquis shouts. ‘We’re leaving.’
