My eyes narrow. ‘Shall we send someone else instead? Who do you suggest should take my place?’
‘No one,’ Atlas says. ‘No more kids will be offering themselves up as food for dragons, all right?’
His defiant gaze lands on Hollingsworth and an understanding passes between them. Something else I’m not part of.
‘King is correct,’ Hollingsworth says.
She is still surveying the battle below, a cigarette smoking between her fingers. She turns to Sophie. ‘Now, Miss Rundell. Please direct me to your mark.’
‘Youwant to be the one to draw Krasimir out of hiding?’ I say incredulously.
‘Yes,’ she replies with a smile. ‘It’s about time I saw some battle.’
We all gape at her and Sophie shakes her head. ‘I – I don’t think Cormac would allow it.’
‘It’s a good thing Cormac isn’t the head of the Coalition, then.’ Hollingsworth stamps out her cigarette under the sole of her shoe. ‘Hop to it, recruit. We haven’t got all day.’
‘But why would Krasimir come out of his hiding place for you, Dr Hollingsworth?’ I say.
She laughs. ‘Do you think that, in the whole time the Bulgarian dragons have been occupying our country, they never once tried to contact me? They saw the weakness in Wyvernmire’s ruthless ambition and used it to their advantage. But they found no trace of weakness in mine, so they tried to befriend me instead. I too have been offered a place in the new world,’ she says, her eyes settling on me. ‘And I’m going to let Krasimir think I want it. Perhaps wedostill stand a chance, even without the wyvern Koinamens.’ She glances down at the array of dragons, wyverns, humans and Speerspitzes on the beach. ‘The bastard won’t know what’s hit him.’
I grin.
‘I’ll go with you, ma’am,’ Gideon says, shouldering his gun as he looks to Sophie. ‘Lead the way.’
‘Gideon,’ I say. ‘There will be—’
‘Bolgoriths?’ he says weakly. ‘If I’m not killed by one today, I’ll never complain about dragons again.’ He glances at Sophieand Hollingsworth. ‘But if I keep them safe while they do what they need to do, then at least I can say I did something in this war.’
Sophie grabs my hand and squeezes, and the three of them start making their way down the hillside. Atlas’s eyes linger on their backs.
‘Right,’ Serena says. ‘Let’s get on with it.’
‘My group’s almost ready,’ Jasper says. ‘The Guardians are their target.’ He points further along the beach to where a big group of teenagers are hurriedly strapping all manner of flint-based weapons to their bodies. A wall of white fog surrounds them, keeping them hidden from the Bolgoriths fighting just a few feet away. I look up and see streaks of blue amid the rotating wall of cool mist.
‘The wyvern art of cloud-spinning,’ I say quietly.
I stare at Atlas and I know he knows what I’m thinking. I can’t fight like the others. I can’t track Krasimir or translate Cannair. There’s nothing that I, Viv Featherswallow, can do to help win this war. He takes a step towards me.
‘Just go,’ I tell him. ‘I’ll stay out of the way, don’t worry.’
I take in his tired face, the cuts on his hands from where he pulled me up on to the rocky ledge, the damp curls on his forehead. Right now, I don’t even care that he lied to me. All I care about is the fact that if he goes down on to that beach, he might not come back.
His eyes search mine.
‘I don’t know where to start,’ he says softly, ‘except by saying I’m sorry.’
I suck in a breath. ‘No time for that.’
‘Viv, I want you to know. I . . . I –’
‘Please,’ I whisper. ‘Don’t say it. Not here. Not like this.’
He opens his mouth as if to protest, then gives a curt nod. Marquis is watching us, his eyes shining. I look at him and Serena and force a smile.
‘Bletchley Park to the rescue again,’ I joke as Marquis pulls me close.
I breathe in the smell of him, just in case it’s the last time. One day, I hope, we’ll eat pierogi from Mama’s best china again. He pushes a small flint knife into my hand. Atlas gives me a long look and then the three of them dart down the hill towards the Speerspitzes on the beach.
