The Smuggler: Chapter Fifteen: Dragonfly's Secret

Chapter Fifteen

Dragonfly's Secret

    Wasp had black and yellow stripes, kind of like a bumblebee, with black horns and ovals of yellow scales surrounding her eyes. She held herself tall, with a glare to match Dragonfly's, which was saying something. But the most startling part was her eyes. They were pure black, like the night sky. Not a single dot of brown or blue or anything else. Just black. She was also talking to Dragonfly. "Well. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Her voice was sinister, quiet, echoing through the corridors, deadly, and making you want to run all at the same time. "How long ago was it I saw you last?"

    "The last time you saw me was, maybe, ten years ago? Although the last time you were trying to kill me was more like five, when you hired our friend Beetle here to try and kill me by pushing me off a cliff. That didn't work so well, did it?" Dragonfly's voice was calm, but infused with anger. "But now here we are again, after all these years."

    "You couldn't have stayed hidden forever, Dragonfly. I would have hunted you down to the ends of Pantala, and beyond. Maybe to, oh, the Distant Kingdoms? Beetle informs me that's where you've been hiding."

    "I was not hiding, Wasp. I always planned to come back. Clearsight said so, didn't she? Do you remember that?"

    Wasp bared her teeth. "How dare you bring that up."

    "Oh, I dare. I dare." Dragonfly smiled and a flicker of smugness passed over her face. "I'm just telling you what Clearsight told you ten years ago. Your memory isn't that bad. Surely the grand and exalted queen of the continent, except for the LeafWings, who you know aren't extinct, could remember that small, little detail that changed your life forever."

    Out of the corner of his eye Moth saw Leaf raise her dart, but Makele gently moved it to the side so it was pointing at Beetle. Leaf looked at her curiously and she nodded. Leaf shrugged and blew into it. It lodged directly in Beetle's neck and he froze.

    Dragonfly and Wasp paused in their argument and looked at him for a few heartbeats, then they looked towards the corridor.

    Makele drew a breath and stepped out. Moth's first instinct was to grab her back, but that might not be very respectful to the Mother of Dragons. Then he wanted to yell at her to come back, but that might not be respectful either. He remembered Julia's words. "Moth, you have to trust me. Please." But Julia wasn't the only one he had to trust. He wasn't responsible for everything happening in the continents. He had to trust everyone. Besides, Dragonfly and Wasp couldn't see Makele, right?

    Apparently he was wrong. Wasp and Dragonfly saw the giant dragon immediately. Wasp's lip curled. "Makele. I should have known you would come to rescue your little friend. What a lovely surprise."

    Makele just frowned at her. It suddenly struck Moth that even though Makele was big, she was just slightly bigger than Wasp. She must have had something done so she wouldn't fill the entire Soul Chamber, since she was immortal. "Wasp. Open that door now."

    Wasp sneered at her. "And why should I do that? Because the keeper of souls decrees it?"

    "How does she know who Makele is?" Julia whispered.

    Sea put a talon to her lips. "Not now, Julia."

    Makele gave Wasp a look. "No. Because a queen does not have the right to be queen if she doesn't honor her subjects." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Or her sisters."

    Wasp just continued to sneer, but Dragonfly lowered her eyes. "How long did you know?"

    Moth narrowed his eyes. "Wait, what?"

    "Just listen," Night whispered.

    Makele smiled and opened her eyes. "One, you arrived at the Soul Chamber with the to-be queen of the HiveWings, seeking how to break away from your destiny. Your sister was looking for Clearsight, wasn't she? Advice on how to reign in terror or something of a sort?"

    Wasp snorted.

    Dragonfly grinned at her. "I remember that day fondly. Man, did Clearsight give you an earful. 'Princess Wasp, I did not start the HiveWing tribe so one dragon can take over the continent and reign in terror. Princess Wasp, the book of Clearsight is not for you to hide and pretend everything you're doing is right. Princess Wasp, stop glaring at me!'"

    "Hey, I think I remember that," Ice whispered. "She came storming into Mother's chambers afterwards and demanded to be allowed outside the Soul Chamber to supervise Pantala. That was funny."

    Wasp turned and glared at the what-Moth-supposed-was-a-princess. "Silence."

    "Not a chance," Makele told her firmly. "There is another reason. You both can see me now. Outside the Soul Chamber. Only royalty can do that without aid from an enchanted object like the necklaces I own. That's why I tell all the spirits to stay clear of the royal family. That would cause a ruckus."

    "Get to the point," Wasp growled at the keeper of souls. "Before I call the guards."

    "That wouldn't do anything, sister," Dragonfly said. "Honestly! They'd think you were crazy or something! Maybe you should hire a logic teacher."

    "Calm down, Dragonfly," Makele said. "My point is, release your sister or have your queenship taken away from you."

    Wasp laughed. It echoed along the walls and Peacock covered his ears. The prisoners in the cells shifted restlessly, all the while probably wondering why there were two HiveWings talking to air. "You cannot do that, Makele."

    "I cannot, no. But the Maker of Time can."

    A flicker passed over Wasp's face before she resumed her sneer. "I can see large holes in your plan."

    "You see them, I fill them," Makele replied calmly. "Please tell them to me. I'd love to hear them."

    "You cannot communicate with the Maker of Time. No one in living memory has seen him, let along talk to him."

    Makele smiled. "I am not living, am I?"

    Wasp narrowed her eyes. "You cannot take away my queenship. My people are loyal."

    "You really think that?" Dragonfly asked with genuine surprise. "Even when you are faced with a whole prison full of them? Every single dragon in here has done you harm in some way. Even existing, like those two LeafWing-SilkWing hybrids. Or their parents. I've seen all four of them in here."

    While Wasp glared at her, Atlas and Birch struck up whispered conversation. "Did she really see them?"

    "Probably. How else would she know about us?"

    "Where are they? We have to find them!"

    Moth pulled himself away from their conversation as Wasp turned back to Makele. Her claws curled, scraping the rock and leaving green lines of venom. They held each other's gazes for a full minute (yes, Moth counted), before Wasp abruptly yanked open Dragonfly's door, not even bothering to unlock it. It scraped against the stone floor and left deep gouges and scratches on the floor and bottom of the door. The lock snapped and landed, twisted and broken, at Makele's talons. Wasp spun around and glared at her sister.

    "Next time, sister, I won't be as forgiving. Not even the Mother of Dragons will stop me if I get one small rumor of you on this continent." Wasp turned and wound her tail around the paralyzed Beetle, causing him to fall after her.

    Makele and Dragonfly watched her leave and stood there for a long moment until Wasp vanished around a bend. Dragonfly breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of the cell. "Thank you, Makele. This is the second time you've helped me. I don't know how to repay you."

    Makele smiled at her and beckoned to her to walk back to where Moth, his siblings, and the spirits were hidden. "Oh, Dragonfly. It's already been repaid. I would never ask for gold, jewels, or even favors. You've done enough by staying faithful to me and the Maker."

    Dragonfly paused as she saw the cluster of spirits around the corner. Her eyes flew to Moth's. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She could see the look in his eyes and knew what he was thinking. "I was afraid you would be distrustful of me if you knew Wasp was my sister."

    Moth smiled, all his frustration and the feeling of betrayal falling away at those words. "I will never remember you as the sister of Wasp or the dragon who was put in danger making a reckless plan you didn't even tell us about, although that is true. I'll always remember you as Dragonfly, the one dragon who was brave enough to face down Beetle and Wasp, rescue me and my siblings, not to mention my flamesilk mother, and saved us all."