FIFTEEN

VIDIA WISHED she’d had time to pluck more feathers. She had only a few handfuls left of fresh dust. “Dear hearts, we should pluck Mother Dove now. If we wait until she dies, her feathers will probably have no power at all.”

Prilla was horrified, along with almost everybody else. But several fairies thought the suggestion worth considering. If they plucked Mother Dove, they’d have enough dust for a year.

Mother Dove knew Vidia was right. Her feathers would lose their power if she died. But if it comes to that, she thought, when I’m dying, I’ll tell them to pluck me.

Tink said, “Anyone who comes plucking will have to get by me first.”

“Me, too,” Terence said.

Me, too! Prilla thought.

Ree said, “Shame on you, Vidia. No one will pluck Mother Dove. We will put our trust in the quest.”

Prilla wondered if she could follow the quester secretly, in case someone was needed in an emergency.

“Now,” Ree said, “I want everyone to look over the damage to your talent places and report to me at the Home Tree.” She dismissed everyone except Rani.

“Me?” Rani felt honored. She blew her nose on a leafkerchief.

Mother Dove whispered, “Prilla, too.”

“Prilla?” Ree said. “She’s so young.”

“Prilla. And Vidia.”

“Vidia!”

Mother Dove nodded. “For her speed.”

Ree called to them, and they returned. Prilla was astonished to be chosen. She wondered if it meant the queen saw a talent in her. The quest would be such an adventure, and she’d be having the adventure with Rani, her favorite fairy.

Ree seated herself on a driftwood branch, and Rani joined her. Prilla sat on the sand nearby, a few feet from Tink, who was kneeling and brushing sand out of Mother Dove’s feathers.

Mother Dove wished Tink would stop. Tink kept jostling Mother Dove’s wings, which made the pain worse.

Vidia stood apart. “I’m not so dreadful when you need me, am I, dar—”

Rani finished the word. “—lings. There’s good in everyone, I think.”

Ree said, “You’ve all heard of Kyto, haven’t you?”

Prilla shook her head.

“Kyto is a dragon,” Rani explained. “A fiery dragon.” She wiped sweat off her forehead.

He was imprisoned in a cave high in Torth Mountain, which rises from the center of the island. He’d been caught when he was still young by the lost boys and the fairy queen before Ree.

Ree said, “Mother Dove believes that the egg can be healed by fire, if the fire is hot enough. Kyto’s fire—”

Rani finished the sentence. “—is hot enough.”

“Won’t the fire cook the egg?” Prilla asked.

“Not my egg,” Mother Dove whispered proudly. “It would cook an ordinary egg.”

Vidia said, “Sweeties, do you think Kyto will heal the egg out of kindness?”

“He’s not kind!” Rani said.

Vidia smiled her most irritating smile. “I know, dear.”

“He’s wicked,” Mother Dove whispered. “Don’t trust him.”

Kyto was utterly wicked. Even Captian Hook’s villainy paled in comparison. Kyto’s capacity for mischief was unbounded, and there wasn’t a shred of kindness in him.

“Won’t Kyto want to save the egg?” Prilla asked. “Didn’t it keep him young, too?”

“No,” Ree said. “Mother Dove says the egg had no effect on him.”

“Darlings, freedom is the only thing that will interest—”

Rani jumped in. “—him. But we shouldn’t free him, should we?”

“No!” Ree said. “It would be too dangerous. Besides, fairies aren’t strong enough to do it. Mother Dove says he may restore the egg, even without a promise of freedom, if we give him some things for his hoard.”

“What’s a hoard?” Prilla asked.

“Dragons are collectors,” Ree said. “A hoard is a dragon’s collection of beautiful and unusual objects. It’s as dear to him as his—”

“—flame.” Rani frowned. “What do we have that Kyto would want?”

“Nothing,” Ree said. “You have to get the items first.”

“Naturally,” Vidia said.

“What items?” Rani asked.

Mother Dove had thought hard about this. Dragons prize gold and jewels, but they prize rarities even more. The more difficult a thing is to come by, the more they want it. Mother Dove had decided on three items that were likely to tempt Kyto.

Ree said, “A feather from the golden hawk—”

Vidia laughed bitterly. “It’s fine to pluck the golden hawk, who’ll kill us—but not Mother Dove.”

Mother Dove whispered, “It’s not fine to pluck anyone. But it must be done.”

Ree continued. “Captain Hook’s silver double cigar holder, and a mermaid’s comb. Those are the things.”

Silence fell. It would take a miracle to get even one of them.