CHAPTER 5
SEARCHING FOR A CURE

Tinker Town was buzzing and clanking with tools and gadgets. Zuli dashed through the familiar maze of tunnels toward her workshop. Rainbow was drizzling in her cave just like Opal. And she was hot to the touch too.

Zuli wears a cloak as she walks through Tinker Town at night.

Zuli had to help her poor dragon. She needed the old textbooks she had left in her workshop. Her first-year text, Basic Dragon Care by Trainer Remi Dees, listed common dragon illnesses. Zuli pulled the book down from a shelf and flipped it open. She quickly scanned its contents.

“Scale mites… no. Flaming burps… thankfully no! Hmmm…” Zuli muttered to herself as she flipped through the pages. Nothing in the book described what was happening to the storm serpents. Frustrated, Zuli slammed the book shut.

“Zuli? Where have you been?” Tad asked, striding into the workshop.

Zuli groaned. She didn’t have time for this. She glared at Tad and got up to leave.

Tad put up his hands. “Hey, hold on! I wanted to say I’m sorry. I said some mean things before. I was just angry about my gadget.”

Taking a breath, Zuli paused. A Windblast apologizing? She couldn’t believe it. “Umm, thank you… for saying sorry. I was… angry too.”

Tad smiled. “No worries. We’re good, right?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave a little squeeze.

Zuli froze. She didn’t like being touched. “Right, but, uh, please don’t do that.” She brushed off his arm.

“Oh. Sorry.” Tad removed his hand and ran it through his spiky hair.

Zuli tried to step around him. She needed to get to the library.

“But hey, I made some tweaks on my gadget. I’m having trouble though. Can you help me fix it?” Tad pulled the gadget from his pack.

Zuli stopped short. Her eyes narrowed. “Really? I don’t believe it. You were just being nice because you needed my help again?”

Tad opened his mouth to respond, but Zuli kept going. “Well, I won’t! Not for you—or anyone else!”

She hurried past Tad. For a moment, she had thought he actually wanted to be friends. But he only wanted her help to fix his silly gadget. She should have known better. Besides, she didn’t have time for this. She had to get to the library to find a way to help her dragon.