Chapter 12

Canyon landed in the dunes, displacing sand and flinging it on the dragon and human beside him. Sage ducked and covered her head, but then she disappeared under a pile of sand.

“Oops.” Canyon crossed over and uncovered his human, dusting the sand off her. “Sorry.”

He made sure she was fine, then turned toward Quicksand with fury, putting himself between her and his human.

“No! You can’t eat her! Stay away from her!” he said, putting a menacing look on his face.

Well, as menacing of a look that a naturally cheerful dragon could muster. So really it actually looked like he had a pained smile on his face.

Sage stifled a giggle, and Canyon shot her a confused look. She composed her face into that of a very serious human.

“I wasn’t going to eat her. I would never eat something that talks!” Quicksand said, her voice tinged with hurt.

Canyon narrowed his eyes and spun toward Sage, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep. Uh. It was. kinda accidental. Her fault, mostly. I mean, she is the one who picked me up in the first place. I was just standing over by the cacti, tending my own mindplace,” Sage said, using the Dragon-ly form of the human expression “minding my own business.”

Canyon looked at her with a worried expression. “But, Sage, I told you! Don’t leave Igu—oh. Right. I’m sorry. I just remembered, Iguana had to leave on the side mission with me. Sorry,” he said again, his face apologetic. “Wait—uh, Sage…where’s Feather?”

“Oh, Feather. He’s right….” Sage turned in a circle, scrutinizing the cacti clumps around them. “I…I don’t understand, he was right here,” she said in a panicked voice. Her and Canyon looked each other in the eye.

“You don’t think…” Sage started.

“I’m afraid so.”

At that exact moment, they heard the sharp shriek of a hawk. Terror rippled through Canyon, as he leaped into the air, zipping toward the sound.

WHAM! He collided head first with a hard object. The world went sideways as Canyon tumbled to the ground.