The Girl with the Dragon Heart

by Stephanie Burgis

  With exhilaration flooding through me, I folded my wings tightly against my sides and lunged for the outside world and freedom.

  It was harder than I’d expected to squeeze out of the hole. My shoulders stuck in the opening until I nearly roared with effort. I had to bite my mouth shut and swallow down choking smoke to keep myself silent. Finally, finally, I forced myself free with an explosive pop! It sent me tumbling on to the ground outside … and whimpering with pain. My folded wings had scraped so hard against the rough, craggy edges of the rocks that there were ragged tears, now, in my silver and crimson scales.

  What had Mother said? ‘Your scales haven’t hardened enough to withstand even a wolf’s bite …’

  I gnashed my teeth and pushed myself up on to all four feet, babying my wings by holding them half folded at my side. Every breeze that blew across them made me wince, but I growled away the pain.

  So, I wouldn’t be making my first attempt at flight today. Never mind. I didn’t need to fly to catch my prey.

  For the first time in my life, the sky arched blue and free all around me, and I was free, too. The jagged peak of the mountain rose behind me. Below me lay a forested valley. And in between, buried somewhere in the rumpled foothills and narrow, rocky paths where animals and humans made their tiny ways …

  I set off down the mountainside, following the scent of food.

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  First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  This electronic edition published in April 2018

  Text copyright © Stephanie Burgis Samphire, 2018

  Illustrations copyright © Freya Hartas, 2018

  Stephanie Burgis has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN: PB: 978-1-4088-8077-7; eBook: 978-1-4088-8076-0

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