"Whiteout!" Darkstalker held a blue jewel as he grinned at his sister.

Whiteout screamed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Darkstalker said. He reached out as if to hold his sister, to comfort her as he had so many times before.

"What are you doing here?" Whiteout demanded, hatred as she had never known rising up in her. What a strange feeling. What strange colors, dark and fiery-bright at the same time.

"You don't seem happy to see me," Darkstalker muttered, sounding hurt.

"Why didn't you listen to Father?" Whiteout growled. "I know what you did. You're a murderer! He warned us EVERY DAY about magic and now it's turned you into a murderer! I hate you!"

Darkstalker looked stricken.

"You already knew I was using magic to protect our tribe. What have they said to you?"

"'THE Darkstalker?' Murdering IceWings as they sleep in the Sand Kingdom? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Darkstalker appeared unnervingly unphased by Whiteout's accusations. Instead, he quietly appraised Whiteout's surroundings.

"They locked you up?" he snarled. "I am going to kill Father for this."

"Right, that's your solution for everything these days. Don't you see what using magic has done to your soul?" Rage pulsed through Whiteout's veins.

"My soul," Darkstalker growled, "is FINE. Thank you for having such faith in me. Meanwhile you think Father is right when he's a traitor who kidnapped you and let you be locked up so he could buy his way back into the Ice Kingdom."

"I came of my own free will," Whiteout snarled. "I want to live in the Ice Kingdom. I'm going to be an IceWing princess."

Darkstalker barked a laugh.

"Yes, I am," Whiteout continued. "I'm going to marry an IceWing prince and bring animus power back to the only tribe that respects it." She spat those last words at him. Darkstalker paused.

"What about Thoughtful?" he finally asked, testing her.

"Who's Thoughtful?" Whiteout asked. She couldn't remember ever hearing that name before.

"That necklace," Darkstalker growled quietly. "Did Father give it to you? When he kidnapped you?"

"I want to be here," Whiteout responded automatically.

"Take off the necklace," Darkstalker demanded.

"No."

"Whiteout, please, take off the necklace," Darkstalker tried more gently.

"No, it's mine." She knew she sounded like a stubborn one-year-old dragonet who didn't yet know how to share. But she also knew, somehow, that it was incredibly important for her to keep the necklace on.

"Then I'm ordering you," Darkstalker commanded. "As your king."

Whiteout stared, confusion that slowly rose to horror washing her words away before she could speak.

"I defeated Queen Vigilance," Darkstalker said with a smile.

"You killed her?" Whiteout breathed.

"I defeated her. I'm king now."

"'Defeated'? You're a MALE. And not even a relative. You just murdered the queen. You're a traitor."

"She's the one who hired the assassin to kill me," Darkstalker replied bitterly. "She had it coming. I'm the king now."

"Dragons don't have kings," Whiteout said, beginning to tremble. Two animus monarchs at war with each other? One of whom had no scruples about using his power? This was terrible news. All of Pyrrhia was now in grave danger.

"The NightWings have a king now," Darkstalker said with a small smile. "And we are going to be the most powerful tribe in all of Pyrrhia. I can see it. Take off the necklace, and I bet you'll see it, too. Remember your true loyalties. You belong here. Safe and free by my side. You'll see. Take off that necklace. The future is glorious."

The sharp colors of angry emotions flooded her dream. The stomping of many dragons running far above her – and the shrieking of both her father and Queen Diamond – woke Whiteout with a start. She gasped and trembled. Her little carved scavenger sat next to her head. It always knew where to find her. She held it close for comfort, reeling from the dream. Was it just a dream?

"You got her!" an approaching voice exclaimed gleefully. An IceWing guard – presumably Whiteout's captor – appeared with Snowfox at his heels. Snowfox held a light orb in front of her as she approached Whiteout's cage. She peered through the bars at her captive.

"You," Snowfox growled quietly, "don't belong here. You are a dirty half-breed NightWing, offspring of that horrible, murdering, maiming traitor of a prince. You are not and never will be an IceWing princess. That is for me and my daughter alone. Queen Diamond will not always be the queen. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Whiteout said quietly, terrified.

"Good," said Snowfox. Keeping her eyes on Whiteout, she held a talon out toward the guard, and he handed her his spear. Snowfox pointed the spear at Whiteout and held it for a dramatic pause, listening to the faint sounds of ongoing chaos several floors above. She jabbed the spear at Whiteout.

Whiteout flinched and closed her eyes – but nothing happened. The spear bounced and slid to the side. Snowfox jabbed again – the same thing happened.

"Arctic," Snowfox growled under her breath. "Naughty boy, using your magic again." She held the light globe closer to Whiteout, checking for an earring, like the one Foeslayer had that made her famously invincible on the battlefield. None. Then Snowfox spied the necklace.

"Give me that necklace," Snowfox demanded.

"No!" Whiteout screamed.

A slow smile spread across Snowfox's face. She nodded. "Yes," she hissed. She nodded to the guard. The guard, that trained assassin, opened the gate and approached Whiteout before she could react. Then all went black.