Cricket gasped. “The greenhouse where we met you?”

“Where we captured you,” Sundew corrected her.

“The one that says ‘Queen Wasp’s top secret greenhouse keep out or I will dismember you and then kill you some more’?” Blue asked.

“That’s the one,” Sundew said. “There were other plants in it, too, but that’s the main one. It’s everywhere in there. And it smells terrible.”

“Sundew — is that what she’s using?” Cricket asked. “Could a plant give her mind-control powers? Maybe for instance if she ate a lot of it and then injected it into her victims?”

“I don’t know!” Sundew snapped. “I’ve never heard of a plant like that, but I’d call this a clue, don’t you think?” She waved the eggshell at them.

“Yeergh,” Blue said, wrinkling his snout at the green stuff. “I wonder if it tastes as bad as it smells.”

“I certainly hope so,” Swordtail said. “I hope she has to eat Hiveloads of it.”

“This could be the way to save the dragonets,” Cricket said, meeting Sundew’s eyes. “Right? Couldn’t we destroy her supply? And then she won’t be able to eat it or inject it into them. Or do it to any grown-up dragons like Lady Jewel, either.”

“Like you,” Blue said. He sat up with an alert expression. “Then you’d be safe from her. Let’s do it.”

“You had me at ‘destroy,’” Swordtail offered.

“I’m up for it,” Sundew said, spreading her wings, “but it’s not that easy. Wasp Hive is swarming with soldiers since we stole the Book of Clearsight and broke into the flamesilk cavern. There are guards patrolling the greenhouses all the time. Queen Wasp is in their heads more than half the day, keeping watch. I don’t see how we’ll get anywhere near it without getting caught.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Cricket’s mind was spinning through possibilities. If this was the answer … if they could take the queen’s power away … it was a start, at least. It might not stop the LeafWings’ plans for war, but it would give the next generation a chance against Queen Wasp … if they survived that war.

“We’ll tell my parents,” Sundew said. “Belladonna will know what to do with this information. Maybe they can take a pod of LeafWings to attack the greenhouse.”

“A what?” Cricket asked.

“A pod,” Sundew repeated. “Like, a small group, part of the warrior force.”

“Are you part of the warrior force?” Swordtail asked.

Sundew made one of her inscrutable faces. “Sort of. I’m … kind of my own pod.”

“Where are your parents?” Cricket asked. “Why aren’t they here?” She glanced over to make sure that Bumblebee was still sleeping and saw that she’d flopped over on her back with the fish still hanging out of her mouth. Tiny snores emitted from her snout.

“I don’t know. They should be.” Sundew went back to the mouth of the cave, looking out at the bay. “I hope nothing went wrong,” she said quietly.

“Um … what’s that?” Blue asked, pointing south across the water. Cricket joined them on the edge of the rocks, followed by Swordtail. All four dragons squinted out into the gray morning.

A column of black smoke rose into the sky on the southern horizon.

Her heart pounding, Cricket turned to Sundew. “What is that?” she asked. “Did the LeafWings do that?”

“I don’t know,” Sundew said, and for once her frown looked worried instead of angry. “They didn’t tell me they — I mean, they weren’t supposed to —”

Cricket threw open her wings and flew to the top of the cliff, high above the sea. From here, on a clear day, you could almost see to the far ends of the continent.

This was not a clear day, but she could still see the spire of Wasp Hive to the west and Jewel Hive in the southwest. The column of smoke came from beyond Jewel Hive, farther south.

“It’s not Jewel Hive,” Sundew said, landing beside her.

“Bloodworm Hive,” Cricket said.

“Yes.” The LeafWing stared out at the smoke as though it was something she’d ordered at a café, but it had come in the wrong color and covered with maggots. “They went ahead and did it. Without waiting for me.” She blew out a long exhale.

“All those dragonets,” Cricket said, feeling as if her roots had been sliced off. “The eggs in their Nest. The SilkWings who can’t fly.” She closed her eyes. Could I have saved them? If I’d been faster and smarter and found the answers sooner?

“They said they would wait for my report. But I guess they were LYING ABOUT THAT.” Sundew looked sincerely angry, in a different way than usual, Cricket thought. “Maybe they didn’t care what I was doing. Maybe they were just planting their seeds for the last six days, moving all the pieces into place.”

“Did you know all the pieces?” Cricket asked numbly. “Did you know what they were planning?”

Sundew hesitated. “I knew most of it. This plan was in motion before we met you. But I thought — I really thought they’d wait for me.” She ducked her head to look sideways at Cricket. “One thing changed, though. Because of you three, we learned about the Chrysalis. I wouldn’t have believed they existed, before … I mean, that SilkWings could even think about fighting back. We found Bloodworm Hive’s Chrysalis and gave them a message to evacuate their dragonets from the Hive and to stay out of the webs last night.”

Cricket shot her a look. “I’m sure that didn’t arouse suspicion at all.”

“You’d be surprised how little attention your tribe pays to what SilkWings do,” Sundew said pointedly.

They were silent for another moment.

“I’m sure they’ll get the eggs out, too,” Sundew offered, shifting uncomfortably on her talons. “Once they realize they can’t save the Hive, that’s the first thing the HiveWings will do.”

“I hope you’re right,” Cricket said. “I hope someone remembers the SilkWings in their cocoons, too.”

Something swooped across the sky to her right and Sundew tugged her down, throwing her wing over Cricket’s back so they were both flat to the earth and partly camouflaged by Sundew’s green scales.

HiveWings were swarming toward Bloodworm Hive, hundreds of them rising from Wasp Hive and Jewel Hive and somewhere farther north; Yellowjacket Hive, Cricket guessed. They flew like a cloud of bats across the sky, south to the burning city. Queen Wasp was sending her Hive mind to try to save it.

Cricket clutched Sundew’s arm. “Right now,” she said.

“Right now what?”

“Now is the time to burn her greenhouse.” Cricket pointed at the dragons disappearing into the distance. “Everyone’s flying to Bloodworm Hive. It’s the perfect distraction.”

“It’s not a distraction,” Sundew objected. “It’s a blow for justice!”

“Well, we can use it as a distraction,” Cricket said. “To do something that might actually help dragons instead of hurting anyone. If we go right now.”

“My parents,” Sundew said, glancing at the smoke again. “I’m supposed to wait for them — I’m not authorized for another mission.”

“Seriously?” Cricket arched her eyebrows at the LeafWing. “You need to wait for permission? You?”

“No,” Sundew barked. “I’m just wondering where they are, that’s all! I don’t need them! Let’s go kill some plants! Oof, no, I don’t like the sound of that at all. Let’s go destroy some HiveWing stuff! That’s much better.”

Bumblebee did not wake up as Cricket wrapped her in her scarf sling and tucked her into her chest. She snorted and gruffled and stuck sharp little claws into her, but Cricket poked the fish back into her mouth and Bumblebee dozed off again.

They flew along the south coast of the peninsula, staying below the level of the cliffs to avoid being spotted. Cricket noticed that Swordtail couldn’t keep his eyes off the bay; he kept turning to search the beach below them. The fifth time he crashed into Sundew by accident, she nearly threw him into the ocean.

She glanced at Blue and saw him turning to look out at the islands, too.

Oh, she realized. They’re looking for Luna.

I hope she’s all right. I hope her flamesilk is helping to keep her safe.

There were no more HiveWings in the sky when they reached the grassland on the outskirts of Wasp Hive. They landed and slipped into the shadow of one of the greenhouses. Cricket could still see the smoke in the distance, now with small figures wheeling around it.

“If Bloodworm Hive falls,” Blue said, leaning against her side, “so do the webs between it and Mantis Hive and Jewel Hive. That’s a lot of SilkWing homes.”

Sundew hunched her shoulders and dug her claws into the ground. “I’ll go scout ahead.” She hurried off between the glass walls.

“It’s weird,” Blue said, watching her go. “The posters always said the LeafWings were going to do something terrible to the Hives, and I always believed it until we met Sundew. And then, the more I knew her, I guess I started thinking the LeafWings would all be like her … mad on the outside but kind on the inside, right? Like, of course she could blow up a whole Hive and maybe she’d even want to, but she wouldn’t actually do it. So I thought none of them would actually do it. But now they have. So was Queen Wasp right and I was wrong? I don’t know what to think.”

“I think you’re still right,” Cricket said. “I mean, that Sundew wouldn’t have done it herself. And I hope there are other LeafWings like her.” She looked south again, at the smoke that seemed to be painted onto the clouds forever now. Did this mean the HiveWings and LeafWings were at war again? It felt so clear to her that they shouldn’t be. They all had one enemy, the same enemy: Queen Wasp. If only she could get them to see that.

But she was just one little dragon. How could she get anyone to listen to her?

Sundew appeared around a corner of a greenhouse and beckoned to them. They hurried to her on silent talons through the wet grass.

“Just two guards patrolling the greenhouses, as far as I can see,” she said in a low voice. “Hard to tell from a distance, but they seem to have their own eyes. If we keep quiet, I think we can sneak past them.”

“FLORBLE!” announced Bumblebee, popping her head out of the sling around Cricket.

Sundew gave her a steely look. “Don’t even think about it, dragonet.”

“BLEEMORK!” Bumblebee retorted at top volume. She squirmed around in the sling, pulled out the fish, which had not improved in smell over the course of the morning, and flung it at Sundew’s head.

“I beg your pardon,” Sundew said, catching the fish and waving it at Bumblebee. “This was a perfectly good breakfast and it’s your own fault you’re hungry if you don’t want to eat it.”

“SMEEBO SMEEBO SMEEBO!” Bumblebee said in the same tone, wagging her claw at Sundew.

“Listen here,” Sundew said with a scowl. “We are on a STEALTH HORTICULTURAL MISSION and you are going to be ABSOLUTELY SILENT until we are done, do you understand?”

“Loobleflooblegooble,” Bumblebee burbled, reaching toward Sundew with her front talons. “Herkleturklemisshoo.”

“Nope. No. No, sir. Cricket, control your tiny monster.”

“I think she wants you,” Cricket admitted. The dragonet was vigorously wiggling her way out of the sling, no matter how Cricket tried to pin her down.

“Well, too bad!” Sundew snapped.

“BOO BAH!” Bumblebee shouted enthusiastically.

“Shhhhhh!” Swordtail tried, flapping his wings at her.

Cricket hadn’t realized a dragonet that small could laugh already. Bumblebee’s whole face wrinkled up and she fell back into the sling, giggling hysterically.

“So,” Sundew said to Cricket. “This is officially the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

“She might be quieter if you take her,” Cricket suggested.

“I’m not sure,” Blue said. “I think she likes it when you yell at her.”

“Here,” Sundew said, digging into one of her pouches. “Give her this.”

“I’m not sticking a sleepflower up a baby dragonet’s nose,” Cricket said protectively. “Or a centipede or a paralysis dart or whatever else you have in there.”

“It’s just dried mango,” Sundew said. “Even I have yet to use a paralysis toxin on a baby dragonet.” She scowled at Bumblebee. “The key word there is YET, howler monkey.”

“Yim yim yim,” Bumblebee agreed cheerfully, snatching the mango out of Sundew’s talons and stuffing it in her mouth. Her eyes went wide and she gave Sundew a worshipful look. “YIMMMM.”

“What is this feeling of doom that just settled on me?” Sundew asked the sky.

“You did have mango!” Swordtail said to her accusingly.

“Can we please get on with bringing down the HiveWing queen now?” Sundew said to Bumblebee. The dragonet ignored her, snuggled into Cricket, and went to work on the mango.

Swordtail and Sundew went first, padding swiftly through the aisles. Cricket felt a weird shiver of déjà vu, remembering the last time they were sneaking through these same greenhouses, early in the morning. That was before the queen knew Cricket’s secret, when Cricket still had the option of going home.

That was before I knew her secrets, too.

But now I do. I have the truth in my talons and I’m going to do something with it.

The queen’s greenhouse loomed up before them, crowded with dark green leaves that pressed against the glass windows. Cricket couldn’t believe they’d been here before, standing in the middle of the queen’s secret, and hadn’t even realized it.

One guard stood outside the door, idly reading the warning sign. His tail flicked back and forth across the grass, leaving a silvery trail through the wet blades. He didn’t look very worried about anyone coming to do battle with the plants.

Sundew reached into one of her pouches and softly drew out a tiny hollow tube. She slipped something sharp into one end, raised the other to her mouth, and blew the dart at the guard.

His tail went still on the grass; his wings stopped mid-flutter. His whole body was frozen in place.

“FLORB,” Bumblebee said approvingly around the mango.

“Drag him away from the greenhouse,” Sundew said to Swordtail. “He doesn’t need to go up in flames with it.”

Cricket and Blue exchanged glances. She’s saving a random HiveWing. She’s making sure he doesn’t die. Cricket didn’t think Sundew would have done that before she knew them. If we could change her mind, maybe we can change others.

Swordtail grappled with the paralyzed dragon while the other three sliced away the webs covering the greenhouse door and stepped inside. The heat and humidity swamped Cricket just as it had before. And now she recognized the smell, too, sharp and unpleasant amid the other scents of the plants around them.

“It’s this one,” Sundew said, lifting a leaf on one of the vines that thronged the greenhouse, circling and choking the other plants. The stem of the vine was dark red with veins of bright green, and the leaves were the same in reverse, bright green with veins of red like streams of blood. Each was the size of a dragon talon with jagged, tough edges. It would have been perfectly appropriately creepy if it weren’t for the clusters of tiny white flowers nestled between the leaves.

Sundew rubbed the leaf between her claws for a moment, frowning at it. “I don’t know what it is,” she said at length.

“Me neither,” Cricket offered. “I don’t remember seeing it in any of my botany books, and I think I would.”

“I know someone who might know.” Sundew used her claws to slice through the vine in two spots, making a cutting as long as her arm. She rolled it into a loose ball and tucked it into an empty pouch.

“Is that a good idea?” Blue asked. “Shouldn’t we destroy all of it, so it can never grow again and no one can ever use it like she has?”

“I think we need to know what it is,” Sundew said to him.

“Me too,” Cricket agreed. “And maybe …” She hesitated, afraid to say it out loud.

“Maybe there’s an antidote,” Sundew finished for her.

Blue’s eyes widened.

“Smorg bamfibo,” Bumblebee declared in Sundew’s solemnest voice.

“I feel like you’re mocking me,” Sundew said to the dragonet.

“Smeeg smog smockeefee,” the dragonet answered with enormous gravity, copying Sundew’s frown.

Sundew raised one eyebrow at Cricket.

“I swear I did not teach her to do that,” Cricket promised.

“All right,” Sundew said, turning to sweep the greenhouse with her gaze. “Who wants to burn it all down?”

There was a pause before she turned and leveled her gaze on Blue.

“Oh, right, me,” Blue said. He stepped to the nearest cluster of vines and set his front talons on them. Fiery silk erupted from his wrists, catching and tangling through the leaves. Everywhere it touched, blades of flame flickered, smoked, curled into black ash or brightened into orange blossoms of fire.

Heavy reddish-green smoke rose from the vines and Cricket covered her snout with one of her scarves. “Don’t breathe it in!” she shouted at the others. She wrapped another scarf around Bumblebee’s indignant face. “Blue, let’s go!” She tugged on his arm and turned to run to the door with Sundew.

Blue followed them, pausing every few steps to shoot more fountains of flame over the vines. Cricket could hear the crackling fire building and spreading. The heat shot past tolerable and pressed against her scales, and she thought of the dragons in Bloodworm Hive, and wondered if this was what they’d felt as they fled their burning city.

They threw open the door and tumbled onto the wet grass outside. Blue leaped out after them and slammed the door behind him, but it splintered into a million pieces as it hit the frame. Glass fragments exploded outward along with tongues of fire, roaring like angry dragons.

Cricket curled her body around Bumblebee and ran to escape the flames and smoke. She nearly collided head-on with the second HiveWing guard, who started to grab her and then froze, staring openmouthed at the burning greenhouse.

“That one is lost,” Cricket said, shaking her. “Get water and you can save the others. Make sure your friend is safe, too.” She turned to look around and saw the paralyzed guard lying a few greenhouses away; Swordtail was still trying to drag him a little farther. The grass was wet enough that Cricket hoped the fire wouldn’t spread, but she wasn’t sure. She didn’t want the other greenhouses to burn. They held the food and other resources for hundreds of dragons. Sundew’s parents might have been willing to burn them, but she thought Sundew wouldn’t.

The guard pointed at the greenhouse. “The queen,” she stammered. “She — that’s her —”

Cricket gripped her shoulders to get her attention. “That is where she kept the plant that lets her control us,” she said. “I saw her stabbing eggs in the Jewel Hive nest. She injects us before we’ve even hatched, do you understand? That plant gave her the Hive-mind power, and we burned it to take it away from her.”

“What?” The guard shook her head, confused. “No, the queen — she has that power because she’s our queen —”

“She had it because of a plant,” Cricket said. “She’s been poisoning us, our whole tribe, ever since the Tree Wars, maybe longer. You have to tell everyone.”

The guard looked terrified. “Me?”

“Yes,” Cricket said. “Knowing the truth isn’t enough if you don’t share it. Everyone needs to know.”

“I … I have to save the greenhouses,” the guard said, pulling out of Cricket’s grip. She turned and ran toward the Hive.

“She’ll be back with help soon,” Blue said at Cricket’s shoulder.

“Swordtail, are you napping?” Sundew shouted. “Let’s GO!”

Swordtail leaped away from the guard and into the sky. The others spread their wings and joined him, and Cricket swerved around a plume of smoke as it erupted from the greenhouse roof.

They soared away, toward a looming bank of dark clouds in the north. Cricket beat her wings as hard as she could and glanced down at Bumblebee, who had somehow managed to fall asleep again despite all the commotion.

They flew and flew, following Sundew, until Wasp Hive was far behind them. There was no sign of any pursuers. Cricket hoped that all of Queen Wasp’s attention was on Bloodworm Hive, and that she wouldn’t even discover the fire in her greenhouse until she returned home.

Home — there’s a thing I don’t have anymore.

“Sundew!” she called. “Where are we going? Shouldn’t we go back to the cave to find your parents?”

Sundew glanced over her shoulder, her green and gold scales somehow still shining even in the grayest sky. “I’m not waiting around for them,” she called back. “They’ll expect to meet me back home.”

“Where’s that?” Cricket asked, catching up to her. “Are we going to where the other LeafWings are?” Her pulse sped up despite her worries and her sadness over Bloodworm Hive. At last, she was going to find out how the LeafWings had survived the Tree Wars and where they’d been hiding all this time.

“Has anyone ever told you that you ask a lot of questions?” Sundew said wryly.

“All the time,” Cricket said, smiling back.

“Well, I’m surprised you haven’t guessed this answer by now.” Sundew pointed her snout north, closing her eyes as a gust of wind and rain rippled over their scales.

“That way?” Cricket said. “You mean — all the way that way? Are you saying the LeafWings are in …” She trailed off, remembering the stories she’d read about carnivorous plants ten times the size of a dragon, of toxins and snakes and quicksand and deadly vines and venomous wasps and all the many, many ways a dragon could die up there.

“Yes,” said Sundew, smiling a real smile now. “We’re going home to the Poison Jungle.”