Free Firewing by Kenneth Oppel Page B

amazing.
    “You’re all better,” he said, overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. “Everyone was really worried about you. Mom said they were afraid you were going to die.”
    “What’re you talking about?” Luna asked, frowning. He blinked. Maybe no one had told her how badly injured she’d been. Made sense, he supposed. No point scaring her when she needed to be calm and rest.
    “Well,” he said, “I’m really sorry about everything. You know, it just happened before I could even think. I just—”
    Her look of total confusion stopped him. She had no idea what he was talking about. Had the accident wiped out her memory or something? For a second he was almost glad. At least this way she wouldn’t remember the horrible accident, the fear and pain—and how it was all his fault.
    Didn’t matter. Now that Luna was here, everything would be all right again. She would know what to do. Even if she didn’t know the way back, she would have a plan. She always had a plan.
    “Luna, it is so
good
you’re here. I was beginning to panic. I know, I know, I always panic. But this time, I was
really
freaking out. I didn’t even have to imagine a worst-case scenario, because this one was taking care of itself just fine.”
    “Who
are
you?” Luna demanded. “And how d’you know my name?”
    Griffin laughed. It was just a joke, but there was a hardness in her face, a wary crease in her forehead. Maybe she
did
rememberwhat had happened and was angry with him. Punishing him a bit. Well, he deserved it.
    He forced another nervous little chuckle from his throat. “How did you get down here, anyway?” he asked. “Did you get sucked down that tunnel, too? After the earthquake?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She seemed so serious that for a moment he wondered if this bat only
looked
like Luna. But no. Her voice, her name, the scars on her wings…. It was definitely her.
    “Come on, Luna—”
    “How do you know my name?” she demanded. Could she have lost so much of her memory that she didn’t remember him at all?
    “Look, Luna, we’ve got to figure out how to get home.”
    “This
is
my home.”
    “No. We’re from the northern forests. From Tree Haven,” he told her, hearing the quaver in his voice. “There was an earthquake, and we got sucked down some tunnel and ended up here.” Slowly Luna was backing away from him. She looked scared. “I don’t know you,” she said, “and I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “Yes, you do!” Griffin shouted, so overcome with dismay and frustration that he began to cry. It wasn’t fair. He was in this freaky place where the trees didn’t even know how to be trees and the bugs were nothing but air. And his best friend didn’t even
know
him. He turned away from her, trying to hide his tears.
    “Why are you glowing?” she asked. She must have edged towards him, because her voice was very close. He cleared his throat. “I don’t know.”
    “It’s kind of interesting. It has a sound,” she said. “Can you hear it?”
    He shook his head, turning. Head cocked, she was listening intently. “It sounds like …” For a moment her face had a faraway look. “I don’t know. Something familiar.”
    He was glad she hadn’t left, glad she’d moved close to him; he longed to jostle wings and shoulders with her, feel the comforting warmth of a body near his. “You okay now?” she asked. “Yeah. Thanks.”
    “I’m sorry you’re lost. If I could help you, I would, but I’ve never heard of any of those places you mentioned.”
    Griffin felt a lightning charge of fear spike his fur on end. His claws clenched deep into the bark.
    “What’s wrong?” he heard her ask, as though from a great distance.
    She had no smell.
    Before he could stop himself, he unfurled his right wing and, with its tip, touched Luna on the chest. He jerked back as if he’d been seared. But she wasn’t hot. The opposite.
    She was colder than any living