I stared in disbelief at the creature looming over us. Its scales were like shards of ice. Translucent wings spread to either side.

We had never expected a dragon to come down the mountain.

“Estona, run and get Father.”

My sister stared up at me. “But Skandar--”

The dragon snapped at us.

“Go!”

She ran. The dragon’s eyes followed her. It crouched, ready to spring. I had to distract it.

I ran towards it, weaponless. Its tail struck me from the side. I staggered.

It swiped at me. I tried to duck, but I felt its claws rake across my back. I fell to my knees. The cuts stung. A dull, cold, consuming ache hit my spine.

Wincing, I looked up to see the dragon turn. Once I was dead it would go after Estona.

I grabbed its tail. It was so cold it hurt to touch it.

A barely perceptible shiver ran through it, and it pulled away. I noticed something. The scales I had touched were melting.

Slowly, I got to my feet. Every time I moved, it sent pain shooting through my back. I stumbled several steps and threw myself against the dragon’s side. It recoiled and shrieked. I wedged my fingers between the melting scales and held on. The dragon writhed and tried to throw me off, but the more it melted the deeper into its side I got.

I reached an icy lump twice the size of my head. The heart. I hugged it to my chest. It was shrinking. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. I was fading.

Then, all at once, the dragon exploded in a flood of water. It filled my mouth and nose, rushing all around me. I couldn’t breathe.

I managed to get my head above the freezing water and take a gulp of air. I didn’t have the strength to pull myself out. I was so weak. I was about to slip under the surface again.

Then someone was pulling me out. I was nearly unconscious, but I knew who it was. My father.