Chapter 8

8 The Shadow Sprites twisted and spun around overhead, hissing. They were furious! But so was Aisha. How dare they hurt PlushyPup's little sister! A huge roar burst out of her, warming the cold air and making it shimmer with gold-flecked blue

fire. It was the first time her roar had had gold in it, too. This was a true Treasure Dragon roar! Mei and Quinn joined in, and the sound of their roar echoed through the snowy landscape, making the icicles jangle and crackle. The Treasure Dragons' roar was so powerful that the Shadow Sprites scattered.

Aisha slipped the Magic Mirror shard into the bag the Tree Queen had given her. It was much too big for the bag. It shouldn't have fit at all! But both the mirror and the bag were magical, so it did. "Let's get this little pup to safety," Aisha said, gently scooping up TrustyPup with a wing and putting her on her back. She knew the Shadow Sprites wouldn't stay away for long. TrustyPup was being very brave, but the fall had left her with a nasty cut on her front leg. "I'll show you the way to our den," yapped PlushyPup. The group rose into the air, following PlushyPup. "Goodbye, Dragon Girls!" called the Gliding Bears from down below. "Thanks for reminding us that we can skate, after all!" They flew above even more snow-covered trees and frozen lakes. Aisha was flying carefully, as she didn't want to scare little TrustyPup. But then

the brave pup called out, "Faster and higher, please!" so Aisha picked up her pace. In the distance, Aisha could see a strange shape. At first she thought it was an enormous iceberg— but there are no icebergs in the mountains! As they got closer, Aisha saw it had windows and turrets on the top. It was somehow both beautiful and scary.

PlushyPup flew up beside her. "That's the Shadow Queen's palace," he explained. Aisha shivered. No wonder the place had given her the creeps! "Our den is down here," yapped TrustyPup. They zoomed down toward a thicket of trees. The Dragon Girls followed close behind. Aisha was careful not to let TrustyPup slip from her back as she descended. Hidden behind the trees was the entrance to a cave. The Dragon Girls landed nearby. PlushyPup scampered through the space easily, but it was more difficult for Aisha, Mei, and Quinn, who were much bigger. Aisha tucked TrustyPup under her wing for safety and wiggled through the entrance. Once she was through, she stood up and looked around.

They were in the coziest cave Aisha had ever seen. The floor was covered in thick, shaggy rugs. A cheerful fire flickered in one corner. The cave had a comforting smell that reminded Aisha of baking in her grandmother's kitchen. A magnificent husky bounded over. She was the same deep blue color as PlushyPup but with silver markings around her face instead of gold. On her