“Nothing,” Silver said. “Just waiting for Brajon to finish cleaning up.”
Mele stared at her. “You were thinking really hard.”
“There’s more than sand between my ears,” Silver said, and grinned.
Mele arched an eyebrow but didn’t press. “I brought you this.” She unwrapped the cloth and pulled the lid off a small ceramic pot.
“Persimmon pudding,” Silver exclaimed. Her mouth watered. “You didn’t have to do that. You’re very kind!”
Mele scowled and pushed the crockery at Silver. “It’s not kindness—just leftovers from one of the rich racers. Guess he found the taste too common.”
“It’s a good thing I’m more common than sand. His loss, my gain.”
For the first time, an almost-smile cracked Mele’s face. But as soon as it almost appeared, it vanished. “Well, you need it. You’re the skinniest girl I’ve ever seen.”
“We didn’t exactly have time to eat while fight—” Silver bit her tongue. Mele was right; it was easy to be loose-tongued around her. For all she knew, Mele could be one of Sagittaria’s spies. Silver feebly finished with: “while in the desert.”
“People who don’t understand the ways of the desert shouldn’t go into the desert,” Mele huffed.
Silver hid a smile. Imagine a Calidian girl talking to her about the desert!
Mele turned to go.
“Wait,” Silver said. She didn’t trust the cleaning girl, but her gut told her Mele knew some things Silver didn’t. “You know the desert, then? So you’re not from Calidia.”
“That’s none of your business.” Mele’s eyes darkened, and for the first time, Silver realized they were more green than brown.
“I was just wondering how you ended up here, cleaning up after people who don’t even like persimmon pudding.”
“You’re one to talk. You can’t even clean up after yourself. I earned this job, and this is a good position for a girl like me.”
Silver raised her eyebrows. “A girl with something to hide?”
“No!” Flustered, Mele clenched her fists. Her voice lowered. “This is the closest work I could find to the water dragons. I have to stay. I just have to.”
Mele’s eyes shone with tears, but before Silver could say anything more, Brajon opened the door, scrubbed clean of dirt. Mele took the opportunity to run around the corner. Silver let out a slow breath. Trying to get secrets out of Mele was harder than climbing dunes.
Silver pushed herself into the room and collapsed in exhaustion on the mat. She offered up the pudding to Brajon. “I’m going to share this with you even though you say horrible things to me.”
The cousins licked the bowl of every last morsel.
With the night bathing the room in inky darkness, Silver stretched out and closed her eyes for one last effort before sleep.
She pictured her beautiful Aquinder. His glorious blue-and-white coloring, the mane that was growing longer by the day, his bright eyes and quick, goofy grin. Are you all right? she asked him.
Silver’s belly filled with a lazy kind of warmth, and she smiled.
Sweet dreams, Hiyyan.
TWENTY-SIX
Despite the tiny size of the window, morning light soaked into Silver on the sleeping mat. She blinked a few times against the strength of the sun and rolled over with a smile. She knew exactly what she had to do to rescue Kirja.
Brajon lay on the floor, happily snoring away like a herd animal.
“Brajon, wake up!”
“No, thank you,” he mumbled.
Silver reached her foot over and nudged his side. Hard.
Brajon shot up. “Ow!” He rubbed his ribs. “What was that for?”
“Come on. I have a race to win!”
Brajon blinked at his cousin. “What? I thought we decided you weren’t racing. We have to find Arkilah and save Kirja.”
“We’re going to do both.” Silver gathered her things. She counted her coins and nodded, pleased enough with the amount of money they had left.
“There’s no way. Unless you’re planning to show a baby Aquinder to all of Calidia and put a target on his back!”
“He’s not a baby anymore.” Silver rubbed her thumb over her water dragon burn. “I have a plan. It’s safer for Hiyyan to be claimed. Look what happened to Kirja.”
“Nebekker had good reason to never race her,” Brajon said.
Silver raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ears, then lowered it when she realized there wasn’t much hair left. “She did what she thought was best for her bond with Kirja. I just think a different way is better.”
“Have you thought about how Calidia will react when Sagittaria rides in on Kirja? And then sees Hiyyan?”
“I don’t think Sagittaria is going to ride Kirja,” Silver said. “Not in the qualifiers.”
Queen Imea’s voice echoed in Silver’s head. It never does to show all our secrets right away, now does it? Oh, I love when the final card is played on the table.
“No,” Silver said slowly, “the queen is going to hold Kirja back until the very last race.”
“You meet Queen Imea one time, and now you know all her deepest secrets?” he said.
“I don’t. But just in case, we’ll head to the market first. Arkilah will help us find Kirja, and you’ll sneak her out of the city during the qualifiers. I won’t be far behind.”
“Not far behind? You mean you’ll be with us.”
Silver shook her head. “I have to race, Brajon.”
Brajon shuffled his feet. “I don’t know about this plan…”
“Do you have a better one?” Silver raised her eyebrows, but her cousin didn’t say anything else. “Right,” she said. “Because there isn’t another plan. Don’t worry—I’ll have Hiyyan, and he can fly, remember? There’s no way any of them can catch up to us.”
“And how will you race him in front of the biggest crowds in Calidia without revealing that he’s an Aquinder?”
“I’ll smear camouin on his wings,” Silver lifted her chin, prepared to defy Brajon. “There was enough from just brushing against that cave beast to cover my hands. We’ll go back and”—Silver wrinkled her nose—“harvest the rest.”
“You’re being reckless,” Brajon said, shaking his head. “Get caught with camouin and you could be put to death. And have you even asked Hiyyan if he wants to race?” At Silver’s silence, Brajon pushed on. “Plus, you haven’t resolved the biggest question of your plan.”
“Which is?”
“We don’t know where Kirja’s being kept.”
There was a knock at the door. Silver grinned. “Right on time.” She threw the door open.
Mele stood in the alleyway, still wiping sleep from her eyes, holding a small plate of herby eggs.
“Good morning, Mele,” Silver said. “Brajon and I have some questions for the girl who hears everything in this city.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Mele’s eyes widened and she turned to run, but Silver grabbed her by the arm. She pulled the girl into the room, then slammed the door shut.
“Ow,” Mele said. “You’re strong for someone so small.” She glared at the cousins and rubbed her arm.
“I need you to help us,” Silver said. “Since we’re both friends of water dragons, of course. We need you to take us to the woman called Arkilah. She reads the stars in the Maze Market.”
“The Maze Market is three levels and many streets deep. You think I know where one woman is in that labyrinth?” Mele said. But Silver saw the way Mele’s eyes darted to the door.
Silver folded her arms across her chest and moved to block Mele from escape. “Last night you said you hear everything—”
“Everything about the races,” Mele said. “But there are hundreds of thousands of people in this city. I don’t know the whereabouts of one!”
Silver nibbled her bottom lip. Mele definitely had information Silver wanted, but how to get it out of her? She reached into her bag and pulled out a silver coin.
&n
bsp; Mele’s face went dark. “You think you can bribe me?”
Silver hesitated, but she held out the coin anyway. “Think of it as a token of appreciation. You also said last night that this was the closest place to the water dragons.”
Mele took the coin, dropped it in her apron pocket, and shrugged. “It’s closest to the palace, and everyone knows the dragons are near the palace. That doesn’t mean just anyone gets access to the Royal Pools.”
“But you also said you couldn’t leave. Couldn’t. Not that you don’t want to leave. Why do you have to stay close to the water dragons?”
“None of your business,” Mele said. “I shouldn’t have helped you two. I thought you were a friend to—”
“I am a friend to water dragons.”
Silver took a deep breath. This was the riskiest part of her plan. What if she was wrong about Mele? She continued talking, more softly now. She had to be right. “But I know what I heard in your voice last night. I know how you feel, because that’s the same way I feel. I know what it’s like to be bonded to a water dragon. To an Aquinder.”
Mele gasped, and her eyes sparkled dangerously.
Silver rushed on, the words tumbling out. “I know what it looks like. And I see it in you.”
Mele froze, and her expression went blank. Silver’s heart thumped in the too-long silence, and she became convinced that she had been wrong to reveal her secrets. She glanced at Brajon, prepared to run for it.
But then Mele’s chin quivered. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know because—”
Mele whipped around. “No! You don’t know what they’ll do to us if they find out about the bond.”
“Then tell me,” Silver cried. “What will they do?”
Mele’s eyes went wild, and her fingers clenched and unclenched. “I can’t tell you anything. I don’t know everything anyway. But I do know one thing: I’m safe here, and my water dragon is safe where she is. I can feel it. That’s the best we can hope for right now. Probably ever. Maybe someday if I earn enough money, I can buy—”
“Her freedom?” Silver said. “Why should you have to when you belong together? Mele, help us. If we can only find Kirja, the Aquinder I’m looking for, we can make a plan to rescue her. You can release your dragon, too. We’ll all flee together.”
Mele licked her lips. “An Aquinder?” She laughed quietly. “I didn’t think they existed.”
“No one knows. Please don’t tell.”
“I won’t,” Mele said.
“Thank you. Now, if you can help us find Arkilah, she’ll help us get Kirja out of Calidia before the races start.”
Mele shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t risk everything for a couple of strangers who actually believe Aquinder exist. For all I know, the desert might have muddled your brains.”
The old Mele was back. Right when Silver was starting to like the girl.
Mele sighed. “I can tell you two things, but after that, I’m done with you, and with the races. Leave me out of it. Deal?”
Silver shared a look with Brajon, but she knew all the treats in the world couldn’t coax a desert fox if it was too skittish. And Mele was certainly skittish.
“All right,” Silver said. “Tell us what you can, and after that we’ll never bother you again.”
“There’s an unofficial prize for the winners of the Autumn Festival semifinals. Have you heard of the Winners’ Audience?”
When Silver shook her head, Mele’s expression went smug. “Well, you hardly know anything about the races, so I’m not surprised.”
“Get on with it,” Silver groaned.
“If you’re one of the five qualifiers, you earn an invitation for a dinner and an audience with the queen in the palace that night. She allows each winner to ask her for one favor … Within reason, of course,” Mele said. “Most of the time, racers ask for money. It’s so common that I’ve heard there’s a little table set up next to her throne in advance with a line of boxes filled with coins.”
Mele leaned in conspiratorially. “One year, a racer asked for his greatest rival to be killed.”
“Killed?” Brajon looked nervously at Silver.
“Don’t worry. Queen Imea laughed in his face and dismissed him from the palace. Rivals have been killed before, but not as official royal protocol.”
Silver winced. Dragon theft … huge bets … murder … Water dragon racing was turning out to be more dangerous than she’d anticipated. But none of it changed her mind. Silver rubbed the water dragon mark on her wrist again. Racing was what she was made for.
“We don’t want anyone killed,” Silver said.
“No, but if you’re one of the five finalists, you get to ask Queen Imea for a favor, and—”
“Kirja,” Silver breathed. “I could ask for her freedom. How do I become a finalist?”
“You start at the bottom,” Mele said. “The top two from each semiqualifier move on to the five qualifying races. Then, it’s win at all costs.”
Brajon opened his mouth as if to protest, but nothing came out. Silver was filled with triumph. Finally, things were going her way.
“Thank you for this information,” she said. “Now, we need to find Arkilah. That’s our first plan. I also need to get down to the seawall and get registered to race, just in case Arkilah doesn’t work out. Winning will be our backup plan.”
Silver tossed her bag over her shoulder and got ready to leave, but she paused when Brajon spoke up.
“Wait! Mele had two things to tell us, remember? What’s the second thing?”
“Oh, that.” Mele shrugged. “Only that the woman you seek, Arkilah, is very likely dead.”
Silver’s mouth dropped open. “No!”
“Arkilah was famous around here,” Mele said. “She used to take most of her evening meals at the inn. One day, she told us she’d been invited to the palace. She went in, and that was the last anyone has seen or heard of her. That was three years ago. Most people think she told someone a bad fortune and was disposed of.”
Silver watched Brajon swallow slowly. “Disposed of?” he said. “That seems to happen a lot in Calidia.”
Mele shrugged again.
Despite the worry making her skin tingle, Silver threw her shoulders back. “Brajon, there’s no backup plan anymore. There’s only one plan. I have to race Hiyyan, and I have to win!”
TWENTY-EIGHT
The only place the sea—and therefore the docks and the seawall south of them—could be was on the other side of the palace. Silver could see the rest of the city stretching out in a semicircle around her, and it was full of roads and buildings. No water to be seen, other than the shallow palace pools the Abruqs paddled in, which weren’t big enough to be the Royal Pools, where the racing dragons were kept.
She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. Arkilah. Nebekker’s friend. Dead. How was Silver going to tell the old woman the news? Her heart grieved for Nebekker, who didn’t have many friends as it was. Silver circled the pendant with her finger.
Fortunately, the Winners’ Audience meant the way was still open for Silver to get Kirja out of Calidia, even without Nebekker’s friend.
Silver opened her eyes. The morning throngs brought immense energy to the city. Calidians and tourists alike swept along the lane that circled the palace. People like the three inn guests in dark blue.
Silver saw the two men and the boy laughing and slapping one another on the backs as they left the inn. One of the men must be a racer, she thought, and the boy, his squire. Suddenly, as if hearing her thoughts, the boy looked over his shoulder and spotted her lurking behind them. He winked at her, then slowed to a stop and motioned for his companions to go on without him.
Silver’s face burned. He had a lot of nerve thinking she would go right up to him … which she would.
“We’re going to need a good breakfast today,” she said, passing a few coins to Brajon and pointing to a food vendor with a long line.
While her cousin eagerly took the money and got in line, Silver walked up to the boy in blue.
“You clean up decently well,” the boy said. “I can only smell a tiny bit of that stench from last night on you.”
Silver’s mouth fell open. The boy laughed.
“I’m teasing. A big part of my culture, but I apologize if you’re not used to it.”
“No, we tease, too,” Silver huffed. “Just not so much with strangers.”
“I’m Ferdi. Not a stranger to you anymore. And anyone who would save a water dragon isn’t a stranger to me. She’s a hero.”
Despite the boy’s bravado—when Brajon talked like that, Silver rolled her eyes—she found herself smiling back. “My name’s Silver.”
“Silver.” The boy grinned. “You’re here for the races, I assume. I was on my way to check on my water dragon. Want to meet her?”
“The water dragon that almost got stolen is yours?” Silver’s heart leaped, but she calmed it down quickly. “I would love to, but I’m short on time.”
“Come on, Silver. It’s just at the guest pools near the seawall. It’ll only take a moment.” Ferdi waved off her hesitation. “Your friend will be in that line longer than it’ll take us. Look how busy it is. Besides, she’s the best water dragon you’ve ever seen—promise you that.”
Ferdi puffed out his chest. Silver liked how proud the boy was of his water dragon, even though she knew that Hiyyan was the best dragon she would ever see in her life.
“Show me, then.”
They walked the wide avenue circling the palace, and as they got closer to the sea, Silver gaped at all the people waving flags. The colorful strips of fabric were emblazoned with the emblems of the world’s greatest water dragon racers: the yellow horn on a white background for Honoria Messum, who rode the trumpet-nosed Calypto; the red, pink, and black stripes of the Bebisor riding dynasty, wherein every rider takes a blood oath to win—or die trying; and the Desert Nations flag imposed over a background of sea blue for Sagittaria Wonder, who rode for the queen herself.
As though he’d seen it all before, Ferdi continued rambling on about his water dragon.
Silver Batal and the Water Dragon Races Page 15
