by F. C. Shaw
“Where’s Nye?” asked Zinnia as he sidled up to her.
“He fell off his carpet.” Dodie told her what had happened when Nye’s blade had struck Phoenix.
“That’s some magic carpet you have there,” she said. “We gotta make sure Atallah comes in third.”
Dodie skimmed a large rock jutting up from the waves. “I’m not gonna play dirty though.”
“Technically there’s no playing dirty in this race,” said Zinnia. “There’s no rule that—”
“That’s not who I am!” Dodie cut her off. “I’m not Nye or Atallah.”
“No, you’re not, and that’s why we’re friends.” Zinnia flew closer to him and reached out for his hand.
Dodie felt his heartbeat quicken, and his mouth dry up. He held very still, afraid any movement would make her hand slip off his.
“What are you guys conspiring back here?” Atallah suddenly appeared on Zinnia’s other side.
Dodie glowered at him. “How to make sure you come in last.”
“Ha! There’s no chance I’m coming in last to a rat catcher who can’t fly and a girl. The genie might as well grant me my wish right now. It’s as good as mine, losers!” Atallah drifted closer to Zinnia. “You ready to give the victor a kiss? That’s what the damsel always does.”
“You wish! And I’m not a damsel—I’m a racer!”
“Believe what you want, Zin, but all wishes come true.”
“Come on, Zinnia, ignore him,” said Dodie, veering away from Atallah. “He’s not gonna win that wish, right?”
“Right!”
“Wrong!” Atallah knocked into Dodie.
“Lay off!” Dodie shouted as he swerved away.
The sky was darkening with storm clouds, the wind was picking up, and the waves were swelling. Somewhere across the ocean, thunder made an announcement. The three racers gripped their loops and braced themselves as they flew into the storm. They found themselves trapped between the tall rocky cliffs of the shoreline and the pounding waves growing in height with every swell. They tried to fly higher above the cliffs but the wind was too strong, not to mention the Boundary. They slowed down to dodge the waves ramming the cliff.
“This is gonna be tricky to get through!” Dodie shouted above the storm.
“We gotta stick together!” yelled Zinnia. “That way if one of us falls, we’ll be there to catch him.”
“Ha!” Atallah hollered. “I’m not going back for either of you if you fall!”
“I wasn’t talking to you!” screamed Zinnia. She pulled up sharply, just missing a wave as it crashed against the cliff.
Dodie bumped into her from behind and caught spray from the wave. He felt Atallah nudge him in the back, and it made him nervous. He didn’t like being so close to Atallah; no telling what he might do. At least the storm was keeping all three of them completely focused. For Dodie, it took every ounce of control and concentration to keep Phoenix from being carried off by the wind or drowned by the waves. He also had to watch the swells and predict when they would peak and crash, and time his pace accordingly. As the storm intensified, the waves came faster and harder until there was barely a break between them to get through.
Dodie was soaked. He stripped off his head mask and flung it away. He was feeling queasy, but he couldn’t spare any attention on that. Squinting his eyes against the pelting rain, he ignored how cold he was. He heard a muffled yelp behind him, and turned to look. Somehow he had gotten ahead of Zinnia. They were separated by a few yards of towering waves. He didn’t see Atallah anywhere, and he whipped his head around, searching for the blue-eyed boy, for he would feel better knowing where he was.
“Whoa!” He felt Phoenix pull up beneath him just as a wave roared in front of them. He couldn’t afford to look for Atallah, or even keep an eye on Zinnia. He had to watch his path.
Phoenix was sopping wet, and Dodie wondered how she was still able to stay aloft. They inched their way up the coast. With the sun blocked, Dodie had no idea what time it was, and hoped the Capital wasn’t too far off. He couldn’t see more than a few yards ahead of him.
For the first time in the last three days, Dodie desperately wished he was anywhere but there at the moment. He was wet, cold, achy, and lost. He couldn’t think of being any more miserable—well, throwing up would be slightly worse. His stomach lurched and he thought of something else.
He thought of Taj. He thought of his life without Taj, and this made his throat tighten. He remembered his last view of Taj passed out on his cot, looking as pale as death. Taj didn’t belong on that cot; he belonged on his racer rug. Dodie’s face was streaming with water, so he couldn’t tell if he was crying. He stopped thinking such bleak thoughts and instead thought about a happier future with his brother. Now that Dodie was no longer afraid of flying, he could join Taj in racing practice, and get one-on-one flying instructions from him. He smiled.
Next, he thought of Zinnia and her desperation to find her father that had driven her to chop off her hair and fearlessly compete against boys. He thought of the mermaid who had recited the prophecy about him, and this made his heart warm. He thought—
Wait!
Far ahead in the distance, the sun was leaking through the clouds, and Dodie caught a brief glimpse of tall steeples and turrets.
The Capital.
He wasn’t too far now. A few more miles, a few more waves to dodge, and he would be in the clear. He could hardly believe it, and yet he wasn’t too surprised that he had almost made it. By the looks of it, he would get there first.
He would win.
“You’re still here, huh?” Atallah hollered over at him.
Dodie started, shocked to find Atallah suddenly next to him. “Where’ve you been?”
Atallah, unmasked, grinned. “It’ll take more than a storm to get rid of me.”
“Guess it’s you and me, neck in neck to the end,” shouted Dodie, watching Atallah out of the corner of his eye as he skimmed a wave.
“No way!” Atallah dove for him.
Dodie expected this move, and was ready for it. He shot out a hand to block Atallah, and knocked him in the chest.
Atallah swung back, connecting with Dodie’s shoulder. He kicked Dodie in the ribs.
Dodie winced, trying his best to stay on his carpet and dodge the pounding waves. Atallah came at him again. Dodie jabbed, but missed and almost fell off Phoenix.
Atallah grabbed Dodie’s wrist and pulled. Dodie kicked Atallah off.
A large wave loomed for them. Dodie darted up to miss it. Suddenly he felt a great weight pull his carpet. He thought a wave had gotten him, but when he looked over his shoulder, he saw Atallah hanging off the edge of Phoenix. Sky Cleaver was being drowned by the sea.
“Help me!” screamed Atallah.
Dodie growled in frustration. It would be so easy to let Atallah fall. His life would be better for it, but Dodie couldn’t do it, so he reached out a hand to help Atallah up.
Atallah scrambled onto Phoenix.
“Thanks,” Atallah panted. “for helping me up. And for your rug.”
“For my—?”
Atallah shoved Dodie off the carpet.
Dodie yelled as he tumbled through the air. A wave caught his feet, and slammed him against the cliff. He was sure every bone in his body was broken.
But he managed to cling to the rocks.
Crash!
A wave slammed him. He went under. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t breathe. He felt an immense pull as the wave receded, but he held onto the rocks with every last bit of strength. He couldn’t be swept into the churning water or he would surely be done for.
His numb legs and arms still worked, so he started climbing higher to escape the waves.
Crash!
He held his breath and closed his eyes this time. He tasted blood in his mouth. The reced
ing wave sucked him back, but Dodie held on. His fingers trembled and warm blood streamed from his palms where the rocks cut into him. He climbed higher.
He cried out. His entire body was racked with pain.
He heard another wave roaring toward him, wanting to devour him.
“Do your worst!” he cried, gritting his teeth with determination.
Crash!
The wave answered him with such force that Dodie nearly blacked out.
When the wave retreated, Dodie was still clinging to the rocks. He climbed again, but slipped.
He hung there, barely breathing, dreading the next bombardment. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on. He was exhausted, his whole body throbbed with pain. The idea of being carried away by the sea was now appealing. Maybe drowning wasn’t so dreadful. Maybe—
“Dodie! Hold on!”
He looked up.
Crash!
Another wave smashed him. He couldn’t hear or see anything. His head broke through as the wave fell back. He gulped air.
He looked up and saw Zinnia atop the cliff, reaching her hands down to him. He was nearly at the top. He reached up and gripped her hand. Their hands slipped apart, for his was wet with water and blood.
“Come on!” shouted Zinnia, her unmasked face fearful. “Climb higher!”
Dodie climbed up and clenched her hand. She grabbed his other wrist with her other hand and pulled. Dodie used his feet to help. He dragged himself to the top as a wave crashed just below him, spraying him one last time.
Dodie rolled over on his back, and lay there panting, feeling the soft rain trickle over him. Next he saw Zinnia’s face above his.
“That was close,” she panted in between rapid breathing. She leaned down and pressed her face against his.
Dodie closed his eyes and felt her cold cheek.
“Are you okay?” she whispered in his ear.
“Dunno.”
She sat up and gripped his arms. “Try sitting up.”
Slowly, and with great effort not to whimper, Dodie sat up and surveyed his body. Patches of blood seeped through his tunic in random spots on his torso and legs. His palms were scraped nearly raw. He could still move his arms and legs, but a deep jabbing pain told him he had broken a rib or two.
“Where’s Atallah?” asked Zinnia, fetching her jar of healing ointment. She started dabbing Dodie’s face with it.
“Gone. He shoved me off and left. He’s probably already at the Capital.” Dodie took a deep breath as the ointment relieved the pain on his face.
“The going is slow, he’s probably not there yet,” said Zinnia, rubbing the ointment on Dodie’s palms. “Still, it’ll be hard catching up to him.”
“I was so close,” Dodie said, his voice croaky. “Taj will die. I can’t—”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s true!” he yelled in her face. “All this was for nothing!”
Zinnia opened her mouth, but nothing came out. A few drops trickled down her cheeks, and Dodie couldn’t tell if they were raindrops or teardrops. Either way, her face was marked with sincere grief, and he loved her for it.
Without another thought, he grabbed her and hugged her. She did not pull away, but tightened her arms around him, which hurt like crazy, but he didn’t care. They sat there on the cliff, holding each other, as the sea settled down and the clouds broke apart.
Finally he released her. As bad as their situation was, Dodie did not want to move on from this moment with her. If nothing else, it delayed his having to face defeat . . . and the death of his brother.
“Where’s Phoenix?” asked Zinnia, looking around the cliff top.
“Atallah stole her,” mumbled Dodie.
Zinnia snapped her eyes back to him. “He stole her? You’re sure?”
Dodie felt slightly annoyed. “Yes! He lost his carpet, so I pulled him onto mine. He shoved me off and sped away on Phoenix.”
Zinnia shot to her feet, a new fire in her eyes. “Get up. Let’s go.”
“What’s the point?”
Zinnia smiled, that fire intensifying. “This race is far from over.”
Dodie furrowed his brow, then his face broke into a wide grin as he caught on to what she was thinking. “You’re right! This race is definitely not over yet!”
Chapter 15
“Zinnia, what are you doing?” demanded Dodie as he watched her carry her rolled-up carpet over to him.
She dropped her racer rug at his feet. “I’m giving Amethyst to you.”
“You don’t need to do that.” Dodie rolled his eyes. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“No, we’ll both ride her to the Capital.” Zinnia pulled him to his feet.
Dodie yelped in pain, but was able to stand. He hugged his throbbing side and had to take shallow breaths.
“But it’s crucial that you own Amethyst.” Zinnia gave her rug a nudge with her toe. “I’m giving her to you.” She grabbed Dodie’s hand and pressed it on top of the carpet. “I hereby give you Amethyst, Dodie Rue.”
Dodie held his hand over the rolled up carpet. “Amethyst,” he muttered.
The racer rug unrolled itself, her fuchsia and silver swirls looking more beautiful than ever.
Zinnia smiled with satisfaction. “Let’s go.” She mounted the carpet, leaving room for Dodie to sit in the front.
Dodie climbed onto Amethyst and crouched down with a wince. “We might not be able to outrun Atallah, but we can outsmart him,” he said slyly.
Dodie took them up. He found Amethyst to be very speedy and easy to guide, but not nearly as agile as Phoenix. He hoped he could reclaim his grandfather’s racer rug, for losing Phoenix would only add to the shame of losing the Grand Flyer.
They sped toward the Capital that was in plain view ahead. Just outside the front gates to the city was the finish line. Colorful banners flapped in the wind, torches lined the final runway, and masses of people cheered on either side of the torch-lined runway. A tall stand stood at the end of the runway where the judges presided.
“There’s Atallah!” Dodie pointed. “He must’ve gotten slowed down by the storm.”
About twenty yards ahead, Atallah zoomed on Phoenix. He was almost to the finish line.
Dodie tried to coax more speed out of Amethyst, but it was no use.
Atallah streaked down the runway amidst wild cheers from the crowds. He hovered beside the judges’ stand and waved victoriously to the spectators.
Dodie and Zinnia sailed in next and received cheers as well, though they weren’t as enthusiastic. Dodie scanned the crowds, hoping to see his family, but there were too many people to distinguish faces. Plus he figured everyone had stayed home with Taj.
The crowd hushed as the Magistrate of the Capital raised his hands to address them.
“Congratulations to all our contestants, and especially to these three who have completed the Grand Flyer!” boomed Magistrate Obenido.
The crowd cheered briefly before the Magistrate continued his speech.
“We have our clear champion here!” He gestured to Atallah who beamed. “Atallah Hadi from Turah!”
Atallah zipped over the crowd, and skimmed their heads and threaded on the city walls. The crowd went wild.
“Get closer to the Magistrate,” Zinnia said behind Dodie.
Dodie glided up to the judges’ stand.
“Please, sirs, there’s been a mistake,” said Zinnia.
The judges glared down at her.
The Magistrate looked appalled. “You’re a girl! Females are forbidden to race in the Grand Flyer! Who are you?”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Zinnia, her voice finding strength. “What matters is that Dodie Rue is the rightful winner, not Atallah.”
“How do you figure that?” demanded Magistrate Obenido. “Atallah clea
rly arrived first.”
“No, sir!” continued Zinnia.
“Atallah won on a stolen carpet!” Dodie jumped in.
The judges murmured together. Magistrate Obenido eyed Dodie and Zinnia with new interest.
“He stole that carpet?” Obenido pointed a chubby finger at Phoenix.
By now, Atallah had noticed Dodie and Zinnia conversing with the judges, and he sped over to them.
“Poor loser, eh, Rat Scat?” he sniggered as he stood atop Phoenix with his arms crossed.
“That’s my racer rug,” said Dodie, glaring at Atallah. “You pushed me off and stole her.”
“That’s a lie!” Atallah snarled. “Phoenix is and always has been my carpet.”
The judges huddled together for a minute, then Magistrate Obenido addressed them. “This is a serious charge, but we must test it. Atallah, dismount your carpet and ignite her again. You must prove she’s yours.”
“This is ridiculous!” Atallah screeched, throwing his hands up. “I shouldn’t have to prove anything! I’m the Grand Flyer champion, and I won on my carpet.”
“I’m sorry, we must be sure. That’s the rule.” Obenido’s face hardened, and he gestured his hand to the ground. “If you please.”
With a huff, Atallah swooped down to the ground, and jumped off Phoenix. Immediately the carpet rolled herself up. Atallah held a hand over her and said, “Phoenix.”
The carpet remained rolled up at his feet. The crowd stirred.
“Phoenix!” Atallah gave the rug a kick.
But the carpet did not open or even budge.
Dodie landed next to him, held a hand over his racer rug, and said her name. Phoenix unfurled herself and dazzled the crowd with her flaming colors and gold shine.
Magistrate Obenido raised his voice and announced, “Atallah Hadi, you are hereby disqualified from the Grand Flyer for finishing on a stolen racer rug!”
“They can’t win either!” screamed Atallah, pointing at Dodie and Zinnia. “She’s a girl! And that carpet is hers, not his!”
“That’s not true!” Zinnia yelled back.
