“Are you sure? I mean…”
In every legend Silver had heard, Aquinder had been hunted to extinction hundreds of years ago, after the great wars, because they were dangerous. Deadly.
Kirja wriggled back and forth as Nebekker tickled her underbelly.
Deadly? Silver giggled. More like ridiculously playful.
Kirja’s upside-down face sported a dopey grin. A series of snorts that sounded suspiciously like laughter came from her big, round nostrils. Nebekker paused, and Kirja opened her eyes. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth again.
“Come over here. Kirja’s going to think you don’t like her. Nothing upsets an Aquinder more.”
“But I thought—”
“They were only a children’s story? Or that they were ferocious beasts?” Nebekker shook her head. “They’re neither. Aquinder crave love and attention. And when people learn that, well, they take advantage of that and force them to do terrible things.”
Silver edged closer to the water dragon. Kirja’s dark eyes followed her movements, and the closer Silver got, the more Kirja wriggled with delight. When Silver finally put her hand on the water dragon’s belly, Kirja relaxed, and sighed contentedly.
“It’s furry,” Silver exclaimed. Her hands sank into the lush coat of silver fur on Kirja’s belly, and when Silver pulled away, iridescent strands clung to her fingers.
“Just on her tummy. She’s shedding, too. Her winter coat will grow in even thicker. You should see how much hair’s in the cave. Aquinder are a pain to take care of.” Nebekker’s voice sounded stern, but she gave Kirja a look of such deep love and affection that Silver knew the old woman would do anything to keep her water dragon happy.
“Where did she come from?” Silver asked as she went back to rubbing Kirja’s belly.
“All the other water dragons came from the depths of the earth through the Black Hole, of course, but no one quite knows where Aquinder came from. The old legends say they were birthed in the stars and bred in the clouds and raised in the seas, but who knows.”
“But Kirja … How did you find her?”
“This urchin found me. It was a long, long time ago. In a life I lived before I came to the deep desert.”
Kirja stiffened, and her finlike ears perked up. Nebekker dropped her voice to a whisper. “Come on. No time for tales right now. There’s someone out there.”
Silver snapped her head up.
“Sagittaria Wonder,” she whispered. Silver felt a chill. She didn’t want to think about what the racer might do if she discovered Kirja.
Nebekker glanced around the trees nervously. They did a good job hiding the oasis from view, but they also hid the desert. Anything could be out there.
“The cave’s this way. Follow close to me.”
“What about Kirja?”
“She’s been hiding from humans for seventy years. She knows what to do.”
Nebekker began walking briskly, but Silver hesitated. She wanted to make sure Kirja was going to be okay.
She needn’t have worried. As soon as Nebekker disappeared through the palms, Kirja backed into the oasis lake, until only her head stuck out like a rock. The Aquinder watched Silver, and, if the creature could have talked, Silver was certain she would have told her to hurry.
Silver ran for the palms.
She never made it out of the oasis.
TWELVE
“Ah! You’re a familiar face. Aren’t you that ridiculous child from the jeweler’s shop?”
Sagittaria Wonder emerged from the sands like a mirage. Her companions joined her, standing on either side, with their hulking arms crossed over their chests. “Grab her!”
Silver darted in the opposite direction. She pushed through the pebbles on the edge of the lake, splashing water up her legs as she ran for the ring of trees. A palm frond whipped into her forehead, slicing across her brow. Before she could make it to the desert sands, hands grabbed her shoulders, yanking her off-balance. One of Sagittaria’s men had caught her, and now tossed her over his shoulder.
“Let me go!” Silver kicked and pounded her fists against his back.
“Hang on to her.” Sagittaria laughed. Silver had come to hate that sound more than anything in the world. “Her father will want her returned.”
“He’ll never pay a ransom to you,” Silver screamed.
“Who said anything about a ransom?” Sagittaria said. “I don’t want your father’s jewels.” She put her fingers under Silver’s chin and forced their eyes to meet. Silver hated that she still admired the fierceness in the racer’s eyes. “But you should believe that he would give his entire workshop for your return,” Sagittaria said.
“You don’t know my father very well,” Silver said.
“No, I—” Sagittaria looked past Silver, and her eyes went wide. “It’s here. I knew it. All these years … all these rumors … and it’s here. Finally.” The water dragon racer took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The Aquinder.”
“No!” Silver craned her neck.
Kirja rose slowly from the oasis water, her enormous head looming over them all. Water dripped slowly from her scales. Her mouth opened to reveal her teeth, and her black eyes sparked with anger.
“Go back, Kirja!” Silver’s heart thudded painfully.
Kirja spread her wings, and Silver’s eyes widened. The wings were massive, dark and rippling. Kirja, who only moments before had seemed as harmless as a herd animal, shadowed them all with her size.
“Fly away,” Silver shouted. She would find a way to distract Sagittaria. She had to.
“Let her go,” Nebekker yelled. She rushed onto the scene, brandishing a huge palm frond.
She slammed the frond into the stomach of one of Sagittaria’s men. With a surprised groan, he buckled and fell to the ground. Without a second glance, Nebekker came for the man holding Silver. Her weapon crashed against the back of his knees. He shuddered and fell forward.
Silver rolled to the side to avoid being crushed. A great whoosh of air flipped her scarf. It was Kirja flying at them, her mouth wide.
“Hrrggaauwnnn!” Her roar shook the ground.
“Aaaahhhh!” Silver pressed her hands over her ears.
Kirja grabbed one of the men and lifted him from the ground. He screamed, his limbs flailing. The Aquinder tossed her head, throwing him out of the oasis to land somewhere in the vast desert.
Sagittaria strode to Nebekker, seemingly undisturbed by the dragon swooping overhead. “I’ve been looking for you, old woman,” the racer said. “Came all the way to Jaspaton because some rumors placed you in the deep desert. The same rumors that said you’d lead me to the Aquinder.”
She turned to Silver.
Nebekker raised the frond high and aimed for Sagittaria’s head. But just as she was about to bring the heavy branch down, one of the men sprang up and tackled her around the waist.
“Nebekker!” Silver heard the sickening snap of a bone.
Kirja roared again. Her body rolled, and she dove for the ground, her fins and ears flattened against the side of her head, and her wings tucked in, a streak of silver blue. Her speed took Silver’s breath away.
But Sagittaria was fast, too. She dropped to the ground beside Nebekker and yanked the old woman’s arms behind her back.
“Stop,” Sagittaria called out to Kirja. “Or I’ll hurt her!”
“No,” Silver screamed. One of the two men left shoved her to the ground.
Kirja widened her fins and wings, slowing until she was merely floating above them. Watching. Nervous. She mewled.
“Call her down,” Sagittaria said to Nebekker.