“That ridiculous dragon sheds like crazy,” Nebekker said. “Try it on. You’re growing at practically the rate of Hiyyan, so it might be too small.”
Brajon turned around, and Silver stepped into the suit. It wasn’t too small. It fit her exact measurements, running just a touch long in the arms and legs, flowing over her skin like water. She ran her hands over the material. It was light but strong, and just as warm as her old suit. The scale pattern was slick but dense. It would provide protection against water while minimizing wind resistance. And the color meant people would have to look twice to see a human on the back of an Aquinder.
She wondered what Sagittaria might say if she saw her now.
“It’s perfect,” Silver said. “Thank you.”
She reached to hug Nebekker, but the old woman pressed her hand to her chest, let out a sound of dismay, and doubled over.
“You’re getting worse,” Silver said. “Brajon, help me.” She was struggling to hold Nebekker upright.
“I’ll be fine,” Nebekker said faintly. “I just need to rest.”
Together, the cousins moved her so that she could sit with her back against the wall. Her breathing was labored, and all the color had drained from her face. Silver arranged blankets around her.
Watching Nebekker’s pained expression, Silver knew that she had to leave for Calidia immediately. If Sagittaria claimed Kirja in the races, Nebekker would never see her water dragon again. She would weaken. And if Silver understood the old woman’s words correctly, Nebekker could even die.
Silver watched the light patterns play on the walls of the cavern as she thought. Hiyyan waddled over and sat beside her.
“It’s going to be all right,” Silver told him. But she wasn’t sure she believed what she’d said.
One girl, one boy, and one baby dragon … against all of Calidia? It felt impossible.
SIXTEEN
Hiyyan rested his big head on Silver’s shoulder as she assessed her belongings.
“Ugh, your breath is vicious,” she muttered. It smelled like fish.
“It’s a good thing,” Nebekker said. “Means he’s learned to catch his meals himself. There’re fish here who don’t need light and live in the little underground streams.”
The young Aquinder turned his face to meet Silver’s and breathed right up her nose.
“Hey!”
He let out one of his snorting dragon laughs and rolled onto his back.
Silver ignored him and pulled the thin but tightly woven wool blanket from her pack, as well as the cloak to double as a second blanket. She would need both to sleep in the chilly underground caverns in the nights to come. Brajon handed her the things he’d collected: a selection of dried foods, packed tightly and neatly into cloth sacks. Soap. A lightweight cup. A comb. Silver raised her eyebrows.
“You know I want to be the fastest dragon racer, not the prettiest?”
Brajon rolled his eyes. “So you’ll be presentable when you meet with Queen Imea and ask for Nebekker’s dragon back.”
“We don’t even know if the queen is involved.” Silver hoped she wasn’t. She was beloved by the whole desert for her generous nature and peaceful policies, and she had been so kind to Silver in the workshop. Unlike Sagittaria Wonder.
“And even if she was involved,” Silver said, “we can’t just ask for Kirja back. We have to…”
“We have to what?” Brajon said.
“I don’t know.” Silver had hardly thought that far ahead. All this time, she’d been trying to figure out how to get out of Jaspaton. Now that she was, she wasn’t certain where to go from there. Only that she had to get to Calidia, and soon. She lowered her voice to barely a whisper. “But I have to come up with a plan quickly. I’m leaving tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes, and you can help me by not telling my parents where I am this time.” Guilt flickered across Brajon’s face, but Silver had no time to worry about her cousin’s feelings. Her mind was racing with ideas and questions. She went to Nebekker and crouched beside the old woman.
“Help me, Nebekker. How do I find Kirja?”
Nebekker seemed deep in thought as she slowly sat up, settling her back and hips against the wall until she seemed comfortable. Finally, she spoke.
“I have an old friend who might be able to help you, but I haven’t spoken to her in years. Her name is Arkilah. She came to my village from the vast desert to study water dragons. No, not the dragons themselves, but the mythologies and lore surrounding them. Arkilah is also Kirja’s friend.”
“Someone else knows about Aquinder?”
Nebekker nodded. “Last I heard, Arkilah was reading the stars in Calidia. Look for her in the Maze Market just outside the palace. She will do all she can to lead you to Kirja.”
Silver nodded and slung her bag across her back.
“One more thing.” Nebekker reached into a basket. “I’ve been saving money for you. I thought I had many more years to save, to convince your parents to let you go to Calidia.” Nebekker paused over her thoughts. “Your letter convinced me you were … ready to go. All I can give you besides the pattern I taught you is this.”
Silver took the small pouch Nebekker offered. Inside were just enough coins to fit in her palm. It wasn’t much, but Silver’s chest warmed with gratitude.
“I won’t let you down,” she said.
“Silver.” Brajon leaped to his feet, his eyes wild as he appeared to realize that his cousin meant to leave right then. “You can’t just—”
“Come with me,” Silver blurted out. She wasn’t sure where the words came from, only that she knew the journey would be better with her best friend. Silver had been eager to leave, but now that the moment was here and Hiyyan and Kirja needed her, she felt a bit panicked.
Brajon shook his head slowly. “I can’t just leave my family.”
“They’ll be there when you get back. Don’t you want to see what happens to all the beautiful metal and gems you pull out of the ground? What about adventure?”
Brajon folded his arms across his chest and raised his voice. “Adventure? You think that’s what this is? This isn’t a game!”
“No,” Silver said. “If I played games, I might have more friends!”
Brajon sighed.
Silver held out her hand. “Best of luck, cousin. I’ll send word when I reach Calidia.”
She squared her shoulders and slowly turned toward the southeast. As she took her first steps to Calidia, she felt a pang, but she kept moving.
“We’ll,” Brajon said. He caught up to her and took her elbow. “We’ll send word. You’re not going alone. Especially when you don’t have a plan.”
“You’ll leave without saying good-bye to your parents?” Nebekker said. When Brajon hesitated, she waved him off. “I’ll get word to them. I have my ways.”
Silver hid her relieved smile when Brajon nodded.
“Thank you, Brajon. And we do have a plan. Get to Calidia and find Nebekker’s friend Arkilah.”
That was the start of her plan, at least. Silver glanced at Hiyyan. She knew how much her dragon wanted to be with his mother again. She felt the longing in her bones. But she also knew she needed to protect him, and that meant claiming him.
That meant racing him. She dragged her palm across his back. Her heart gave a happy jolt.
Brajon looked nervously at Hiyyan. “I don’t think you’re going to find Arkilah with all the commotion you’ll make flying that thing into Calidia.”
“He’s not a thing! Besides, we can’t fly if we’re taking the river tunnels all the way there,” Silver said. “I don’t want to be seen. If we raise an alarm, they might move Kirja. Hide her somewhere we can’t find her.”