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.
“I got her for my fifth birthday, but my father wouldn’t let me ride her until I was eight. Three long years of training. You have no idea how much I wanted to disobey my father. But no one disobeys my father. He is very strict.”
“I know what you mean,” Silver said quietly.
“I couldn’t believe it when he gave me permission to come to these races alone! Well, not so much alone.” Ferdi pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
When Silver looked, she discovered that one of the men she’d seen with him at the inn was trailing them.
“You have guards?”
“More like babysitters.”
As the swarm of people grew larger, Silver realized more than one person had stopped to glance at them or was making a concerted effort to move out of their path.
Silver drew her eyebrows together. “And who’s your father?”
But Ferdi pointed to something in the distance. “There she is! Isn’t she a magnificent beast?”
The change in the air hit Silver swiftly. Salt and brine, like the juices from the crocks of pickled sea vegetables traders often brought to Jaspaton, lingered under her nose. She stood on her tiptoes to try to see over the heads in front of her.
“Oh, she dipped down again,” Ferdi said. “Glitherns do that, you know.”
“Glitherns?” Silver racked her brain. “I’ve never heard of them.”
Ferdi nodded. “Lots of people haven’t. They’re so rare they’re practically mythical.”
“I know something about that, at least,” Silver said.
But Ferdi wasn’t done. He talked faster as he grew more excited. “They’re the only water dragons who can live their entire lives underwater. All water dragons have gills to help them breathe underwater, of course. But none have ones as big and efficient as a Glithern’s. Other breeds might stay under for several hours—and a lot less than that if they’re racing—but my dragon? Never has to come up for air! When we race, she stays under the surface the whole time. Makes her one of the fastest water dragons in the racing world. And the hardest to find.”
“Except—oof!” A large man’s elbow dug into Silver’s side.
“My apologies,” he said, turning to them. It was the palace guard from the day before, dressed in his immaculate white uniform. He smiled at Silver, then looked at Ferdi. The color drained from his cheeks.
“Truly! I … I didn’t mean,” he stammered.
“Not a problem. It’s crowded here,” Ferdi said quickly, pulling Silver along by her arm.
“What was that all about?” Silver said. Inside, though, she was shaking herself for almost giving Hiyyan away. It was hard not to brag about her own water dragon when Ferdi took so much delight in his Glithern.
Ferdi shrugged and looked down, letting his hair fall over his face. “Nothing. Just a friendly stranger.”
Silver knew there was more to it than that, but it was better not to ask questions, so that he wouldn’t start asking questions of his own.
“Only a desert fox could get through here,” she muttered as they jostled through the crowds.
Ferdi looked amused. “I’ve never seen a desert fox. But oh, look over there!”
This time, when Silver looked where Ferdi pointed, she saw the dark-blue-and-brilliant-orange head of a water dragon break the surface of the pool. The dragon looked around in a slow circle, then paused once she caught sight of Ferdi. The sun striking her skin reflected millions of rainbows. Silver had to shade her eyes against the brilliance.