“So bright! And so many colors,” Silver said. “She looked purple in the cart.”
“She’s every color, depending on the light. That’s the other reason she races underwater. Otherwise, I could temporarily blind my opponents with her dazzle.”
“That’s the rule for Glitherns, then—that they have to stay underwater during races?” Silver asked.
“No. There are no rules against the dragon’s special features. I just think it’s fairer to race that way. I win on my own merit. Because I’m the best racer.”
He waved to his Glithern. The water dragon’s narrowed eyes and sharp snout softened, her jaw fell open in a huge grin, and her tongue drooped out. Silver had to giggle.
Water dragons were all the same.
The Glithern splashed her tail against the water and dove under again.
“She’s beautiful,” Silver said.
“Her name’s Hoonazoor. Do you want to meet her?”
Yes, every cell inside Silver screamed. But Brajon would be wondering where she was soon. “I can’t,” she said. “I have to be somewhere right now. Thank you for showing me your Glithern.”
Silver started back through the crowd, sneaking one last glimpse at the stunning water dragon.
“Races start at six,” Ferdi called after her. “Don’t forget to watch me. I’ll be the one winning!”
TWENTY-NINE
Six o’clock was too soon for Silver’s comfort. She needed to figure out how to get Hiyyan registered for the races, and then how to get back to the cave to gather the camouin.
Luckily, the kind palace guard was straight ahead, buying a box of sweet jellies from a vendor. Brajon was probably still in line at the breakfast cart. There was time for a detour.
“Hello again,” Silver said, pausing at his side.
“You again! Lemon jelly?” the guard asked, holding the box to her.
“No, thank you. I was wondering if you know where the water dragons get registered.”
“You couldn’t ask your friend there? He knows.”
“He’s not my … He had to run. But I thought that since you see everything that goes on around the palace…”
The guard gave his mustache a twirl and leaned in conspiratorially. His eyes twinkled. “I do see everything. Even things I’m not supposed to.”
“Well, I just need to know one thing,” Silver said impatiently. The sun had risen high enough in the sky that the royal city’s streets were beginning to bake.
The guard shrugged and stood upright again.
“You’re a squire, and your rider sent you along to register, yes? I thought about becoming a water dragon squire when I was about your age. But it’s too competitive here in Calidia. Hundreds—no, thousands of kids try to get picked, and only a handful make it.” The guard popped a pink jelly into his mouth. “It’s all right, now. I like the guardship. An easy job most days. Even when the seawall gets crowded like this, it’s not too bad. Especially with little squires like you to keep me amused. Follow me. I’ll take you right to registration.” The guard headed toward the seawall, and Silver gratefully fell into step with him.
“Who are you signing up?” the guard asked between bites of jellies. “Where are you from?”
Silver squirmed. Lying was necessary, but she still felt awful doing it.
“Kolghan,” she said. It was the name of a desert town far to the west of Jaspaton. She didn’t know much about it, only that it was renowned for its shell jewelry.
“That’s some distance,” the guard said. His cheeks took on a rosy hue as he talked to her. “I didn’t think you had a water dragon there anymore. Not since your last Vaprozy retired and your town decided to use the river for shellfish farming instead of dragon training.”
“It’s a new one,” Silver said, fibbing again. “A young … Vaprozy.”
“Bred for racing, I’d guess. That’s an exciting thing for you to be part of. The breeding program here in Calidia is the second largest in the world,” the guard said, boasting. “Biggest one after Runesque, which is out there in deep sea, of course. But you’ll know all about that.”
“Yes.” Silver nodded, but her insides were twisting like a ball of yarn. Runesque? She’d never heard of it.
“How many races has your young Vaprozy won?”
“None. I mean, today will be his first.” She stood up straighter.
“That’s the spirit!” The guard patted her on the shoulder. “Although I have to say, I can’t help but have a bit of a laugh when I see the Vaprozys racing. Haven’t seen one in action since before your old girl retired, but I thought I saw one training out in the sea yesterday. Must have been yours, eh?”
Silver nodded along, but she had no idea what the guard was talking about. What could be so amusing about racing?
“People might make fun, but you just ignore them and be proud of how well you’ve trained him up,” the guard said. He smiled.
“I will. I am. I mean, we all are.” If Silver’s insides were to twist any more, they would wring her as dry as the desert.
“Good. Ah, here we are. See those folks sitting on that platform? Sign up with them. And all the best to you. I’m a lucky one. Don’t have to work today, so I can come down to the festivities before the races begin. I’ll be looking out for your Vaprozy and cheering him on. Oh, and speaking of looking out, look there. Famous folks all around this morning!”
The crowd noise built. Silver’s stomach lurched when she spotted Sagittaria Wonder. The racer had appeared near the seawall and was gazing over the water. When the water dragon racer turned, her eyes swept the throngs, and her fierce gaze seemed to catch on Silver and the guard—or was that only Silver’s imagination?
Sagittaria set her jaw and walked in the direction of the palace, the people spreading apart to create a path for her. Silver breathed a sigh of relief. Against her skin, Nebekker’s stone pendant warmed. Silver looked around. Did that mean Kirja was near?
Silver waved good-bye to the guard and headed for the short set of stairs to the platform, citing squire duties. She swallowed and looked over her shoulder as she climbed. No Sagittaria Wonder in sight. A man with pale hair flowing to his waist was finishing his registration as Silver walked up. Parchment was strewn all over, and three of the four people sitting behind the table were furiously making notes with feathered quills.
“Can I help you?” said a tall, narrow woman who wore a hat in the shape of a flower. The petals bobbed as she looked Silver up and down. She sniffed.
“I’m here to register a dragon for my racer,” Silver said.
“We explicitly said in the registration materials not to send squires.” The woman rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’ll take your information. But tell your racer that I’m not amused. Name?”
Silver smiled. This part had come to her in her dream last night.
“Desert Fox.”
“Age of dragon?”
“One year,” Silver said. A trader had told her that was the age water dragons began to hit peak form.
The woman nodded. “Place of training?”
“The deep desert,” Silver said without thinking, then hesitated. “I mean, a river near the desert.”
The woman looked up at Silver. “Really? How interesting. What body of water?”
One of the men behind the table spoke up. He was so old his skin looked like paper. “No time for chitchat, Keppleroo. Just register the dragon.”
From beneath her bobbing petals, Keppleroo glared at the ancient man before turning her attention back to Silver. “Preferred racing time? We can’t guarantee a time, of course, unless you’re registering a Daknyan.”