She put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “I thought I’d be able to send you to Calidia someday, convince your father to let you go, so you could train to race dragons. It is a powerful thing to see such strong dreams in one’s child.
“But then Sagittaria Wonder came, and she wasn’t the person we thought she would be. Not only that, but a special thing happened to you.”
“Hiyyan,” Silver said.
“Yes. Oh, and this must be Kirja. I’ve heard so much.”
Sersha hung back, not sure how to approach the water dragon. All the marvels of seeing an Aquinder for the first time played across her face.
“We can’t stay long,” Silver said. She quickly told Nebekker and her mother what had happened in Calidia, leaving out any unimportant parts … like the fact she had used an illegal metal. When she got to the end, she tucked her short hair behind her ears. “So, you see, we can’t stay here. We have to hide until we figure out what to do next.”
“No, Silver. You’ll stay,” Sersha said. “We’ll figure something out.”
“Sagittaria knows this oasis is here,” Silver said. “And there isn’t anywhere else to hide in Jaspaton. But I’m hoping Nebekker and I can work it all out quickly. I made a friend who isn’t from the desert, and he might be able to help. Laws can be changed.”
Sersha was silent for a long time, then she nodded once. There was a muffled splash in the distance. A few seconds later, Hiyyan dropped into the river and swam straight for Silver.
Silver smiled. “This is Hiyyan, my Aquinder.”
Sersha Batal went to the water dragon and put her face right up to his. “I expect you to take care of my girl,” she said very seriously. “And to be back very quickly. I will be waiting for word, and I expect that word to come often.” Hiyyan licked Silver’s mother, then let his tongue loll out the side of his mouth in a goofy grin.
Sersha turned to Nebekker. “When the time is right,” she told the old woman, “I’ll be ready to rally our politicians.”
Silver threw herself into her mother’s arms again, pulling away only when she heard Mele joining them on the riverbank.
“And this is Mele. We couldn’t have rescued Kirja without her.” As she and Mele began repacking their bags with fresh supplies, Silver told Nebekker and her mother about how Mele had helped her and Brajon in Calidia.
“Where will we go?” Mele asked, her cheeks turning pink as Silver showered her with praise.
Nebekker shakily got to her feet. She was growing stronger by the moment. She nodded in the opposite direction from the oasis lake. “Upriver. Past Jaspaton and into the mountains. There are places up there to hide. Winter will set in soon, and the passes will be unreachable by outsiders. Most humans would be trapped, but we have these two overgrown birds to keep us mobile. It’s the safest option. At least until we can give our Aquinder another safe option.”
Silver’s eyes sparkled. First, the mountains, then a whole world to explore. Someday, she and Hiyyan would have all the freedom they’d ever craved. A whole new life for her and her water dragon.
She was ready to race toward that adventure.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K. D. Halbrook grew up in California, surrounded by the gorgeous art, food, family bonds, and Lebanese American family quirks that inspired the world of Silver Batal. She’s also the author of the middle-grade novel Smoke and Mirrors as well as several young adult titles under the name Kristin Halbrook. Halbrook is a cofounder of the teen reading and writing website www.YAHighway.com. She currently resides in Seattle with her family. Visit her at www.kristinhalbrook.com, or sign up for email updates here.
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 by Kristin Halbrook
Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Ilse Gort
Henry Holt and Company, Publishers since 1866
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All rights reserved.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Halbrook, Kristin, author.
Title: Silver Batal and the water dragon races / K. D. Halbrook.
Description: First edition. | New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2019. | Series: Silver Batal | Summary: Silver Batal, a young desert-dweller, dreams of becoming a water dragon racer, and when she befriends a rare dragon that can swim and fly, she may just get her chance.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018038287 | ISBN 978-1-250-18107-7 (hardcover) | ISBN 978-1-250-18108-4 (eBook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Dragons—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. | Family life—Fiction. | Fantasy.
Classification: LCC PZ7.H12837 Sill 2019 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018038287
eISBN 9781250181084
First hardcover edition, 2019
eBook edition, June 2019