Chapter 10
Irush up the stairs to my room, then dash to the bathing chambers as thunder cracks so loud in the sky that I can hear it even within the thick walls of the academy.
Part of my heart remains in that room by the dungeons with the little dragons, left to fend for themselves in the dark.
But Instructor Katrine must know what she’s doing.
I could hear the concern in her voice, and if she’s spent her entire life studying dragons, she knows what’s best for the hatchlings.
Another part of my heart is reminding me that it’s still in my chest—and thinking about Alayel.
I won’t fall for him, but refusing dinner would be rude, right? Oh, by Vigorlu, why am I making flimsy excuses? Even in my mind, my words sound unconvincing.
I pause. Maybe I am affected by him, but all it means is that I have eyes, like Celine and Nelly said. Maybe my heart wants to jump up and down at the thought of being alone with him. None of it matters. My mind’s in control, and, for now, I want nothing to do with him.
The thought dissolves my fears, and I return to my bedroom feeling poised and in control. I open the door, and, this time, the presence on my bed doesn’t bother me.
Alayel’s there, sitting with his arms crossed, except that he’s relaxed and his smile lights up his features when he sees me. That smile will be the death of my reasoning.
“It’s still raining,” I say.
He gives me a lazy shrug, looking dashingly handsome in a linen shirt and leather pants. “And we can leave when it stops.”
“Did you put something in my bedroom earlier?” I’m wondering if he was the one who brought Ava.
He blinks and tilts his head. “What something?”
I can’t tell if he’s pretending, trying to mess with my head, or if he really doesn’t know about the little dragon, so I try a different question.
“Have you seen the dragon eggs? Since they were brought in?”
“No. But you did. Is there something you want to tell me?”
I take a deep breath, debating if I should try to catch him in a lie or just tell him the truth, and then I pick the second option.
“The eggs hatched.”
“That was quick.” He raises his eyebrows, seeming genuinely surprised.
“And when I came to my bedroom today, I found one of the hatchlings. Did you put her here?”
He frowns, confused. “A little dragon? Here? Are you sure?”
“How can I not be sure? You think I’d confuse them with a rat or something?”
“It’s bizarre. Is their room nearby?” He looks up at the wall, as if to check if there’s an opening, something.
“It’s a few floors down. Who else could have a key to this room?”
He pauses. “Some servants. Rosalia. Maybe some academy officers.”
“That’s a lot of people.”
His confused expression turns into a grimace. “But why would they bring a dragon here?”
“I don’t know. They’d need the key to the room where he was, too. I don’t think a lot of people have it, unless they have a master key.”
Alayel shakes his head. “Nobody else has it.”
“Then who did you copy it from?”
He scratches his chin and smirks. “I… replaced the original with a replica.”
I don’t even know how to react to that, but then I think back to the little dragons. “Katrine, the Dragon Knowledge instructor, was checking the eggs. She also moved the hatchlings to another room, near the dungeons. Maybe she brought the little dragon here.”
“Technically, she might have been able to do it, but it makes absolutely no sense. Either way, if someone wants to blackmail you, they’ll eventually ask for something, and that’s when you figure out the culprit.
Keep your ears alert, your eyes wide. Hang on.
Can’t you smell if someone came into your room?
You had all those smelling powers, right? ”
I shake my head. “I feel very little. It’s been numbed since I got into the academy.”
Alayel presses his lips together. “Oh. Anyway, I’ll try to help you figure out what’s happening.”
I hope so. But then, thinking about the little dragons brings a smile to my face. “The hatchlings are absolutely adorable.”
“I bet they are. But why aren’t they with Auranius?”
“I overheard Katrine. They’re afraid the riders will come for the hatchlings and kill them. Auranius’ lair is safe most of the time, but if he flies away or sleeps…”
“That makes sense.” He gets up. “Are you ready?”
At least I got dressed in the bathing chamber, and I’m wearing a blue linen dress that looks good with my boots. If I had more time on my own, I would put some color on my cheeks, but I don’t want to do it in front of him.
“Quite ready. Let’s go.”
We leave the academy through a small passage similar to the one we took when he got me out of prison. The air outside is fresh with the scent of rain and ocean breeze, and we walk slowly toward the area of the city near the port.
When we get to the back of the Grease & Spice, I knock on the door and my chest feels both full and light when I see Laristella opening it for me. It’s odd to think that I missed her, but it seems that I did.
“Hi,” I say, feeling oddly shy.
“Come in. Good to see you. Your brother’s upstairs.” She gestures for me to enter, then turns to Alayel. “You are?”
He extends a hand to her. “Alayel. Her colleague in the Sky Academy.”
His words don’t mean anything and yet warm my heart. They make me feel that I belong, that we’re equal.
Laristella rushes him in, shakes his hand, then turns around and yells, “Kaio, your sister’s here!” She turns to us and gestures to the small table at the corner of the kitchen. “Have a seat. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
“How are things going?” I ask.
“All smooth. Sina finally got the hang of the stew. Not perfect like yours, obviously, but still good. And if you’re happy, that’s what counts, right?”
“I am.” Despite everything, it’s the truth. While I’m still not where I want to be, I’m closer to getting there.
She pats my shoulder. “That’s good to hear. Just try not to die.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Kaio comes down the ladder, and Laristella walks away. She wouldn’t be busy at this time, since the Grease & Spice only opens at lunch, but I think she wants to give us privacy—or maybe she’s upset that I left. I can’t change that.
But seeing my brother’s smile erases any traces of guilt.
“Mah, how’s the academy?” he asks.
“Good. Very interesting. I’m learning a lot about dragons.”
He wrings his hands. “Learning how fast they’ll kill you?”
I don’t think he’s joking, but I won’t lie. “That’s part of it, yes.”
Kaio stares at Alayel blankly, as if he’d noticed him only now, and Alayel extends his hand. “I’m your sister’s friend. Alayel.”
“Kaio.”
Alayel takes a seat beside us. “I heard so much about you. Your sister loves you very much, did you know that?”
“No.” My brother frowns, looking puzzled, and turns to me, a question on his face.
“No?” I slap his arm softly. “Really? No?”
Kaio shrugs. “How am I supposed to guess?”
The door opens, and Laristella walks in, holding a tray with three cups of lemonade, which she places on the table. “Here. Have something to drink. I’ll let you all talk in peace.”
“Thanks,” I tell her.
“It’s nothing.” She shakes her head and rushes out of the kitchen.
I turn to my brother. “How are you doing?”
He grins. “Ready to sail around the world.”
“Really?”
Kaio chuckles. “No. What a question. How do you think I’m doing? Cutting onions and carrots and shallots and cleaning gallonfish and more gallonfish and more and more and more gallonfish. It’s not like you’ve been gone for years, sis.”
“You have your room for yourself. That’s different.”
My brother runs a hand over his hair. “True. The lack of snoring has been really helping my sleep.”
“I don’t snore!” I protest.
“How would you know? You’re deep asleep.”
I shake my head, amused but also annoyed. Couldn’t he have picked a more flattering joke to say in front of Alayel? Also, he’s my little brother, and it’s been my duty to raise him and teach him good manners, and my duty shouldn’t stop now.
“Don’t lie for no reason,” I say. “When you die, Thantos is going to weigh all your lies against you. Even small, silly ones.”
Kaio grins. “I’ll be an amazing person and counterbalance that.”
“I know you will.” And I mean it. My brother looks down, as if the compliment made him embarrassed, and I change the subject. “Can I go to your bedroom? I need to pick up a few things.” I turn to Alayel. “Is it all right if I bring a bag?”
He shakes his head. “Get it ready, and a servant will pick it up tomorrow. It will be easier.”
I want to say that it’s not necessary, but maybe he doesn’t want me carrying a bulky bag for dinner, so in the end I just nod and get up. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.” Alayel’s tone is warm and friendly. “It’s my chance to get to know your brother.”
Kaio makes a subtle grimace, not looking too enthusiastic about the idea, but I feel at ease leaving them for a few minutes. It’s odd to think that I might not climb this rickety ladder several times a day or that I’ll no longer be sick of the gallonfish smell.
Upstairs, the room is the same—and different, like a piece of clothing that suddenly doesn’t fit anymore.
The beds are in the same position, except that Kaio’s is disarranged.
I consider chiding him, but he could have been lying down when we got here.
There are also some maps and books on it.
Numbers. He’s working hard on getting good at counting.
From below, I hear him telling Alayel about his dream of traveling.
While I can’t discern all the words, his excitement is unmistakable—and makes my heart sing.
My belongings are still stuffed in the box where I left them. So little: clothes, earrings, headbands, some necklaces, underwear. An extra pair of shoes. Nothing fancy, nothing impressive. I place it all in a satchel.