"She's cute. I wouldn't go as far as calling her beautiful."
Shovia shrugged. "Good enough. Just think of dragons as cute."
"Really?" Kailin tilted her head. "Cute? They are terrifying!"
Shovia sighed. "You are so hardheaded, Kailin. So, think of them as wise old men. Old men are not pretty either, but we still like them because they have good stories to tell, right? With how long dragons live, imagine all the stories they know."
Something stirred in my gut at her words. The dragons must know a lot about the things I was here to discover, so if I bonded with one, I might learn all their secrets without having to do any spy work. Well, provided that the dragon I bonded with was willing to share.
Around us, the square was slowly filling up, as pilgrims and townspeople found spots on the ground or stood in groups, their excited chatter creating a low buzz of anticipation.
"Look!" Shovia pointed to the sky. "I think I see movement up there. I think it's Saphir."
I was still struck by the casual way Kailin and Shovia referred to the spiritual leader of their people. The Elucian shaman was respected throughout the continent, admired by some and hated by others, yet in either case, held an almost divine status.
"It's not him," Kailin said. "It's probably just the patrol. Saphir won't arrive until the square is full."
I was glad that they were patrolling from the sky.
The place didn't feel safe to me despite the high security and the proximity of the Citadel. All these pilgrims and the shaman who was about to arrive might be so tempting to the Shedun that they would throw caution to the wind and attack even if it were a suicide mission. They weren't afraid of dying. On the contrary, to them there was no higher honor than to die while killing the nonbelievers.
A chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the cool mountain air or with the anticipation for the famous shaman's arrival. I'd learned to trust my instincts during my training, and right now, they were screaming at me to payattention, mostly because of Kailin's little dog acting so agitated, but also some innate sense of foreboding.
The need to act, but the inability to do so, was frustrating. If I were back home, I would have found the commander of the security force in charge of safeguarding the ceremony and demanded that the alert level be raised. But here I was a nobody—a wealthy Elurian pilgrim who knew next to nothing about what these people were dealing with. Even if I risked drawing attention to myself by approaching the guards, no one would listen to me.
The best Codric and I could do was keep Kailin and Shovia safe.
17
KAILIN
"The illusion of safety can lead to the most devastating defeat."
—Elucian Proverb
Isat cross-legged on the ground, listening to Shovia and Codric talk about our esteemed shaman while trying to ignore Chicha's incessant barking and the tension in Alar's broad shoulders. I could see my family sitting on the stone terrace that surrounded the square, my father and grandmother talking while my mother kept trying to quiet Chicha.
"What's wrong with Chicha tonight?" Shovia asked.
"I think there are just too many people and smells she doesn't recognize, and she'll calm down once she's back home." I sighed. "It has been a stressful day for all of us, and it's not over yet."
Frankly, the barking unnerved me despite what I had just said. This was more than Chicha's usual anxiety. Her barks had a frantic edge to them that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I kept watching my mother, hoping to catch her looking at me so I could mime for her to pick Chicha up and hug her. That wasn't guaranteed to calm her, but she might switch from barking to quiet growling, which was more tolerable.
Suddenly, Chicha yanked free of my mother's grip and bolted down the stone steps, the leash snaking behind her and bumping over the steps as she headed straight for one of the large planters that lined the square.
"Chicha!" my mother called after her, but the dog ignored her and leaped into the planter as if someone had hidden her favorite snack in there.
I started to rise, but Shovia grabbed my arm. "Your parents will get her. We need to hold our spots—there are already several rows of people behind us."
She was right. The square was filling up with pilgrims and local families, but it wasn't yet fully packed. Once everyone arrived, there wouldn't be any room left, and some of the families would have to climb on the roofs of shops surrounding the square to watch the ceremony.
My father jogged over to the planter where Chicha was now digging frantically, her little paws sending dirt flying in all directions.
She was looking for something.
Perhaps there was a mouse in the planter or some other small critter. Chicha wasn't a hunter, but she loved chasing prey.
My father leaned over the planter to reach for her, but instead of pulling her away, he went rigid for a moment, then grabbed her and started running.
