I narrowed my eyes. “Do you not remember?”
“Of course I do.” He looked away. “I am . . . well, hibernation can take its toll on the mind.”
I peeled my orange, placing the strips in a pile on the seat beside me. After a moment of silence, I said, “I'm sorry.”
“For what?” Jucai wiped his hands on the seat and held his second orange as if it were a pet dog.
“That you don't remember your age.”
“Why be sorry for that? It doesn't hurt me.”
I shrugged. “I like knowing how old I am.”
“I am very old, Nadar. After a certain age, what does it matter?”
“I suppose.” I glanced out the window as we began the climb up to the Royal Palace. It perched on the only hill in the city, right in the center. “Look.” I motioned out the window. “We're about to surpass the rooftops.”
Jucai leaned toward the window just as we took a curve, and was presented with an aerial view of Erimbar. The labyrinth of buildings wrapped around the city park and then continued on to the edge of the crescent bay. Ships anchored there, and I wondered which one had been attacked by “Sea Dragons.” It was obviously a lie. Either that or a faction of Sea Dragons was operating behind the King's back.
I frowned as the thought occurred to me.
“What is it?” Jucai asked.
“How many enclaves do you have?”
“Enclaves?”
“Perhaps you have another name for them. I'm referring to the cities where the other Sea Dragons in your dread live.”
Jucai cocked his head. “Other Sea Dragons? Nadar, my entire dread lives with me in the palace.”
I blinked. Leaned back. His entire dread? First, it was amazing to me that an entire dread could live together, in the same building, without fighting. But then again, it had been our Fire Magic that had made Land Dragons too volatile to live in groups larger than five. When Karadas got free and returned our Water Magic, Water calmed our fiery natures, and we lost much of our aggression. It hadn't occurred to me that Sea Dragons, who only possessed Water Magic, were born calm. But as vast as the Royal Palace of Ilshi was, it couldn't contain more than two hundred Sea Dragons.
“Why does that surprise you?” Jucai asked. “Your race has had centuries to procreate and enlarge your dreads.”
“Dear Gods, you're right. An immortal race can grow a lot in a few centuries.”
“Indeed, but we will catch up.” He winked at me.
“It must be important to you to have a child.”
“Must it? Why?”
“To further the race.”
Jucai burst out laughing. “We don't need numbers to be strong. My race is fine without me adding to it.”
“Oh, yes, of course.”
“Why did you ask about enclaves?”
“I was thinking about the attack on the ship. Is it possible some of your dread was involved?”
He didn't bother questioning my reasoning. The gleam of calculation showed in his eyes. “I considered it, but the city guards didn’t see any Sea Dragon leaving the city.”
“Then either the survivors are lying, or the pirates masqueraded as Sea Dragons.”
“Or Sea Dragons from another dread impersonated my people.”
