“Maybe against Reiji, but Benkai lets you win. Bandits won’t.”
Hasho agreed. “Promise us you’ll stay in the cave.”
“We’ve prepared everything that you need,” said Andahai. “Food, water, a space to work on the nettles. Don’t leave unless it’s a dire emergency. Cavorting with dragons isnota dire emergency.”
I hadn’t come all this way just to languish in a cave, weaving starstroke from dawn to dusk. I had come to break the curse.
Anger flared in my chest but I bowed, thanking my brothers for their thoughtfulness and flashing them my meekest smile.
Not one of them noticed that I made no promise.
In the morning, as soon as my brothers left, I grabbed my satchel and hurried to the river to meet Seryu.
Didn’t you hear what your brothers said?Kiki exclaimed, flying after me.Stay in the cave!
I skipped over a fallen log, jumped into a pile of orange and yellow leaves.Did you really believe I’d listen to them? Raikama has a dragon pearl, and who better than a dragon to help us?
Gods, things on Mount Rayuna had been so rushed I hadn’t even had a chance to tell Seryu the most terrible part of the curse: that I had to utter Raikama’s true name—and lose one of my brothers.
I forged on.Seryu can help us, I know it.
Not today,Kiki pleaded.There was a skirmish in the forest this morning. The flycatchers told me. Soldiers.
Soldiers?I slowed, surveying the trees rocking in the wind. Their branches were sparse, gray with the coming winter. The percussion of leaves crunching and sweeping was only squirrels and foxes at play.My father’s men?
Some were, some weren’t.
Where are they now?
Kiki flittered higher, chirping something to the other birds.South of us.
I relaxed.So if we keep heading west to the river, we should miss them.
No!Kiki fluttered.If you keep heading to the river, you’ll get closer to them. They’re on the move too, Shiori. You should turn back to the cave.
And miss meeting with Seryu?I shook my head. Not a chance—I had too many questions for the dragon.Stop worrying, Kiki. I’ll be careful.
Over the last week, the trees had lost their splendor, their limbs graying with frost as their leaves fell upon the earth in coats of brown and burnt orange. It made for a bleaker, entirely different-looking forest, but I knew my way to the river. Its waters were fierce today, and I followed the roar of rapids until at last I reached its banks.
Seryu!I shouted with my mind.I’m here!
No sign of the dragon. He hadn’t specified a time for us to meet, so I knelt on the soft dirt, tossing pebbles into the river and staring down blue-dappled lizards perched on the rocks beside me. Above, Kiki hovered anxiously.
Will you calm down?I asked.There’s no one around.
I leaned back in the grass. If Seryu was going to take all day, thenIwas going to take a nap and let my tired fingersrest.
A lizard crawled over my stomach, hopping onto my satchel.
You’re hungry, aren’t you?I asked it silently.I am, too. I should’ve thought ahead and packed a snack.
Maple leaves tumbled over my face, their edges crisp and browning. I blew them off my nose and started to roll onto my side, but the lizard was still on my satchel. Its muscles had gone taut, and it jerked its head up, the last movement it was ever to make.
A snake struck, swallowing the lizard in one bite.
I shot up to my elbows, kicking away in fear.
The snake lurched toward me, its mottled head high, two round yellow eyes ensnaring mine.
