“Why indeed.” The tension in his voice was palpable. “Your stepmother’s magic is strong, far stronger than even I thought. When they are men, she summons serpents to deter them from seeking help. And as cranes, whenever they come close to finding you, strong winds throw them off course, toward the sea.”
My fists clenched at my sides. I knew firsthand how dangerous the winds could be for my brothers.
“I tried calling out to them,” Seryu continued. “I made contact with two of your brothers. The young one, who talks to animals even after he’s turned back into a man—”
Hasho.
“—and the handsome one. He’s best at hunting.”
Benkai.I inhaled, relieved to hear that my brothers were well.You’ve been watching them.
“Only when they cross the sea. I have no bond with your brothers, and they have no magic in their blood; it makes communication difficult.”
But you’ll try again? Promise me you will.
“A dragon doesn’t make promises to a human,” said Seryu pointedly. “Especially not one who steals starstroke from Mount Rayuna without telling me.”
I’m sorry, Seryu. Truly I am.I paused, gripping the side of the horse trough and leaning closer to his reflection.But please. If you won’t make the promise to a human, make it to a friend.
The water grew still. Then Seryu snorted, and I couldtell he’d given in. “The others must be right. Imagine me, Grandfather’s favorite, bearing the brunt of his anger. For a human.” Seryu’s voice became soft. “I must really be fond ofyou.”
My cheeks heated, but relief flooded over me. I would have hugged the dragon if he had been here, but he was not.Thank you.
“Don’t thank me yet.” His red eyes glittered. “Your stepmother will find other ways to thwart me. Her greatest power is in convincing others to do her bidding.”
This I knew. I remembered the yellow tinge in her eyes when she used her power. I wondered how often she had used it on my brothers to make them love her, on my father to make him listen to her. I shuddered. I prayed it had never worked on me.
“I’m starting to believe she really does have a dragon pearl,” Seryu continued.
She does.I crossed my arms.I saw it. She kept it in her heart, like you. It was how she turned my brothers into cranes—I touched the walnut bowl on my head—and cursed me with this.
“I wondered what that was,” said Seryu dryly. “I thought it some strange human hat. Well, it explains why your magic is muted. Why our connection through the pearl is faint.”
There’s more: I must not speak—or tell anyone who I am, even through writing.
“Then I’ll do it for you.”
No. Only you and Kiki can know since we’re connected. No one else. I won’t run the risk of Raikama punishing my brothers.
The water swirled, and Seryu’s expression was unreadable. “Tell me about her pearl.”
It was like a drop of night,I recounted,dark and broken. When she called upon its power, it made her face change into a snake’s.
The water stilled as Seryu considered this. “Her true face, then,” he murmured. “One cannot lie to a dragon pearl, particularly if it is not one’s own. But for the pearl to be dark and broken…that is something I’ve never heard.”
Maybe your grandfather will know. Could you ask him without saying anything about my curse?
“He won’t speak to me,” Seryu said. “Last time I tried, he cut my whiskers and tossed me into a whirlpool. But someone else will annoy him soon enough. In the meantime, I will search for your brothers and send them to fetch you.”
No, don’t.Once out, my words surprised me just as much as they did Seryu. Earlier this week, I’d been willing to risk my life to be reunited with my brothers. But I was starting to see the wisdom of Kiki’s argument to stay put.
They have their mission. I have mine.I swallowed.We’re better off apart.The admission came more easily than I expected it to, free of guilt and heartache.Or maybe we’re better off never breaking this curse.
“What are you saying?”
At this point, I didn’t know. I was exhausted, my mind numb from worrying about Takkan and my brothers, my body drained from working on the starstroke and in the kitchen. For the longest time, I had willed myself not to think about our curse, but now, half-freezing in the rain with my robes soaked and my spirit weakened, I let my darkest fears surface.
I have to speak my stepmother’s true name to break our curse. But if I speak, one of my brothers will die.
