Call of the Dragon

by Jessica Drake

  “Questions?” Carina echoed. “Zara, you went off to steal from a dragon rider last night, and now you’re standing in the shop with a guard by your side! Did you get arrested? What’s going on? And why are you wearing that ridiculous dress?”

  “I nearly got arrested,” I admitted, then held up a hand as Carina’s eyeballs nearly popped out of her skull. “I broke into the vault successfully, but I triggered some kind of mechanism and it shut me inside and alerted the owner.”

  “And you haven’t been arrested because…?”

  I took a deep breath and told Carina the whole story. About how the most valuable object in the vault had been a petrified dragon egg, and how touching it had brought it back to life. About Lord Tavarian’s insistence that because the dragon was his property, so was I, and that if I wanted to keep my dragon and my life I had to swear allegiance to his house. About how I was starting my dragon rider training tomorrow, and I would only be able to come down once a week to help out with the shop.

  “Once a week?” Carina echoed. “But that’s not enough. How am I supposed to run the shop if you’re not bringing me new inventory?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “That’s all you have to say? You’re not even going to mention the dragon?”

  Carina pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m ignoring that part because my brain can’t wrap itself around that idea right now,” she said. “The important part of what you said is that you’re going to be leaving me, and I’ll essentially be running the shop on my own. Which isn’t unusual, except that you’re not going to be bringing me treasure anymore.”

  I winced. “We’re going to have to rely a bit more on freelancers, and make more of an effort to draw them to the shop. But I hope to be able to go on short expeditions here and there once Lessie is big enough to ride.” I decided not to mention that I hadn’t actually gotten clearance to do that, but I would figure it out when the time came.

  Carina laughed. “Lessie sounds like such an innocent name for a fire-breathing creature that can scorch cities and swallow a human without blinking,” she said. “But I like the idea of you cutting down your travel time by flying. Who knew a dragon could come in handy for our business?”

  I smiled. “She’s not quite big enough to do all that yet,” I said. “Right now she can only breathe a few sparks. She’s actually quite cute and cuddly—like a big lapdog with scales.”

  “I wish I could meet her,” Carina said, a wistful look entering her dark eyes. “I’ve always wanted to see a dragon up close.”

  “You will,” I promised. “Someday. Maybe when she’s big enough I can even give you a ride on her.”

  Carina shuddered at that. “No, thank you,” she said. “I prefer my feet firmly on the ground.”

  I chuckled. “Right. I forgot you were afraid of heights.” That fear had made for some interesting situations when we were younger, scampering up cliffs and down steep gorges with her father whenever Salcombe let me go on expeditions with them. I’d been Carina’s security blanket during those times, and she’d gripped my hand so tightly I thought she’d leave a permanent indent in my flesh.

  “It’s a good thing you’re not,” Carina said. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I wonder if there’s ever been a dragon rider born with a fear of heights.”

  “I doubt it,” I said, remembering the exhilaration and joy I’d felt in the airship yesterday. I’d always felt at peace in the skies, as if I’d belonged, and I had a feeling my dragon rider blood had something to do with that. Carina would likely have a seizure if she had to climb on the back of a dragon, whereas every time I thought about Lessie growing big enough for me to ride, my blood buzzed with excitement.

  Carina and I spent a few more minutes going over logistics, and then returned to the front of the shop to relieve Brolian so he could have lunch. “I’m not going to be able to visit Salcombe with the captain looking over my shoulder,” I muttered to Carina as I slipped her an envelope. “Would you mind giving this to him?” It was a short letter I’d hastily penned this morning, explaining what had happened. “I’d hate for him to go and pay off Slick when he’s about to be arrested.”

  Carina grinned at that. “I’ll get it to him,” she promised.

  I left Carina to deal with Marcas, who had moved on from knives to the small collection of swords hanging on the wall. Maybe he’ll actually buy something, I thought as I trotted up the stairs to my apartment. The tension gripping my shoulders slid away as I stepped inside—the familiar furnishings, the clutter lying on the table, the rumpled bed, soothed something inside me. I flopped onto my mattress and breathed in the scent of honey and lemon candles—I enjoyed the scent, and always kept a few stocked. I’d have to remember to bring them with me.

  Closing my eyes, I took a few minutes to breathe, then stripped off my ridiculous dress and donned my blouse, corset, and leather pants. I cheerfully traded my silk slippers for a pair of boots, and replenished the pouches on my belt before slinging it back around my waist.

  Then I grabbed a bag and got down to the business of deciding what was essential to take, and what I could afford to leave behind.

  Half an hour later, I trotted back down the stairs, my bag full to bursting. Usually I packed pretty light—years of travel had instilled that habit in me—but since I was going to be living at Dragon’s Table, I had to figure out how to pack my life with me in one bag. There were a couple of ancient scrolls nestled in with my underwear, daggers wrapped in my blouses, and my candles were packed with my toiletries. The goggles Carina had given me were planted on my forehead, and my belt pouches were stuffed full of supplies.

  “Pleasure doing business with you,” Carina was saying to Captain Marcas. I grinned as she wrapped up the dagger Marcas had admired earlier.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” Captain Marcas said with a smile, and I blinked, noting the way he was looking at my partner. Was he flirting? “You have a very impressive shop—the artifacts you have on display are just as good, if not better, as the ones in the upper city shops.”

  I raised an eyebrow as I joined him at the counter. “Of course they are. Like I said, I’m the best treasure hunter in Zuar City.”

  “I believe it.” Marcas smiled at Carina. “I know a few collectors who would dearly love to get their hands on some of these items. I’ll tell them about the Treasure Trove and send them your way.”

  Carina’s whole face brightened. “You are too kind,” she said. “I would love that!”

  I gave Carina one last hug before we took our leave, promising that I would be back next week. “Is there anywhere else you would like to go before we head back up?” Captain Marcas asked me as we headed up the street, my bag slung over my shoulder.

  I thought about it for a moment. “I’d like to swing by the orphanage where I grew up. I never could get them to show me the files they had on my parents, but maybe they’ll do it for you.”

  “Excellent idea,” Marcas said. “I know Lord Tavarian is very interested in your parentage.”

  Miss Cassidy’s Home for Orphaned Children was located on Fennel Street, in one of the safer areas of town. The squat brick building with its hipped roof and transom windows was three stories high, and a separate building down the street served as a schoolhouse. As Marcas and I walked in, I wrinkled my nose at the old, familiar scents—vinegar, sweat, and soured food. Marcas’s boots rang out against the cracked tile floor as we approached the front desk, manned by a spindly woman with frizzy hair and thick spectacles.

  “Zara,” Mildred said in a creaky voice, peering up at me. Her thin lips stretched into a smile. “So nice to see you. Are you here to bring candy for the children again?”

  “Actually, we’d like to speak to Miss Cassidy,” Captain Marcas said. Mildred blinked up at him—he towered over the desk, but the woman was so nearsighted she hadn’t really seen him until he’d spoken. “Is she available?”

  “She doesn’t usually see visitors without an appointment.” Mildred craned her n
eck as she squinted up at him. “Are you looking to adopt?”

  “No. I’m looking for information.” He pulled out a foiled card from his breast pocket, with the seal of Elantia stamped in the center. “I’m the Captain of the Guard at Dragon’s Table.”

  That cleared the way faster than if I’d yelled “free cake!” in the dormitory rooms upstairs. Mildred rushed off, and came back with Mrs. Crowder, a younger, stern-looking woman who’d come to the orphanage long after I’d left, but knew me from my monthly visits. She seemed surprised to see me with the guard, but led us to Miss Cassidy’s cramped office, where we were served weak tea and stale crumpets.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have anything better to offer you,” Miss Cassidy said to Captain Marcas in a tone far nicer than I’d ever heard her use, except with prospective parents. She was a tall woman with a willowy figure and had to be somewhere in her sixties, judging by her silver hair and the lines on her face. “The orphanage has a very tight budget, as we rely solely on donations from the wealthy members of our community.”

  “Not a problem,” Captain Marcas said. “Do you have the file?”

  “I retrieved it from our archives.” Miss Cassidy slid the file across the table. Her hazel eyes flicked toward me. “I must admit I am curious as to why you are interested. Zara was one of the brightest stars in my orphanage during the short time she was with us. Is she in some kind of trouble?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her, saying nothing. Miss Cassidy had certainly not thought that about me while I was here—I couldn’t count the number of times she’d laid her gnarled hands on me or beaten me with a ruler, usually for staying out far too late past curfew, or when she caught me with stolen coin or valuables. My talent for thieving had made me one of the wealthier kids in the orphanage, but Miss Cassidy nearly always ferreted out my stashes and turned them in to the Municipal Guard. She thought she was doing me a favor by not also turning me in, but really she was coming between me and financial freedom, and I’d eventually resorted to hiding my stashes outside the orphanage. Even so, about half of them ended up getting uncovered and stolen by other thieves, so I was always taking two steps forward and one step back. I probably would have been stuck in the same loop if Salcombe hadn’t taken me in.

  “No trouble at all,” Captain Marcas said, opening the file.

  I leaned in to peer at the contents over his shoulder, and for the next few minutes the room was silent as we read. Unfortunately, there was not much to go off of—there were no names, which meant either the Muncies hadn’t been able to identify my parents, or they hadn’t disclosed that information when they’d brought me to the orphanage. The file did, however, confirm my most recent theory—that my parents had been murdered, and had not abandoned me. Apparently, they’d been found dead in an alley, dressed in simple but well-made clothes. They had a small leather pouch on them with a few jewels inside it, and a dragon pin.

  Sadness welled in my heart at the thought of my parents, dead before my life had really begun. My mother had been holding me when they were attacked—how had I survived? Had the muggers who’d killed them simply been unwilling to snuff out the life of a baby?

  But with that sadness also came a wave of relief, and the knot of bitterness I’d buried deep in my soul finally disappeared. My parents hadn’t abandoned me. I had to assume they loved me and wanted to keep me, and would have done so if they hadn’t been taken from me so brutally.

  “Where is this leather pouch?” Captain Marcas asked. “Did the Municipal Guard turn it over to you?”

  “They did, but I no longer have it.” An uncomfortable expression crossed Miss Cassidy’s face, and she folded her hands in her lap. “I know it was wrong,” she said stiffly, “but I sold off the jewels during a hard period when an epidemic of pox struck the orphanage, and we needed medicine and food.”

  “I see.” Captain Marcas lifted a brow as he looked at me. “Is this something you would like to press charges for?”

  I shook my head. I wanted to be angry at Miss Cassidy for selling what was essentially my inheritance, but though she had been cruel to me, she did take care of her charges as best as she was able. I remembered the pox epidemic well enough—I had been one of the only children who hadn’t fallen ill. Quite a few had died, and many had been sick for months. But it would have been a lot worse without the hot chicken soup and medicine, and if the jewels my parents had left behind had saved the life of even one child, I couldn’t be mad about that.

  “I wonder which one of my parents was the dragon rider,” I mused aloud.

  “Dragon rider?” Miss Cassidy echoed, surprise in her voice. “I had assumed the pin was stolen, like the jewels. Your parents couldn’t have been members of dragon rider society, or they would have been identified.”

  Captain Marcas and I said nothing, and as the silence stretched between us, realization dawned in her eyes. “You…you’re not saying…”

  “Thank you for your time, Miss Cassidy,” Captain Marcas said, standing abruptly. “I’ll be keeping the file until my investigation is completed.” He flipped a silver coin onto the table. “A donation for the children.”

  He strode from the room, and I hurried after him, leaving Miss Cassidy sputtering. “You might just be my hero,” I told him as we walked through the orphanage. The lower level was split into two main sections—the breakfast hall where the orphans were served meals, and the common area where the orphans could hang out and play with what few toys they had during their free time. As we walked through the former, past rows of wooden tables and benches, my stomach turned at the sight of the muddy slop they were eating. It smelled faintly like beef stew.

  “Zara!” A girl of about fifteen dashed up to me and grabbed my elbow. Kira, I remembered as I looked into her big blue eyes. “Please, I need your help!”

  I turned. “What is it?” I asked, dread coiling in my stomach.

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I lost my chimney sweep job a few weeks ago because I’m too big to fit up the chimney now, and I haven’t been able to get anyone else to hire me. Do you know where I could find a job?”

  My heart ached for her. “I don’t know anything off the top of my head.”

  “Please.” She clutched my hand. “The gangs are already trying to recruit me. They say…they say I have the body for it, and that my face is pretty enough.” Her cheeks were stained pink, and she shook her head, pigtails flying. “I don’t want to do that kind of work.”

  “What kind of work?” Captain Marcas demanded.

  “She means she doesn’t want to be a whore,” I said flatly. “Children are kicked out of the orphanage at sixteen to reduce crowding, and Kira’s time is almost up.” If she didn’t find a job by her sixteenth birthday, she might very well end up working alongside Tiana in a brothel.

  Captain Marcas looked astonished. “But I thought these children were given educations,” he said. “Shouldn’t she be able to get a job as a governess?”

  “There are more orphans than jobs, and we have far too few teachers,” Kira said sadly. “Many of us leave without finishing our educations.”

  “Not only do they have too few teachers, but most orphans spend a good portion of their day begging or working menial jobs for pennies,” I explained. “The orphanage provides some basic necessities, but if these kids need new shoes or underwear, they have to earn the money themselves.”

  Captain Marcas scowled. “That doesn’t seem right.” He flipped a silver coin toward the girl, and she caught it, eyes wide. “I know several wealthy families that contribute quite a bit of coin to the government that is supposed to be passed directly to these orphanages. They should be able to afford to keep these kids clothed and fed, and to provide basic education for all of them.” He gave Kira a gentle smile. “I will look into this.”

  “T-thank you, sir,” she stammered, looking uncertain. The other orphans who had gathered around to listen sported expressions ranging from awe to outright skepticism, and I understood exactly how they
felt. No one cared about orphans, especially not men wearing fancy uniforms who lived in the upper city. “But once this silver runs out, what do I do then?”

  “I’ll send word to my contacts, see if anyone knows of anything.” I clapped Kira on the shoulder. “Keep your chin up.”

  We turned to walk away, and immediately the other orphans surged forward with their hands out, begging for coin as well. Captain Marcas brushed them aside as gently as he could while still being firm, and we hurried outside as quickly as we could. I grabbed quite a few wrists on my way out from grubby pickpockets stupid enough to try their luck—the last thing I needed was for Marcas to lose his sympathy for the orphans by finding out one of them had stolen his purse.

  I shook my head as we stepped into the sunshine. They were just kids, but sometimes I wished they would learn to see the forest from the trees.

  8

  The next morning, Lessie and I reported for our first day of training at the Dragon Academy.

  “Well, this is going to be an interesting challenge,” Major Caparro, the academy’s headmaster, said as he studied me from behind his desk. He was an imposing man with quite a few medals pinned to the breast of his dragon rider uniform, a thick head of salt-and-pepper hair, and a walrus mustache. His eyes were bright blue, with the type of gaze that looked as if it missed very little, including the fact that I was nervous as hell.

  “It’s been a long time since the academy had a new student your age,” Caparro went on. “Many start their training when they are fifteen years old, some as old as nineteen. But I can’t remember the last time I’ve trained a twenty-three-year-old.”

  “You’re saying I’m going to be training with a bunch of teenagers?” I sputtered. Dragon’s breath, this was going to be a nightmare!

  “Not exactly,” the headmaster said. “There will be some trainees your age, but they will be advanced students on their last year of training.”