1 eyed the steaming tea. Of course, there was no guarantee it would help me contact my dragon. And there was a very big possibility it might turn me into a raging madman like Lord Ido. Or I could descend into sullen despair and crashing head pain like Dillon. Maybe the ghost maker's tea would just cancel its effect.The other alternative — death by poisoning — was like a cold stone of possiblity lodged in my gut.
I picked up the bowl and inhaled the bitter steam. An image of my master's dying face, twisted and contorted, shivered through me. Such a terrible way to die.
Yesterday I had cried myself dry in Rilla's arms, but 1 could not forgive my master's betrayal.
Not yet. Even after Rilla had cut through my self-pity with one of her hard truths — that my lame leg helped me hide my sex — I still could not find any forgiveness. Perhaps one day I would, but for now the energy of anger was far better than the lethargy of grief.
I looked down into the cup. The tea had turned very dark, its surface reflecting the shadowy planes of my face. Surely one dose would not kill me; it had not killed Dillon or Ryko. I bowed to the altar in the corner and raised the bowl to my lips. May my ancestors protect me, I prayed and tipped the vessel back, coughing over the last bitter mouthful.
I put the cup on the tray and sat for a moment trying to feel the drug in my body I knew it was too soon, but now that it was finally taken, I wanted to know if it had worked. A soft clap outside the bedchamber door roused me from my inner search.
'Enter.'
Rilla hurried in, carrying a long travelling coat over her arm. 'Ryko says we are ready to go when you are, my lord.' She shook out the garment and held it open for me.
'Thank you.' I stood and pushed my arms into the wide sleeves. 'Is Chart settled in?'
Rilla beamed. 'Yes, he is.' She gave the stiff neckband of the coat one last smoothing then dug around in her skirt pocket. 'He wanted me to give you this.'
I unfolded the small scrap of parchment. There was one character scratched on its surface in wavering black ink: sorry.
I smiled. 'Is he writing already?'
'He and Lon worked on it all last night.'
'You must tell him that he has nothing to be sorry about. He was just doing as the master asked.'
'I'll tell him.' She touched my arm. 'You have done so much for us. Thank you.'
'You have done as much for me.' I paced across the room, suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of dread. 'But there is something else I would ask of you, Rilla.'
'Of course. Anything.'
'If I ever tell you to go, will you take Chart and leave the city as fast as you can? No questions. Just go somewhere safe. Like the islands. Will you do that?'
'But I wouldn't leave —'
I held up my hand. 'No. Promise me you'll go. It's important.'
She nodded, but her face was troubled. 'Do you think it will come to that?'
'I don't know. I hope your free status will protect you. But if it doesn't, then you'll need to move swiftly And you'll need money' I waved her over to the doorway. 'Come with me, quickly'
I led her into the dressing room. My candidate ceremony uniform was stored neatly on a low shelf in the clothes press. I pulled it out and slid my fingers along the hem until they found hard metal.
'Chart gave me this in case I had to run away Do you remember?'
She nodded. A Tiger. He showed me when he found it.'
I took her hand and closed it over the silk-covered coin. 'Now it is yours. It will keep you and Chart for a few months if things go bad.'
Rilla took my hand. 'But what about you? Won't you need it to get away?'
I didn't answer. Her hold tightened for a moment and then she turned towards the sewing tools. We both knew that if she and Chart had to run, then it was already too late for me.
The courtyard of the Ox Dragon Hall was a noisy melee of people hauling luggage, hitching oxen to carts and leading horses. My driver called my name over and over again, gradually clearing a pathway through the crowded square and manoeuvring the carriage up to the front entrance of the hall.
A servant approached us and bowed. 'Lord Tyron sends his compliments, my lord, and asks for your forbearance. He will be with you soon.' The man offered a goblet of wine on a tray, but I waved it away. My taster was in a cart at the rear of the line. I sat back in the opulent carriage seat and watched an outrider struggle to calm a skittish horse. I knew how the animal felt.
Finally, Lord Tyron emerged from the hall. I shifted across to make room for him as he climbed into the carriage, his weight rocking the well-sprung cabin.
'So, the Prince has lent you his own cart, hey?' he asked jovially, but the tone was at odds with the anxiety on his face. The suspension straps beneath us creaked and swung as he settled beside me. 'No one can be in doubt of your allegiance now.'
'I don't think anyone has ever been in doubt of my allegiance,' I said.
Lord Tyron nodded. 'Nor of mine.' He rubbed at his forehead. 'My apologies for sending away all your messengers. We could not risk giving Ido any reason to stop the test.'
'Lord Ido doesn't want to stop the test,' I said. 'He expects me to fail, and he's probably right.
Do you really think I can learn how to control the King Monsoon in two days?'
Tyron sighed. 'It takes an apprentice the whole twelve years of study to manage his own dragon's power. And the same time to prepare for his year as Ascendant.' He patted my shoulder. 'But then, you can see all of the twelve dragons. If anyone can do it, you can.'
I smiled weakly at him. He pulled back the opulent silk curtaining and watched the rest of his entourage move into position behind us. Now was my chance to show him the compass without any interruption. I pulled it out of my pocket, my excitement so intense I could not even form a prayer.
'Lord Tyron…'
He turned back to me.
I held up the pouch and fumbled with the drawstring. 'I wanted to show you this. The Prince returned it to me with the other Mirror Dragon treasures.'
The ties came loose. The compass dropped into my palm and I felt the pearls around my arm shiver.
'Oh, my, what a beauty' Tyron breathed. He looked at me for permission then picked up the compass, stroking his thick forefinger across the ruby centre. 'Magnificent.'
I leaned closer. 'Do you recognise the writing, Lord Tyron? Can you read it?'
Squinting, he examined the etched rings around the compass.
'The animal pictures and the cardinal points are the same,' he finally said, 'but I've never seen this other writing before. It must be very old.'
The disappointment was like a blow to my chest. I closed my eyes. Even a Dragoneye could not read the folio. Its secrets were locked away from me forever. There was no way of decoding it. But I still had one chance left — the Sun drug. But what if it didn't work?
'Lord Eon.'
I opened my eyes. Tyron was looking over the compass at me. His face was grey
'Is this the only compass you have?' he whispered. 'But of course it is — there would have been no more made after the Mirror Dragon was lost.'
I realised why he looked so appalled. Every compass was specific to its particular dragon, the secret information on it
handed down from Dragoncye to apprentice, and set into a new instrument for the trainee, But I could not read my inherited compass, there was no Dragoneye to teach me its mysteries, and I could not use another Dragoneye's instrument to direct my heast's power. In all of my frenzied attempts to read the folio, such a catastrophe had not even occurred to me.
Tyron wearily pressed his fingers into the hollows of his eyes. Among those who travel to Daikiko, I can only think of Ido who has an interest in old writings. But we cannot show it to him. If he knows you cannot read your compass, he will use it as evidence to stop you taking your place on the Council.'
'He will know at the test,' I said shrilly 'He will know when I don't use it.'
