Dairfyn and I share a look.
Not again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Zhuliya
“Who’s Duri?” I whisper to Ilian as the throne room erupts into activity.
“She’s the Kueeng’s youngest child—gets into more trouble than even Dairfyn.”
“I heard that!” The Dagon shouts as they sprint out of the room.
“Come on.” Ilian tugs my hand. “We’ll help look.”
We follow Dairfyn for a bit before the Ithaqua weaves us down another corridor.
“What does Duri look like?”
“All orange with light pink fins.”
“And I take it that her disappearance is a common occurrence?”
Ilian chuckles. “Yes. She’ll be wearing something blue like her caretaker—the Dagon who announced that the youngling was missing.”
“How do you know she’ll be wearing blue?”
“Because her caretaker matches the colors of her charge’s clothes. Dagons are intersex. Those who wear black, yellow, gold, or red use the pronouns they and them. Those who wear blue, green, and orange use she and her. And those who wear pink, white, and gray use he and him—but most are genderfluid and wear the whole rainbow.”
“Oh, that’s very interesting—”
“Wait, this way!”
I spot a spec of orange through the glass panels, and Ilian takes off in that direction with me hot on his heels. Just as we reach the young Dagon, Dairfyn sprints from the other side.
“There you are, little scamp! You’re in trouble now.”
The pretty Dagon pokes out her bottom lip at them. “I can’t find my friend.”
“What friend?”
“The one playing hide and seek with me.”
By this point, the Kueeng and Duri’s caretaker have caught up and share a look.
“What did your friend look like?” Dairfyn demands.
“He’s white and in a gray dress.”
As soon as the little one says this, something flashes in my peripheral vision—the other Dagon child.
They’re running just outside the palace walls, being chased by a fearsome-looking creature.
“Um, is that him?”
Duri gasps. “Oh, no! The tishpak is chasing him! Moddy, save them!”
The Kueeng bellows for their guards, but the tishpak—some strange monstrous creature crossed between a bulldog and a shark that I assume is a pet—will soon catch up to the small Dagon.
Before me is a window of sorts, and I dash forward to throw it open. Ilian yells at me to stop, but I’m through it before he can grab me. Everyone else is far too large to fit.
My feet hit the sandy ground, and I sprint forward, intent on grabbing the little one, but instead crash into the tishpak, who whimpers at the collision.
The Dagon child looks back only to trip, somehow catapulting himself out of the safety of the bubble.
Without a second thought, I grab hold of some long kelp growing decoratively nearby and launch out after the little one.
Of all the stupid things I’ve done in my life, this probably tops it, but my instincts just take over.
The water is so cold, I’m certain I’m going to freeze instantly. It sucks all the thought and function right out of me.
Luckily, the force in which I jumped out of the Dagon bubble sends me crashing directly into the child.
I wrap my arms around him just as my kelpy lifeline snaps. Salt water stings my eyes as I try to move, and panic sets in because I can’t.
Fuck, I need to save the little Dagon!
