I’ll come.
My eyes pop open. “What?”
There’s no answer, only a sense of rising, like a dragon leaping into the sky.
No, no, I say, flattening my hands on the sand.That’s too fast!
Sun, the water cries.
Oh no.
“Soren,” I say, and he’s already on his feet with me, Basbousa under one arm. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“The water.” I clutch onto his free arm with both hands. “It’s coming. All of it. Right now.”
His pupils narrow. “How long?”
“I—I don’t know. Minutes.”
“Come then.” He begins dragging me toward the door.
“No! I can’t. I have to guide the water. I have to—” I thrust my hands into my hair. There isn’t time to explain all this. “Just go! Clear the camp. I’ll be fine.”
He stares at me, aghast. “You’ll drown, Serah.”
“I won’t. Go,please.”
“Do you know what you ask?” he says from between bared teeth.
Drawing the water within him, I force his mouth to mine.
“Yes,” I say, pulling back to look at him.
His jaw works. “Marry me.”
“I already said I would.”
“Next week.”
“Very well.”
I hold his gaze till, snarling, he whirls away from me and out of the tent.
A roar follows, one that has me clapping my hands over my ears. Dragon or not, he's made the message clear to all.
Run.
I plunk myself onto the sand. I have to try calming the water, slow it down. Then I realize that as soon as it arrives, I’ll be trapped in the tent, and I really will drown.
Soren would be furious with me.
I barrel outside, and despite the yelling, and the roaring, and all the servants streaming by, I’m briefly dazzled by the silhouettes crossing the starry sky.
Dragons. So many.
Where is Soren?
I jump back as the ground beneath my feet shivers and a great sinkhole opens ahead. Someone grabs my arm, yanking me back.
