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Seven shards began to glow, their edges luminous, as if touched by the moon. One by one I tracked them, clasping them in my hand, until I was down to the final piece….
It was farther than the rest. Nearly at the edge of the field. As I swam for it, sharp ripples cut my path, holding me at bay.
The sand is nearly out! Kiki yelled. Hurry, Shiori!
I glimpsed over my shoulder at the hourglass. Kiki was right: only a thin layer of grains remained.
I needed to hurry. The seventh mirror piece was still glowing, but I knew my concentration would break any second now. I kicked furiously, stretching my arms and scrabbling for my quarry.
My nails scraped its corner, and as I was about to fold my fingers around the last piece, all the shards shuddered and began to tilt.
In one swift, foul swoop, the current changed direction. I flew back, grabbing Kiki by the wing and shoving her into my sleeve.
Too late, I spun to save Takkan’s sketchbook. But the shards ripped through it, tearing its precious pages to shreds.
I couldn’t even salvage the scraps. The last grain of sand slipped through the hourglass, and Solzaya’s test vanished, everything within its bounds disintegrating into the sea. The dragon reappeared with a smirk, and my heart sank.
“Six out of the seven,” she said. “A better effort than I expected from such a meager sorceress. Unfortunately, you’ve failed.”
I couldn’t speak. I’d lost everything.
Everything.
My hands shaking, I had started to reach inside my satchel for the pearl when Kiki crawled out of my sleeve.
Stop! she cried. There was something between her wings, and she tossed it onto my palm.
The seventh shard.
I held it up, a grin spreading across my face as Solzaya’s smirk disappeared.
“Well done, bloodsake of Kiata,” she said, though her voice trembled with barely contained wrath. “A promise is a promise. You may keep the last shard.”
I hugged my bird. “I could kiss you.”
I’d rather you get us out of here, Kiki said. As soon as possible, ideally.
She was right, and I turned to Solzaya. “How do I leave Ai’long?”
“See there?” Solzaya pointed toward the surface, at the shimmering whorls of soft pink and yellow glancing off the waves. “Where the beams cut through the sea marks the western border of Ai’long. Past it is the mortal realm. I would recommend you reach it before my father arrives.”
Fear chipped away my excitement. “But I thought—”
“That I would let you go?” Solzaya spoke over me. “I have.” A new smirk twisted her lips. “But I never promised to protect you against my father. And it appears he is here.”
I glanced behind me, where an army of sharks and jellyfish had assembled, led by the Dragon King.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I cursed. I should have known better than to trust a dragon.
Adrenaline rushing to my head, I grabbed Kiki and swam for the surface. I could nearly touch the streaks of violet refracting downward, could make out the changing folds of the surface, where the edges of Ai’long dissolved into the mortal realm. The promise of salt tickled my lips.
I was close.
Then the water thickened. Twisted and churned. Its temperature plummeted, and cold shot through my muscles, turning my legs to lead. For every kick, I rose one pace and dropped ten.
Kiki bit my hair, trying to pull me up. Come on, Shiori. Fight!
I was trying, but I may as well have been swimming through tar. No amount of paddling and kicking did any good. The water fought against me, pulling me down, back into Ai’long.
