Page 58 of A Forgery of Fate

“She’s ready,” said Elang, tilting my chin to assess the side of my neck. “Let’s go.”

He lifted me onto Mailoh’s back. Then, stepping off the boat, Elang spread open his arms.

In a great dizzying tower, water rushed up from the pond. The force of it knocked me flat against Mailoh’s shell. As I sat up, breathing in the icy spray, Elang began to part the waters.

Mist swirled above the pond, and thunder ripped the sky, silvery rain falling down in sheets.

A sharp tingle vibrated across my skin. This was the moment I’d foreseen in my painting.

Shrouded in storm and sea, Elang began to change. His hair turned a lustrous white, and his scales multiplied across his skin, stippling the bare flesh on his arms and most of hisneck. His horns branched and doubled in length, and most dramatically, a tail swelled out from under his robes.

Only his face didn’t change. Half of it was dragon, and half was human, his golden eye a glimmering coin against the dark.

“Water brings out the dragon in Lord Elang,” Mailoh was murmuring. “Impressive, isn’t he?”

He looked more monstrous than impressive, to be honest. But he could have grown four heads or shrunk into the size of a cockroach for all I cared. I just wanted to get in the water.

As if she sensed my impatience, Mailoh ferried me to the center of the pond, where Elang was waiting.

“Is she ready?” he asked the turtle.

My throat still burned, but I could answer for myself. I lifted my chin.I’m ready.

With a nod, Elang closed his arms. The tower of water roared, collapsing down in a rushing cascade. At the heart of the pond, the speck of violet light I’d seen swelled into a glimmering crown. I braced myself, grasping the rim of Mailoh’s shell.

“It might be better if you rode on Lord Elang’s back,” spoke the turtle. “The journey can be rough, I wouldn’t want you sliding off my shell.”

I balked. Married or not, he was still a stranger to me. I wasn’t about to climb onto his back and fold my arms around his neck. I definitely wasn’t going to cling to his horns.

In the end, I didn’t have a choice. Thinking she was being helpful, Mailoh tossed me to Elang. He caught me by the waist, muscles cording as he set me firmly upon his back.

“I’ll see you in Ai’long,” Mailoh cried before diving into the pond. Shani vanished after her.

“Now it is our turn,” said Elang as I scrambled up his scales for something to grasp. He took my arms, folded them around his neck. “I would hold on tight if I were you.”

That was all the warning he gave. There came a rhythmic rushing that I mistook for wind, then we plunged.

And before I could even think to say goodbye, I left behind the only world I’d ever known.

Chapter Sixteen

According to legend, the gateway to Ai’long was a magnificent waterfall, composed of the Three Great Rivers cascading side by side—and any fish that could leap across would become a dragon.

In reality, if therewassuch a waterfall, I missed it entirely. Because after Elang dove into the pond, he didn’t stop. He accelerated down a never-ending chute of water, so fast I could barely keep my head up, let alone take in the scenery. All I saw was the parchment white of his hair as I buried my face between his horns, desperately holding on for my life.

I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t even breathe. My heart had flown up to my throat, and my stomach was somersaulting so violently that I couldn’t tell it apart from my lungs.

At last, when I thought I might actually swoon, came a wash of violet light. Then, with a jolt, we arrived.

I was still clinging to Elang’s neck, my legs straddling the long chain of ridges that protruded from his spine. I tried to let go, but the world was spinning, and my muscles had gone stiff as ice.

“You humans are easily disoriented,” Elang said, twistingto face me. “The feeling will pass shortly. The first time taking sangi is the worst.”

I choked on my breath. I’d have to take that foul potion again?

“Every morning,” he said, reading my dismay, “or you’ll drown.”

I groaned inwardly. At least my head had stopped swaying, and the tightness in my throat was subsiding. As I reached up to rub my neck, my fingers came across soft, vibrating gills.

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