“We weren’t scared,” Jenstad said indignantly.
“Quidera, I must get back to Isabylle. It has been too long since I saw her. She was just a babe then.”
Quidera nodded. “We were nearly finished tonight anyway. We will return to Aleut, and you can come with us.”
“I thank you greatly,” Rita said.
Cyrene looked around suspiciously. Quidera seemed genuine, but the distrust was evident on the rest of the water seekers’ faces. She had no intention of leaving Rita in these conditions.
“Excellent. We will escort you.”
“That will not be necessary,” Quidera said with a fierce possessiveness. “She is one of our own.”
“She is one of my own, too,” Cyrene said just as fiercely. “And I will not leave her until I know that she is safe.”
“Cyrene,” Rita said in warning.
But Cyrene had never taken well to warnings. “Is there a reason that I should not go with you? Do you intend to harm her? Are you not as benevolent as you claim?”
Quidera ground her teeth. “Of course not.”
“We don’t allow foreigners,” Jenstad spat.
“Jen!” Quidera spat.
“I am not a foreigner,” Cyrene said. She turned her palm up, and suddenly, water pooled into her open palm. She drew it straight out of the dry air then from the dry ground and the plants around it. She pulled enough until she had a small swirling pool before her. And all the Tyghans stared at her in awe. “As you can see, I am a water seeker.”
“How?” Jenstad whispered against Quidera’s orders.
Quidera stepped up to Cyrene and held out a water pouch. Cyrene twirled her hand and let it pour easily into the open container.
“You may come with us,” Quidera said evenly, “but you will show us how to do that on the way.”
“Assuredly,” Cyrene said with a grin.
15
The Metal
The truth of the matter was that, aside from Quidera and Jenstad, hardly any of the water seekers had enough Doma magic to do more than sense an already-full well of water. They were as likely to pull water out of the arid air as Cyrene was of willingly giving up her destiny. Neither of those things were happening. And she could sense that clearly.
But, by the time, they neared the city of Aleut, Jenstad was getting the hang of it. Not much, of course. Maybe a drop or two here and there. Probably too much work for what he gathered. It would still be better to go water seeking, but he would be able to draw out more, and that could mean many great things for their people.
Dean was having less luck with Quidera, but Cyrene suspected it was because Jenstad was younger. He was more willing to accept change, accept that there were multiple ways of doing things. Quidera just got frustrated that Dean, who had claimed he had no real affinity for water at all—an insult to their people to be sure—could still pull more water out of their surroundings than her.
“We will continue working on this,” Quidera said with a shake of her head. “How did you come by such skills? You are not in need of this if you are from Byern.”
“I am from Eleysia in fact,” Dean told her.
“Even less need!” Quidera said. She shuddered. “I could not imagine being surrounded by that much water. An island with water through everything.”
Dean frowned. “Unfortunately, the island was destroyed, and my people burned last year. The capital has now been moved up the Sea of Firth to Rasine.”
Quidera looked horrified. “My apologies. I did not know.”
“It was a great tragedy.”
Silence fell then, and it was a short while later when Quidera finally declared that they had arrived. Except that Cyrene saw no city at all. Or at least, nothing like she would have considered a city. Just a flat expanse of hard-packed earth and a handful of shanty buildings. They were flat-topped and covered in clay.
Cyrene glanced at Dean in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders as well.
Rita touched Cyrene’s shoulder. “You should send the dragons away. They do not want to get stuck in Tygh at the hottest part of day. You can call them back to you when the sun goes down.”
Cyrene was still confused as to how they would be able to escape the hottest part of the day in a few clay-topped homes. But the Tyghans had lived in the desert for thousands of years. Surely, they had a way to make it work that Cyrene was unaware of. She trusted Rita even if she was suspicious of the others.
She stepped up to Sarielle, who did in fact look like she could use some water. “I can share,” Cyrene offered, holding up her water.
No, Cyrene, you need it here in this climate. I can hold much more water than you. I will persevere. I heard the lady say we should find shelter during the day. You trust these desert people enough? Sarielle uncertainly eyed the shanties. I could take you to safety and bring you back.
“There is no other way to gain their trust,” Cyrene said. “Plus, I have something that they want. They won’t harm me. Though they do not want me here.”
One day, you will not have to send me away when you walk into danger. And I will be there to defend you through it.
“I look forward to that day.” She touched Sarielle’s nose and held on through the bond.
She didn’t say good-bye. Just that she would see her soon. Then she retreated back to the Tyghans as Sarielle and Halcyon lifted into the air.
“All right,” Quidera said. “You must give us your word that you will never speak of what you see from here on out.”
Cyrene nodded. “I give you my word.”
“Mine as well,” Dean added.
Quidera looked to her husband and nodded. Hulen opened the door to the first shanty-like structure, which revealed an empty room, save for the stairs that led…down.
“What in the Creator’s name?” she whispered.
“This is how we have survived all this time,” Quidera said.
“Underground?”
Rita nodded next to her. “Yes. Welcome to the great underground city of Aleut.”
Cyrene was astonished. She hadn’t even known it was possible to live like this. Or that anyone would want to. But it made perfect sense that their people would want to live in the coolness of the ground below. And send water seekers to help replenish their supply.
“Come,” Rita said. “Allow me to show you the place that was once my home.”
Cyrene followed the water seekers down the stairs with Dean at her back. They walked down about two dozen steps before coming to a large, open landing that revealed an open shaft. A square contraption stood over the space, held up by a type of pulley system.
Hulen went to work on the mechanism and opened a door that led them into it. Cyrene apprehensively looked at the chute.
“Are you sure this is…safe?” she asked.
“Of course,” Quidera said. “We have been perfecting the lift for many years. This is the latest model. Absolutely safe.”
Cyrene gave Rita an uncertain look and then stepped onto the platform. Dean took the spot next to her. He pressed two fingers against her palm, and she smiled up at him uncertainly.
Hulen stepped in last and attached the rope to another part on the lift, and then they began to lower down the large, empty space. Down, down, down, deep into the earth, they went.