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I hear the footsteps a beat later.

I spring for a dark corner as the ship lurches but stumble into the wall just as two guards enter. The tall one blocks the exit hatch, and he swings a torch toward his companion, who’s younger and has a long flat nose and floppy ears, like a rat.

No more spying. I pretend to be unconscious, lest the torches catch the glint of my yellow eyes.

The guards don’t even notice me. The tall one passes the door I escaped from, not even noting I carelessly left it ajar. His torch tilts at the largest cage, and a flash of blue-green snags my attention.

Hokzuh.

I tense. So he is here. Shouldn’t he be above deck with King Meguh, peeling him longan fruits and swatting away mosquitoes?

The guards throw him something, and Hokzuh sniffs. “You call this a meal? I smell fish upstairs. Bring me some of that.”

“You’re in no position to make requests. Be lucky there’s even meat on these bones.”

“Come now, that’s no way to treat King Meguh’s champion.”

The tall guard spits. “You lost. To a scrawny snake-eyed brat.”

“Maybe because I’m so ill-fed.”

“Maybe because you tried to escape. You know the rules, dragon, and you tried to break them. Meguh’s displeased with you. I wouldn’t want to be in your place when we reach Shenlani.”

“The queen will understand,” Hokzuh says silkily. “Now, let me out. It isn’t polite to keep royalty in cages.”

“Royalty?” The tall guard snickers and turns to his companion (whom I’ll call Ratface). “Still thinks he’s the king of the dragons, doesn’t he?”

“He’s just acting this way to get out of a beating.” Ratface draws closer to the dragon’s cage, and my eyes follow.

Hokzuh has definitely been punished. Dried blood crusts his scaled cheeks, and one eye is bruised. I cannot see his back, but I’d wager it’s covered with new lash marks.

Ukar slinks across the ground, darting me an impatient look. What are you waiting for?

I hesitate, unable to ignore the twinge in my chest. What if the dragon…what if he’s really the Hokzuh I’ve been waiting for?

Ukar flicks his tongue, exasperated. That thing is one of King Meguh’s beasts.

He could help us.

He could betray us.

Still clinging to that ancient grudge, Ukar. But based on Hokzuh’s record so far, he probably isn’t wrong.

Crouching lower, I steal into the shadows, behind the stairs up to the hatch.

Meanwhile, Hokzuh springs to his feet in his cage and grabs the guard’s wrist. Bones crack, and the dragon smothers Ratface’s scream with his arm.

“You’ll pay for that!” says the tall guard, taking out his whip. It slices the air with a visceral crackle before it comes down, lashing against the dragon’s hide.

The dragon doesn’t holler. Instead, he looks right at me, those two mismatched eyes boring into mine.

My heart stops, and my foot knocks against a cage. Birds chirrup to life, wings flapping.

Serpents of Hell! I curse. I drop to my knees and hide behind the cage, hoping no one heard.

The tall guard heard. “What was that?”

Dread curdles my stomach. I need to get moving, but my muscles won’t work. Hokzuh saw me. He’s still looking at me.