to the City of Shifting Tides, of never hearing Daphine make fun of her clothes or her hair, of never seeing her brothers fight over the last scrap of fish at dinner was too horrible to imagine — and all too real. Unless she found HydroTek and another breathing shell.
Dash kept his face devoid of emotion, but it looked like it was taking every muscle in his body to do it.
“I will never return,” he said.
“Where?” asked Hoku.
“To the Equians,” Dash said, and for a moment, she could see the pain in his eyes. He smoothed it away quickly. “My herd . . . my old herd . . . they live in the desert east of here.”
“The Equians!” Aluna said. Like the Kampii and Aviars, they had altered themselves to live in harsh climates that no one else wanted. “The Equians are horse folk,” she said. “But you’re not part horse.”
“Yes? And where is your tail, mermaid?”
She scowled.
Hoku snorted. “That’s a fair point.”
She touched the tiny pouch hanging under her shirt. She still had a tail if she wanted one. But Hoku didn’t know that. No one knew that except her.
“Our tails are none of your concern,” she said.
“And my lack of hooves is none of yours,” Dash retorted.
“Fine,” she said. “Let’s leave it at that.”
“Good.”
“Fine.”
“I’m fine with that, too,” Hoku said brightly.
She and Dash looked over at him, but he seemed oblivious to anything but his new best friend. The animal had curled up in his lap and was happily munching on the apple.
“Raccoons!” Dash said. “Insufferable creatures, every last one.”
“There’s a little tag attached to his collar,” Hoku said. “I think his name is Zorro TM. It also says WILD BUDDIES PROGRAMMABLE PETS. I wonder what that means.”
“I have no idea,” she said, “but Zorro TM is definitely a strange name.”
“Not really,” Dash said. “The Equians have many groomer monkeys named Bananas TM. Possibly they are related.”
“Groomer monkeys?” Aluna and Hoku said at the same time.
Dash shrugged. “When you are part horse, it is difficult to reach your tail or to clean out stones from your hooves. We — they — train the monkeys to comb out tangles. The creatures are very useful.” He glared at the raccoon. “And they never stole our apples.”
Hoku scratched Zorro behind the ears. “What tricks can you do, little thing?” Zorro licked his nose with a tiny pink tongue.
Glass shattered in the distance, followed by a guttural laugh.
They all stopped, looked, listened.
Upgraders, or just thieves? She wouldn’t welcome either right now.
“We should keep moving,” she said. “We’re like fish in a tide pool here.”
Hoku stood up. Zorro dropped the apple core, climbed up his arm, and balanced on his shoulder.
“Well, it was sort of nice to meet you, Dash, despite all the fighting and cursing,” Hoku said. “But Aluna and I have to keep moving. Swift currents, safe travels, and may the spirits guide you on your journey.”
“Dash is coming with us,” Aluna said.
“He is?”
“I am?”
“Yes.” She squinted at the sun, her heart beating fast. Why did she say that? Why was she doing this? “We don’t have many hours of daylight left. Let’s get moving. If we can find a clue that points us toward HydroTek, we can be out of this place by dawn.”
“What if I do not wish to join you?” Dash said. His stiff shoulders and raised chin were back.
“You have a broken arm, and I’m the one who gave it to you,” she said. “You’re my responsibility, at least until we’re out of danger.”
“I can take care of myself,” Dash said. “I am not without defenses.”
He’d kept his satchel close to his body ever since the fight. What kind of weapons was he hiding?
The people in the distance were getting closer. There were at least three distinct voices now, but no dragonfliers in the air. Maybe they still had time.
“Look, I have no doubt that you’re good in a fight,” she said, trying to be polite. “But we’re all better off if we stick together while we’re in this dome.” She could see him wavering. She decided to make it easier for him. “Besides, Hoku and I could use a hand if things get nasty. You’d be doing us a favor.”
Dash studied her, thinking. He looked wiry strong, but thin. His once-white shirt looked soaked with sweat and dirt, and even a little blood. He’d been out here for a while, she guessed. Even with two good arms it would be hard to survive in this