Silver Dragon Codex Read Online Free PDF

and snakes, and poisonous plants—all sorts of dangerous things.” Jace struggled to think of more, but ran dry. “You might get hurt—or die!” The more he tried to convince them to stay, the more he started thinking maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. Best to stop that line of thinking right now.
    Cerisse puffed out her chest in mock anger. “My mother is a Qualinesti elf. I was born to run around in the woods. And Ebano traveled here from Far Kundalaria.”
    “Oh, he did not. You and I both know that’s just what Worver says for the crowd during Ebano’s act! There’s no such place as Far Kundalaria.”
    “Well, he came from somewhere, and he’s here, so he must have traveled somehow.”
    Ebano stared down at them, barely noticing that theconversation centered on him. Jace groaned and shoved another shirt into his backpack. The excitement of spending three days alone with Belen was dwindling right along with his temper. “Ebano.” Jace tried to reason with the tall, thin mesmerist. “How did you get here? How … here?” He tried hand signals. Sometimes, those helped.
    “Walked.” Ebano smiled serenely. He flexed his fingers, letting each knuckle crack in a sharp sequence like softly exploding popcorn. “Walked the sands. Walked stone. Traveled the underworld. Now, go with you. Yes.”
    Jace rolled his eyes. “I can’t talk either of you out of going with us?”
    “‘Going with us?’” Belen’s bright voice from the doorway made Jace duck and look around Ebano’s shoulder. She stood in the sunlight witha small bundle at her feet. “That’s a wonderful idea! Are you really?”
    Jace groaned. No use now. What might have been a wonderful, romantic trip through the forest was now turning into a big sleepover. Cerisse hugged Belen while Ebano peered down his overlong nose at Jace’s scowl.
    “Of course we are.” The half-elf juggler smiled. “We aren’t going to let you perform without a net.” The reference made Jace wince.
    Despite herself, Belen smiled. “Thank you. There’s a mystery to be solved, and it means a lot to me that you’rewilling to help me find out what happened. I can’t stay here like this, even if Mysos would let me.”
    “What do you mean? Was someone mean to you? I’ll—” Jace bristled. Cerise elbowed him and he gasped. She offered a quick apology and mumbled something about the wagon being too narrow, and Jace let it go.
    “No, just the opposite.” Belen continued, swallowing hard. “Everyone was very nice, offering me water or a place to sit, asking how I was, telling me that they don’t believe the accusations or that they’d never let the White Robe take me anywhere against my will. Old Fodger, the escape artist, offered to teach me how to get out of wrist ties. Magical Marvin the Marvelous, the one who saws the girl in half, told me that if I needed to disappear he knew just the place. Really, they’re being very nice.” She hesitated, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. “Pitying, but nice. I expected people to be afraid of me once they heard the rumors.”
    “What, that you’re a dragon?” Cerisse grinned. “Are you kidding? That’s good for business! Worver must be dancing in his wagon right now at the thought of all that good, hard steel pouring in once people find out. We’ll put it up on all the signs. The Amazing Celestial Circus of Light has a real dragon! That’ll pack them in!” She smiled, but then the edges of her smile faded. “That is, if you’rehaven’t decided that you’re too good for us, now that you’re reptilian royalty.”
    Although Cerisse’s tone was teasing, Belen paused and cocked her head to the side. “Do you think that?” she mused. “Do you think dragons believe they’re better than anyone else? I don’t feel better. If anything, I feel smaller than the rest of you. At least you know who, and what, you are. If Mysos is right, I’m not really human at all.” She held up her hand and squinted at