Page 59 of The Lost Prince
He darted to the next scrap.
And the next.
Until the last one, bringing him only a few feet from Shava and me.
“It’s all right. I’m Shava and this is Zephyr. We have more food if you like, and blankets if you’d like to sleep. The dragon brought you here to save you.”
I side eyed her, not sure about that last bit.
She steadfastly ignored me, holding out a hand to the boy with the last of the meat.
A war erupted in his eyes. With a jolt of realization, I think I understood. Or at least, could imagine enough to get what Shava had been trying to tell me.
Living in the mud quarter was literal survival, in a way that living in the dormitory had never been, and never would be, for me. Yes, boys got weeded out and even killed, but I hadn’t even touched the edges of savagery that Shava and this boy had likely seen.
“What do they call you? I’m Z,” I asked softly, crouching down on the ground and grabbing a smooth stone. I knew from my time with M that mud boys didn’t have names exactly, just monikers they went by. Going by Z might make him more comfortable.
I drew a large Z in the dirt with my rock. “There is my name. Would you like to see yours?”
A small, shell-shocked face peeked its head up at me, dark eyes wide with fear as it flicked to the letter in the sand and back to me. But there was also a spark of curiosity there.
“D,” came the small whisper.
I nodded even as Shava beamed at him like he’d answered a difficult riddle. She handed him the last scrap of meat, rewarding him like a dog.
I ignored her and drew a large ‘D’ in the dirt, and pointed at it proudly like I was the teacher, and he the pupil.
“There you are, right there.”
The boy stared at it for a long time.
“Would you like Shava to show you the cave?” I interrupted, unable to stand the awkward silence. “It isn’t as nice as the dormitories, but no one will push you out of your bed in the middle of the night, or try to steal the meat off your plate in the dining hall.”
I tried to use our shared experiences to win his trust.
He rewarded me for my effort with a small, uneven smile, then warily took Shava’s outstretched hand.
“You got him to come all the way. That is something,” Shava whispered, turning back towards the cave with the boy in her free hand.
“Learning and knowledge are like that,” I stated confidently. Knowledge was power, after all, and the greatest nourishment one could have. I’d done far stupider things than trust a stranger in search of it.
Shava’s brow rose, as if she could hear my inner thoughts and disagreed.
“Well, when you have the luxury to pursue it,” I said next. “I realize basic human necessities like shelter and food can impede that.”
“How magnanimous of you,” she grit out, the shadow of a smirk on her lips.
“Magnanimous?” I rose a brow, impressed with her vocabulary.
“One of the other girls taught me it,” she confessed. “Her name was Daisy, from the bread district.”
“Was?” I questioned, noting the furrow in her brow at mentioning the girl. I was getting better at reading people by watching their facial expressions. Then again, it was easier to practice this when you weren’t worried the person in front of you would punch you or order you executed.
I wasmostlysure Shava wouldn’t punch me.
“She failed her examination by yourLord Vession,” she spit back, venom dripping from her voice.
Ah. That’s right. She hated Vession.
