The Palace of Impossible Dreams Read Free Page B

as curiosities.
    And sometimes to spymasters like Declan Hawkes because of their camouflage abilities.
    The Retrievers had sympathised with her when she’d told them about her life in Glaeba, appalled she had been used so foully, first by the circus where Declan had found her, and then by Declan Hawkes himself, whom they likened to an evil tyrant, bent on destroying her spirit with his overbearing control over her. At first she couldn’t understand why. She’d thought her life quite good. Yes, she was a slave, but she’d had a master forwhom she would have cheerfully died, an interesting job, was cared for, fed, sheltered and never wanted for anything.
    Azquil and his friends didn’t think that was anything to get excited about.
    Despite her protests, the Retrievers were convinced she’d been held against her will. She couldn’t explain to them, especially Azquil, that her loyalty to Declan was motivated by affection not fear.
    In fact, when she mentioned she loved Declan, even though she’d meant it in the most platonic sense of the word, the young reptile had looked at her with great concern and whispered, “Among our kind, such a relationship would be considered, well, more than a little unnatural. Perhaps it would be wise not to mention, to others, your . . . attraction . . . to this male of another species.”
    â€œI’m not attracted to him.”
    â€œYou claim to love him.”
    â€œI love seafood too, but that doesn’t mean I want to settle down with a lobster.”
    Azquil had laughed then and hugged her. “You are such a delight, Tiji. Most of the Lost Ones we retrieve are such tragically damaged souls. I’ve never met one with a sense of humour before.”
    Tiji had smiled too, and felt her skin tones flickering, which was the chameleon equivalent of a blush. It wasn’t his compliment that had made her feel that way, however; it was the fact that he hugged her.
    Tiji was quite taken with the notion of being hugged by Azquil.
    It wouldn’t do to let him know that, however. She had no idea of the customs among her own people about that sort of thing. For all she knew, Azquil had a wife and a dozen younglings hidden away in the swamps and he was just being nice to another “tragically damaged soul” he’d rescued.
    â€œI was just thinking,” she said, as Azquil settled in beside her, looking over the railing to the water below.
    â€œYou seem to do that a lot.”
    â€œAre we not a thoughtful species?” Tiji found it strange that she had to ask that, but she knew nothing of her own people; not their traits, their likes and dislikes, their fears . . .
    â€œThoughtful, perhaps,” Azquil said. “But maybe not as lost in it as you seem to be. Is something troubling you?”
    She nodded, seeing no point in lying. “I’ve abandoned my friends.”
    â€œYou talk of the humans who enslaved you, Tiji. They were never your friends.”
    â€œI wasn’t mistreated, Azquil.”
    â€œThe Trinity says that if you cage a bird and shower it with the best food and endless affection, it won’t alter the fact that the bird cannot fly free.”
    â€œI wasn’t caged,” she said, not sure who the Trinity was, and not particularly interested in their homespun wisdom. “I had diplomatic papers, for pity’s sake!”
    Azquil smiled at her tolerantly. “Tiji, please, I am not trying to demonise your former slave-masters, who, by the sound of it, were better than average. It’s just, well, freedom can take some getting used to. The Trinity says finding the courage to move on is the only thing that stops us looking back.”
    â€œWhen I look back, all I can think of is seeing Lady Desean in that slave wagon, heading for the docks, on her way to the Tide-alone-knows-where. My job was to keep her safe, and I let her be sold into