The Hidden Dragon (English, Melissa Marr)

Product description Review "A seafaring tween with the ability to sense dragons embarks on a journey to save her friends and family. . . . Marr gently works in themes of hope, compassion, and social responsibility, set against the backdrop of a fanciful, magic-filled world reminiscent of the Victorian era. . . . An uplifting, character-focused tale about family and grand adventure." --Publishers Weekly "Exciting middle-grade fantasy set on the high seas. . . . Young readers will delight in the unexpected friendship between Otter and stowaway London, in watching the kids take a stand for what they believe in, and in plenty of thrilling moments as their adventures lead to encounters with dragons, gargoyles, and other creatures. . . . Explores found family as well as finding your voice, and through shipwrecks and pirate battles, it's easy to root for Otter, London, and their allies. . . . For a generation that celebrates supporting one another and finds strength in speaking out against prejudice and wrong, this is the perfect fantasy escape." --Booklist About the Author Melissa Marr (melissamarrbooks.com) is also the author of The Hidden Knife. She writes fiction for adults, teens, and children, and her books have been translated into 28 languages and been bestsellers in the US (NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal) and internationally. She wrote the bestselling picture book Bunny Roo, I Love You, and its companion, Bunny Roo and Duckling Too. She is well-known for the Wicked Lovely series for teens and the Graveminder series for adults. She lives in Arizona with her spouse, children, and many dogs. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. PrologueAt first when the door between worlds opened, it was mostly the creatures that flew who went. Gargoyles crossed. Faeries crossed. Even a few dragonets crossed. The water things couldn’t pass as easily—­except for the kelpies. They needed only a teaspoon of water at a time to slip from world to world. No logic to kelpies, shrinking themselves into a million droplets all hither and dither. Marian did not shrink. She was what she was—­no larger, no smaller. And she wasn’t willing to scrape a single shimmering dragon scale against the doorway. It was simply not suitable for anyone with dignity to behave as the kelpies did, or for that matter, as dragonets did. They were both embarrassments in their way. But then a few of the smaller ones went through the opening. And when Marian watched the flicker and flash of a hatchling darting through the door, she had to follow! None of her kind’s hatchlings would be left alone in that new world. Marian would make sure of it. The children were everything, and if they were not taken care of and adored, what was the point of anything else? Some types of creatures had nests they didn’t tend. Other kinds of beings hovered over their own young but were hostile to young that weren’t theirs. Marian, however, was certain that all young were precious—­not only dragons. She took it upon herself to collect any hatchlings without parents. Her wings were large enough to shelter more than herself. So Marian jabbed her claws into the door, and she tugged. A screech rippled through the sea. It was loud enough to embarrass Marian, but she kept moving. Opening the door so very wide meant that many more sea creatures would pass through to the other side. Dragon hatchlings tumbled through the gate in a great whoosh. Marian watched them stretch and grow in their new home, but she reminded herself that there were fish aplenty. There was also sea grass that grew in underwater forests. Plants reached as tall as the land dwellers’ trees—­and then grew higher still. Her kind would not want for food or space, despite the size they reached in this new water. The only rule she set was that they must all be careful of the creatures of the land. One never knew what they were like. Dangerous things lived on land. Soon many sea creatures frolicked and thrived in the deep, where they had food and safety. And in the very bottom of that deep dark water were sparkling, glimmering things that Marian began to gather. Sometimes they had to topple a ship to get the golden sparklies or the stone sparklies. That was easy enough. She was, after all, a dragon. The only problem left for Marian was the Otter. The sea dragons all heard the Otter’s voice, and sometimes they couldn’t resist going splashing to the surface to seek her out. It was dangerous, but Marian understood the impulse. She desperately wanted to be near the Otter again, too. Twelve Years Later Chapter 1London London had every intention of buying passage out of Glass City. He carried his savings—­gold coins and silver ones, a few bits of copper, and assorted gems—­as well as a small bundle of clothes, as he set off toward the docks. London had been there often enough that his feet could find it even if his eyes were closed. Ships meant freedom, a new start, adventure. Who wouldn’t dr