Tahra sat slumped against a tree, a pallor beneath her flushed face, still breathing heavily. I dropped onto the ground next to her.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. Judging from the way she glanced past me, I’d say her crush on my knight just morphed into a case of outright hero worship. I bit back a smile.I know that feeling. Been there.
Lorcan waited for Tovian to cross, then went back for his pack. His hair curled at the nape of his neck and around his ears. Mine stuck to my forehead and cheeks in irritating tendrils. Everyone was ready to be done with this journey.
Tovian led us straight toward the cliffs. I was on the verge of asking whether he expected us to scale the sheer rock face, when a harsh hissing and flapping sound overhead caused me to bring my head up sharply. My mouth fell open and hung there as I gawped.
An optical illusion. This island is full of them—the most notable being that from the exterior, we appear to be nothing but a lot of rock topped by an active volcano, surrounded by dangerous shoals.
This particular illusion is a huge archway guarded by hundreds of dragons. Green, crimson, black and yellow—all sizes and colors. They hissed and whipped their tails until Tovian made a high-pitched whistle. A signal of some kind. The lizards settled back into their sunny crevices, tails lashing irritably, as we passed beneath their perch.
Inside the archway was a huge cavern dotted with dwellings carved into the stone. A fast-moving, needle-thin river that had cut a deep gouge into the ground, topped by a sturdy stone bridge. We crossed over it to what are, clearly, Tovian’s people.
Predominantly darker-skinned with black hair, they favored brightly-colored leather garments or, in deference to the sultry weather, none at all. Handprints in a chalky white substance covered their exposed skin, of which, there was a substantial amount. Our impractical linen and wool clothing were rumpled and out of place.
An old woman with thick gray braids and tiger teeth on a string around her neck came forward.
“Princess Zosia,” she said in a commanding voice. “Welcome. We have heard a great deal about you. It’s a pleasure to welcome you to the Ansi tribe.”
Unsure what to do or who she was—clearly a leader—I bowed.
“Great to see you, too, Mum,” Tovian teased. A man who bore a strong resemblance to him came forward to clasp his hand. “My brother, Tomar. This is my mother, Queen Brenica.” To his mother, “The Auralian princess is exhausted. We can catch up this evening.”
Goddess bless Tovian for noticing—a phrase I rarely use. Every muscle was sore from days of hard travel. I itched everywhere from gnat bites. There was dirt crusted in every crevice from my scalp to my toes, and all I wanted was a bath and a nap. Instead, I had to put on my best diplomatic face and go meet with the intimidating leader of a tribe that has chosen to remain hidden away from the rest of Auralia for at least five hundred years, emerging only to play a pivotal role in the battle.
Dragons rattled their wings. The vile creatures deserve to be leather. I only like these animals intellectually; give me plants any day. Plants don’t bite.
Tovian led Lorcan and me up a steep incline to a spacious rock chamber lined with scraped animal hides. The floor was covered in a woven grass mat. A bed frame of wood and stretched leather was piled with furs. Spidersilk doesn’t seem to be a thing amongst the Ansi.
“You can use my room. I’ll share my brother’s while we’re here.” He tapped the wall hangings. “Noise reduction. Sound carries against the rock. Keep that in mind.”
Hollow grasses formed a sort of exterior plumbing system. The rushing water above the door provided white noise. Despite this, our voices echoed faintly, even though we weren’t talking loudly.
“Fair warning,” Lorcan’s smile was knowing. “Thanks.”
My already-hot face steamed with embarrassment. Hopefully I can finally get reality to match widely prevalent assumptions. The men clasped hands, and Tovian made his departure.
This is no different from sharing Lorcan’s cottage in Tenáho. Or a dormitory suite in Scotland, or adjoining hotel rooms, or a small apartment in a castle that houses hundreds of other people. Yet one small cave felt infinitely more intimate.
What bothers me is that there’s no privacy for changing. He’ll see me naked. I can’t even look at myself without cringing. I suppose I was going to have to confront that challenge at some point. Still, my anxiety spiked. I avoided looking at Lorcan as I unpacked.
I flinch when he touches me, gently, on the shoulder.
“Leave that for now.”
Five days since we’ve been alone together. It feels like a lifetime. Each minute and passing kilometer took us farther from the tentative accord we reached in Tenáho. Starting over, again.
“Would you mind giving me a moment?” I ask, hating my shyness. Unsure how to change it.
He nodded and, after hesitating, departed. Huh. I should take Saskaya’s advice—he does take direction well. I don’t think that was the context she meant though.
My phone went off.
Raina: heard you made it to Ansi Town okay. How do you like it?
Me: Cool place. Arrived about half an hour ago.
