Page 15

He heaved a heavy breath, saying nothing.

I turned away, looking out into the desert. The city of Kalmena was out there somewhere. At least in the sarai there was an entire army of Keepers to take care of my many “maintenance” needs. They wouldn’t set me free, but they’d keep me alive .

Except that what was the point in that kind of life? Was it even worth living?

Warm, large palms landed on my shoulders.

“You’re never a burden, Ciana,” he said just above my ear.

I pressed a cheek to his hand on my shoulder.

“Returning to the sarai feels so final, Kurai. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll be trapped there forever.

Then I’ll spend the rest of my days getting drunk, being stuffed with food, and touched by the Keepers to stimulate every kind of pleasure for all the councilors, generals, and other royal favorites.

” I exhaled a short laugh. “Not the worst life to have, I suppose.”

“It is if that’s not what you want.”

“Honestly?” I turned around to face him. “I’d rather take my chances in the desert with no water for ten days.”

“You wouldn’t make it without water for that long,” he said. “Thankfully, we’re not entirely without it.”

He crouched by one of the tall narrow rocks that jutted out of the sand. Moving a flat stone at its base aside, he dug in the sand, then pulled out a large canvas satchel. Woven in a symmetrical chevron pattern, the satchel had a row of tassels on the bottom and a wide shoulder strap on top.

“Where did this come from?” I stepped back as he dropped the bag at his feet.

“We hid it here a while ago. As part of my emergency escape plan.”

“Who are we? Or is that also something that’s best for me not to know?”

“Yes, it’s best not to. In this case, ignorance may save lives.

But…” He bent over and opened the satchel, showing me the corked top of a water bag.

“See? We’ve got some supplies. It’s not enough water to keep you properly hydrated for ten days, but it should last until we can refill it in a well on the way.

Now…” He pulled out a piece of fabric from the bag.

“We’d better get on our way before the guards figure out where to look for me. ”

He opened his belt and…took of f his skirt.

It happened too fast for me to avert my eyes. As if drawn by a magnet, my gaze immediately slipped to his crotch. It was perfectly smooth, with not a hair or a dick in sight.

“Um…” I gaped, unable to tear my eyes away from his unusual area.

He didn’t seem to notice my staring, unfolding the piece of the lightweight, dark material he’d taken out of the satchel. Next, he wrapped his new skirt around his hips and secured it with a belt under the top layer.

“The desert is unkind to those who travel it unprepared,” he explained, then took a pair of long boots made from a leather so thin and soft, it allowed for them to be rolled into a bundle. “Give me your foot.”

“What for?” I asked, lifting my right foot to him.

He grabbed my ankle and placed the sole of the boot to my foot. It extended by quite a bit. The boots were clearly made in his size, not mine.

Frowning, he unrolled the boot and measured it against my leg. It reached up to my hip.

“It wouldn’t do. They’re too high for you to walk comfortably.”

“But I already have shoes.” I rotated my ankle, displaying my sandal.

“These won’t take you far through the sand.”

The sand had already made its way between the sandal and my foot, rubbing against the skin of my sole.

Kurai took his old skirt and tore it into strips.

“Sit here and take your sandals off.” He patted the flat rock for me to sit down.

Once I sat on it, he crouched in front of me and helped me remove my sandal, then put my bare foot in his lap and started wrapping my leg in the fabric strips.

“I have no food,” he spoke while working. “But we should be able to get some at the well. There are a few dwellings around, and someone is always willing to trade. But I have to warn you, the food won’t be anything pleasant enough for human tastes.”

“I’ll try not to make a funny face when eating it, so as not to offend anyone,” I promised.

“We’ll have to make sure no one sees your face at all. Or your hair, or your chest, or any part of you. No one can know that you are a Joy Vessel,” he said, finishing my leg wrappings.

As he tied the ends of the fabric high above my knee, his fingers skimmed the inside of my thigh. Pleasure rippled along my skin. I watched him closely, waiting for any reaction from him, but the touch was clearly accidental.

“Well, let’s see.” After putting my sandals back on, he got up from the crouch.

I stood up too, and he gave me a long, assessing look. Lifting the top layer of my skirt, he draped it over my head and shoulders, then pinned it to my braids with a couple of clips from his bag.

“This is how this garment is worn in the desert,” he said. “It’ll keep the sand out of your hair and the sun away from your skin,”

“The sun won’t harm me.”

“Lucky you.” He reached as if to kiss me on my cheek but stopped himself and just gently tapped a finger on the side of my jaw.

“At least in that one thing I’m stronger than you. I’m not afraid of the sun.” I propped my hands on my hips.

Attaching two sheaths with curved daggers to his belt, he cast an amused glance at my cocky pose.

“Indeed you are, my mighty little human.”

“You’re teasing me?” I laughed. “And here I thought that shadow fae have no sense of humor.”

“Of course we do, even if we derive no pleasure from it. Here, I can even smile. See?” He stretched his lips in an imitation of a grin.

“Yeah, right.” I waved him off. “And I can sprout the black shadowy thingies from my arms.”

“Tendrils? You wish you did,” he scoffed.

“Wow.” I stared at him with my eyebrows raised. “Humor and sarcasm? You surprise me at every step, Joy Guardian Kurai.”

“Speaking of steps, how does it feel?” His smile was quickly replaced with his usual somber expression as he tipped his chin at my legs.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. The fabric felt snug against my legs and feet but didn’t restrict my movements or my blood flow.

“Good. It feels good,” I said.

“Let’s go then. The sun is almost here.”

He adjusted the edge of my shroud, letting his fingers linger on the sides of my face.

“You make me feel things I shouldn’t feel, Ciana,” he confessed softly.

“Like what?”

“Like looking forward to having you at my side for this journey.”