“Yes, but...sand.” He gestures toward the sand dunes at twilight stretching before them.
So much sand.
And not a drop of water in any direction.
The heartlanding really is cruel. When it wants to be.
“Maybe you’ll love the sand,” she says, and he turns disbelieving eyes her way. “Or not,” she adds. “Either way, I promise not to let go.”
“You really wish to get off the train?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. But last time I was terrified, and it ended up being one of the most amazing nights of my life.”
She looks up at him, and he takes her in. Her expression, full of love and vulnerability and fear. Her glorious hair he longs to bury his fingers in and her rosy lips that beg to be kissed.
But for some reason, the heartlanding has decided sand is more important tonight.
“At least the sand will be confined to this dream world,” she says. “We won’t be finding it everywhere for days.”
It’s a good point.
He looks back over the dunes. “I suppose we should trust the heartlanding. But I don’t believe I will enjoy sand.”
“Just focus on me, Cerian.”
He lets out a sigh and nods before tentatively stepping off the train into the sand below.
Somuchformorebonding tonight. Arisanna tries not to let her disappointment show as she follows Cerian off the train.
“It moves when you step in it,” he says, and she hides a smile.
“It does. Would you like to take off your boots? Sometimes it’s easier to walk in sand with bare feet.”
The look of horror he sends her draws out her smile despite her best effort to hide it.
“So, boots on,” she says. “At least it’s not hot. I imagine it gets pretty warm when the sun comes up.”
“Where are we even supposed to go?” he asks. “All I see is sand. And the train is gone.”
She glances over her shoulder. He’s right. It disappeared again the way it did last night.
“Elowyn could tell if there were water nearby,” he says, and Arisanna looks thoughtfully up at him.
“She can detect water, but what often accompanies water?”
His brows draw together before his eyes widen. “Plants.”
“Do you sense anything?”
He concentrates for a moment, turning in a circle before looking back at her. “I believe there may be plants to the west. I sensed something, but I’m unsure of what.”
“How do you know which way is west?”
“Toward the sunset,” he says softly, and she nods. Right.
“Shall we?” she asks.
It’s slow trudging through the sand, especially since Cerian places every step carefully to avoid getting the tiny grains in his boots. She gave up and is now walking with mounds of sand beneath her toes, but she doesn’t complain. It’s only for tonight.
