“Good,” he murmurs. “Just… give it a minute.”
And for once, I don’t argue.
“Now, are you gonna tell me what a girl like you is doing in a place like the Hollow?” he asks, his eyes tracing mine.
“Girl like me?” I echo, unsure whether to bristle or shrink. The words land somewhere between insult and truth.
He lifts a shoulder. “Young. Naive.” No malice—just observation. And that somehow stings more. I was naïve—naïve enough to trust the beautiful flowers that masked the Hollow’s blemishes. I thought they were stunning, like a constellation scattered across the night sky. But they weren’t stars. They were more like acne, erupting across an already miserable canvas. And, like everything in this place, they were dangerous.
I fold my arms across my chest, trying to look bigger than I feel, trying to pretend his assessment doesn’t hit uncomfortably close to home. I am out of my depth here, and we both know it.
“How about I ask the questions?” I narrow my eyes. “What areyoudoing in the Hollow?”
“I live here,” he says simply, straightening up and meeting my stare.
I let out a soft, incredulous laugh. “You live here?” I question, glancing around the tent—the mismatched wood, the furs, the weapons. Lived-in, yes. But willingly? Not a chance.
“Yes,” he repeats with a shrug. “Is that so hard to believe?”
I gape at him and nod slowly. He chuckles.
“Look, it’s not just me. A whole bunch of us do… better in here than out there.” He gestures vaguely toward the outside world.
“You can’t be serious,” I blurt. “We were literally attacked by a giant demon centipede an hour ago, and then almost eaten byflowers.” I hold up a hand. “Flowers, Ziek.”
“So you met the tenari.” His mouth pulls into a knowing smile. “I know the dangers here—every single one of them. I know this forest like the back of my hand. But out there…” His smile fades. “Out there, there are monsters much worse than anything in here.”
His tone is calm, but the truth weighs in it. Whatever he’s faced outside the Hollow… he believes it. Fully. Instinctively, a tremor runs through me. Because I understand. Because I’ve seen a monster with a human face. And I would take a thousand tenari over The General any day.
“Where did you go, just then?” Ziek asks quietly.
“Nowhere,” I say, shaking myself free. “I just… I get what you mean.”
He nods, a flicker of understanding crossing his features. “How long have you lived here?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Long enough,” he sighs. He moves to the table and picks up a flask, turning to offer it to me. “Now, are you going to answermyquestion?”
I take it gingerly, swigging it slowly. “We’re looking for something,” I say. “A gem.”
At that, he goes still.
“Oh, yeah?” He returns to his seat, guarded now.
“Yeah. The Crescent Gem. Have you heard of it?”
His eyes flick away from mine. “Erm… no. I haven’t.”
Lie. My instincts prick like needles.
“Oh really?” I tilt my head, tracking his gaze every time it dodges mine.
He avoids my eyes again. “What do you want with that thing, anyway?”
“So youdoknow what it is.”
“It’s a fool’s mission,” he mutters. “Half the people who come through here are chasing that gem. None of them make it back. If you think the Hollow is bad… wait until you reach Mourn Peak.”
“How do you know that?” I ask quietly, watching the fire paint his jaw in shades of gold.
