Howmany souls had fed their machines?
Heshook his head, trying to catch up with Zaria.She was walking along the slopesof sand piled below the titan’s jaw, eyeing the cracks and divots like avulture trying to break through a rib cage.Her gaze settled on a missing toothtoward the front of the snout.A few vines dangled from the edge.
“I’mthinkin’ this way,” she said, barely out of breath.“You see any of them soulsuckers, by the tooth there?”
Isaacstruggled up the steep slopes of sand.He couldn’t believe how easily she hadmade the climb.When he reached the top, he wiped sweat onto the sleeve of hisrobes, already wanting to rest for the day.
“Squire?”she asked.
“Idon’t think so.”
“Bestyou be sure.”
“It’snot likely.The missing tooth is recent, and this sand we’re on has only piledup over the centuries.I doubt they’d think to trap it.”
“Good,”she said.“I was figurin’ the same.”She judged the distance from their perchof sand to the bottom lip of the creature’s jaw.After a moment, she grabbedone of the vines, tugging hard.“Thank you kindly, by the by.”
“Forwhat?It’s a simple deduction.”
Sheraised a brow.Her gaze flickered over to the hinge of the creature’s jaw,where she had nearly walked straight into a necrotic hex.She made a poppingnoise with her lip.
“Oh,”Isaac said, suddenly blushing.“Yes.I suppose I did ...save your life.”Hecleared his throat.“Well, you’re welcome, but please be more mindful.In thefuture.These ruins will be very dangerous.”
Shecontinued to stare.He fidgeted.After a moment, she laughed, sheathing her polearm.
“What?”he asked, defensive.“What’s funny?”
Sheshook her head, focusing on the vines.“Gonna climb up.Once I’m on the ledge,I’ll pull you along.In the meantime, don’t stare at my arse.”
“Didyou have one?I hadn’t noticed.”
Shekicked sand at him.
“Hey!”
Zarialeaped into the air, gripping a tangle of vines with the wrapped cloth of herhands.The vines held.After pressing her feet into a dentary fissure, shebegan to climb.He could see the muscles working on her arms and shoulders.Herleather plackart flexed with effort.Soon, he received an all-encompassing viewof her ass, which swayed with the pumping of her legs.Her knee-length trousersleft little to the imagination.If he looked carefully between her thighs....
He torehis gaze away.
Out inthe desert, the sand was smooth and flowing.The only sign of activity was thetwo sets of footprints cutting a path to the skull, which the wind was alreadysteadily erasing outside the dead zone of the colossus.If Zaria’s captaindecided to investigate, it would be very obvious where they had gone.
Zaria.
Herealized, suddenly, that he had indeed saved her life.He had stopped her fromwalking straight into a hex.If not for him, she would have been ash.She wouldhave been dead and gone and no longer a threat to his mission.
Hecould have said nothing.He could have let her die.
Why hadn’t he?
Awhistle caught his attention.Zaria was lying flat on the chipped remnant ofthe titan’s tooth, holding out a paw between the threads of vine.“Up and at‘em, love.Catch my hand.”
Hefrowned.“You want me to jump?”
“If itwouldn’t tax the young lord.”
Hesighed, bracing himself.With a brief muster of strength, he tried leaping intothe air, missing her hand by more than a foot.He tried again, getting closer.She scooted further over the edge.On the third attempt, his finger brushed herpalm, and she latched onto his wrist with an iron grip, pulling him into themouth of the colossus like a fisherman dredging up a net.He collapsed onto thecircle of a broken tooth.
“Needto eat more,” she said, patting his back.“All skin and bone.”
