Fewer trees meant we could see the sunset ahead of us.The sky was a mix of indigo, purple, and wisps of pink.The pink gradually faded as the indigo swallowed it.“Taio,” I said.“We have to camp.”If we waited much longer, we’d be stumbling about in the dark.
“You’re right,” he murmured.“We will—”
We both stilled at the sound of a twig snapping.I had my sharpened stick in my hand and at the ready.Taio was almost as fast.He pushed me behind him, which annoyed me, but I knew covering our rear was as important as protecting our front.I scanned the shadows under the few trees behind us.The tall grass between trees made it impossible to tell if someone or something crawled toward us.At least we had the stream on one side.It didn’t hold enough water to stop a Hollow crossing it, but we’d hear splashing.
Anothersnicksounded in the silence.Except it wasn’t exactly silent.I heard the buzzing of insects, which meant whatever was out there wasn’t a Hollow.
That realization didn’t reassure me.
We heard no other sounds for at least two minutes.I held my breath, listening and watching for any movement.And then I stiffened as I spotted the dark figure on the other side of the stream.It stood unmoving near a tree, surveying us.Slowly, I reached for Taio’s hand and caught it, squeezing hard.He squeezed back and turned to face the same direction as I.We both stared, holding our breaths.
Until the figure came charging at us.
***
TAIO PUSHED MY WEAPONaside and moved to greet the attacker.Except it wasn’t an attacker at all.The figure crossed the stream in one long-legged jump, and I realized it was a woman.
Not just any woman, Omira.
All caution was immediately discarded as Taio and Omira shouted in Zulenii.Taio dropped his stick and met Omira on the edge of the streambank.He embraced her, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around.She was laughing and crying and hugging him hard.I felt an immediate sense of shame.Taio must have been missing his sister and friends terribly, but I’d hardly comforted him about their possible loss.And yet, when I’d lost Finnrey, he’d been gentle and understanding and caring.
He'd been my only source of comfort.
I bent to pick up his weapon, hiding my shame-reddened cheeks.When I straightened, I was almost knocked over as Omira threw her arms around me.“Mara!You are safe!”Her voice was full of joy.
I stood stiffly, not deserving her affection at all.I’d hardly thought about her since we’d parted.These last few days with Taio I had felt all sorts of emotions and given in to many of them, but I’d been deluding myself if I believed I had anyrealemotions.If I had, I would have been worried about Omira and comforting Taio far more than I had.I was as cold and unfeeling as everyone always claimed.Omira stepped back, hands on my arms.“Thank you for keeping my brother safe.”She’d lowered her voice now that her initial excitement had passed.
I shook my head in confusion.“He kept me safe just as much as I protected him.”
“Your tutoring on how to kill the Twilight Men kept Kintle, Yung, and me alive.”
I let out a relieved breath.“Yung and Kintle are well?”
“We all managed to kill about a dozen Twilight Men before we ran.Most of the pack followed you.”She glanced at her brother again, tears in her eyes.“I thought you were lost for certain.”
“I am not so easy to kill,” Taio said, ruffling Omira’s hair.
“Thank the gods for that.”
“Where are the others?”I asked.
“We fanned out, looking for any signs of you two,” Omira said, taking the lead as we crossed the streambed.She spoke quietly, turning her head so we might hear.“We were to meet at the lakeshore.”
Taio, walking just ahead of me, put a hand on her shoulder.“We are close to Lake Igo then?”
“Three-quarters of an hour walk,” she said.“I should not have gone so far—”
“I am glad you did.You know the way?”
“I will take you there.”
I gave Taio his weapon back and moved quietly and carefully through the trees.The ground became sandier as we walked, and the underbrush thinned.Taio and Omira spoke quietly in Zulenii.I knew enough of the language now to discern that he was telling her what had happened after we were separated.When he reached the part about Gaz’s ambush, Omira turned to look at me.Her expression was full of respect.Hopefully, she knew she could trust me now.The closer we came to Zleyval, the more I wanted allies.I remembered how I and the people of Earsleh had looked at the Zulenii—we’d seen them as foreign and not to be trusted.We’d had preconceived ideas about them that made us dislike them before even knowing them.If the Zulenii were anything like we were, I would soon be the foreigner who was not to be trusted.
The trees thinned into slender-trunked saplings, and I began to relax slightly.Hollows couldn’t hide well in this landscape, even in the rapidly descending darkness.I heard a bird whistle, which was odd as stars were starting to appear in the sky.Omira answered the whistle.“That was Yung.He heard us and that’s our call.”
A moment later Yung appeared, and Taio greeted him much as he had Omira earlier.Yung didn’t embrace me, but he gave me a nod and ushered all three of us over a sand dune.At the top, I paused and stared at the body of water a few yards in the distance.The lake was enormous, far bigger than I’d imagined.I’d never seen a lake before, but I had pictured it as more like a pond.This body of water made me think of an ocean, without the crashing waves.Not that the lake didn’t have waves.Gentle waves lapped the sandy shore, making a quiet whooshing sound I found comforting.Between the lake and the dunes, the Zulenii had set up a rudimentary camp.As soon as I saw it, I relaxed.With the lake on one side and the dunes on the other, we’d only have to keep watch over our flanks.A determined Hollow could climb one of the dunes.They were rocky and full of scrub growing out of the hard-packed sand, but the sound of the waves would mask our voices and the breeze off the water would hide our scent.
I dropped my pack and unhooked my bedroll, my back already anticipating lying on the soft sand instead of against a hard tree trunk.“Hungry?”Omira asked.
