“No, they taught me the signs, so I knew what to be prepared for. And all of this” — she twirls her index finger in a circular motion in the air — “was all decided on long ago. The specific details may have been unknown, but theHasuknew.”
“TheHasu?” I try to remember if that is a Shalmilish word, but I can’t recall it or its meaning.
“It’s what the Minsasians call the four who created Ashonera. Your goddess is one of the four and so isRa Syam, Shaston’s god.He was given the nameRa Syamby the Shastonians, but that’s not his real name. They all had true names, but many don’t know them anymore.”
I faintly remember the night she spoke, talking about the original four and the one who created them. When I was a child, the only god I was taught wasRa Syam. The god of fire and bloodshed, the one who claimed women should always be beneath men. If you don’t pay enough to the priest, who in turn works for the King, for the materials to blockRa Syamrays, you would be punished by the burns on your skin. We were told that our tithes were required by the god, that his mercy would only bless those who gave. When I reached Antalis’ shores and they introduced me to the Goddess, I couldn’t believe it. I knew she was the one who had saved andredeemed me so that I could live on her shores. I thought my purpose was simple: protect and love Carnaxa.
She lets a soft chuckle leave her lips. “I can see how she loves you both, you and Ereon. Where he lacks any faith, you have so much.” Her hand reaches out to touch mine. “You are a good man, Ambassador Thylas. Don’t let the darkness take you.”
I want to ask her what she means when Siphonie plops down beside me, Rhenor following her. I pull my hand from Anara and she moves further away.
“I gave her the book,” Siphonie states. “Oh, hello, Anara.”
“BêlitSiphonie,BêlRhenor.” Anara smiles at them.
“Did you tell her I threw the book?” I ask. I found a book when I was out searching for Carnaxa’s dagger, completely intact and laying on the sand as if someone had simply intentionally left it there. I wanted to give it to her, but I had forgotten about it until the night I thought forcing her to kiss me was a good idea.
“No.” Siphonie shakes her head. “And I didn’t tell her you found it.”
I nod simply. I gave the book to Siphonie the following morning. If it came from me, I didn’t expect Carnaxa would take it. “Good. Anything else? She still isn’t speaking to me. Well, not much anyway.”
Rhenor leans in, the fire highlighting the red in his hair. “Yeah, I assumed that didn’t go well. I saw you walk up to her, but I could feel the tension from across the camp.”
“Yeah, she doesn’t want me around her. At all.”
“Well, forcing a kiss probably wasn’t the best option, Thy. You should have known better.”
“What else was I supposed to do, Siph? Sit here and watch her fall in love with Ereon all over again, while I just what? Let her go?” I throw my hands up, tired of the constant conversations that remind me that I’m always wrong.
“Yes.” Anara’s voice cuts in. “That’s what you are supposed to do. That’s what anyone is supposed to do when their paths take them in separate directions, and have faith that your paths will cross again.”
I turn to her. “You are a better person than me if that’s what you are doing with Ereon. I told Carnaxa that I would always be there for her, always love her, and protect her, and I meant it. I don’t plan to let her go.”
“Stop assuming everything I say is about Ereon. I wasn’t talking about him,” Anara asserts.
A hush comes over all of us as we are unsure how to respond. I don’t know if any of us have considered what it means for Anara to be here. She was taken from her home, her family. Perhaps even a lover. I thought Ereon would have been the one she was speaking of, but I don’t know her. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own thoughts and circumstances that I haven’t asked about her.
Rhenor and Siphonie still sit beside me, her head resting against his shoulder as she glances at the moon.
“I know the moon is the same in Antalis, but it looks so different here. And while it’s cold, it’s not like I thought it would be,” she says, breaking the awkward silence among us.
I nudge the fire with a stick. “I remember the temperature being much colder when I was younger. Maybe it’s just because I was a child, but I know what awaits us will be frigid."
“I was talking to some of theShayitoday. They said that’s what they remember most about crossing into Shaston — the moon.” Rehnor yawns. “Said it was even up during the day.”
Siphonie suddenly sits straight up. “Upon the day the moon turns bright, the loyal heir’s death awakens eternal night. The waters will rise and the fires will blaze, then only the sacrificed can save.”
“Siphonie, you aren’t supposed to drink when you’re with child,” I scold her before I realize the death grip she has on my arm. Her nails dig into my flesh as she looks up, concentrating. “Are you okay?”
“It’s something Carnaxa said, and we heard it in Midaeliea from Queen Natala. It’s a prophecy. I didn’t think about it, not really. I’m not a priestess by any means and I love the Goddess, but prophecies are a little unbelievable to me. But what if ...” She twirls her hair in her hand. “What if there is more to it than ramblings? Naxa said today that King Atlas called her the ‘daughter of prophecy.’”
Just as I consider my next question, a fierce wind sweeps through, throwing us all off our seats and interrupting the conversation. As the breeze moves, it lifts the red and orange sand and the air becomes thick with a gritty texture. Landing on my back, I desperately reach out for something solid to orient myself. The fire has gone out. I hear Rhenor yelling for Siphonie, and her yellingback. He’ll find her, he always does. I pull my scarf around the bottom half of my face, trying to inhale, although the air feels as if it’s being sucked from my lungs.
Where is Anara? She was right beside me. I roll over and push myself up on all fours. “Anara!” My voice is drowned out by the howling winds as the sand stings my eyes. I squint looking for her but I don’t see or hear her anywhere. As another gust of wind knocks me down, I tightly shut my eyes, bracing myself for more of the invisible onslaught.
As I frantically try to make my way through the shifting sands, a soft glow catches my attention. A glow that is coming from her. Anara hunkers down where the fire was. She keeps her head down and eyes closed. And between her palms, she cradles a small, flickering flame.
She doesn’t fight against the sand storm, instead I notice a thin circle surrounds her as the sand slides across whatever barrier is there. The relentless wind keeps knocking me off balance as I stumble towards her.
