“But there are women in your dekes; can’t any of them be the priestess for you guys?”
Tarak shook his head. “There can only be one priestess.”
“What are you hoping the goddess will do for you if she likes your offering?”
“I do not know,” he sighed and studied the ground. “At first I hoped she would take away my shifting ability, but every time the big moon grew full my beast came out. I could not suppress it or make it go away. So now I ask for a sign that she has forgiven us for whatever we did to anger her.”
“Tarak…” I put my hand on top of his. He turned his palm up and interlaced his fingers with mine. His eyes were bright with unshed tears and I felt an anger I’d never known for people I’d never met. How could a whole tribe turn their backs on their children?
“Have you ever considered that your shifting abilities and the stiffness aren’t connected? There’s a big chance that they just happened at the same time, but that one might not have anything to do with the other.”
Tarak shook his head. “If we did not cause the illness then what did?”
“Any number of things can cause a new illness to spread. I highly doubt that you guys caused it, though, and even if you did, it wasn’t your fault and it certainly wasn’t because the goddess was mad at you. What could she possibly be mad at a thirteen-year-old for?”
“I-” Tarak furrowed his brow in deep thought. “I’d never thought about it like that before. But why would the goddess do that? Why would she allow my mother and sister to die?”
“I don’t know, Tarak. I don’t even know if your goddess exists.” I’d personally left religion years ago.
He shook his head in disbelief. “If the goddess doesn’t exist then how is it that I came to find you? I am beginning to think you are proof that the goddess has accepted our tithe.”
Tarak placed our joined hands over his heart. “You are proof of her existence. You are proof she has accepted our offerings.”
I was speechless. I could do nothing but stare at our joined hands for a long moment before speaking.
“I’m just an average woman. I don’t know that I’m proof of anything.”
“How can that be true when you are more than what I could have possibly ever dreamed of?” Tarak cupped my face with his other hand. I thought he might draw me in for a kiss, but he looked deep into my eyes instead. Did Sirrets kiss? I’d like to kiss Tarak. My lips tingled with anticipation.
I cupped his jaw and ran my thumb across his bottom lip and he moaned, “Gab-bae.” My name came out as a rasp. “I wish to touch you, but I do not know how.”
“Do you know how to kiss?”
He shook his head, “I do not know what this ‘kiss’ is.”
“It’s when mouths meet and brush against each other over and over again.”
Tarak looked down at my lips, “I would like for my mouth to brush against yours.”
“Ok,” I breathed.
I leaned in and gently pressed my lips to his. Tarak sat unmoving, so I kissed him again. This time he kissed me back. He was timid and gentle at first, but it did not take long for him to wrap his arms around my waist and hold me against him as his lips crashed against mine.
I melted into his touch. His kiss was gentle yet serious, just like him, and I loved it.
Tarak broke our kiss with swollen lips and a dazed expression on his face. “I like this kiss very much.”
“Me too,” I grinned.
“Perhaps we can kiss again later, yes? But right now we must continue to Orsu’s den.” Tarak looked up at the darkening sky and then in the direction of the path.
“That sounds good to me.” I’d certainly like to do both of those things.
Chapter 12
Tarak
Gab-bae and I arrived at Orsu’s den at dusk. Seeing the sturdy structure brought a sense of relief to my spirit. The sooner we could get the females to safety the sooner Gab-bae might share more of this kiss she had taught me.
