“Sitting around for eleven years? Sounds boring,” she says.
I laugh under my breath. Leave it to Bri to state the obvious.
“We have kept the colony prepared for your arrival and we do our patrols.”
“Patrols?” This time I have the follow-up question. On this desolate planet what could they be looking for?
“We have been tasked with patrolling the sands around here to ensure the Others can conduct their business without interference.”
“Others?”
“Time to leave, Majestic One,” Bug-Eyes interjects.
I stay close to Bri so I can be the one to help her up this time. The brethren need to keep their creepy hands to themselves.
Bri settles on the h’axom, and I adjust her flimsy skirt to cover more of her leg. Her skin was not made for this climate.
While Bri is out trying to start a religious revolution, I’ll find out who these Others are and how they can help us get the fuck out of here.
From the top of Table Mountain, the sun reflects off Bri’s long pinkish hair. The first time I saw her, it was bright pink and piled on top of her head in a messy ponytail with little strands framing her face. Now it’s down and blowing behind her from the warm evening winds.
Her skin is golden and shining. Fuck me—she does look like a goddess. The brethren and I all have the same dopey looks on our faces. I shake my head to break the spell she has over me.
TWENTY
Bri
Shocker—there isn’t any consensus on the message from the clouds. Our little field trip hasn’t solved anything so far. I still have no idea where we are or how to find help. Plus, the brethren are too busy bickering for me to get in there and cast some doubt on Boss. They don’t even seem to notice the breathtaking view.
The dull brown sky turns bright with broad pink and purple streaks as the sun hovers over the horizon. For a fleeting moment, the dreariness of Sabaak is gone. Reds and oranges transform the sky into a watercolor painting, the kind painted by a person with a brush, not a computer’s poor imitation.
“That one right there! It’s the shape of a vessel! See? She alone is the Rain-Bringer of Sabaak! And the rain comes because her prayerpoursit onto the desert like the water goddess she is,” one says, pointing to a flat, shapeless cloud.
I chance a look at Tai, who is mid eye-roll from the ridiculous notion. He’s right. This is stupid. But as long as they think I’m their goddess, I can be a positive influence on them. He betternot mess this up for me. Also, isn’t it rude to make fun of other people’s religious beliefs? I shoot him a death stare, and he shrugs back.
How is it that I am more sensitive to the cultural differences between us and the brethren? Wasn't Elowen the one lecturingmeabout this a few months ago?
“No, you fool. It’s clearly a flame, representing her works with the power of the sun,” another one argues right back. “The power of her fervent prayerquellsthe sun. She’s notonlya water goddess. She works with the sun! She is the Sacred Flame of Sabaak!”
I walk away from the constant bickering and turn back to the stunning view. It’s powerful enough to make me forget the overwhelming heat, the gritty sand sticking to every inch of my skin, and the creepy-ass brethren fawning over me. This right here, the view from Table Mountain, is what I craved all those months ago when I was trapped in the muraDome with nothing but work to keep me busy.
One of the brethren and Tai are in deep discussion, and from their body language, it’s not going well. Tai’s ear twitches when the brethren angrily waves his arms in the air. Tai leans down to meet the brethren’s eye and says something through clenched teeth, his hands fisted at his sides. Tai looks over, forces a smile, and pats the brethren on the head in the most patronizing way. The brethren has a similar forced smile that doesn’t meet his eyes.
“Majestic Goddess, come this way and take a final look at the barren valley. For the next time you see it, it will be green and flowing with water from your blessings.” Another brethren pulls me away and directs me to the valley below.
“Now that you are here, you can restore the planet to paradise.”
Now’s my opportunity to get some information on what else is out there. “What’s over there? Any other holy sites?” I ask, pointing away from the direction we came, curious about a possible escape route in the future.
“No, just more sand. And possibly a Sabaaki village, but we aren’t permitted to travel that way,” he says.
Perfect. Once I’m done with Boss, that’s where we’ll go to find help.
The sun dips down below the horizon and the temperature plummets with it. With the brilliant light show over, I notice the brethren staring at me with awe in their eyes. Ugh. I search for Tai. He’s back at the h’axom adjusting his saddle, his back to me. Mr. All-Business didn’t even take a second to enjoy the view.
Things are still tense between Tai and the brethren. I can’t stop feeling there is something I’m missing. Tai is so stingy with details about himself, I can’t tell if it’s because he’s private or because he is hiding something.
At the base of the mountain, a dozen tents are set up in a tight circle. Meat cooks over a small fire. It smells amazing. How am I supposed to go back to boring noodles when this is over? There are a lot of negatives to being here—and the brethren are doing their best to ruin my first experience exploring the vast universe—but the fresh non-modified food might be the best part.
