Nina had pushed it from her mind, desperate to cling to the life she knew, and thought nothing more of it until the kunay appeared.
It was you I felt.
She couldn’t piece it together, but Nina somehow knew that all this had started with that one, fateful day. That her recklessness and stubbornness had doomed her, and that, if she wasn’t careful, she might never see Sacha or her family again.
If what her mamay said was true, and Nina was miserable until Sacha came along, it meant that her sister was the best part of her. Without Sacha, Nina felt heavy, like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, and she was so, so tired.
The path that lay ahead was long and uncertain. She could continue to fight it, or she could give in and ride the beast. Perhaps this one thing could be easy.
“Okay,” Nina finally agreed. The surprise on the kamayuq’s face almost made her laugh, but then she remembered that the kunay’s men had dragged her onto their beasts, and this time, she’d have to mount on her own, and any relief left her with a grimace.
“It’s not as difficult as it looks,” he told her, confusing her expression with fear.
“I’m sure it’s not,” she said defensively.
Nina marched to the beast’s side, determined to look as though she knew what she was doing. The kamayuq only watched as he held on to the achipuma’s seat. She lifted a foot to place into the loop dangling fromthe side and missed. She would have face-planted if her hands weren’t bracing her but was mercifully saved the embarrassment.
The next time she tried, she missed again, and this time the achipuma let out a huff and stamped a foot, as if impatient with her pathetic attempts.
A swell of frustration forced Nina to take a deep breath. She stepped back to reassess the situation, wondering whether there was a better way to do it. She was going to get on that beast, without anyone’s help, if it was the last thing she did.
“Can I—” Kasik started.
“No, you cannot!” Nina yelled, interrupting the kamayuq, who promptly shut his mouth and stepped farther away. Nina almost felt guilty, but she wanted to figure this out herself. She wanted to be in control of at least this.
She reached down and grabbed the hem of her robe. The seam was easy to find; she had sewn similar seams many times before, but these stitches had been executed much better than hers. She fisted the robe between two hands, one on either side, andpulled.
The fabric tore, and the sound echoed through the trees, sending bright blue-and-green birds fluttering into the sky. Even the achipuma snickered softly, but the sound had quelled something in Nina. It gave her the space to breathe deeply and move more freely.
This time, she got a foot into the loop without any trouble and then pulled herself up just as easily.
“There,” she said, confidence restored.
And as if the achipuma couldn’t stand that outcome and was determined to put her in her place, he opened his mouth wide and stretched forward as far as he could. Nina screamed and grabbed his fur, convinced thatthiswould be the way she died. Of all the things she had faced thus far, it seemed the least terrible. She wasn’t imprisoned in a lightless roomor doused with infected Mamacoca that stole her mind and made it unfamiliar. Perhaps she would hit her head on a rock and simply slip into death.
In any case, there was nothing she could do but brace herself. Except, death never came. Instead, a warm hand pressed against her thigh, firmly holding her body in place as the achipuma settled back into a standing position.
Heart racing, Nina watched as the kamayuq whispered into the achipuma’s ear and ran his right hand along the beast’s neck. His left hand remained wrapped around her thigh, his long fingers digging into her flesh.
Nina stared at the hand until it was snatched away. When she looked up, the kamayuq had squeezed it into a fist by his side and met her eyes.
“Is he trying to kill me?” she asked breathlessly. Because of the near-death experience, of course. Certainly not because of the way the warmth of the kamayuq’s hand lingered, a reminder that she had gone a long time without an affectionate touch. If she was willing to be honest with herself, she might concede that she had never felt anything as warm in her entire life.
Kasik huffed a laugh and swept away the loose hairs around his face. “He would never. He’s just bored.”
“Well,heis not nice,” she muttered at the beast, who she could have sworn gave her a look from the side of his eye.
The kamayuq took a step closer but kept his hands to himself. “I’m going to get on behind you,” he said, and she thought of the heat of his hand spreading to encompass her back, how good it would feel, and opened her mouth to argue against it. “It’ll be faster for both of us to ride,” he continued before she could say a word. “And this way we can ensure Capac doesn’t kill you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I thought you said he would never.”
“I might have misspoken. Who knows what these beasts are capable of.”
It was difficult to tell if the kamayuq was being earnest, but she knew he spoke the truth. The faster they could ride, the sooner they could be rid of this place once and for all.
“All right,” Nina said with a sigh, slipping as far forward in the seat as she dared. Of course, Capac held perfectly still as the kamayuq slid on behind her. The whole ordeal was over in several heartbeats, and Nina was aware of each and every one of them. She kept her body stiff and leaned away, afraid that he’d feel them through her back.
A cold drop of rain landed on the middle of her forehead.
