Nina tilted her head to the sky and closed her eyes as one drop after another fell. She missed the rain. She missed the sea and Sacha’s hand in hers as they ran through puddles, splashing mud over the hems of their tunics that their mamay would surely berate them for later, but with a smile on her face and joy in her eyes. She missed the comfort of her home, and the warmth of their fire. Feeling safe and happy.
It hadn’t occurred to her until that moment just how cold she had been all this time, and she resented the kamayuq’s touch for bringing it to her attention.
“I need you to lean back.” His voice broke through her thoughts. “We’re going to ride as far as we can as quickly as possible.”
It sounded like a good plan to her. She never wanted to see Mamakuna Dusi or the acllahuasi ever again. Putting her obstinance aside, Nina relaxed into his arms, all at once aware of the strength in his legs and arms that could easily kill her or keep her safe.
“Are you ready?” he asked, his breath tickling the top of her head. Left no other choice, Nina nodded.
The kamayuq’s arms slid around her and he grabbed on to a leather strap resting on the achipuma’s neck. He fisted the slack in one hand and the other he rested on Nina’s thigh. She stiffened beneath his touch. “I’ll keep my hand here as a precaution. Is that all right?”
Nina squeezed the lip of the leather seat beneath her, all while trying and failing to convince herself of her discomfort, that she preferred to be walking, that she would rather be left behind to soak in the rain, that she wasnotall right.
But the truth was, within his arms and against the solid pillar of him, she felt safer than she had since leaving home.
With a click of the kamayuq’s tongue, the achipuma took off down the road, all her misgivings left behind.
8
The rain was an enemy Kasik hadn’t anticipated.
He was less familiar with this part of the emperor’s road, having been there only once before this mission as a child who accompanied his tayta on a Harvest. It was then he had met Samaq, both of them young boys chosen to serve as walla, and they had been friends ever since.
Because he was unfamiliar with the area, he had a harder time deducing where there might be cover. The mountain range was smaller, the trees thicker, but everything was wet. The canopies of leaves were dumping buckets of water when they became too full. The ground was soggy. There would be no fire.
Nina’s body was warm against his, though he tried not to think about it too much. She fit perfectly in the space between his legs, her head tucked nicely under his chin. Though she said nothing about being cold, her body had begun to shake, and it was that movement that made his decision. They would have to leave the road now.
Carefully, Kasik maneuvered Capac off to the side and through the trees. Nina leaned farther into him, and he knew that if he looked at her, he’d see her eyes closed tight. But he kept his attention on the narrow path before him, sighing with relief when a large outcropping of rock came into view. Beneath it was a shadowed space that looked just big enough for the two of them.
Capac skidded to a stop and Kasik swung off the seat. He grabbed Nina around the waist and slid her down carefully. “There,” Kasik spoke into her ear, pointing at the rocky cover. She nodded and ran toward it. Once she was safe, Kasik motioned for Capac tostay,murmured praise into his ear, and then took off to join her.
It was a tight fit. Nina had to shift against the wall for him to slide in next to her. He heard her suck in a quick breath and turned to her, eyes trailing over her face and neck. The injury on her jaw was darkening in color. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, tendrils of wet hair stuck to her forehead and neck. He fought the urge to push them aside and inspect her further. “I’m fine,” she said, shifting farther away from him. Kasik realized he had leaned closer and sat back as far as he could without putting himself out in the rain.
Silence grew between them. If it wasn’t for the rain, he knew he would be able to hear her every breath and movement. As it was, he saw the way she discretely rubbed the tops of her thighs. She was sore, he realized, and wondered why she didn’t say anything about the pain before.
But he was a stranger. Already, she was trusting him more than she should. Admitting to pain was revealing a weakness, and he couldn’t help but admire the silent battle she was fighting. What he needed to do was pay closer attention. Her life was in his hands.
Nina suddenly broke the silence. “You called me ‘the emperor’s property.’ I want to know why.”
Apparently, their minds were in the same place. It hadn’t been made clear what he could and could not tell Nina, so he said, “The emperor personally sent me to collect you.”
“Yes, I gathered as much from your presence.” She shifted so that she was facing him more, and her knee came to rest on his thigh. “Butwhy? What does he mean to do with me?”
Kasik didn’t want to be the one to explain this to her, but he hoped that by giving her a small piece of information, she would be more likely to trust him. It could go a long way in ensuring their survival. “The acllas are dispersed through Tawantinsuyu, to serve in the households ofthose loyal to Emperor Maicu, but it was the emperor who choseyouto serve him.”
Nina’s eyes narrowed skeptically. “He specifically chose me? Is he usually so involved in the smaller details of his household?”
Kasik scoffed. “I can assure you, a wife is no small detail.”
The girl surprised him again by letting out a sharp laugh. Her hand flew to her mouth. “I’m sorry,what?” she said through her fingers.
“You are meant to marry the emperor and—”
“Yes, I know what a ‘wife’ is, but I am not becoming one. Much less theemperor’s.”
“Haven’t you been trained for this day? Surely, this isn’t a surprise.”
