A bright spot in a wave of obscurity. A hand reaching beneath the surface to pull him up for air and remind him what it was to breathe.
The music began to slow, as did Nina’s movements, until she was staring directly at him, eyes like an arrow piercing the space between them. Kasik watched her come closer in a daze, foolish hope filling his chest and head with thoughts that left him speechless. The fire at her back and the moonlight on her face made him think of vengeful gods and relentless mortals, and for a moment he thought it was a good thing that they were on the same side.
He pushed away from the tree he had been leaning against to greet her. It felt important that he was standing tall before her, no weaknesses on display.
“You were right,” she said, suddenly close enough to touch. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her dark hair, loose and wild around her, but her face and body told him what he needed toknow. This wasn’t the Nina who was desperate for comfort. This was the Nina who was desperate for change, and her words were a double-edged weapon. A promise.
“They are not free,” she said, a razor-sharp finger pointed behind her. Then at her chest. “ButIwill be.”
Their gazes held, a storm of reckoning brewing between them, and Kasik realized then that they had never been on the same side and would never be. She was caged fury, insatiable curiosity, and relentless pursuit. The only reason she was still there was because sheallowedit.
Kasik, on the other hand, was at the mercy of his masters, the gods and the emperor. She was a storm wielding transformation, and he was the boulder that never changed, never moved, and never grew.
The temptation to reach out, to touch her, to steal a taste of that power, was almost too much to bear, but it was Nina who stepped closer, her dark-as-night eyes glowing with moonlight. He wondered what she saw when she looked at him. If he disappointed her as much as he disappointed himself.
I cannot say no again,he thought to himself,if she asks me to stay.
Kasik could recognize the same resolve that filled him slip beneath the surface of Nina’s features. Her eyes hardened with it, her mouth settling into a capricious grin. Kasik held his breath and waited for her judgment, but she only glanced at his mouth, and then turned and began walking away.
Peeling himself from his spot to follow her took effort. He felt disoriented. Like an animal on a tether. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“To get an achipuma. We must leave, right? No sense in waiting until the morning.”
“Nina,” he called after her. “It’s not safe to travel right now.”
She whirled around to face him, a tempest on the horizon. “Is anything safe? At least if I am killed by an achiyanga then I am free in someway. Your beloved Emperor Maicu can hardly fault you for that.”
“It’s not about that,” he practically shouted at her. “There is no power in being dead. At least, as his wife, you will have the chance to create a life. Perhaps even createchange, if you wished to.” This seemed to give her pause. “You’ll be close to the emperor. You’ll have his ear. Things could be different.”
Nina tilted her head and pursed her lips. “You’re right. The emperor’s ear is exactly what I need.”
Kasik thought that he had finally said the right thing, but her concession came too easily. Her words made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. They were far from the fire, far from the warmth of people and life. The moon was large and bright in the sky, bathing everything where they stood in sharp contrast to the shadows in the mossy tree line.
“We’ll leave in the morning, as planned,” he said, holding a hand out to her. “Let’s go back to the fire and enjoy this night.”
Heart pounding, Kasik waited for Nina to accept his offer. Her hand twitched by her side, and he could see the way her shoulders lowered the slightest bit. Another small victory. She extended her hand to his, fingers nearly touching, and then she paused. She turned her head sharply to the side, and then he heard a clap. And another.
Nina looked at Kasik, confused. A slow round of applause came from a man materializing from the shadows between tents. “That wasverytouching,” he said, voice rich, measured steps bringing him closer to where they stood. “And this place is quite charming. The emperor would love it, wouldn’t you agree, Kamayuq Kasik?”
Kasik’s chest clenched as he watched Kuna, a favored spy of Emperor Maicu’s, approach. His eyes flicked to the trees, searching for Aysan, the man’s other half. They were t’ira, brothers identical in appearance, with the same long hair and slender builds that made themquick and light on their feet. They were known to be needlessly cruel and vicious in their pursuits.
Though he couldn’t find Aysan, Kasik knew he was there. Lurking in the shadows like an achipuma, waiting for permission to pounce. They didn’t go anywhere without the other.
Kasik didn’t waste time questioning how they had found the camp—it was further proof of Shayim’s lies—orwhythey were there. It did not matter. Their mere presence was a danger to everyone there, including Nina.
Slowly, Kasik moved toward Nina to cover her with his body, to keep Kuna’s eyes from drinking her in. He was a man thirsty for violence and would take it any way he could.
When Nina’s hand found the back of his tunic and fisted the fabric tight, Kasik kept his shoulders from softening, his face neutral so that they wouldn’t think her important in any way. “What is your business here?” he asked.
Kuna tsked and took a small step forward. “You know we cannot share that information, not even with the emperor’s pet.”
Kasik tensed, his hand reaching for a weapon that was no longer there. He only had the small knife in his boot. It would have to do. “Jealousy does not become you, Kuna. I’d suggest you answer the question plainly.”
Kuna hummed a laugh. “It’s curious,” he said. “Do you know this rebel camp did not exist only two days ago? Then, suddenly it appears, and here you are. Are you plotting against Emperor Maicu, Kamayuq? Your ownfriend?”
“This isnota rebel camp,” Nina hissed behind him. Kasik reached back and pushed her farther to the side, so his body was completely covering hers once again.
The smile on Kuna’s face twisted into wicked delight, all teeth anddanger. “You have no idea what you’ve walked into, do you? I guess we’ll have to take care of the problem ourselves. Aysan,” he called out. There was a rustle in the trees, and then a barely discernible thump. From the shadows appeared the second t’ira, just as Kasik expected. Nina inhaled sharply, her fist tightening farther in his shirt. “Do you think Emperor Maicu will be glad to know what we’ve found?”
