I couldn’t let the sphinx kill anyone I cared about. I had to fix this with the thought that touched the fringes of my mind. Now. “The heart.”
“What was that?” the sphinx asked.
Not certain if I was getting myself into greater danger as the idea that had come to me solidified, I repeated, “The answer to your riddle is the heart.”
“That’s right, little one.” A gush of air heated the back of my neck. It was so great, it had to have come from the sphinx. “And remember this—you will need heart in the time to come, more than ever before.”
My breath whooshed from me as I went flying through the air. Did she go back on her word? Was I to be eaten?
Wind whipped past me. The sphinx laughed as I landed on something soft and then sat on the ground. Was that one of her paws? It was humongous—large enough to hold all of me. No wonder she kept calling us little.
I wobbled, and a familiar hand grabbed on to my upper arm, steadying me.
“Nikon, is she here?” I asked.
“No.”
And yet, I didn’t hear the snick of his sword going back in its place.
“How did you know the answer?” Zoe asked.
“I didn’t.” And it scared me to think how close I’d come to dying and possibly taking my friends with me. I shuddered. “Why did she do that? Why would she demand an answer and threaten us all, and then tell me I’ll need said answer? I don’t understand what I could use it for.”
“The ways of a sphinx don’t usually make sense,” Kaius said, voice flat.
Sand shifted as the others came closer.
I wanted to burst into tears of gratitude but held myself together. “Thank you all, for trying to protect me. I appreciate it, but you shouldn’t risk your lives for me.”
“You’d do the same for us,” Zoe said.
Kaius added, “Besides, things wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without you around.”
Though Nikon didn’t say anything, his hand didn’t leave my shoulder.
“Is Tewy all right?” I asked. I hadn’t heard him during the entire ordeal.
“I dropped a water skin when the sphinx came,” Nikon said. “He’s helping himself to it.”
Should I laugh or be upset? While it was funny, the water was also desperately needed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m the one who dropped it.”
“Besides,” Zoe said, “we’d all be sadder without Tewy in our lives.”
The center of my chest warmed. My friends liked him, and that made them all the more worthy in my eyes.
Despite our near-death experience, the day of trudging through the desert went on. The nights were cold. We huddled together in a pile, Nikon on one side of me and Zoe on the other, with Tewy usually curled up with me. He’d go with anyone who offered him a treat, though—which were becoming less and less available.
If we were to survive out here, Nikon’s previous assessment that we’d have to stop and get supplies from Itpy was correct. Thankfully, he said we should reach it today, and that it wasn’t much farther. Now we should find a place to hide. And perhaps a plan.
We continued on, Zoe guiding me and Tewy ooooing from someone else’s shoulder.
Kaius said, “What about that group of lotus trees? Do you think those will work?”
“Let’s take it,” Nikon said.
Zoe turned slightly to the left, and we continued on. I asked, “Is it close to town?”
She said, “I can get there within the hour, but the townspeople can’t spot us or find you while I’m gone.”
A knot tightened in my stomach. “Are you certain you want to go?”
“Of course. I’ll be fine. Just you wait and see.”
I was afraid the wait-and-see option was not going to be to anyone’s liking, except perhaps the Reding and Vading’s if they captured her.
Zoe led me on and said, “You should be fine to sit there. I don’t see anything on the ground other than sand.”
“No scarabs?” I asked, only half joking.
“None.”
“Good.” I plopped down, sitting with my legs beneath me. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m going,” Zoe said.
I didn’t like that. “And there’s no plan?”
“If I’m not back by tomorrow, you can assume the warriors captured me.”
“This is a bad idea,” Kaius said.
“If you two don’t mind,” Zoe said, “Kaius and I are going to go over there, to talk and say goodbye. I promise it’s going to be fine.”
I scowled, not wanting to force her to stay but also not wanting her to go. I listened to their footsteps moving across the firm ground, going from place to place until they were out of my earshot. I sighed.
“I feel the same way,” Nikon said. “It should be me going.”
“I wish none of us had to go. At least we won’t have to worry about the sphinx anymore.” Her words left me anxious about what I would need heart for, though. Maybe what we were doing would take heart enough. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” His tone didn’t match his words.
“No, really,” I said. “How are you handling everything? You seem a little tense.”
He let out a puff of air. “A lot tense if I’m honest. I’m worried about far too much.”
“Would it help if you talked about it?”
The silence stretched so long I didn’t think he was going to answer. When he did, his words were more restrained. “Probably, but I don’t want to. There’s the four of us and Tewy. I’m worried about our safety, getting food and water, and making it to Sirya. Once we’re there, finding your parents and helping the rebellion are going to be harder than any of us imagines.”
“As long as we avoid elite warriors and neczar, we’ll be fine.” The elite warriors were tough like Nikon, but the neczar that were part animal, mostly men, were to be feared more than the sphinx. There was a chance the sphinx would retreat. A neczar would never leave its prey. An enhanced neczar, treated with extra magic, was even worse.
“Are you sure?”
I shrugged. “It’s more of a guess than anything, but hoping for the best seems like a happier way to live than looking on all the negatives that could happen. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.”
“It’s a good way of thinking. I wish it was as easy as that though.”
I reached out, searching for him. He was close, but I didn’t find anyone. Moments later, his fingers threaded through mine. Peace settled in me. All the worries he listed were in me as well, but they felt more like a background noise I could ignore.
We sat in silence, until someone came, heading our way. Only one set of footsteps.
When they got to us, I said, “Zoe’s on her way, then?”
“She is.” I’d never heard Kaius sound so forlorn before.
“This is wrong,” Nikon said. “I should go get her.”
He stood, tearing our hands apart.
“No,” Kaius said. “She’s right. We need the food and water, and she’s the best one to do this.”
That didn’t make waiting for her any easier.
As the moments crawled by, I knew I should find a way to distract myself from what wasn’t happening—Zoe’s return.
Though we’d been around Kaius for a while, I knew very little about him. He was an enigma. It was time to change that, and in the process, distract all of us from Zoe’s absence. “Kaius, where did you and Zoe grow up?”
He didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice was soft. “Crite’s Fortress.”
I held in a gasp. I’d never been there, but the stories I’d heard about it since I was a child were of crime, torture, and punishment. A terrifying place no one, let alone children, should ever be in.
“You grew up there? Is it…?” Horrid. I left the word unsaid. I didn’t want to upset him if it wasn’t the case.
“As bad as everyone says? No. It’s worse.”
That might explain why he was so quiet. Then again, since Zoe wasn’t, there might be something else to it. I didn’t have any idea what to say. How to handle a bad childhood. Mine had at least started out good, and really, I hadn’t dealt with many bad things in my life. Just enough to make me blind and odiosom forever.
Nikon said, “That’s rough.”
“It was.” Kaius sighed.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I didn’t wish to pry, but to be a listening ear.
“I’ve never said much about it before. Zoe and I don’t talk about it.”
“You don’t have to.” I shouldn’t have asked.
“I don’t think it would be a bad idea.” He shifted, and sand scratched against itself. “There are walls around it. Unlike Itpy, though, Crite’s Fortress is more run over by warriors, elite warriors, neczar, and other unspeakable things. The scarabs run rampant in the city. At least the scorpions were few in number.”
I shivered, despite the heat. I wanted to comfort him, but didn’t know how, other than to let him keep talking.
“It was a harsh place. Luckily, Zoe and I got out in our early twenties and made it to Ruso.”
“Which is where you came to Itpy from.” There was so little I knew about him, but things made a little more sense. “How did you get started in the rebellion? You seemed to be a big part of it in Ruso.”
“We saw injustices, and we couldn’t do anything.”
“Like what?” I asked.
He sighed. “Odiosom’s food, being taken from them. Water, withheld from those who hadn’t fallen in love.” The longer he spoke, the tighter his voice became. “No spouse after a certain age meant you were free game to tease, torture, and steal from. No matter how hard someone tried to get ahead, they were pushed behind. Monsters ruled, day and night, terrorizing non-amant.”
What a way to live their lives. I wished I’d done something more with mine sooner, but it was all right. I was now. “And did that happen…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish.
“To Zoe and me?” he continued for me. “Sometimes.”
“That’s wretched.” And made my heart hurt.
“Which is why we want to do something about it.”
It was a strong argument, but if the amant wished to act like that, what would stop them? Could anything? The warriors searching for us weren’t all amant, though those who’d fallen in love did hold the odiosom on a leash. On occasion it felt like it was a leash some odiosom liked. Or it was all they knew. Either way, there were powerful people after us.
As time grew stretched and silent, I wanted to go find the river and use magic to make Zoe return safely. It was odd, wishing to use the sand that had changed my life, but I embraced it. I’d do whatever it took to help my friend.
Unfortunately, the river wasn’t close, and probably had plenty of people who would turn us in to the warriors.
I dozed off and on, but mostly off. Had something or someone held Zoe back? Was she in danger?
I drummed my fingers on my leg. I didn’t want to wake the others if they were asleep, but I had to find out how close to dawn it was. The night was chilly but warming so it felt like it’d been more than long enough for Zoe to get supplies and return. What trouble had she found?
“Is it dawn yet?” I asked no one in particular.
“Almost.” Kaius didn’t sound the least bit sleepy. It was his sister in danger. He probably hadn’t managed any rest all night.
“Do we need to go after her?” I was more than ready, but was that the best move?
Nikon answered, “Not yet. We want to, but she said to give her until morning. There’s some time yet.”
“Not much,” Kaius muttered.
That didn’t make me feel any better. “Tewy, come here.” If I was going to have to pass the time, I might as well cuddle my monkey.
I got a grunt as a reply but no little footsteps came closer.
“What is he doing?” I asked.
“He keeps playing with Nikon’s head,” Kaius responded. “I think he’s trying to wrestle him.”
I snorted. At least one of us was having fun.
I let Tewy be. Nikon could take care of himself, if he didn’t want my little monkey causing problems.
I sighed and lay back in the sand, propping myself up on my elbows. That was when I heard it—footsteps coming toward us. But there wasn’t just one set; there were two.