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Braylen was looking Arabella in horror. She clutched at her throat, panicked. To her surprise, tears welled up in Braylen’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Aira! It’s part of the spell. Ebstene told me you would lose your voice.”
Arabella’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“What spell?” Graham interrupted.
Arabella rummaged frantically in her bag for the quill and parchment she’d bought on their journey. She scribbled furiously. She held the parchment in front of Bray’s face. Is it permanent???
“I don’t think so,” Braylen answered. “Ebstene said you were going to be fine.”
“What spell?” Graham asked again. “Why did she lose her voice?”
“Because of me,” Braylen explained miserably. “I put a siren spell on her back in Everwood. But I made a mistake, and the spell went completely wrong.”
“What’s a siren spell?”
Arabella’s face flamed beneath her scarf. She was glad Graham couldn’t see it.
“It makes your voice irresistible to men.”
“Why would she need that? She’s not that annoying.”
Arabella gave Graham a dirty look.
“Because I am an idiot.” Braylen shook his head. “I thought I was doing her a favor.”
“Wait a minute,” Graham said, realization crossing his features. “I was under the spell, wasn’t I?” Braylen nodded.
“We tried to avoid affecting anyone,” Braylen explained. “That’s why I told you Arabella had a sore throat at The Snooty Fox. Aira tried not to speak to anyone. But then that barmaid bumped into her after breakfast, and she accidently made a sound.”
***
That explains a lot, Graham thought wryly. Like why I was so angry at the Moose that I punched Noah. Why I was jealous of that idiot guide, Rakim, and of Arabella and Braylen’s friendship. He frowned as a thought occurred to him.
“If I’m under a siren spell, then why has she been getting on my nerves lately?” Graham asked, puzzled. He shot Arabella an apologetic look.
“That was the spell gone wrong,” Braylen explained. “It made Aira’s voice repel men.”
That explains why my feelings changed so abruptly, Graham thought. Why I liked her so much one minute and was so fed up with her the next. He shook his head. Everything he thought he’d felt had been an illusion. What had been real about his time with Arabella? When I saw her riding her horse. She looked strong and beautiful and free, and a part of me fell for her then and there. That wasn’t because of any spell.
Graham looked at Arabella. “You know, I saw you before I went to the Moose. You were riding your horse. You looked so beautiful and happy. I wished I was riding with you.”
***
Arabella’s heart leapt at Graham’s words. Maybe he hadn’t only liked her because of the spell. She smiled at him. Just then, a gust of wind whipped her blanket back from her head. She clutched it tighter around herself and peeked over her camel, squinting to protect her eyes from blowing sand. The dust cloud was bearing down on them. Braylen let out a cry of alarm. Arabella dropped back down beside her camel and covered her head with the blanket. Through a small gap in the blanket, she watched the bright desert day turn into night.
Arabella had read about sandstorms, but she never imagined she’d actually be in one. Even through her handkerchief and blanket, she was breathing in dust. She’d never coughed so much in her life. Arabella kept her eyes shut tight as particles pummeled her blanket.
Finally, the wind stopped trying to rip her blanket away from her. It must be dying down, Arabella thought. She opened her eyes a crack. The sky was brightening. Now it looked more like twilight than the middle of the night. After a while, the sun was visible again, though a haze of dust lingered in the air. She sighed soundlessly with relief and dropped her blanket.
Braylen and Graham were venturing out of their blanket cocoons as well. Everyone stood up and stretched. “That was sure something,” Braylen said with a grin. He coughed.
Arabella took a long swing from her canteen. Her mouth felt like it was coated with dust.
Graham pulled out his map. “We’re not too far now,” he said.
They loaded their blankets back onto their camels and set off again. Arabella was sick of the desert. She couldn’t wait to get to the boat and relax. Only two more days, and they would be in the Golden City. Two more days of not being able to speak. She didn’t allow herself to think about what would happen if Nelari couldn’t help her.
Suddenly, something in the distance caught Arabella’s eye. Was that the boat? She clapped her hands to get Graham and Braylen’s attention. She pointed excitedly in the direction she’d seen the boat. Braylen and Graham looked hopefully toward the horizon.
“I don’t see anything,” Braylen said. He looked at her questioningly.
It’s right there, Arabella thought, but when she looked again, she couldn’t see anything either. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Had they been in the desert so long she was seeing mirages now?
But a few minutes later, they crested a dune, and she saw it. A large beautiful blue and gold boat was docked in the Sun River. Braylen and Graham cheered with excitement. Tears of relief welled in Arabella’s eyes. She couldn’t wait to take a bath and have a real dinner.
***
Graham, Arabella, and Braylen each got a stateroom. After freshening up, they met in the dining room for dinner. A middle-aged couple, a group of men, and three sisters joined the long table. There were windows on both side of the room, so the vivid desert sunset painted a spectacular backdrop. Everyone (except Arabella) talked animatedly about the sandstorm. After dinner, the three companions headed back to their rooms.
Even though he was tired, Graham lay awake, his mind racing. He was so close to a possible cure for his grandmother. His mind drifted to Arabella. He couldn’t believe he’d been under a spell the whole time he’d known her. The siren spell had distorted his perception of her. How well did he really know her? He remembered everything they’d talked about while he was under the spell.
Arabella could have taken advantage of him when he was under the spell, but she hadn’t. She hadn’t asked for anything, even though she knew who Graham was. In fact, Braylen and Arabella had gone out of their way to avoid involving him, by pretending Arabella had a sore throat when Graham approached them at The Snooty Fox.
Graham wondered what Arabella thought of him. First he’d behaved as a love-struck admirer, then an irritable grouch when the spell changed. He sighed. He could think about this once he had the potion for his grandmother. He turned over and went to sleep.
***
Arabella enjoyed being on the boat. Even though she lived near the sea, this was the first time she’d ever been on one. It was far more glamorous than riding a camel. She felt revived after the long trek through the desert. She spent a lot of the time on deck with Graham and Braylen watching the desert flow past. Every so often, the small adobe buildings of a town would come into view. Then there would be nothing but sand again. She went to sleep on the third night excited to see the Golden City the next day.