Chapter 3

3

K yrie

The camel finally slows. I’ve ridden horses before, and camels, by comparison are much less comfortable with their big, jerky movement when covering ground.

The slower pace is infinitely more comfortable to sit. Still, my back aches, and my spine feels like it might break at any moment. I’m going to have bruises in places I never knew existed and possibly even a blister or five. My right shoulder aches from holding onto Taylor.

“We need to catch up with Cyrano,” I tell him.

“We can’t,” he says. “We’re heavier than he is.”

Cyrano is a smudge of dust in the distance. Soon, his camel will climb a large dune, and then he will be out of sight.

“You must,” I insist. “I need to go with him.”

“You’re with me,” Taylor insists.

“I don’t even know you.” It hurts to say it, but it’s true. His hair isn’t dark brown like it’s always been; it’s white like snow. “You’re an icefae,” I spit. “One of them.” I know I am repeating what I said earlier, but it’s just so outlandish…so unreal…so unfathomable.

Taylor keeps his eyes trained on the dunes ahead.

“You lied to me all this time,” I choke out, my gaze on his pointed ears. “How is it possible?”

“Sorcery.”

That’s for sure. Wicked magic. Treachery, the likes of which I’ve never seen before.

“You had us all fooled…even the guards. Why would you do such a thing? To what end?” My voice hitches with swirling emotions of betrayal, anger, and sorrow.

“We will talk later,” he snaps.

“No!” I say between gritted teeth. “You can stop and let me off this camel, or you can catch Cyrano. I refuse to travel with you any further.”

“There is no catching Cyrano.”

“Lona and Tom, then. I’ll go with them.”

“Then you will die,” he tells me in an even voice. “Each camel has supplies enough for one. Lona and Tom have very little chance of making it out alive. For Cyrano, it’s fifty-fifty.” I don’t have to ask why that is. I know of many of the dangers the desert possesses; least of all are lack of food and water or sickness caused by heat. We are prey out here. Prey to all the desert dwellers. Just thinking of it makes the hairs on my arms lift.

I look back almost longingly. Perhaps I should have stayed at the salt mine.

No!

I would rather walk toward Death and stare it in the face than have Death slowly smother me. The thought of what I left behind makes me square my shoulders and face forward. I have to see this through, even if it means riding with him…a fae. Even if it means dying. I’d rather die out here trying to live than die trying to survive.

The wind whips around us, tousling my hair and stinging my eyes. I wish I could bury my head in Taylor’s back, but those days are over. Our friendship is over.

I hate all of the fae. I hate what they did to me…to my family. That means I hate him…I hate Taylor, who, just hours ago, was my spark of light in the dark. He was my confidant…my friend. Taylor was everything to me out here in this godsforsaken place. Now, he is nothing. Less than nothing.

My eyes sting, and my throat clogs, but I hold my tears at bay by swallowing thickly and blinking rapidly.

Up ahead, the desert seems to stretch out endlessly, the dunes rising and falling like waves of baking sand. Not too far in the distance, I see Lona and Tom. Cyrano is gone; he disappeared over the lip of the dune a while ago.

I am swaying in the saddle, my mouth parched, when Tom and Lona finally stop their camel next to a rocky outcrop. There isn’t so much as a blade of grass, just the odd tumbleweed. There is a thin slice of shade which they huddle under.

The camels bellow at one another in greeting as we approach. They are, at least, happy to see each other.

“Get you gone, fae!” Tom yells. Lona cowers behind him. “You should come with us,” he says as his eyes dart to me. “Let her go,” he tells Taylor.

Taylor dismounts gracefully. He puts a hand out to me, but I refuse it, choosing instead to dismount by myself. It’s a longer way down than I anticipated, and I almost land on my buttocks but manage to keep myself upright by grabbing the leg of the camel. The creature grunts in irritation, flicking its tail at me.

I wipe at my linen chemise as I walk over to the others, turning to face Taylor. “You heard Tom,” I tell him, even though my heart is racing. The three of us will make it somehow. I know we can. “Leave…now.” My voice is soft.

How can this be? How? He’s a fae…a fae!

Taylor steps forward, his hands held out in a gesture of peace. “I know you feel betrayed,” he says; his bright blue eyes are on me.

No.

They shouldn’t be blue. They’re brown. He’s human. He’s my best friend. He isn’t a fae. He can’t be, and yet the evidence is staring me right in the face.

This is wrong, all wrong.

I make a sobbing noise, gritting my teeth against the pain that is welling inside me. The pain and betrayal and anger. They’re all rolled into one big ball.

“Please, Ky, I need you to hear me out. To—”

“No.” I fist my hands at my sides and shake my head. “I don’t even know where they are. My family was dragged away by your kind. My mom, my dad, my sister, are all gone because of—”

“I didn’t know who I was…what I was. You have to believe me. I didn’t do any of these terrible things. I’m just as much a victim as you…as any of you.” He lets his gaze drift for a moment.

I narrow my eyes, anger blazing inside me. “A victim, you say?” I scoff. “That’s nonsense, and you know it.”

Taylor has always been just as big and strong as the fae. How did we not see it?

He takes a step toward me, his voice little more than a murmur. “I toiled in the mines for years. We were side by side for over two of those years. Kyrie, I swear to you on everything we hold dear that I am still the man you know. Yes, I may be different now, but my heart remains unchanged. I never hurt anyone. I never did anything wrong. I swear it.”

I flinch as if his words are physical blows. “Except you aren’t a man. You lied to me. Betrayed me in the worst of ways.”

“You’re a filthy fae,” Lona snarls. “Evil, despicable scum, the lot of you,” she sneers. “You heard Tom; get gone. We don’t want you here!”

I’m instantly irritated, and it’s aimed at Lona. It’s a normal reaction since I’ve been friends with Taylor since the day I met him. We’ve always had each other’s backs. I turn to say something to defend my friend…him…a fae…but stop myself just in time.

Her words are true.

“You need to go,” I say in a whisper.

His eyes darken with hurt, and for a moment, I want to take it back, but I can’t.

“Go!” Tom says. “We don’t want you here, bastard scum.”

“You don’t really have much of a choice,” Taylor says in a clipped tone.

“Are you going to take us captive?” Lona asks, her nostrils flaring in fear.

“If you try to take my camel and supplies…” Tom looks stricken. He holds up his fists. “I’ll fight you. You can’t have them.”

Taylor’s mouth twitches with the start of a laugh, but he quickly catches himself. Tom is almost half Taylor’s size. I’m looking at…the fae who used to be my friend with new eyes. I knew he was big, but has he always been this muscular? This imposing? There’s no way Tom will win against him.

Years in the salt mines generally wear a man to skin and bone; I’ve seen it with my own eyes. But not Taylor. I think he might be bigger and stronger than when I first met him.

“I’m not fighting you, Tom.” He shakes his head, looking a little sad, but I must be mistaken.

Tom’s eyebrows furrow, and his lips thin into a tight line. “I’m not letting you take our camel or—”

Taylor sighs, sounding defeated, which makes me feel things, but only because he was my best friend until not so long ago. “I’m not taking anything from you. What I am suggesting is that we work together.”

“We’re not pairing up with a filthy fae bastard!” Lona yells.

I fold my arms tightly across my chest and press my lips together.

What are we going to do?

“You’ll have more chance of getting out of this alive with me at your side,” Taylor says, his eyes going from me to the others and back. He looks desperate. That and frustrated, running a hand through his hair in agitation. “There are desert wurms out here and lizard birds up there.” He points at the sky. “If we make it to the outskirts of the Bohab Desert, there’ll be packs of hywolves, too. We’ll be stronger in greater numbers. I—”

“We’ll take our chances,” Tom says. “We’ll keep both camels and—”

“No, that’s not fair,” I interject, immediately regretting it when Tom turns hard eyes on me.

“Are you a fae lover, Kyrie?” Lona says, speaking for both herself and Tom. “This isn’t Taylor. You know that, right? He’s an abomination.”

“One of them,” Tom adds, the tone of his voice leaving no doubt as to how he feels.

“So, you keep pointing out. It’s unnecessary; I have eyes, thank you. We can’t take both camels and leave him with nothing. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Of course we can,” Tom says in a growl. “He should go back. You belong with your own kind,” he spits at Taylor.

“I don’t belong here. I’m not staying,” Taylor says. “There are two choices: we journey together, at least until we leave the desert—”

“Not happening,” Tom says, his eyes blazing.

“ Or the two of you leave. You can take your camel. Kyrie and I will—”

“Don’t I have a say?” I grind out.

“No. You’re not making it without me, Ky. It’s as simple as that. I’m your best bet. You can hate me all you want. We don’t have to say so much as a word to one another. Use me to get to safety and then kill me, turn me in…I don’t care. Just – for the love of Kakara – let me protect you until then…please,” he pleads. His eyes are filled with desperation.

“Both options don’t work for us,” Tom pushes out. “We’ll be just fine without you, fae. We’ll manage. We don’t need you. Take his camel, Kyrie. Do it now. We’re leaving.”

I can’t just let Tom and Lona leave.

“Taylor is right,” I tell them. “We need him.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Taylor’s shoulders slump with relief.

Lona’s face contorts with disgust. “You’re a fae lover now, are you? That isn’t your friend!” she yells, pointing at Taylor. “Don’t fall for his sugary words. They’re just that…words.”

Only, Taylor is right. They’re not just words. In fact, they’re not sugary at all.

“My feelings have nothing to do with it, and they’re not just words. He’s right; we’re sitting ducks out here, especially when the sun goes down.”

“What is one unarmed fae going to do against a wurm?” Tom asks.

“Nothing, is what,” Lona answers.

“We’re leaving. Come with us, or don’t.” Tom shrugs. He uses a nearby rock to clumsily mount the camel.

“This is a good place to spend the night,” Taylor says.

Tom frowns. “We still have a few hours of light. The sun is still high enough.” He shakes his head. “The further we can get away from the salt mine, the better. You want us to be recaptured, don’t you?”

Taylor shakes his head. “That’s not it at all. It’s best to be sheltered for the night. To be on rock instead of sand. The wurms will be hunting soon enough.”

“We’ll find more rock. There are plenty of these formations throughout the desert. You’re trying to scare us.”

“Yes, I am,” Taylor admits. “And you should be.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Lona says as she uses the same rock and Tom’s outstretched hand to mount up. It takes a few tries until she finally settles in the saddle behind Tom.

“Come with us,” Tom begs me.

“We should stick together. I’m not a fae lover. I’m the complete opposite, but—”

“But nothing.” Tom glares at Taylor. “He’s a lying, filthy fae. Don’t let him convince you otherwise. Watch your back, Kyrie.”

“I will. Be careful…please,” I shout as Tom kicks his camel into a slow trotting pace. The beast bellows, as does ours.

Taylor grabs his reins before he can follow.

“Easy, girl.” Taylor rubs her neck – apparently, it’s a female.

“Thank you for trusting me.” He smiles, and for a brief second, he looks like the man I knew. My chest aches, so I press on my sternum, willing my emotions away. This isn’t Taylor.

“Let’s get a couple of things straight. I don’t trust you. I’m only here because I want to survive the desert crossing, and I’m sure that you’re my best bet. We won’t be talking. I’m not interested in anything you have to say. As soon as I am relatively safe, I plan on putting a dagger into your lying heart.”

I spin on my heel, but not before I see a small smile light his face. I hate how my lips want to smile back.

Kakara, help me, but I have to harden my heart against him. I will hate him. There is no other option.