Chapter 4

4

D amon

Someone shakes me awake. I’m alert in under a second, but it takes me a few more for my eyes to adjust to the dark.

Kyrie is sitting over me. She shakes me again.

“Taylor,” she whispers, her eyes wide. She looks around her, seeming to listen for something.

I do the same and get nothing, but I know something must be out there. Something has her spooked.

I sit up, putting my finger to my lips. Then I get to my feet. Kyrie follows suit.

We’re up on the rocks; our camel is, too. All around is silent, even though I continue to strain my ears, hoping to catch something…anything. There is nothing. Not even a peep.

Then, a low rumble echoes through the night. Kyrie’s eyes widen in fear as she grabs my arm, her fingers digging into my skin. The camel shifts nervously, sensing the impending danger.

“Easy,” I tell her, stepping in front of the beast so that she won’t attempt to flee.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes appear up ahead; they pierce through the darkness like twin flames. A guttural growl reverberates through the air.

“What is it?” Kyrie whispers, her voice shrill.

I relax. “It’s an emry-lion or dune-prowler, as the emptyfae like to call them.” I wave my hands. “Be gone,” I tell the beast. “Go!” I raise my voice but not so loudly as to attract other unsavories. “It isn’t large enough to hurt us. It’s probably just curious or hoping we left some scraps lying around for it to scavenge.”

Kyrie sighs, swallowing thickly.

The emry-lion hesitates for a moment, its glowing eyes fixed on us. Then, with a final low growl, it turns and disappears into the darkness, leaving us alone once more. Kyrie lets out a shaky breath. She snatches her hand away when she realizes that she has a grip on my arm. I don’t think she even realized that she was holding onto me until right now.

“I thought it might be a wurm,” she whispers.

“Thankfully not. You generally don’t hear or see those coming.”

“I’m glad I was keeping watch. We might have lost our camel,” she says, her voice still tinged with fear. “There might be more of them out there.” She shivers.

We’re taking turns keeping watch, and Kyrie insisted on taking the first turn.

I nod, scanning the surrounding desert for any sign of movement. The night is silent once again, the only sound being the soft rustling of the wind through the sand. I can feel the tension in Kyrie’s body as she stands beside me, her eyes darting nervously from side to side. “I wish I was armed.”

“I’m afraid that a sword won’t do much good against a wurm. I doubt it would help much against a desert bird, either.”

“Agreed, those lizard birds are terrifying. I’ve never seen one up close, and I hope it stays that way. We’re not going to make it out, are we?” she says, looking down for a moment.

“You’re normally far more positive than this.”

“We’re in the desert, a week away from making it out with enough supplies for only one person. Do you blame me?”

“We’ll be okay. We just need to take it one day at a time, that’s all. You should get some sleep. I’ll take the next watch,” I tell her.

She’s looking at me even though it’s dark, and she can’t see much. “What is it?”

“You’re an icefae.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Does that mean you have power? Is that why you’re not as worried as I am about making it out alive?”

“I have power, but I am only able to properly access it when near ice, snow, and water…the more water, in whatever form, the better. My powers will be at a minimum out here in the desert. I think that’s why I was sent here in the first place.”

She sighs.

“Some power is better than none. I’ll get us out of here…you’ll see,” I tell her.

Kyrie goes over to the bedroll and lies down, pulling the thin blanket over her shoulders. She’s facing away from me. It’s clear that she wants the conversation to be over.

“I didn’t know what I was. I thought I was human. I never imagined for a moment that I was a fae. I wasn’t lying to you, Kyrie,” I tell her, injecting sincerity into my voice.

My eyesight is better than a human’s. That means that I can see well in the dark. Right now, I see her body stiffen beneath the blanket.

“I didn’t know who I was…what I was. I swear it,” I repeat.

“I told you I didn’t want to talk to you. Not about anything that doesn’t involve surviving this ordeal. I don’t want to understand. I never will.” She sits up and looks back at me even though I know she can’t see more than a dark shadow. “I don’t care how you came to be in the salt mine or any of it, so you can save your breath. Quite frankly, I doubt I would believe any of it, anyway.”

Disappointment hits me like a sword to the gut. Quick and slicing.

“I thought I was human. I’ve been just as betrayed as—”

“Save it, Taylor.” She makes a small noise, narrowing her eyes. “Wait a minute. Is your name Taylor? Has that been a lie, too?”

Jessop’s tit, but this is a conversation I was hoping to have after explaining everything.

I push out a breath.

“It isn’t, is it?” Her voice is flat and devoid of emotion.

“No.” I clear my throat. “I thought it was Taylor, but...”

“And what about being from the Plains of Babel.”

“I’m an icefae. I’m not from Babel.” I sound apologetic as I say it. “I truly believed I was from Babel, I swear it.”

She lies down, turning over. “Save it! Your family wasn’t taken by the fae like mine were. You’re a liar, Taylor…or whatever your name is.”

“They weren’t taken, no, but they—”

“I told you, I don’t care!” She huffs. “I’m getting some sleep. I mean it; we don’t talk unless it is vital to our survival. Taylor is dead to me. You are dead to me. This is purely survival on my part. If I had any other choice, I would take it, but I don’t.”

I feel guilty and, at the same time, bereft without my friend. I hate that I hurt Kyrie. I hate this whole situation. My chest is tight. My entire body is tense and bristling. I wish she would let me talk to her. Let me explain. Then again, I doubt she would believe me. Even I have a hard time believing it. Also, if she knows the truth about me, it could put her in grave danger. I can’t have that. For now, I am her lifeline, but soon, she will be better off far away from me. I hate the thought of leaving her side.

I sit on a fallen rock, keeping my eyes on the darkness ahead, letting them sweep across the sand. The camel has settled. For now, all is quiet.

I’ve never felt so alone. So frustrated and angry. I need to get Kyrie to safety and then I need to find the others. I have a responsibility. One I never wanted. One I never thought would fall on me, but here we are.

My eyes sting, and my throat feels clogged. Lost memories flood my head. I was never given a chance to grieve.

Kyran.

I rub my stinging eyes, my hand coming away wet. Then I square my shoulders and grit my teeth for what lies ahead. I harden myself against the well of emotion. This is not the time for grieving. Not yet, anyway.

I will make Snow pay for what she did if it’s the last thing I ever do.