Page 65 of Winds of Destiny

“I hear, my king,” Dian says, then nudges me. It’s been a damn week; I ought to remember this part.

“I hear, my king,” I say. The words stick in my throat, but it’s a matter of life and death to spit them out at this maniac whenever he asks for praise.

“Good.” He turns his chariot away, and I sag for a moment. Every conversation I have with Embros leaves me feeling like I’ve barely escaped with my life.

“What a shameful waste of meat,” Dian mutters as she moves on to the next lion. It takes me a moment to realize she’s referring to the two people Embros has poisoned.

“What, you…wanted to feed them to your lions?”

“They’re underfed as it is,” she says, discontent clear in her voice. I can see what she means, actually—the beasts are as shaggy and intimidating as ever, but their ribs are clearly visible through their coats now, and there’s a sharp gleam in each glowing, golden eye whenever they look at the people here. The ones who aren’t Dian, at least.

“They need more, but of course that bastard won’t let me loose them to hunt,” she goes on. “Too afraid that I’ll let them run off.”

“Would you?” I ask as I heft the central shaft of one of the chariots up and swivel it so that she can get the next lion’s harness into place.

She shakes her head. “He would only kill them if I did. Besides, we’re close to the sea now. We might even be there by tonight. Chances are fair he’ll let me free them anyhow once we get there—he gets far less pleasure from murdering animals than people.”

Good point. Also… “What the hell are we going to do once wegetto the sea, swim?” I ask under my breath. Not that I couldn’t swim, but from what I remember of my geography, Inarime is fairly far from all edges of the sea. I’d never make it, and I doubt most of these men have any idea how to keep themselves afloat.

“Not with all the vipers in the water, we won’t. Another of his little tricks.” She nods her head at Embros. “He’s been seeding it with his creatures for decades now. There are enough water vipers swimming through the sea that they’ve done in most of the fish that used to live there. He can control them when they’re close to him, of course, but the rest of us?” She rolls her eyes. “We’ll have to hope the boats he commissioned are up to the task. He’s got a whole fleet of them stowed farther west, but he tied some up close to here before we set out for Zephyth.”

Boats? He’s got boats?It makes sense—how else would we keep going once we hit the water?—but there’s nothing good about this news.

Kai and Turo don’t have a boat, and Embros isn’t likely to leave one behind for them, either.Shit.

If they don’t get to me soon, it’ll be too late. There’ll be no way for them to follow me into the sea.

Hurry, Turo. Kai, please.I shut my eyes and pray, not to Ophiucas, but to my lovers.

Please, hurry.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Turo

There’s barely a moment to bask in the glow of being linked together before I feel panic rising from Cam. Kai and I share a look from the backs of our rams. “I can’t tell what’s going on,” he calls over to me. “Is he hurt?”

“I don’t think so.” Hurt would feel sharper, wouldn’t it? “I think he’s…afraid.” That might mean he’sgoingto be hurt, or Embros is fucking with him, or any number of things. Unless I get off this bouncing, grunting carpet of a beast and meditate until I get a clear connection to him, I’m not going to know what exactly, though. “We need to pick up the pace.”

Kai nods and taps his mount’s hindquarters with a hand, and the ram goes from a jolting trot to a run in the space of a few feet. I can’t control mine that way—I’d as likely get thrown off as find any success if I tried—but luckily it follows in the other’s footsteps. We run, the pearls guiding us toward Cam like the moons draw the tide, and, despite the fact that the clouds have lingered, I’m no longer worried about being able to find him. We don’t need to rely on tracks any more. Still, I’m tense to the point of aching as I wait and wonder whether things are going to get worse for him.

Instead, I get the sensation of him forcibly relaxing, like he’s in control ofmylungs and just took a deep breath. The anxiety and fear die down, and I know he did it on purpose for us. He’s taking care of us the only way he can. I think grateful thoughts in his direction and get a feeling of warmth back.

We run until the rams need a break, which doesn’t happen for several more hours. Even a jaka bird could never run so far so fast. I don’t find the creatures comfortable, but I can’t deny that we’d be lost without them. It’s almost enough to make me want to offer a prayer to Carnuatu…almost. But my prayers are reserved for the last connection I have to my old home, the home I can’t remember. Ophiucas welcomed me into his city, but I’ll never be more than a guest in Zephyth. And yet… There might be some recourse for me. Someone for my faith to cling to. I know she’s very small, but perhaps… Perhaps if I ask, she’ll protect my heart.

Watch over Cam for us if you can,I think to my little black cat.Keep him safe until we get there.

“Who were you talking to just then?”

I open my eyes with a jolt.

Kai is staring at me, curiosity plain on his face. “It wasn’t Cam,” he went on. “I’d have felt that.”

“I was just thinking,” I say.

Kai looks amused by my attempt to lie. “You joined your fingers together and mouthed the words as though you were in prayer,” he points out, and—shit, my fingers are still braided together. I unknot them instantly, but it’s too late for denial. “Was it a prayer to Ophiucas? I thought Zephythans bowed with their arms along the ground when they pray to him.”

“I’m not Zephythan.”

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