Page 21 of Tamhas

He was right there. In front of me. After so much time.

“You’re safe,” I whispered with a lot more emotion than I wanted to show just then. He was holding all the cards, after all. He was the on the other side of the bars.

“You doubted it?”

“Of course. You disappeared on me.”

“Ah, naturally. I didn’t get the chance to explain it to you. Forgive me.”

I waited for more. There was no more. “Forgive you? After letting me think you…” I trailed off, looking away. I didn’t know to feel or what to think. Maybe if I wasn’t already so mixed up over what I saw, what I did, I’d be able to handle a simple conversation.

“I’m sorry. Truly, I am. I couldn’t control what happened, and I couldn’t get in touch with you—in fact, once we returned here, the first thing I tried was to contact you. But I didn’t hear back.”

“When?” My head snapped around at this.

“A few days ago. We weren’t… operational until then,” he explained.

Which wasn’t much of an explanation, it left me with more questions than I’d already had.

“A few days ago? I had already left to come here, I guess.”

He chuckled. “And I’m not too proud to admit that the reason for my not being here until now was that I was about to get on a plane to find you.”

I frowned at the idea. “You were going to get on a plane to New York?”

“Yes.”

“You thought you could find me in one of the most populated cities in the world?” I knew it wasn’t good form, but I couldn’t help laughing at the very idea. Looking for me in New York. Who would even think to try it? “Have you ever been there?”

“No. I must admit I haven’t.” He didn’t see the humor, obviously. I managed to shut up.

“I shouldn’t have laughed. And I appreciate that you cared enough to go to the trouble. Really.” I was right. I wasn’t imagining there being something between us. It was real. He wouldn’t have left to find me if it wasn’t real.

He smiled. The number of times I had thought about that smile…

“I appreciate that you did. You’ll have to tell me sometime how you managed it.”

“Now’s not the time, I guess.”

“No. It isn’t.” He glanced down the tunnel as if looking for someone or waiting for someone. Or expecting someone to be watching or listening.

“Tamhas.” I leaned forward, breathless now. Desperate for him to understand. “Tamhas, do you know who these people are? What they are? I saw them.”

“I know you did.”

“They told you.” It was like a punch to the gut, though I should’ve expected it. They would’ve already told him everything.

“Yes. They did.” His face was grim, and his voice. “There’s more to it than you understand, lass.”

“So you know they’re dragons?” I could barely even whisper it. I could barely stand to form the word in my mouth. It meant admitting they were real.

He nodded. “I do.”

“And you’re… you’re here?” It was the most senseless thing I could imagine.

He didn’t answer. There was no need to. Instead, he slid the straps of my backpack from his shoulder—I hadn’t even noticed he was carrying it until then. “Here you are. Your water, food, everything that’s yours. Except for the phone, of course.”

“Why of course? Why should I expect that you would take my phone?” I got up and went to the bars. He took things from the bag one by one, passing them through rather than opening the door.

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