Page 125 of Lost and Stolen Gods
“I don’t think he’s coming around. I think he’s being worn down, and I hate it. I hate that this isn’t a choice for him.”
“It’s not a choice for you either.” Pashim finished cleaning my hand and tucked the handkerchief into his pocket. “What would you do if youdidhave a choice?” His sapphire eyes glittered in the gloom, drawing me in, begging me to say the words that would confirm that he and I were still waiting on time.
But if I said them, then they’d be a lie. At least right now. “I don’t know.” It was the best I could do.
His lips tightened. “When we get back, there is something I need to show you. Something I must tell you.”
“What?”
“Not here. Not now. But it’s important.”
My stomach trembled. “Is it something bad?”
“It would depend on your point of view, but…” He sighed. “You should know.”
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
He leaned in so his cheek brushed mine and his lips kissed the delicate shell of my ear. “There are eyes everywhere,” he whispered.
Eyes, as in the ankh? “I understand.” Of course, the ankh were here. They were grading us, after all.
Pashim sat back on his heels. “All clean. Get some rest. I’ll watch over you.”
“I’m supposed to be on protection duty, remember?”
“You still need to sleep. We’ll do it in shifts. Come on.”
I allowed him to lead me over to where the potentials had rearranged their camp. Aradha caught my eye as I walked past, smiled knowingly, and shook her head.
Fuck her. What did she know?
I settled next to Dharma, and she put her arm around me. “This time tomorrow we’ll be back home in barracks,” she said.
Home…Yes, Aakaash Sansaar had become home.
Chapter 42
I HAVE NO WORDS
Viki wouldn’t come near me. He wouldn’t look at me or speak to me. It was obvious that he’d associated me to his horrific experience with the monster that had taken him. I can’t lie, it stung, but I understood. Meena sent her gratitude via Dharma, and I took a spot beside a different cart for the rest of the journey.
I got to know the young couple riding it—newlyweds who were excited to be starting a new life at the brand-new settlement.
Araz stayed close by, ever vigilant, but aside from the odd instruction, he didn’t speak much to me. It felt like he’d withdrawn again.
It was exhausting.
Aradha had claimed Pashim as her travel companion once more. Not that it bothered me. But Icouldn’t help but wonder what Pashim wanted to tell me.
We stopped for lunch on a pretty hillside, and the children played at making flower chains.
“What season is it?” Priti asked Keyton.
“It is the beginning of the flowering season,” he said. “A good time to prepare crops for the coming year.”
“Will they have food at the settlement?”
“Stores have been provided to keep them nourished,” Keyton said. “And more will be delivered in the coming weeks.”
