Page 20 of Married By Wind
I chuckled at her optimism. She was happier, lighter ever since last night, and it warmed my heart to know that my choice to stay had brought her joy.
“It was smart. You’re quick, but they are strangers. Why would you help them?”
“I’d like to think we are all affected by the sand devils in different ways. Maybe they haven’t been attacked outright like my people, but remember the scorpion we killed on our first day in the desert? Perhaps this is a similar monster. Besides, it costs nothing to help, and we made a trade. Regardless of what we do, we benefit from this.”
“It was selfless of you, and I admire your generous heart,” I told her.
Ulika beamed at me as she held up the torch and led the way deeper into the cavern.
The walls widened, and the stone became slick with moisture. Presently, the scent of water became impossible to miss, along with a steady dripping sound. We slipped out of a passageway into an open space where a natural pool had formed. A shaft of light shone in from high above us, making the water shimmer. The walls also glowed silver, and I wondered if the tribespeople had ever noticed they could mine silver out of the rock. Was it better that they did not know? For often treasure led to disputes and trouble.
“There’s nothing here,” Ulika announced, walking into the space.
“Careful,” I urged her, gripping the spear. “Something might be hiding.”
She nodded and backed up a step or two while I stood by her side. Together we turned in a slow circle, searching for the alleged monster of the pool.
“Maybe it really is gone,” Ulika suggested, eyeing the pool.
She was thirsty. After all, we’d spent the night without food and water, and as a mortal, she needed the nourishment. Still, a thread of unease made me tense. Something was wrong here.
“Let me go first,” I said.
Putting down the bucket, I lifted the spear and walked toward the water. The pool was seemingly empty aside from the water. At the bottom, something glinted, a sizable chunk of gold, I thought, marred only by a spot of black in the middle. No. Not gold. An eye. “Get back!” I cried almost too late, as a monster sprang out of the water.
It was no river goddess but had the face of a horse, fishlike fins, tails like a lizard’s, and claws. It was the size of a camel and lunged at me, snarling, and one word came to mind as I braced for impact.Titans.
When I’d freed the sand devils, I’d let something else out. Unusually large creatures, the titans of the desert, had come to claim it and plague the people. Ulika’s tribe had sand devils. This tribe had a water monster. What else was wrong in the desert?
The water lizard pivoted at the last moment and slammed its tail into my torso. The impact knocked me on my back, and I let go of the spear with a grunt. That hurt. Instantly I wanted to light my hands and use magic, but I only had one chance left. The next time I used magic had to be against the sand devils.
Ulika was by my side in a moment, reaching for the spear. The torch lay on the ground, the flickering light poor as moisture seeped into it. It occurred to me as I regained my feet that Ulika had a better chance of killing the water lizard than I did. She was used to using the spear and light on her feet. She spun and stabbed before I could call her back, striking the underbelly of the water lizard.
It hissed in pain as she gritted her teeth and tried to pull the spear free, but it was stuck.
“Ulika!” I cried as the water lizard raised its claws and backhanded her.
She staggered back and landed with a grunt, and a whirlwind of fury grew inside me. It took all my self-control not to explode into a raging vortex of magic. Instead, I dived toward the lizard and yanked the spear free. It turned on me, growling, curved claws ready to tear me in half, but I would not give it the pleasure. We danced around each other, lunging and leaping, missing at every turn. Green blood oozed out of the monster’s wound, and its progress slowed, allowing me the final blow.
I drove hard into its wounded belly, knocking it back. The lizard gave a high-pitched cry and scrambled back into the water. It fell, sending ripples splashing onto stone, and then, after a few twitches, it lay still.
Tossing the spear on the ground, I dashed to Ulika.
26
Ulika
“I’m okay,” I said as Vinn helped me up. “I just need to catch my breath.”
He slid his arm around my waist, holding me close. “I didn’t like that, the feeling of helplessness when the creature knocked you down. It made me realize how much I rely on my magic, while you use your wit and speed to take down a monster.”
Worry made his gaze even darker, and to reassure him, I squeezed his arm. “But look, you slayed the monster without magic. That’s the second time.”
He grinned, then kissed my hand before turning to the natural pool. “Unfortunately, I don’t think the tribe will want to drink that water.”
Slapping a hand over my mouth, I giggled. “Did you have to put it in the pool? You couldn’t strike the final blow against a wall?”
He pulled me tighter against him. “Dare you judge the god who slays monsters?”
