Page 22 of Married By Wind
The drums masked the sounds of their shouts and movements, but I couldn’t help but sense something was wrong. The aura of magic made the hair on my arms stand up straight. Someone was here. Was this a trap?
The tribe surrounded us, and Leban stepped in front of one of the tents, opening the flap. “We’ve found them. Now please, let our people go.”
Tallen walked out and a bolt of fury punched my gut. He had an elaborate way of playing with mortals, turning them against each other and giving the gods the upper hand.
He ducked out from under the flap of the tent, ax in hand, eyes cold. Beside me, Ulika drew a sharp breath, and he eyed her with distaste. I wanted to rip his eyes out of his skull.
“Vinn, so we meet again, only this time I’ve discovered that you violated the agreement you made with the gods.”
My jaw twitched. For this to happen in front of so many mortals was unfair and his words utter blasphemy. I reached for threads of magic as I responded. “I’ve done no such thing. My actions have been in accordance with the word of Justice.”
“I’m not talking about that agreement.” Tallen shook his head. “I’m talking about an older one, a rule about what is forbidden, a rule you’ve broken.”
I lifted my hands, but Tallen was faster. He brought up his ax, and I did not physically feel the blow, but suddenly I was trapped in darkness.
28
Ulika
Vinn disappeared, and the half goat, half man, Tallen, grabbed me by the arm. I screamed, scratching at his furry arm, but he would not relent. The tribe cast their eyes down, ashamed by both their lack of action and what they’d done. What did it mean that Tallen was here? What would cause a god from Val Ether to make a trek to the desert and a deal with a tribe?
Bile rose in my throat, and my chest was tight as though stones were being pressed upon my heart. Tallen dragged me past the tall cacti, away from the tribe, and out into the middle of the desert. He did not stop until, when I looked back, the shapes of the tents had disappeared. Evening was falling though, and the sky was dusky when Tallen let go of me.
I staggered back, rubbing my arm, for his grip was bruising, and his height and breadth made the icy blade of fear slice between my shoulders. Clasping my hands around my stomach as though that action could keep me from being nauseous, I waited for him to speak. He was an arrogant god, and even an action I assumed was harmless might ignite his fury. Although, he was already angry with me.
Tallen frowned down at me, and when he spoke, his voice was deep and rough. “It’s not your fault, young mortal, yet you shall suffer for getting in the way of an argument with the gods. Vinn, the king of wind, is a trickster, and yet he coaxed you into loving him, did he not?”
I wasn’t sure if Tallen was asking a question or merely stating a fact, so I said nothing, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
“He made you feel special, like you were the only one who mattered. He promised to let go of his divinity and spend a lifetime with you, didn’t he?”
No, this could not be happening. Tallen spoke as though I was a victim, when it was easy to believe Vinn’s words, his caress, his promises. I blinked, willing the tears not to come.
“It’s happened before. With the fae, the mages, and now, out here in the desert with you. Each time, the gods punished him and told him to leave the mortals alone, but Justice was blind to the truth of what happened here. She didn’t know that, long ago, Vinn spent time with you and your tribe. But I did, and so now I’m taking matters into my own hands. You are mortal. He is a god. There will never be a future between you. This is his last chance. If you care about him at all, when the quest is done, you will drive him away, or he will lose his divinity. Forever. I’ve done you a favor by trapping him in the lamp. Finish your quest, set him free, and then forget about him and go back to your life.”
My knees wouldn’t hold me. Clasping a hand to my mouth, I sank into the sand. Tears leaked out of my eyes like a spring rain, slow and steady. “How do I know what you say is true? And how will I complete the quest without him? He was my guide…”
I trailed off as a memory surfaced. When I’d touched him, flashes of a lifetime ago had come back, the perfume of flowers, a flash of red, but not of roses, of cloth, of all those he’d claimed to love before me. What did that make me? Nothing but a dalliance in the life of a god, a way to amuse himself as the time ebbed and flowed.
“I am a god. I cannot lie.” Tallen snorted. He tossed something at my feet. “Take food and water, follow the line in the sand, and you will find the monsters that plague this accursed land. When you find the sand devils, and only then, rub the lamp, and he will appear to destroy them with magic.”
I clasped my hands together. “Please, please don’t do this. Break the bond. Let us go free.”
Tallen lifted his mallet. “What is done cannot be undone. You must learn to live with the consequences you wrought, no matter how unintentional.”
A flash of lightning lit up the evening sky, followed by a rumble of thunder. Tallen turned away as I folded into myself, my sobs coming thick and fast. I held myself tight as sprinkles of rain touched my shoulders, making my hair and clothes damp. Vinn was the god of wind, but he was so much more, and I’d let myself be led on like a fool. How old was he and how many lives had he lived before we’d met? I was just one of many, someone to love until he grew tired of me and left. Wasn’t that why he’d left before? He’d done wrong in the eyes of the gods, laughing in their faces while taking what he wanted. I’d let him kiss me, hold me as though I was the only one, and disgust wailed up within me. I wanted to take the lamp and shake it until he came out, and I’d demand answers. It was so much worse only knowing the truth about Vinn from a god who thought ill of him.
But it was no use crying. Wiping my face with the backs of my hands, I decided to let myself grieve later. There were sand devils to slay, and I needed shelter from the storm. A bone-deep weariness came over me. Picking up the pack, I put one foot in front of the other while the rain poured down, a reflection of the pain in my heart.
29
Ulika
Something nuzzled my head, and a wet and sticky substance licked the side of my face. I bolted upright, scrubbing at my cheek with the side of my dress, and gasped. “Nika!”
I threw my arms around the camel’s neck, resulting in another rather disgusting lick and then a nuzzle as though she’d very much like to eat my hair. Pulling away, I patted her neck. “I’m glad to see you,” I sighed.
The reins dragged on the ground, and all the supplies were gone, including my father’s spear. But it didn’t matter. Nika had survived the storm, and I wouldn’t be alone in the desert anymore. After shaking the dust and sand out of my clothes, I climbed on her back and took in my surroundings. Last night I’d walked and walked but hadn’t found any shelter. Then the night had swept in, cold and clammy, even now chills made my arms shake. My throat was raw, and my body ached. The cold and wet might have made me sick, or it could be the exhaustion from what I’d learned about Vinn.
