Page 23 of Married By Wind
I turned Nika west, and she set off at a steady pace, only too willing to be helpful to make up for disappearing on me. Vinn was right. She was the most uncaring beast and yet reliable all the same. Vinn. I had to stop thinking about him. My fingers gingerly went to the lamp, and I yanked them away. When I closed my eyes, I could see him as though he was standing in front of me, his heated gaze, dark eyes, and quick grin, and the way he had a habit of running his fingers through his hair. Worst of all was the memory of his lips against mine like a brand, the way he’d kissed me as though we were the only two people in the world who mattered.
I told my heart not to hope as I urged Nika into a trot, in a hurry to find the haven of the sand devils. Under the assault of Tallen last night, my heart had been broken, but once again, despite telling myself not to let it, hope bloomed. It did so much like the roses growing in Fae Mountain. Because they were strong and determined, they wouldn’t take no for an answer, and they’d find whatever moisture they could in the rock and use it to make them stronger. The challenge of survival strengthened them, and I shouldn’t take my lessons from the flowers, but my heart would not rest.
What if Vinn had fallen in love once and for all? He was a god, and he could not lie, leaving me to believe every word he’d spoken to me. If that was the case, who was Tallen but some taskmaster sent to keep the gods in line? That theory sounded laughable. For what was the point of being a god if you couldn’t have your own way? If you couldn’t go where you wanted, love who you wanted, and live the way you desired. That was the benefit of being a god, of having everlasting life, and yet Tallen’s attitude made all my theories ring false.
Another worry plagued my mind. A line Tallen had spoken. If Vinn disobeyed the will of the gods again, he risked losing his divinity, which meant he’d be mortal, like me, and without the one thing that was important to him. Wind magic.
The truth dawned on me slowly and surely, like the sun creeping over the horizon. If Vinn truly loved me and wanted to spend a lifetime with me, he’d have to give up the essence of who he was. Wind.
It wasn’t so much his divinity that he cared about but magic, which was why the goddess, the woman Tallen had called Justice, had given Vinn his task, as punishment to show him what life would be like, crossing the desert without magic. Perhaps she knew, had known all along, and believed this would be the ultimate lesson, the way to give Vinn a taste of what life would be like if he lost everything.
I weighed that thought, examining it from every angle. Was it possible? Then, if Justice—what an apt name—was omnipresent, why would Tallen travel from Val Ether to ambush us?
Vinn told me that gods had emotions, and when we entered Val Ether, Tallen had been the first to appear, to drive us away. He’d spoken of banishment, called Vinn a trickster, and remained angry, glowering in the shadows, while Justice had decided our fate. Why interfere with what the gods had wrought unless he had something to gain from it?
Wasn’t that what Vinn had said? Gods were mischievous, brought on by their long life. What if Tallen had nefarious intentions?
Once again, I wished Vinn were not stuck in the lamp so that I could talk to him. He knew the way of the gods; perhaps the truth would be obvious to him. No matter what happened, Vinn had to keep his divinity, and we had to complete the quest.
I puzzled all day, while Nika obediently walked west. It was only when the shadows of evening grew long that I recalled I was supposed to follow the line in the sand.
Before me lay a crack in the ground, zigzagging away to the northwest. Mouth dry, I dismounted and ran my fingers over it. It was only a thin line in the dust, one that would steadily grow bigger as I followed it. Leading to what, more monsters and then the sand devils themselves? How I wished I had my father’s spear or at least some knives from that tribe. But it was no use wishing for things that would not happen. Instead, I studied the ground. It was barren, dusty, hard ground without sand.
I’d reached the truly barren lands, where even the plants did not thrive under the harsh circumstances.
“This is far enough for tonight,” I told Nika.
Not that she cared; she was already sniffing at a dried bush, trying to determine if it would be tasty enough to eat.
“I’m going to find some stones and make a slingshot,” I went on.
The silence in the area was deafening, and the sound of my voice was small, dropping into the ground whenever I spoke. The sacred aura in the area reminded me of Fae Mountain. Shivering, even though there was no wind and the blazing sun was still beating down, I gathered stones, then settled down beside Nika for the night. She did stink, but I had no one else to keep me warm, and my chills from a night in the rain hadn’t subsided.
Jumping at every little noise and wishing for a tent to protect me from the elements, I ripped my skirts and formed a slingshot. It had been a long time since I’d made one, and I practiced a few times, tweaking until it was just right. Feeling better about my safety, I piled rocks by my head and used Nika’s side as a pillow.
Lying back, I stared up at the sky, expecting to see the stars winking down on me. But clouds covered the night sky, and I couldn’t help but sense it was an omen of doom.
* * *
For three days, I followed the crack in the ground, and each day it grew wider, leaking fumes and leaving me with wild nightmares of what lay beneath the ground. Those were the three loneliest days of my life, for no animals lived out there, and vegetation was scarce.
Each evening, I collected more stones for my slingshot. Even though there was nothing to fight, having a weapon gave me a false sense of security and something to do with my hands. My swirling thoughts were my greatest enemy, and I spoke out loud to Nika often, to distract myself from the looming future. My night in the rain had made me sick, for sometimes my vision made me see double. I’d grow cold under the blazing sun and hot under the chill of night. Worst of all, my dreams were filled with memories of Vinn, when I’d known him as a mortal and then again as a god. I had so many questions to ask him when I was finally allowed to draw him from the lamp.
On the afternoon of the third day, a blur of shapes appeared in front of me. I pulled on the reins, and Nika came to a halt. Fumbling in my bag, I found the waterskin Tallen had given me. Despite how much I drank, or rationed, it never emptied, and I wondered if it was magical. And also why Tallen would help me. He’d appeared so fierce and angry, and yet perhaps I’d misread the situation. Still, something wasn’t right, and I couldn’t figure that out, so instead I should focus on the task at hand. The sooner I was back home, the better.
I swayed on Nika as I took a long draft of water. My throat was raw, scratchy as it went down, but at least my vision had cleared. The blurry shapes in front of me were stones, and I recalled Vinn admitting he’d knocked over a pile of rocks. I swallowed hard, which only made my throat hurt more. I’d arrived. It was time. “Nika, you need to wait here,” I said, dismounting.
There was nowhere to tie her up, which meant she’d likely wander away again. The bag of rocks was too heavy to carry, so I selected five or six smooth stones and tied them around my waist, hoping it would be enough. Last of all I unwrapped the lamp and carried it in both hands as I made my way to the pile of rocks. They rose like a shrine, with green runes glowing on them. As I approached, the unearthly aura of them filled my senses.
Sweat made my forehead damp, the hairs on my arms stood up straight, and my breath turned shallow. I wanted to turn and run, but I reminded myself of my purpose. I’d come to save my people, to ensure the sand devils would leave this land forever. If this was the end, I had to be brave.
Beside the stones, a void opened up, and the foul smell wafted from it. I stared down at the hole in the ground and by sheer strength of my will, did not back away. I tapped the lamp. “Vinn, it’s time for you to come out.”
Nothing.
No, no, no. The gods hadn’t left me alone to die, had they? In the barren wasteland of the desert where sand devils might attack any moment? I shook the lamp and with a heavy sigh recalled Tallen’s words:when you find the sand devils.
Did I have to physically set eyes on them in order to get help? With a heavy sigh, I returned my attention to the void. I had to go down there in order to wake up the sand devils. Long slabs of rock led into blackness. With a curse, I made for them. Dirt and sand crumbled under my feet and I cursed. Shifting the lamp to one hand I loaded my slingshot in case I needed to smash something.
