Page 5 of Married By Wind
Fear made my sweat cool on my back, and suddenly my feet left the ground. I squinted. Even though we were moving, a wall of whiteness surrounded us. I fought my panic and squeezed my eyes shut despite the urge to cry out and take back what I’d done.
When the idea of going to Fae Mountain had sprung into my mind, I’d imagined myself a hero. Despite the warnings, I’d woo the spirit with treasure and save my people. Instead, the gift I’d brought was a curse.
I’d never heard of Val Ether, and if Vinn was telling the truth, it was not the home of the gods my tribe prayed to. I’d done something impulsive in going to the mountain, but this time, it wasn’t something small, like hiding the lamp. It was my fault, and I wanted someone to help me, to save me. Perhaps the gods would be fair, but if they were anything like the spirits, they gave nothing for free. They’d want something in return, and I had nothing to give.
Presently the air shifted, and I became painfully aware of Vinn’s arms around me, how my body curved into his, the heat coming off his bare chest, and the way he smelled, rich and tantalizing. Warm. That was the word that came to mind as my feet touched solid ground again. He was warm, and I was cold. A chill wind blew like the breath of an ice monster. Still, I let go of Vinn as I opened my eyes, my jaw dropping at the scenery.
We were high up on a mountain where snowcapped ranges appeared in the distance and a crystal bridge sparkled over a ravine. Far off I thought I glimpsed an ice palace, glittering against the mountainside, but with the rays of sunlight, I couldn’t be sure. Rubbing my hands over the thin material of my dress, I faced Vinn. “Where are we?”
He pointed behind me, making me turn around, and the breath left my body. I pinched the skin on my arm hard. This was all some dream, a terrible nightmare, and any moment, I’d wake up. Please wake up, I begged myself. Icy wind stung my suntanned cheeks and the lush grass beneath my sandaled feet was unlike the mossy tuffs that grew alongside the riverbank. Here there was no sand but green lands as far as the eye could see, only broken by trees or rock or snow.
Vinn strode toward the gaping mouth of the mountainside, which was less like the opening to a cave and more like gates. He approached the entrance, while I gawked at the statues, towering fifteen feet high, with faces like cats and horns on their heads like those of a ram. My legs went weak. This was too much. I just wanted to go home, where the scorching sun ruled over the desert and I’d find solace with my sister, Anat, sitting on the banks, gathering clay to make pots.
When Vinn reached the entrance, he must have realized he was alone, for he turned. “Come.” His words boomed like thunder, compelling me to join him.
Somehow, I moved to his side. He took my hand, to ensure he didn’t lose me, I guessed, and we stepped over the threshold together. A sudden sense of smallness came over me as I stared up, up, up at the mountain, stretching out in unending rock before me. It was nothing like his home, and even though no wind tried to chase me away, an overpowering sense of presence hovered, making me want to run. I was certain they had judged me and I’d failed the test. I was not worthy to walk within the halls of the gods.
Wide slabs of gray stone led down in a series of steps, and I hesitated, feet dragging as Vinn pulled me along. I wanted to tell him I’d changed my mind and beg him not to let me go down there. But the words stuck in my throat, which was as dry as dust. When I looked behind me, the statues had shifted. Instead of standing guard, they’d extended their weapons over the entrance, blocking us inside.
I had no choice and squeezed Vinn’s hand. He glanced back at me, curls springing over his forehead. “You’re afraid,” he remarked. “It is natural to have fear when you enter the hall of the gods.”
No sooner had he finished speaking, the thud of hooves resounded, and a creature, half man, half goat, walked toward us. He held a two-sided ax in his hands. Shaggy fur covered his hooves, horns sprung from his head, and a short tail flicked back and forth. He stood seven feet tall, and dark eyes glared at us. My stomach sank with dread, and I backed up, recalling, at the last moment, that the statues had shut the way out.
“You are not welcome here, Vinn,” the half man, half goat growled, lifting his weapon in warning.
I pressed a hand over my mouth to keep the scream inside while Vinn stepped forward. “Step aside. I’ve come to speak to the gods of the mountain. You cannot bar me.”
“You were banished long ago,” the half man, half goat spat, taking a threatening step forward. “You are not one of the fae of this mountain. Begone, trickster.”
The tension in the air thickened, hot and heavy like a midsummer day. I tugged at Vinn’s hand, my lips too numb to form words. Shadows shifted, and suddenly a woman appeared. “Tallen, stand down. I’ll take care of this disruption.”
With a frown, the half man, half goat—Tallen—retreated, but I noticed he hovered on the edges of the shadows, where he could barely be seen.
The woman strode toward us, dark hair piled on top of her head, a long gown sweeping the floor as she walked. She was tall, stately, old, and carried a sense of presence with her. She briefly glanced at me. “Vinn. Why have you come? And why have you brought a mortal with you?”
Vinn didn’t respond with words. Instead, he held up the lamp and placed it at the woman’s feet.
An audible gasp came, not from the woman, but from voices that lingered in the shadows. Again, an eerie sense crawled up my spine. There were invisible others watching the conversation, noting what happened here.
The woman’s eyes flashed, and she stared at the lamp for a long moment. When her sharp gaze met mine, I sensed my past, present and future were no longer private under her scrutiny.
“You trapped him with this?”
I licked my lips twice before responding. “It was a mistake,” I protested. My voice lost and small in the expanse. “It was supposed to be a gift.”
Her sharp gaze returned to Vinn. “A word, in private.”
He let go of me and self-doubt clouded my thoughts: I shouldn’t be here. But they didn’t go far, just out of earshot, where a tiny pool of light graced them with a halo. They spoke in low whispers, hands moving urgently, and I sensed they were arguing. Whoever the woman was, she was like him, immortal, powerful. And Tallen had called Vinn a trickster.
7
Vinn
It was a relief that Justice hadn’t flat out turned me away, but I’d known showing her the lamp would gain her attention. We moved just out of earshot of Ulika, but even with her quiet voice, Justice’s words cut like a sword. “What have you done?”
It was useless to pretend to be innocent, so I quickly summarized the freeing of the sand devils and how Ulika had come to my home and trapped me with the lamp. I left out the part about spending time with her and her tribe before, pretending to be mortal. “I need you to free me from the power of the lamp and tell me how to combat the sand devils.”
Justice did not respond with scorn or pity, only spoke matter-of-factly. “What do you know of the lamp?”
