Not only was Sayel dead, but so were all of those children Badru had been raised with. They'd been killed in the lethal competition to see who would succeeded Aran. A fight Aran had encouraged, pitting them one against the other for his own amusement and protection, urging them to worse and worse atrocities to prove themselves his worthy heir.
No doubt, Aran was a vile man. She'd already known that from the stories Herin told and the way Badru flinched at his name.
But was it her responsibility to stop him?
Shouldn't his own people do so? Why did it have to be her, a foreigner who'd never been harmed by him?
She pushed those thoughts away and focused on the moment, glad she and Badru had had this chance to deepen the instinctual connection they'd always had into something more real and tangible. She could finally see how they might be together, day-to-day, when this was all over.
And she liked it.
But that night, as they flew closer and closer to their destination, all she could think about was Aran and what Herin had said about needing to stop him.
Because the truth was she didn't want to. She didn't even want to be the one to save her own people.
Before her father was murdered, she'd thought herself a strong warrior, superior to all. She'd dreamed of having enemies to fight and chances to show the world how special she was.
She'd known she could defeat anyone and anything if given the chance.
But now she knew the truth.
She was just a girl. A girl with an amazing horse who could shoot a bow better than most. Who might be smart and attractive but was still just a girl like any other at the end of the day.
A girl who just wanted to go home to her family, what little of it remained. To hunt baru and ride Fallion and never, ever think about anything else again.
That's what she wanted.
But she knew she'd never get it.
Chapter 66
The rest of their journey to the Hidden City was uneventful. The horses knew exactly where to go and the weather was perfect. They were able to find a shelter each night with plenty of space, food, and fuel for a fire.
The closer they came with nothing to challenge them, the more nervous K'lrsa felt.
If this city was so secret and contained such terrible weapons why was it so easy to find? Where were the sand storms and guardians to keep them away? Shouldn't the path be twisted and difficult?
When they stopped at the end of the third night of travel, K'lrsa knew they had to be close, but it was too dark to see much more than the shelter the horses lead them to.
The next afternoon when she emerged from the cave, there the Hidden City was, just like in her moon dreams.
It was a large city the color of sand encompassed by a wall that had to be at least two or even three times the height of a man. Buildings thrust into the sky from behind that barrier, blocky shapes fighting one another for the sky.
It wasn't a beautiful city.
It looked built for war.
In the middle of nowhere.
K'lrsa ducked back into the cave. "Let's go. The city's not that far away. We can ride the rest of the distance."
Herin shook her head. "Not until the moon rises. Let the horses fly us the last little bit. Might as well save our strength for what's ahead."
"And what would that be, exactly?"
Herin snorted. "Pzah, girl. Don't you think I'd tell you if I knew?"
"You know something. You've told Badru…"
She shook her head. "That’s something different."
Before K'lrsa could speak, Herin held up her hand. "Leave it. We need to focus on the city now. I don't know what challenges we'll face, but I know we will face them. Rest and prepare. The wisdom of the gods always comes at a price."
K'lrsa returned to studying the city. Always in the moon dream it had stayed out of reach. No matter how long she'd walked, even when she'd walked an entire night, she'd never reached it.
She wondered if the same thing would happen tonight. Would they fly and fly and fly and never get there? Maybe that was the challenge to reaching it.
But, no. Not with these horses.
Restless, she went to find Fallion. He stood in the shade of the cave, off to the side, happily munching on dried grass stored on a perfectly horse-height ledge.
She scratched his nose and he whuffed her hair before returning to his food.
She leaned against him, grateful for his steady presence. The best gift her father had ever given her.
She sighed.
She'd been so busy between going to Toreem and training as a dorana and trying to figure out who to kill and coming back to save her people and everything else that she'd never really had the time to think about the loss of her father.
It was always with her and she'd cried about it and had nightmares about it, but she'd never just stopped to think about what a huge gaping hole he'd left in her life.
But standing there with Fallion, the loss crept over her. She was consumed with a vast feeling of emptiness. Like someone had hollowed her out until there was nothing left inside and she knew she could never fill that gaping void where his steady presence had once lived.
He was gone and he wasn't coming back and there was no one, no one in this world who could ever replace him.
Badru was nice and attractive and kind, but he wasn't her father. He couldn't offer that unconditional love and support her father had given her. No one could. No one could love the way a parent loves.
And the only other parent she'd had was gone, too.
A tear fell down her cheek. And then another and another.
Her mother had been right. Her father had raised her to live without him. But she'd always known deep down that no matter how far she went, no matter what she risked, he'd be there to catch her, to bring her home safe, to comfort her when she failed.
But now…
Now that was gone. She was on her own.
She wanted so much to just talk to him. About Badru and Aran and all of it. He'd know what she should do.
But he was gone.
And he wasn't coming back.
She buried her face in Fallion's mane and cried, silently, so no one would hear. She didn't want to be comforted. She just wanted him back.
Fallion continued chomping his food; the slow, steady rhythm of his heart slowly bringing her back to herself. He was so extraordinary, but yet so normal at the same time. And always there for her.
She wasn't alone. As much as it felt like it sometimes. She had Fallion and Lodie and Herin and Garzel and Vedhe. And Badru.
Badru. A man who was willing to risk his life to stay by her side.
And instead of spending what little time she had left with him she was crying in the corner.
She wiped away her tears, determined to make the most of the time they had left.
Chapter 67
K'lrsa found Badru outside, watching the Hidden City. He spoke softly as she joined him. "I thought we'd have another night before we found it. I thought we'd have a chance to…" He shook his head.
"To what?"
"Nothing. It's too late for that now."
"Badru, are you going to die in there?"
He ran his hand down the side of her face, holding her gaze with his gorgeous blue eyes. "I love you, you know."
"And I love you. But you didn't answer my question."
"And I'm not going to. Come on. Let's eat with the others."
They gathered in a circle outside the cave to eat a supper of dried baru meat wrapped in small flat discs made from millet flour, laughing and talking, telling stories of their wildest childhood pranks.
Vedhe told some strange story about swimming in water so cold she almost died just because her brother dared her to. And Badru told a story about sneaking a stallion out of Toreem and riding it across the plain.
Herin almost laughed at that one. She definitely smiled.
The others didn't hold back. Laughing and shouting back an
d forth in their enthusiasm.
It was the best meal K'lrsa had had in…ever.
But finally they fell into silence, each of them staring at the city in the distance as the moon rose.
"No point in delaying any longer." Herin grabbed her pack and walked to Fallion's side.
The others followed, grabbing their packs, standing, stretching, getting ready to leave.
Impulsively, K'lrsa hugged Garzel. And then Lodie. And Vedhe. They all returned her hug with varying levels of amusement. Vedhe squeezed her back so hard she thought she might break.
K'lrsa turned to Badru. He smiled as he held his arms out for her, so beautiful and strong she almost started crying thinking about what might lie ahead.
She hugged him tight, burying her face against his chest.
He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I wish we'd had more time together to just be."
She nodded. "After. We'll go somewhere in the desert when the moon is full, just the two of us, and we'll dance the Moon Dance for real, in this world."
He stroked her cheek. "I'd like that."
But his eyes were full of such sorrow she knew he didn't think it would ever happen. She pulled away. "Badru…You don't have to come. You can wait here for us. What will six accomplish that five can't?"
He shook his head. "No. Wherever you go, I go."
She closed her eyes. "Don't do this for me, Badru. Please."
"I'm not. I'm doing it for me."
She wanted to argue further, but Lodie was right. She had to let him make this choice.
She turned away. "Okay. Then best get going." She made her way to Fallion's side.
Herin was there, waiting, her arms crossed and a sour frown on her face. "'Bout time."
K'lrsa hugged her.
"Pzah. Get off me." But for a brief moment, she'd leaned into the hug.
K'lrsa pulled back and smiled at her.
Herin shook her head. "Oh, would you just awaken the horse already? We don't have all night."
K'lrsa didn't even have to touch Fallion's forehead this time. As soon as she looked at him, he shook himself and his big, beautiful wings appeared once more.
"Thank you, micora." She scratched his nose as Herin scrambled onto his back.
The others were ready. They just needed her.
But she didn't want to leave this place. She didn't want to face whatever was going to happen next.
She knew somehow that this was a cusp moment in her life. A balancing point. After this moment things would change irreparably and she had no way to know whether they'd be for the better or not.
She touched the moon stone at her throat. Was she doing the right thing?
Would everyone survive? And if they didn't, was their sacrifice worth it? Whose lives mattered more? Her friends' or her tribe's?
The stone was warm to the touch, but it didn't offer guidance. She had to do this on her own.
Sighing, she mounted up in front of Herin and urged Fallion to fly.
Chapter 68
They landed at the Hidden City when the moon was high above; still only a sliver of her full self, she somehow gave enough light to fully illuminate a large stone archway with markings along the top. The wall of the city continued in a curve on both sides of the archway, completely smooth.
It seemed this was the only entrance.
Beyond the arch stretched a road like the ones in the Daliphate, paved stone laid side-by-side to form a path. The stones were completely clear of sand as if someone had just brushed them clean.
On each side of the road rose buildings, square and squat, the color of the desert.
It was silent. No men, no animals.
Not even a breeze.
K'lrsa was reminded of when they flew. Everything looked like the real world, but there were none of the normal smells or sounds.
The wall, though, was rough under her hand when she touched it.
She pointed to the arch. "Is that writing? What does it say?"
She'd never been taught to read. Why bother? She hadn't needed it to hunt baru.
Herin walked closer. Lodie joined her and they whispered back and forth, pointing at different spots along the arch.
"Well? What does it say?"
Herin shrugged her pack into a more comfortable position. "It says 'Beware all that enter'. But we already knew it was a dangerous place."
"All those letters for those four simple words?"
Garzel joined Herin and she slipped her hand into his as they faced the arch together.
Herin turned to Lodie. "It's not too late."
Lodie shook her head. "I’m not turning back."
"Why would she turn back? What aren't you telling me?"
But they ignored her.
Herin and Garzel stepped forward, hands still linked. They paused just before the arch and then strode forward, heads held high, and disappeared into a flash of white light.
The road beyond the arch still stretched ahead, as empty as before, no sign of Herin or Garzel.
Lodie stepped up to the arch.
K'lrsa reached for her. "Wait. We don't know what happened to them. You can't just walk through."
But Lodie ignored her and she too stepped under the arch and disappeared in a flash of white light. Once again, the road beyond stretched ahead, completely empty.
K'lrsa turned to Badru. "What happened to them? How do we get them back?"
He held out his hand. "We don't. We follow. It's the only way in. And we need to save your people. And mine."
She swallowed. Was it really the only way in? Maybe they should wait. See if the others came back.
But, no. They weren't coming back, were they?
They'd known exactly what they were walking into.
She looked around, but there was no one to tell her what to do now. She had to decide: continue or go home.
She took a deep breath and put her hand in Badru's and then turned to Vedhe, holding out her other hand. Vedhe gave her twisted smile and placed her hand in K'lrsa's.
They walked forward, the horses trailing behind.
K'lrsa tensed as they reached the arch, waiting for the pain of fire.
She closed her eyes.
They stepped forward.
A flash of white light, but no pain.
K'lrsa stumbled as the noise of hundreds of people, speaking languages she'd never heard before, assaulted her from all sides.
She opened her eyes.
They were on the same street they'd seen from the other side of the arch. But now the street was full of people, walking around talking. It was midday, the sun shining above them.
A man laughed so loudly that she flinched away from him, but he didn't even seem to notice her.
Lodie, Herin, and Garzel were just ahead, waiting for them. The horses stood just behind them.
She took Fallion's reins, stroking his nose. He was calm, not like when they'd been in the crowded cities of the Daliphate. He'd hated it there.
Something was different about this city.
She turned, trying to figure out what it was.
The smell. There was none. A city this size with this many people should reek with the smell of humanity—the combination of sweat and manure and industry. Or at least of baking bread or a woman's perfume.
But there was no smell.
She studied the people around them. Some had the dark skin and hair of the tribes, but others had skin as pale and fair as Vedhe or as dark-skinned as Sayel.
There was more variety in this one crowded street than she'd ever seen in her life, even in Toreem.
And they all carried on as if six strangers and three horses hadn't just appeared in their midst.
Herin didn't seem concerned, so K'lrsa decided to follow her lead. What else could she do?
"Now what?" she asked.
Herin nodded towards the center of the city. "Now we find the labyrinth."
Chapter 69
K'lrsa and Badru followed Herin and Gar
zel and Lodie and Vedhe as they walked along the straight road towards the center of the city. Even though the city was entirely flat they couldn't see that far ahead because of all the people milling in the street, walking back and forth, talking and laughing.
No one seemed to actually be doing anything other than talking. There weren't street vendors like she'd seen in the Daliphana and no one seemed to be headed anywhere important. And, oddly, as many people as there were, K'lrsa and the others never had to step aside to avoid anyone.
K'lrsa wanted to stop someone, ask them who they were and how they'd gotten there, but something kept her from doing it. Maybe it was the look on Herin's face.
She had such focus. Garzel, too.
K'lrsa moved forward to walk next to Lodie who was at least looking around at the people they passed. "What is this place? Who are all these people? And why do Herin and Garzel look like they're walking to their deaths?"
Lodie shook her head, never taking her eyes from the crowd. She was trying to look at every single person they passed, her eyes darting back and forth to make sure she didn't miss anyone.
Did she know someone here? How? And who?
K'lrsa fell back another step until she was walking with Badru once more. "Will you tell me what this is all about? Who are these people? Where did they come from?"
Badru shook his head. "I don't know. I have my guesses, but no answers."
"Well, tell me your guesses then."
He shook his head. "Later."
They walked on through the city past more and more people and more of the same, square buildings. How did anyone know where they were? There were no signs and everything looked the exact same except for all the people. She stared at a woman with hair as red as the sunset and skin as white as milk who was laughing at a joke told by a man even darker skinned than Sayel.
They walked and walked until they should've long-since passed out the other side of the city, but still the road continued onward as straight as ever, the labyrinth somewhere far ahead.
Rider's Rescue (The Rider's Revenge Trilogy Book 2) Page 20