Liyah's breath hitched in her throat. The sandy desert stretched for miles and miles, without end. She looked at the two in front of her with an exasperated expression etched on her face, "Tell me this gets easier."
Rayan smirked, "Careful, habibti...
I honestly haven't written in 2 years so I guess this is somewhat of a start. My writing is not at its best rn but I am quite determined to finish my story.
Please read Chapter 21 and onwards if you forgot what happened in the story. It follows the storyline from there.
PS is anyone still reading? I'm sorry guys, your patience is honestly appreciated <3
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Chapter 24 | A Withered Desert Rose
finally, he said, "you know I love you right?" and I said, "yes."
and he said, "and you know that I would never want to hurt you?"
and I braced myself, because nobody ever says that unless they're about to hurt you.
sue zhao
THERE WAS A RATHER OMINOUS BLANKET OF misery and melancholy hanging over the onyx-painted sky that night. Long gone was the warmth and hospitality of the nomadic Tribe of the Fifth Star. And it seemed as if they had clutched back their twinkling array of stardust and celestial blessings too.
Rayan heavily sighed to the hidden heavens.
The trio had been trailing the scalding desert of magic and sand for approximately eight days and by the looks of it, Rayan could tell that Liyah was nearing her end. Her once luscious, chestnut brown locks were brittle and frizzing from the villainous, arid landscape. Like a withered desert rose of the cold night, the girl slouched her petite frame against the leathery bag that Soraya had gifted her. With heavy eyelids, the girl slowly drifted into a deep slumber.
She didn't really seem like Liyah anymore.
The events of their departure from the badawi territories kept clawing at Rayan like a hungry vulture who had just arrived for his last meal. He vividly recalled the manner in which the younger girl hid her face between the cotton threads of her headscarf and stray wisps of curls. She had hugged her bag so tightly around her frail body that Rayan almost wanted to whip out the blade of his scimitar to tell her that there were no intruders in sight who would dare to take her leathery satchel away from her hands.
Not a single witty remark had left her lips nor had she reprimanded him for taking the lead on their quest towards al Kinza cave. Waliyah's fiery, care-free spirit had been watered down since the night of the festival and Rayan prayed to the heavens above that it was not because of the series of events that had almost unfolded between the two of them in Sheikh Imran's tent.
No.
It could not be.
Rayan's eyes raked over the front shadow of flames that their nighttime fire had painted on Liyah's skin. He studied the subtle, synchronous rise and fall of her chest movements behind the puffs of smoke. A soft snore suddenly escaped her lips and the boy found the corners of his mouth twitching into a gentle smile. She was a rather peculiar creature, he admitted and Farrah seemed to strongly agree with his thought, as she plopped down on the heap of sand grains next to him and delicately placed her head onto the second-in-command's shoulder, "She's fascinating, isn't she? OurWaliyah. She's everything that I imagined and more."
