Gold to Dust

Chapter Seventeen

Seventeen

Despite her extensive lessons on geography and the Five Kingdoms, there wasn't much that Ellegra could remember about the country of Suroya. She remembered the beautiful illustrations of entangled vines and tall grasses and wildflowers, trees that soared higher into the sky than any building ever could. In her head, her mother pointed at pictures in her assigned reading books, gesturing to the hazardous rains the and even more dangerous creatures that ran lived in the jungle. Images of long, thick animals with tusks and horns flashed in her mind, covered by more with long, extending bodies that coiled and wrapped around limbs and could swallow a human whole.

That was what she remembered about Suroya. "The wild heart of the earth," her father called it. She used to stay up late and read stories of the people, the special riders of the large beasts. Pictures of tall bears with tusks growing from their mouths, large cats whose mouths opened wider than anything she'd ever seen, fitting a human's head inside in one bite. The images made her shudder. But what choice did she have? Asaan was no longer safe for them. Prince Arem had been clear. Suroya was the closest and safest choice.

His purse hung heavily on her belt, and although she had been inclined to throw it back at his chest and yell about it, she knew there was no way she and Tamshie could have gotten by without it. The bag of money they'd used to get here had to go to Faine, leaving them without a single senzi in their pockets. The small twinge of gratitude in her chest was right— she should be thankful. But that didn't stop the grief from overcoming her.

For seven days, the three of them wandered the road west, until they'd come across a single tree surviving on a dune. They'd rested there for the remainder of the day until the sun went down, then headed back onto the road and continued the walk to Fort Azra. Now, with the dark walls of the fortress in view, the women collapsed down into the sand on the side of a hill, hidden from the watchtowers by the taller peaks that grew over them in the valley. They passed around the Ellegra's flask, sighing and settling their heads comfortably on the ground. Romi gave the first snore, Tamshie following soon after. Ellegra didn't close her eyes, instead staring up at the stars and counting the balls of glowing fire that flew past.

"Did you make a wish, Ellegra?" Arem folded his arms behind his head and turned to look at her, his eyes glowing a rich chocolate as he watched her. His face bore the evidence that she could no longer tease him for being a child. The thick stubble stretching from the base of his ears that wrapped around his mouth and chin gave his thick jawline a dangerous edge that even she couldn't deny the appeal of.

Ellegra smiled. "Of course I did, but I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because," she teased, "then it won't come true."

Arem turned onto his side, propping his head up with a hand. "I will share mine if you do yours." Ellegra smirked, rolling and watching him expectantly. His gaze dropped to her mouth, her round lips slightly parted and curved as she waited. His skin tingled with warmth. He brought his eyes level to hers again, a look of both seriousness and affection painting his handsome features. "I wished for nothing to change."

She wrinkled her brow. "What do you mean?"

Now his skin burned, perspiration tickling his brow and lip. Oh, why did he say that? "Our fathers have arranged a way to unite our kingdoms. We are to be married on your eighteenth birthday." He paused to watch her face. It gave nothing away, no sign of fear or otherwise, not a dimple of a smile or hesitation. She was frozen in her thoughts, watching him. "Does this make you happy?" His hand reached out and grabbed hers. "I want to make you happy, Ellegra."