We arrived back at camp closer than when we’d left—laughing, honest, and open with each other. Sparks, Nefa, and I had bonded through the journey, and it meant something deeper to me. Intimate, unforgettable, and impossible to trade for anything.

  That night we shared together was nothing short of otherworldly. The sweat, the rhythm, the raw cries of passion between Nefa and me still make my pulse race whenever I think about it. After that, who knew what would come next? But for now, I was happier than I had been in a long time.

  In the morning, after our time together, we started our way back home. More open with each other now, laughing at our kills, enjoying our time together. This new thing we had found ourselves in was exciting for me, and I didn’t want it to end. And so far, neither of us had shown any sign that it would.

  We liked each other so much that the journey back to her people felt faster this time, almost as if the three or four days had become one. I had heard that time moves faster when you’re enjoying yourself, but to experience it after all I’d lost was a miraculous feeling.

  Every time I caught a glimpse of her, I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her. Maybe even protect her, though with her skill with a weapon, I knew she didn’t need it. Yet I still wanted to.

  That night, as we walked back toward the caravan, a nervous energy settled in my chest. Partly because I didn’t know what to say to my companion and guide, Cashius. Would he approve, or would he go right back to calling me names?

  My old-as-dirt guide sometimes treated the people of Orbralis like playthings and had even admitted to going ham on them during his playthrough, killing for the sake of it sometimes. The guilt over his actions was still there, but I didn’t want him treating Nefa like she was just code or a programming script.

  Hell, he was the one who told me all these souls were real when I first arrived here and that I should treat them as such. Would he still feel the same after he found out I had fallen for Nefa?

  Nefa expressed concern on her end, too, worried that her people might look down on us being together. Saying her dad might not understand our relationship and forbid us from being together.

  Seeing her father in the cave when he led the Flish’ar to take down the sand worm, I understood exactly what she meant. How brash and egotistical he was. Shouting out orders and being disrespectful to newcomers.

  To me, Zeviir was self-serving and only opened up once he learned what I had come to do. Before that, he was an outright asshole, to be honest. When he learned about his daughter and me, I was preparing myself for whatever might come.

  A lecture. A fight. Or even worse.

  * * *

  I guess when two people fall for one another, the best thing you can do is simply be there, care for them, and protect what you share from outside opinions. Maybe that was all that mattered.

  The golden tent flaps snapped and billowed in the wind. I couldn’t see who was inside, but I’d been told to wait until summoned, so that’s what I did.

  Nefa had gone to check on the people she’d left behind when she led me to Fort Laishava—to make sure their mental defenses had held against Linuux and his powerful grip while she was away.

  Sparks and I waited in the afternoon to speak to Jessa and the other chieftains and give them the news of my success in completing the trials.

  With the sun beating against the back of my neck, I wiped the sweat gathering on my forehead and let out a long, stiff yawn. Tired from talking with Nefa last night about what we would do if her father disapproved of our relationship, all I wanted was to crawl back into bed and sleep.

  I wore my regular gear—Havoc Maker strapped across my back, chain hanging over my chest, and a few bangles and bracelets I’d picked up along the way.

  Sure, it was a little clunky, but I wanted to stay sharp in case something showed up. Ready to jump into the fire if needed.

  Sparks was in a sour mood for reasons she wouldn’t share, flying around with an attitude and throwing off waves of irritation every few minutes, that mean, annoyed look covering her tiny face.

  Pressing her wouldn’t give me any answers, so I let it go and waited with the others until morning to see the chieftains.

  Then an old friend appeared beside me, hands tucked in his pockets, smoke curling from that same devilish cigar, smirk in full effect. He looked completely unbothered by the heat.

  “So,” he said, exhaling a gray ribbon into the air, “how was it? Everything go as planned?”

  I turned, matching his grin. “And some,” I said, giving him a quick nod.

  Sparks zipped around me, then perched herself on Cashius’s shoulder.

  He removed the cigar from his mouth and tickled her tiny chin with a finger. “Hey there, little one. Did Lamont take good care of you, or did he treat you like he treats his old friend, Cashius?”

  “Quit it, old man. I haven’t done anything to your rotten ass, and you know it.”

  Sparks darted off and started circling me in little glowing loops.

  Cashius chuckled, smoke spilling from his nose. “You forgot about me, you did. But I can forgive you.” He bit down on the cigar again, leaned in, and clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Next time, though… I’ll do the same.”

  “Next time, my ass, old man. Now tell me, what did you do while I was gone?”

  “Mostly, I sat with Zeviir and drank while he went on about how good a fighter Nefa was. Never stopped bragging, that one. Whenever he’d shut up long enough, I’d tell him about you and your skill with a sword, and then we’d be arguing. Quite boring, but I just wanted him to close his trap.”

  I shifted my feet. “Cashius, I don’t like people bragging about me,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m just a dude trying to get his raggedy ass back home. No more, no less. All I’ve done here is what was necessary.”

  “Boy, I know that, but the bum was talking out the side of his neck like Nefa was going to carry you there like a baby in a bundle.”

  “Well, she is an efficient killer and nicer than I expected. But no one carried anyone,” I said. “But I don’t know, try not to brag and stuff. I don’t like it.”

  He opened his mouth, then shut it as the curtain parted, his face working to process what I had said.

  Out from behind the curtain stepped one of the spellcasters, eyes clear, her hands folded into her flowing robes.

  “Greetings,” she said, her voice calm and pleasant. “Jessa is waiting inside, along with Zeviir and the other chiefs.”

  I glanced at Cashius before following behind her. He gave a shrug and fell in behind me.

  The cool air wrapped around me, welcoming me into the tent like a gracious host. The sand beneath my feet was cold, grounding me, allowing me to feel peaceful and relaxed.

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  With each step, I pressed my foot deeper into it, and for a moment, I wouldn’t have minded falling asleep right there inside the tent.

  The people assembled here sat in neat rows, calm and peaceful as before.

  We walked past the giant blocks of ice. Cashius rubbed his hair with a stern look, while I couldn’t help thinking it all felt less intimate this time, especially with the low murmuring that filled the space.

  We stopped before the chiefs, and Sparks slipped into my pocket, holding herself up by the fabric.

  Jessa looked to her colleagues and began. “First, we give thanks to the Makers for granting us life,” she said softly, almost as if speaking to herself. “Secondly, we give thanks to ourselves for remaining steadfast in our duties.”

  Everyone in attendance bowed their heads and spoke the same prayer, short but sincere.

  “To those who made us, we glorify your names.”

  When the room went quiet, Jessa lifted a small, silver cup and drank from it, the lines in her face soft yet full of grace. Zeviir sat beside her, growing more impatient with each slow, deliberate movement she made.

  Say what you want about these desert people, but they sure knew how to build anticipation.

  I adjusted my sword and stood straighter when she settled onto the small pillow beneath her folded legs.

  “This person, Lamont,” she signaled with a nod, “has completed the Blades of the Covenant and will now journey to Ael’Girath to confront Linuux. Once his commencement has concluded, the chiefs will open the way forward, leading him toward Linuux’s palace. There, he must complete his task. If successful, he will free our people from the scourge that is the giant reptile, then begin his quest to unite the Stones of Orbralis and face the Nameless One.”

  The room dropped into a hush when she mentioned the Nameless One. Those nearest her froze, eyed one another, and a few even shivered.

  A small man with a mop of hair leaned forward. “The Nameless One is not someone an outsider like you can say you’re going to do away with. He and his henchmen are more powerful than anything you have seen. My advice is to get that thought out of your head, young man, and focus on getting rid of Linuux.”

  I glanced at Cashius, then at the assembled chiefs. “I get that some of you are scared of him,” I addressed the men and women before me. “But my friend and I don’t give a damn about him or his henchmen. To me, he’s just another person I won’t allow to stand in my way.”

  Murmurs rose around the room.

  “Silence!” Jessa snapped, slipping her hands into her robes. “If Lamont wants to take on the task, we will support him. But perhaps the old man is right, he should focus on the task at hand and see if he has the spirit to defeat Linuux, the Mind Destroyer.”

  I shifted under the weight of their stares, feeling every heavy look my proclamation had drawn. The Mind Destroyer, my ass. That shitty add-on to his name was news to me. As far as I was concerned, the only thing he was destroying was these people’s peace, and for that, I felt it was my duty to kill him and anyone who rolled with him.

  Nefa burst into the tent and ran to my side, earning a strange look from her father.

  “Sorry I’m late,” she said, head bowed. “But this is important. A few people have succumbed to Linuux’s triggers and attacked those around them. It seems our chant is losing power, and we must move.”

  The leaders murmured among themselves, leaving Cashius and me standing like idiots.

  “Aye, for God’s sake, will you people get on with the ceremony so the boy and I can do what we came to do?” Cashius snapped at the assembly.

  Zeviir answered, “We will begin shortly. It’s just that we haven’t been stationed here long, and already our defenses are crumbling. Normally, we have months in one place. This time, only weeks.”

  A scream cut through the air, and those closest to Jessa all started talking over each other.

  “Quiet,” Jessa commanded, but it didn’t calm anyone.

  Adrenaline pumped fiercely through my veins as I stood there trying to figure out what was happening, my eyes searching for anything out of the norm.

  From outside the tent came another scream, this one loud and shrill. Cashius poked me in the ribs while Sparks jumped out of my shirt pocket and drifted back into her orbit.

  “Boy, be prepared,” he said, tossing his cigar to the ground and smashing it under his boot.

  More screams followed, with startled faces turning in every direction.

  Amidst the ruckus, I turned and saw a young man approaching with his head held low, as if he were afraid of the light.

  The whole room froze.

  “Excuse me, sir,” he said, giggling. “I have a message to bring you.”

  I stood there speechless, waiting for him to get closer.

  “It’s from a dear friend.”

  I stood there puzzled.

  When he was only a few paces away, he suddenly drew a knife, screaming like a wild banshee.

  “For Linuux!” he cried, trying to poke my eyes out.

  Before I could react, Nefa leapt in front of me, grabbed the boy’s wrist, delivered a crushing blow to his face, and flipped him over. He groaned, knocked out cold.

  Nefa turned to the assembled leaders. “Father,” she said urgently, “if you don’t start the ceremony now, the very people who are meant to protect us may fall under Linuux’s control.”

  Jessa raised her hand, calming everyone. “Get someone to take care of this young man,” she instructed the guards. “Those assembled, follow me.”

  The crowd rose to their feet, bewildered. Some trembled, others stared with wide eyes and swore to the Makers. Jessa and Zeviir nodded to each other, solemn and tight-lipped.

  Nefa shoved me forward while Cashius and Sparks took up defensive positions.

  “What the hell was that, young woman?” Cashius demanded.

  Nefa paused. “Linuux’s power has grown, or he’s focusing on reaching you because he fears you,” she answered. “Either way, we must start the ceremony somewhere safe, away from others.”

  We stepped out of the tent into chaos.

  Men and women were fighting each other. Children screamed. Tents lay ripped and overturned. Blood soaked the purple sand, staining it a deep, ugly burgundy.

  I moved to help, but Nefa shoved me behind her father and Jessa.

  “Later, Lamont,” she said, her voice trembling with urgency. “Right now, we have to get you somewhere safe and begin the ceremony.”

  The once jovial people were now tearing themselves apart, and the sight twisted my stomach. Through my display, warning after warning flashed.

  When I looked up, we were near another tent, not as large as the one we had just escaped, but still big enough to hold the ceremony. We rushed inside, and the guards who followed us held the flaps shut tight.

  “Is everyone here?” Zeviir asked, scanning the group and counting.

  Jessa smoothed her robes, catching her breath. “I believe so,” she said, her tone steady though her body trembled. “Quickly, join hands and form a circle. You two stand in the middle.”

  “Nefa, you’re not coming?” I asked, my voice tight.

  “I’m sorry, Lamont, but if I leave, who will make sure my people don’t kill each other?”

  My heart sank, my shoulders slumping with it. “But I thought we agreed you’d come with me. You’re just going to abandon our plans?”

  “Are you deaf?” she snapped, stomping her foot. “My people are on the edge of being destroyed, and you expect me to walk away?”

  Zeviir stepped forward, his voice firm but calm. “Daughter, I think it’s best you leave with these men and ensure they do not fall to Linuux.”

  Her nostrils flared. “Again, Father? You’d have me neglect my duties and run off with these simple-minded men?”

  “There are others who can handle your duties,” he said, meeting her glare. “You focus on protecting them, and finding your mother while you’re there. It’s risky, but we can’t leave her to die with the others.”

  Her scowl lingered for a second before softening. “Is she still alive? Surviving all those years wouldn’t be easy, Father.”

  “We have a chance to find out, and I don’t want to waste it,” Zeviir said.

  “Is there a way to rescue everyone?” I interrupted. “No use saving one person when we could save the whole lot.”

  Nefa stepped closer to me, facing her father. “There has to be a way.”

  Her father stood stiffly, silent.

  “Well, if there is, I’ll find it. For now, we have to leave,” I said, filling his silence.

  Though I was still heated at her for calling Cashius and me simple-minded, I had to try to save everyone Linuux had enslaved, including her mother.

  To be honest, I was downright disappointed those words had come out of her mouth. Simple-minded. After everything we’d gone through, the trials, the journey, the close calls, our intense lovemaking, her blatant disrespect left me wondering if my feelings for her had been misplaced.

  Thoughts like that were for quieter times. Now, I focused on the people around me, whispering and carrying on.

  Cashius leaned in close. “Boy, when will you ever learn about women?” He shook his head and straightened his back.

  Jessa’s head whipped around. “Silence, you two,” she said, opening her eyes. “Or do you wish not to go?”

  “Sorry, ma’am,” I managed, biting my lower lip.

  The eight people around us resumed their chant. Their lips moved more slowly now, their voices dropping, not just a few octaves lower, but leagues below their natural range. It sounded warped, like they were underwater, or like that slowed-down music folks down south used to vibe to.

  I glanced at Nefa and caught one brow raised at the eerie tones her chiefs were producing.

  Within minutes, the tent darkened. Shadows crept in from the corners, and the colors dulled, first dim, then gray, until everything twisted into a black-and-white kaleidoscope. Angles bent toward the center, leaving me dizzy and ready to hurl up breakfast.

  The chiefs seemed unaffected, but the three of us clutched our stomachs and doubled over.

  Then—silence.

  Everything inside the circle collapsed inward, the world bending, wobbling, before snapping back to normal.

  In its place stood jagged rocks and strange cloud formations overhead. Massive triangles hung where the soft cumulus clouds of Orbralis should have been. I squinted at the faint green light bleeding through them, what might have been the sun.

  The landscape was barren, lifeless. No breeze brushed against my skin. No sound reached my ears except the shallow rhythm of our own breathing.

  Wherever we were, it wasn’t anywhere any of us had ever seen.

  And judging by the desolate stretch ahead, we would be traveling a long way before finding the place Linuux called home.