Page 91 of Sands of Atonement

Her head snapped in my direction.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded. “Why would I be dead?”

I shrugged, but then I narrowed my eyes at her. I lowered my own cloth. “There is darkness in the sands that even you can’t escape, little warrior.”

“You speak in riddles that don’t make sense, wise one,” Eshe said sarcastically.

She was challenging me.

A new sensation rose in my chest. No one challenged me.

“If I spoke to you directly, you’d just find another excuse not to understand.”

She curled her legs up to her chest and placed her forearms on her knees. “Try me.”

Try me.

Try to tell her the truth.

I remained quiet.

An hour passed, and neither of us had spoken another word. I lifted a flap and noticed the storm was ending, but the sun had already set.

“We’ll stay here for the night and leave before the sun rises.”

I took my horse back out, tying his reins against one of the tent posts, giving us more room in the tent.

I placed a covering over him, just in case another storm hits and I’m a minute late in retrieving him.

As soon as I walked back in, Eshe had her boot at the neck of a Silver Snake with a palm reaching for me. A Silver Snake had reached and crawled under the tent.

“A dagger,” she demanded with brows raised.

No fucking way was I giving her a weapon.

I shoved myself past her, grabbed one of my daggers on my belt, and slit the snake’s neck. Silver blood splattered on the sands.

Eshe’s jaw dropped. “You’re a glory-thieving asshole. That was my kill.”

I grabbed the snake’s head and studied the fangs in its mouth. A long, tiny tongue hung across and dripped glistening silver venom. I caught it with my finger.

I heard a soft gasp. I slid my eyes toward Eshe and found her taking a step back.

My lips twitched.

“If I wanted you dead, woman, I would have left you with your brother.”

Her jaw tensed. “Stop saying that.”

“Why?” It was the truth.

She didn’t answer.

I threw the snake into my bag to be further inspected and most likely placed in a tincture once we reached my destination. I was taking Eshe to a secluded oasis my parents liked to adventure to from time to time. Once the snake was secured in my bag, far from Eshe, I laid another tarp on the sand for us to lie.

I jutted my chin.

“I’m not sleeping near you.” She placed her arms across her chest.