I have a million questions, I don’t say, and go with a simple truth instead. “This is the most important one now.”
“You’re a fool if you think that.”
“I thought we already established I was. So, stop avoiding the question. Are you okay?”
She rolls her eyes. As soon as she smiles, it’s gone. Her eyes go from amused to haunted as she thinks something through. What I would’ve thought was a dead expression becomes so much more in the intimacy of firelight. It becomes the look of a prey animal, a vulnerability that I was starting to recognize on her face again and again.
Just when I’m about to push her, she speaks.
“I want my mimicry back, but I can’t do it. I can’t do it,” she says, shaking her head and looking back down. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard her repeat herself. “I’m sorry, champion, but I can’t help you raise the island. I just can’t do it.”
“There has to be a way. How have you done it before?”
“I just told you I can’t!” she explodes, then winces. “I can’t do it, so you might as well drop me.”
“I’m not leaving you, mimicry or no mimicry. When will you get that Yanami?”
I hear the slightest hitch in her breath.Yanami. The firelight tricked me into an intimacy I have no right to, but it’s hard for me to regret my actions. She might pull away again or maybe…
She leans in.
“If you insist. Only if you really won’t leave me alone, then there might be a way. I can’t guarantee it will work. My parentsnever believed so, but I have to try. It’s not Lake Titicaca, but it’s on the way. Four sacred lakes where I can commune with the Guardians. I’m going to go with or without you.”
It’s like the world opens before me. I’m no longer trapped and running. I’m in line with the fate I deserve for once.
“Stop looking at me like that, I swear to Pachamama,” she says.
“You swear to do what? Because include me in those plans too. Include me in all your plans because I promise I’m going with you,” I declare.
“You’re ridiculous.”
I jump forward and tackle her into a hug, and it must be her extensive training that has her make no noise except for a huff as she takes all my weight.
“I’m going with you, and then we’re going to Lake Titicaca,” I whisper into her shoulder.
“I haven’t agreed to that yet,” she stumbles through her words.
“It’s okay,” I say because I genuinely believe it is. “I’ll figure it out.”
I actually make her laugh. She wheezes into my shoulder, and I revel in the closeness. I know in a few seconds we’re going to jump away from each other. I know I’ve siphoned all the intimacy and quiet I can from tonight’s fire. But for now, this is almost everything I want. The princess wants to get her mimicry back, and I’m going with her. If Suyai were here, it would be perfect.
But this must be destiny, the one that leads me to the Sun Staff and a fated battle.
I’m ready for it.
Interlude II
AYA RUNA
It’s been days since our projection, and nothing useful has happened.
All we have are lines of families presenting girls that are obviously not the princess, as Cashan’s health rapidly deteriorates.
“We should kill every single group that wastes our time,” Tutay mutters as we turn away another family hauling in a crying girl with white hair. A daughter of the Inka, this Inka especially, would never act like that.
“We can’t discourage people, Tay,” Pucaru says, but even she sounds tired of the endless charade.
“Okay, that’s enough,” I say. It’s obvious we aren’t getting anywhere without a clear vision of Princess Yanami’s face, something we haven’t been able to get out of the thoughts of any of the family. All the Inka lets through to Izhi is the thought of her precious Apukispay.
