“For reminding me I was never as lost as I thought.”
Warmth flickered behind Solmaz’s eyes. “The strength was always yours, Yara. I only reminded you to look inside yourself.”
Reiya’s fingers tightened slightly around her cup. “I won’t forget what you’ve done for me.”
Solmaz reached out, squeezing Reiya’s hand. “Good. Because I suspect the road ahead will demand all the strength you have. As saddened as I am to see you go, I take comfort in knowing brighter days await you.”
Reiya squeezed back and swallowed the tightness in her throat. “I will come visit again.”
Solmaz’s lips curved, something both knowing and kind in her gaze. “The road always circles back. And when it does, I hope you’ve found what you seek.”
She hesitated, then added, her voice quieter, uncharacteristically soft, “And if you ever need a sister’s wisdom, you know where to find me.”
Warmth unfurled in Reiya’s chest. She had come here uncertain, untethered, but Solmaz had been a guiding presence unlike any other.
She smiled. “Then I will hold you to that, Big Sister.”
Solmaz hummed, amusement tugging at her lips. “Oh, I rather like the sound of that.”
They looked at each other—and laughed.
As the sun reached its zenith, painting the sky in a bright shade of cloudless blue, the caravan arrived at a decisive fork in the road.
To their left, Dune Crest loomed, its towering monoliths standing sentinel at the entrance to the Numeria Desert. To their right, the road curled back toward the ocean, leading to Bashkor—a city infamous for its sprawling marketplace and the shadowy dealings that thrived beneath its bustling facade.
Ahead, Elder Tasim stood with the heads of the other families, his weathered hands clasped behind his back as he exchanged farewells with the Xians. From the loose set of his shoulders, Reiya couldn’t help but think he was relieved—if not outright pleased—to see them go.
For her, the feeling was mutual.
Reiya caught the hostile glances from the Alpha mercenaries and the way Elder Tasim kept sneaking worried looks her way, as if even breathing wrong might stir more trouble.
Not wanting to miss her first real glimpse of the desert, she asked Xian Jun if she could ride the spare horse, and he’d agreed without hesitation. Now, she guided Ember alongside the wagon, the mare’s hooves kicking up small clouds of dust with every step.
Dune Crest loomed larger now, the towering rock formations cutting into the sky like the broken ribs of the earth.
She couldn’t tear her eyes away.
The pass itself was nothing more than a fissure in the rock, a narrow corridor of shadow and stone. Barely wide enough for their wagons, its sheer walls loomed on either side, pressing inward like the closing of a great beast’s jaws. The stones stretched toward the sky, imposing and ancient, their weathered faces carved by wind and time. Stark in their duality, they were protective shields one moment, confining barriers the next.
Behind her, Mei Mei shifted in the saddle, her small arms tightening around Reiya’s waist. She leaned forward, her small body warm against Reiya’s back.
“You’re really quiet, Yara,” she whispered. “Are you scared?”
Reiya glanced over her shoulder, offering a faint smile. “A little. I’ve never been good with confined spaces. These rocks . . . they look like they’re waiting to swallow us whole.”
The girl hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t think so,” she said with exaggerated confidence, leaning back in her seat. “We come here every year, and they’ve never done that before.” A pause. “If anything, they’re like giant soldiers guarding secrets. Maybe there’s a dragon sleeping inside, and the rocks are here to keep it undisturbed.”
She arched a brow. “A dragon? And what would a dragon be doing in the middle of the desert?”
“Guarding treasures, obviously,” Mei Mei replied, as ifeveryoneshould’ve known. “Or taking a nap. Dragons probably get hot in the sun too.”
Reiya laughed. “If we meet a dragon, I’ll count on you to talk it out of eating us.”
She felt the girl’s grin against her back. “Don’t worry, Yara. I’m very convincing. Lao lao always says I can talk my way out of anything.”
Ember let out a nervous whinny, shying away from the entrance to the passage. Reiya rubbed the horse’s neck, humming softly, coaxing her forward.
“Easy now, Ember. Just a shadowy passage. We’ll be on the other side soon enough.”
