Sandshrikes avoided human settlements, especially noisy, fire-lit encampments like this. They were reclusive creatures, striking from the cover of desert brush, not slithering into an enclosed space teeming with people. Most deaths by sandshrikes weren’t from direct attacks, but from unsuspecting travellers who disturbed their nests,stepping where they shouldn’t, angering the creatures into protecting their eggs.
But this wagon—Kaelen’s gaze swept over the sealed floorboards, the tightly drawn canvas, the lack of any gaps wide enough for a snake to slip through—there was no way it had crawled in on its own.
Someone had placed it in here.
“Let’s talk outside,” Alarik muttered, hefting the carcass with ease while Kaelen grabbed a rag, swiftly wiping the floorboards as clean as he could. Moments later, the Xians arrived, their expressions shifting between shock and confusion—but above all, relief settled over the night.
Outside, the cool desert air did little to temper the fury simmering beneath his skin. Once they were clear of prying eyes, Alarik wasted no time.
“The snake was a message,” he said, his voice grim. “And not a friendly one.”
Reiya exhaled shakily. “From Jodhar.”
Kaelen’s jaw tightened. “He knows where the wagon is. If he wanted to take you, he could’ve tried tonight . . . but he didn’t.”
His brother’s expression darkened. “He wasn’t after Reiya. Not yet, at least.”
Kaelen pinched the bridge of his nose, the beginnings of a headache pressing against his skull. “The Xians treat us as family, but the wagon belongs to them, not to Reiya—not to us. By planting the sandshrike inside, he was hoping to harm one of them. That would’ve been his revenge.”
Alarik turned to Reiya. “But you ruined his plan.”
Kaelen muttered, “This is only the beginning. If we stay, even for one night, the Xians and everyone else at this festival are in danger.”
Alarik heaved a long sigh. “We were leaving for Asadia anyway. What’s a day or two earlier?”
He barely heard his brother. His gaze drifted to Reiya, watching as she stared at the Xians’ wagon, her expression caught between longing and quiet heartbreak. The firelight flickered against her face, illuminating the unshed tears in her eyes.
In such a short time, she’d found something precious here—belonging, family, a place where she wasn’t a runaway Omega but simply . . . Yara.
And now, because of him, she had to leave it behind sooner.
“It’s time,” she said softly, her voice steady, but he heard the ache beneath it.
He saw it in the slight hunch of her shoulders, the way she held herself as though bracing against a loss she hadn’t yet allowed herself to feel. She was agreeing to leave, but it wasn’t what she wanted.
And that realization struck him harder than he expected.
He stepped forward, his fingers catching her chin, tilting her face up to his. His thumb brushed away a tear before it could fall.
“I’ll make this right,” he murmured. “I swear it.”
She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing briefly as though drawing strength from him. Despite everything, she still trusted him.
And that trust was a lifeline he couldn’t afford to betray.
“Rest,” he urged softly, his voice steadier now. “You and Mei Mei need it. Alarik and I will make sure no harm comes to you or the family tonight.”
Without waiting for her to answer, he turned and strode away. He climbed the dune, needing a vantage point, needing space—anything to keep the frustration from swallowing him whole. Below, the festival pulsed with life, music and laughter drifting up from the camp, a stark contrast to the silence pressing around him.
Guilt sat heavy in his chest, each thought sharper than the last. He should’ve handled Jodhar sooner. Should’ve seen this coming. Should’ve stopped it before it ever reached her.
“Kaelen.”
Reiya’s voice cut through the quiet, stopping him in his tracks.
He turned sharply, startled to find her just a few feet away. The torchlight bathed her in a warm glow, illuminating the concern in her expression. Her shawl was pulled tight around her shoulders, the breeze tugging at the fabric’s edges.
“I told you to stay near the wagon,” he said.
