Page 174 of Starside

But he uses such little force, the oak remains intact.

I blink. He doesn’t break the blades with his bare hands, the way I know he could with little effort. No. Instead, he play-duels with them, battling all six swords at once, letting some of the kids get a few hits in.

The boys scream with delight, closing in, and he hunches over, pretending to be injured, until they’re nearly on him. They make to tackle him.

Before they can, he stands to his full height, lifts his sword high, and roars.

The children scatter in a mess of giggles and gasps.

I’m standing with my mouth hanging open, wondering if I’m still dreaming, because there’s no fucking way Raker just played with those kids.

Slowly, sword still up, he turns right toward me.

He just stares and stares. Neither of us break our gaze. Then, he steps forward, sword up, just like he did with the children.

I don’t run. I take several steps forward, until I’m right under him and his sword.

“I’m not afraid of you,” I say casually. I tilt my head. “But I am a little scared I died in my sleep, because there’s no other explanation for what I just saw.”

He huffs a laugh, returning his blade back into his scabbard.

“Do you … do you have siblings?” I ask, wondering about the life he left behind when he decided to go on this quest. The idea of him having a family feels odd. Wrong. He’s a deadly knight, with a reputation. I can’t even imagine him … sitting at a dining table. Laughing at a joke. Bringing a mug to his lips.

No. I can only see him as he is now, fully armored, wearing a mask, ready for battle.

I watch his body tense beneath all that metal.

“I did,” he finally says.

And then, he turns around again.

I did. I stand very still as the group begins to pack up once more. Those two words haunt me.

I frown, remembering what the Gardener said in those mists. Harlan Raker is a demon. There’s no doubt about that. He has hundreds—if not thousands—of kills on his blade.

But never did I once consider that often monsters aren’t born … they’re made.

The line is moving. I find Raker and stagger behind him, trying to keep up. My eyes are dry and red. My legs still feel stiff.

“This was your idea, remember?” Raker says from in front of me, as if he can hear me struggling. His voice is rough. I wonder if he attempted to sleep at all.

“How could I forget?” I say, taking a swig from one of the many water pouches the group has offered us. “You keep reminding me.”

Excitement blooms toward the front of the line. The youngest in the group, one of the immortal boys that was playing with Raker, has been chosen to hold the orb.

He’s traveling with family. They cheer him on at the front. The music is livelier than normal.

The stars are so bright here, a blanket above us. I look at them, fighting to stay awake. “Maybe … maybe we veer off after tonight,” I say. Behind Raker’s back, I consulted with one of the older immortals, drawing parts of my map in the dirt during one of our breaks. We’ve been heading in the right direction so far, but they plan to make a turn soon. If we keep going straight, we’ll be out of this forest in three days, and into a desert.

Miles and miles of sand are all that sits between us and the Land of the Gods. Reaching it sounds almost easy.

Then I remember what I learned in the Traveling City.

Even in this jovial group, with music spilling through the woods, I can’t help but feel the whisper of danger prickling the back of my neck.

Wondering if the gods are watching us now, readying their attack.

They aren’t going to stop until they get my sword. I just hope I can face them in person.