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And if they will seek His face,
Healing will come to this land,
And Heaven will invade.
She went on for several more verses, and Ryn closed her eyes as she listened, letting the melody sink into her soul, soothing her aching bones and spirit. Dolem ended with a prayer. “With the breath of the Almighty, I bind up the spirit of death, and I loose the spirit of revelation, the spirit of holiness, the spirit of life, the healing of bodies, and the breaking of chains, in El Tsebaoth’s name.” She added another musical interlude of humming that stirred the sand over Ryn’s toes. And then she whispered, “Let our victory cry ring over this dry valley like a cathedral bell calling people home.”
A moment of reverent quiet passed between them.
Finally, Ryn whispered, “I got distracted.” She tapped the flute at her chest. “We’ve had a break from battle at this oasis, and I forgot what was coming with this meeting. That this might be the exact reason El brought me into the desert. But this song is a weapon.” She glanced over at Dolem, finding thick beads of unshed tears balancing in the woman’s pale eyes. “This is a song that will take back kingdoms. We must sing it in this fight.”
Dolem nodded, tears finally tumbling off their perch and falling off her jaw, hitting the stained beige and olive-green dress hanging loosely off her thin body. Ryn watched as she stared out at the desert, her white-streaked brown hair lapping around her. She wondered if Dolem could see the cloud too.
A smile spread over the woman’s lips. “The cooks in the feasting tent are claiming the King laughed with you. Is it true, Commander?”
Ryn thought of Xerxes sitting across from her in the feasting tent in his sleek black jacket, his polished crown upon his head. The only time he’d even looked like a king before her. “He did laugh. Just once.” She smirked, deciding not to tell Dolem that she’d heard him laugh by the oasis too after she’d dragged him from the pool.
It didn’t occur to her that she was still smiling until Bastone’s voice lifted behind her.
“Leave us, Dolem.”
The smile vanished from Ryn’s face and she turned to find him there in his casual tunic, leathers abandoned for lighter clothes. He was frowning, a crease etched between his brows.
Dolem was gone in seconds, holding up her skirt as she scooted down the slope, glancing back at them over her shoulder the whole walk back to the tents.
Bastone’s jaw slid to the side, his crescent scar pulling. “What are you doing, Estheryn?” Before she could answer, he added, “What was the King talking about at breakfast this morning? What did you do to make him react that way?”
Ryn crossed her arms and drew a circle in the sand with the toe of her boot. “It’s none of your business, Bastone. Leave it alone.”
“What? Leave it…” Bastone’s jaw hardened and he marched forward, took hold of her mask, and yanked it up so the sun and wind kissed her bare face.
“What are you doing?!” Ryn tried to push him back, but he tore the mask off altogether, holding it hostage over the slope of the dune, threatening to let it go. It was a long race to the bottom and camp was close enough to recognize faces.
“Bastone!” she pleaded, shielding her face with her hand.
“I will go back there and expose you right now if you don’t get it together. Wake up, Estheryn! You’re playing with fire! If you allow the King to develop feelings for you while he doesn’t know who you are, you’ll have betrayed him twice! Our whole division will be sacrificed for that sort of deceit!”
Ryn gaped, her hand sliding off her face. “Do you really think I don’t care about Burn Division Twelve—”
“I will support you as our division’s leader because you can do remarkable things I cannot, but I will not die for you.” Bastone dropped his arm, the mask tapping his trousers at his side. “The King has long forgotten about Estheryn Electus—haven’t you heard the rumours of the new Heartstealer trials commencing back in the kingdom? He plans to take another wife. King Xerxes does not care about you. Why would you hold on to someone like that?”
Ryn’s mouth hung open, wordless. All this time, Ryn thought Bastone might be on her side even though she was an Adriel. But he’d never looked more like a Weylin than he did now with his noble disdain, threatening her with her mask, accusing her of not caring, blaming her for what might come.
She strode toward him, leaving deep footprints, and she snatched the mask back. He tried to grab it again, but the action happened so fast that the edge of her mask scratched her wrist when he pulled. She gasped at the same time that he tore his hand back—they both dropped the mask into the sand, and Ryn clutched her wrist instead.
Bastone’s bright gaze settled on the scratch up Ryn’s arm, glittering with the first traces of blood. He inhaled and fumbled around with his trouser pockets until he pulled out a cloth. “Estheryn… I didn’t mean to…” He extended the cloth toward her. Ryn raised a flat hand to stop him, and he closed his mouth, his brows tugging together. “Do you want me to get Heva to help clean that?” He shifted his weight.
Ryn released a dull laugh and shook her head. “If I tell Heva what you just said and did, she’ll kill you in your sleep.”
Bastone’s frown dissolved. He didn’t exactly smile, but it was close. “Yes, I know.”
With a deep breath, Ryn fetched her mask and slid it back onto her face. “I will never make you die for me, Bastone. I will never make Burn Division Twelve die for me either. But don’t challenge me regarding matters of the King. His actions are out of my control.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “And whether I’m holding onto him or not—that has nothing to do with you.”
Bastone released a heavy breath through his nose as he fiddled with the handle of a dagger at his belt. Then he nodded. “I just want you to be careful. You know I’m fighting with you, but I’m afraid. I have a family waiting for me in the third province by the border—a mother and two younger brothers. So I’ll do anything at this point to make sure the King doesn’t find out who you are.”
Ryn chewed on her lip. “We’re on the same side then, Bastone. Because I want you to get out of this alive too.”
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