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I barked out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. We were going to be dead in a matter of moments, but her unfailing trust in happily ever afters was still impressively holding firm.
I kind of had to admire that.
And then, as if to prove me wrong for ever doubting her, something crawled up the back of my leg and around my waist. I glanced down to find a line of scorpions roping themselves around me.
“Oh, hell, no.” I cringed right before the breath was sucked from my diaphragm as they tightened the chain they’d made around me and jerked me suddenly backward.
In one swift tug, Nicolette was on dry ground and Caramel’s head was back above the death sand. Three more later, and the scorpions had the horse free and on dry ground as well.
“Holy fucking shit,” I panted, finally letting go of Nicolette as soon as the scorpions let go of me. I dropped stomach-first to the ground and rested my strained joints as I tried to catch some oxygen. “That was too close for comfort.”
A few feet away, the glowing tails of the scorpions formed words. When I decided I was going to live after all, I sat up and read the scorpions’ words in the sand.
We told you to turn right.
“Oh!” Beside me, Nicolette sucked in a surprised wince. “They were just trying to warn us of the death sand up ahead, not take us off course.”
“Well, why didn’t you just say it was merely a detour?” I muttered, trying not to show my chagrin.
When the scorpions answered with, we didn’t know how to spell it, Nicolette shouted out her laughter.
I didn’t find it amusing in the least.
“I guess that’ll teach you not to make fun of other people’s spelling,” she chastised.
We reached the border of the scorpion queen’s domain the next night. They wished Nicolette and me a goodbye, telling us: Far Shore is just another day’s ride ahead. Happy travels and fair well.
After they departed, Nicolette shifted her gaze my way.
“Thank you,” she murmured, her eyes sparkling with delight.
I arched an eyebrow, confused.
She caught the look in the moonlight and explained, “For not teasing them about that last typo.”
I gave a single, baffled blink. “What typo?”
Nicolette gave a small hiccup of embarrassment and slapped a hand to her mouth; I could practically hear her blushing from here as she muffled out, “Um, never mind.”
Unable to hold the ruse, I burst out snickering. “Oh God. You should see your expression right now. It’s timeless.”
After bending over Mint’s neck to chuckle some more, I patted the horse’s mane as if sharing a joke with him. “But seriously,” I added on a content sigh. “Farewell as two words? Who taught those bugs to spell?”
With a put-upon huff, Nicolette rode just ahead of me. “They’re not bugs,” she sniffed. “They’re arachnids. And I thought they spelled admirably well. I can’t believe you teased me like that, either. It’s something my brother would do.”
I grinned, not at all repentant. “Aye,” I had to agree. “I’ve earned the ire of my sister Sable more times than I can count in similar ways.” My features turned rueful as I shrugged. “It’s the nature of a brother, I’m afraid.”
But as soon as I mentioned Sable, reality seized me. Fear, apprehension, and sadness swept over me. I wasn’t at all certain I could save my sister. But I was going to try anyway.
Just as Nicolette had tried to save Caramel from the death sand.
Nicolette glanced over at me, and I could sense her probing, curious stare. It was so intense, I found myself saying, “What?”
She waved a hand to dismiss whatever she was thinking, only to follow it with, “It’s just—whenever you mentioned your sister, you felt so—oh hey! You have a sister! Sable, you said? Is she the only sibling you have?”
“I—”
I silently cursed myself for mentioning Sable aloud. I hadn’t intended to ever tell Nicolette too much about myself. If I could have my way, she’d never learn about my lies or about me at all. I’d somehow return her home to her iron castle with her none the wiser.
