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“It’s personal,” I say. “It’s not something I’m at liberty to discuss. At least, not until we’re out of the Barrens and back home.”
Nahla nods. “I can respect that, but you might want to remind your fae friend that we still need his help finding this ship, if it even exists.”
I look at her sharply. “Do you think he lied about that?”
She shrugs. “Who knows? None of us really know him, do we? We seem to be placing a lot of faith in a stranger. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I think he means well, and if he can help us, he will. You shouldn’t be worried about that.”
Nahla eyes me with a great deal of curiosity. “How is it that you have so much faith in him? You know him about as well as the rest of us.”
“I wish I could explain it, but I literally can’t.”
“Hmph.” She stands and twists her torso from side to side at the waist, causing her bones to crack once again.
“Doesn’t that hurt?” I ask her, grimacing at the sound.
“Oh no, it feels wonderful,” she says with a smile. “If you ever want me to show you how to do it, just say the word.”
“Uh, no thanks. I think I would end up breaking a bone if I tried.”
Nahla laughs. She sniffs the air like the wolf she’s about to turn into.
“I think supper is done,” she says. “I can smell the bacon from here. Ready to get something to eat?”
“Yeah, but I should probably check on Jack first.”
Nahla looks at me in confusion. “Who is Jack?”
“I meant Vamir,” I say, grimacing on the inside at my slip up. “Sorry, it’s been a long day. I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
“I hear you there,” she agrees before yawning. “As soon as my belly is full and I go through the change, I’m going to curl up by the fire and get some sleep.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” I agree.
While Nahla goes to the campfire that was made right outside the opening of the cave, I walk a few feet farther to speak with Jack. My birth father. The man who abandoned me because he was too heartbroken to pull himself together to take care of his love child with the queen of Dawn.
“Your silence today hasn’t gone unnoticed,” I say as I stand in front of him.
With his back against the mountain, he looks up at me from his seat.
“I had nothing of importance to say.” He rubs a hand against his bald head.
“Why are you sitting over here by yourself? It looks suspicious. Some people are wondering if you’re here to help us or if you’re leading us into a trap.”
Jack lets his hand drop back into his lap. “I thought it would be better to stay away from you for a while. At least until everything is settled.”
“You mean until the trials are over.” I cross my arms in front of me. “How will we know if we’ve won or not?”
He shrugs. “I’m not completely sure. None of the other Earths have ever completed them.”
“None?” I ask incredulously. “That’s not possible. Random chance or dumb luck should have helped at least one of them, but none? That sounds more like deliberate sabotage to me.”
“It’s possible,” he hesitantly agrees. “My grandfather hates humanity enough to ensure a zero percent success rate.”
“Is there anything we can do to prevent him from killing us out of spite?”
Jack shakes his head. “Not really. Only my mother can stop him, and I know she’ll do whatever it takes to help us get out of here.”
