CHAPTER 6
“The Deskyiara bloodline is made for Royalty, yet on the inside they are fighting the worst battle of all the Royals. They must fulfill their duty as a descendant from the God of Fire, or the Realms shall forever be cursed.” - Book of Azure
I BEG FOR SHADE.
The sun sparkles through my fingers as I gaze up to the wide sky.
I miss the trees. The grass beneath my boots felt like a cushion compared to the dusty, sandy plains we now walk on.
Everything looks as if it's been washed away by a sand storm.
Dead logs and branches everywhere I look.
Intriguing, spiked lizards, their sharp spikes glistening in the sunlight, and winged creatures with iridescent wings dart around us as we venture on.
In the distance, with my blurry vision, I catch skeleton-like bugs scurrying about, their thin bodies skittering in every direction we turn.
I must have stepped on one, because a loud crunch echoes in the slight breeze as my foot comes down.
When I lift my boot, one of the skeleton-like creatures is attached to the sole.
Its antennae twitches nervously as it tries to free itself from my shoe.
I delicately grab it by the antennae and toss it as far away from me as possible.
“Disgusting.” My body wiggles. Shivers run down my spine with the thought of more of these damn bugs coming near me.
I wipe my clammy palm against my drenched forehead, only to feel more beads of sweat slide down my temple. It's as if a sudden downpour has started during the journey to meet the Queen.
I’m soaked.
A Queen. I choke out a silent chuckle. The thought of walking up to her royal highness in these clothes, in this condition, has me internally screaming with laughter. This is all just a mess.
“Your majesty.” I wobbly curtsy, my feet tripping over each other as I practice to polish the moves just right for when I face the Queen. “How lovely it is to meet you this evening.”
I cover my mouth, holding in the laugh that wants to bellow out.
My body sways, as if I have been at a bar for hours yet only to be walking through a desert that is trying to kill me.
The thought of meeting a Queen has my mind playing tricks on me, visualizing every movement I will do once I walk up to her.
Should I bow? Curtsey? What the hell do the people do here in front of royalty?
I honestly think death has been knocking at my door these past few days, and it's catching up to me.
“How may I serve you, my Queen.” My laugh escapes my dry lips, and I fumble over a dead log, falling on the ground and bursting into a deep chuckle. My dark hair tosses over my face as my palm glides along the sharp pebbles.
“I’m okay… I’m okay.” I unsteadily push myself up, dusting the red dirt off of my leggings. “That’ll hurt later.”
“Get your shit together.” Florian's lip curls into a sneer, his eyes narrowing with a deadly gleam as I catch sight of him through the strands of my hair. I toss my tangled waves out of my face, exhaling deeply to blow a strand that still tickles across my nose.
“Don't you dare make light of the Queen.” He circles his horse around me. “She will throw you into the battle games and have you killed.”
“Sucks for the person who kills me.” I shrug, my eyes widening with the thought of someone taking my life and being cursed forever. “Damn.”
He pauses. “Actually, keep this act up. Having you thrown into the games might benefit me.”
“Because you wouldn’t have to be the one to kill me?” My brow raises.
The horse comes to a sudden stop, its powerful muscles rippling throughout its legs. Prince Florian leans over, his warm breath tickling against my face and carrying with it the familiar scent of musk. Taking me back to the cabin where the elder was. Sometimes I wish I had stayed back with her.
A small, mischievous smirk tugs at the corners of his full, luscious lips.
His words are laced with sarcasm as he says, “Precisely. You would be gone, and I wouldn’t be the one to bear whatever curse comes with killing you.
” The glint in his eyes hints at the joy he would feel if this were to actually happen. “If… you are truly her.”
I pucker my lips, my eyes rolling away from his death glare.
“Key word… if.”
His eyes trace my whole body, catching every detail of filth and sweat along my skin. “Stop talking, and move.”
He trots ahead, his body moving with the rhythm of the horse.
“Who would have thought I’d meet a Prince… let alone a Queen.” I shut my mouth, filling my cheeks with air. Holding in my laugh so tightly. “Let alone, have some curse dangling over my head.”
He grunts, his horse’s hooves digging into the dirt before moving on.
I can’t help but laugh. “So are you like, next in line for the throne? Or something.” My lips form a tight line.
“You can say that.” He tosses his golden hair over his shoulders, straightening his back.
I bite my lips. “Interesting.”
My head nods as my body sways. “So you’ll be a King?” I snort, flinging my hands to my mouth, trying to shut myself up, but it's no use. I’m dehydrated. I’m delusional. My mouth is speaking before I have time to even think.
He pulls the reins back. “What is so funny?” he bellows, his brows narrowing deeply. His eyes cut through me like glass, darkening like an inferno.
I shrug, lifting my shoulders as high as I can. “I’m following a soon-to-be King… through a desert, on foot… and all I want is a burger.”
“A burger?” His voice spikes with curiosity. “What is a burger?”
“Seriously? You don’t know what that is?” My mouth gapes open, eyes widening at his response.
He side-eyes me over his shoulder. “No. Enlighten me.” His voice drops into a monotone response.
“It's something we eat, back in Seattle.” I trip over a stick that twists around like a dried snake. “It's between bread, with meat inside. You can add tons of vegetables with it.”
“Sounds weird.” His eyes roll, tilting his head side to side and letting out a deep, frustrated breath. “You’ll feast soon. Don’t worry. My father will have the servants whip you up something.”
My tongue glides on my lips, feeling my dry skin flake. “Thank the heavens.”
I drag out the words, enunciating every single letter. A loud growl ripples inside my stomach.
My hand throws up my hair, gliding along my damp neck.
Little laughs still escape my lips here and there.
If only it stormed just once this whole trip.
But it hasn’t. There is not a cloud in sight and the scorching sun above beats against my skin.
Cooking me alive. I’m sure my skin is baked, turning it a lobster red.
I’m fading away, fast. With each step I take, the more I want to fall to my knees and quit. The more I crave a damn burger. My eyes blur more, and I can feel myself slipping away.
I guess my spike of energy was just a facade.
“You’re Serene Quinnell, you don’t quit.” I can hear Alice screaming at me from within my memories. If she was here right now, she would be dragging me across this desert. She wouldn’t let me stop.
And I won’t. I will push myself for Alice. For Tilly.
I promised our father I would find her. He can’t lose us both.
I just hope Alice found her way out of the cave.
My teeth grind together as I shift my weight, feeling the tension in my muscles. Through blurred vision, my two feet have become six.
I blink, forcing my eyes to focus on my scuffed boots, coated in a layer of rust-colored dust and tiny pebbles that cling to the leather.
With each step I take on the gravel path, the crunching sound echoes through the quiet surroundings.
The dusty air swirls around me, causing my eyes to flicker and water.
I raise a hand and squint, trying to protect my eyes from the dry particles that threaten to irritate them further.
I’m sure they’re bloodshot red at this point. This desert feels toxic.
“Keep moving,” Florian hollers over to me. I didn’t even realize I slowed down my pace when I catch sight of the horse’s tail swaying side to side.
Or is it my body that sways?
Florian. Just thinking about him and his snarky attitude makes my skin crawl with irritation, because it seems as if this heat is nothing but a chilly day in fall for him.
Not a single drop of sweat has fallen from his face. His waves still perfectly sway with the slight breeze. Unfortunately, mine is knotting worse and is now soaked underneath.
I have lost track of time as I trudge on, my feet growing numb from the repetitive motion and my heel raw from the constant rising and falling against my sweat-soaked boots. It could have been hours, for all I know, as the passing scenery blurs into one continuous stretch of dry land.
The fear of this desert eating me alive makes the edges of my eyes burn.
No. I will not let this world take me. I will not let this desert cook me from the inside out.
My thighs ache and with each step I take, a cramp shoots through my legs like vines of spikes, clenching against my skin. Screaming for me to just fall over.
To lay down and let the desert win.
But I can’t. No matter how much I want to.
I hunch over like a prisoner… which I basically am. My head drops low, knowing if I stand straight, it will take more effort, and I need to save all the energy I have.
The ground beneath us crawls with insects as if they are searching for water just like me.
A small drop of sweat flows over my nose, running off like a stream down to the burnt ground.
It hits, hissing against the ground, evaporating within seconds of meeting the rust gravel.
I feel I haven’t seen grass since we left the towering trees.
Since we left the woman who claimed me to be someone… someone I am not.
My tongue scrapes across my upper mouth. Moisture has withered from within me.
I need water, or I will die.