25. Eshe
Eshe
Ezra’s arms were around me as we rode off to God knows where.
All I knew was that we were heading east, further and further away from Zyriah.
We had been traveling for four days and nights, barely getting sleep.
When we did sleep, Ezra now slept on the other side of the tent and kept his weapons inside within reach.
I suppose he trusted me as much as I trusted him, which was little, but still said a lot.
We hated each other. We still did. Most definitely.
His gash had stopped bleeding the next morning, but with a brooding fit for a child, he let me help clean it twice a day. I swear it was as if my touch irritated him.
We spoke once about Gabriel. With reluctance, Ezra explained what he knew of him.
Rumors were that he was unwell in the mind, that it didn’t work the way it should.
He ruthlessly but quietly made his way to become the General of Brestan, a position only suitable for royalty and men of power.
Ezra didn’t know where Gabriel came from—no one did.
And no one would go against him, not with the string of deaths that lay behind his wake.
Ezra told me he was known for how little his thought processes or hesitations were when it came to his kills.
He gave no sign of emotion or anger or bloodlust. That was what made him so unpredictable.
But what did he want with Norrah? Why was he so obsessed with securing a marriage with her?
The thought of that man being near Norrah sent a shudder down my spine.
Besides the informative conversation, there were few words spoken between the two of us.
To be honest, I barely felt like talking.
I was so lost in my search for vengeance.
I was back to square one, but I never had square one because I always believed Ezra and his family were to blame.
But now that they weren’t, I was more confused than ever.
Who killed my family?
Why did Ezra keep insinuating that I should not trust my brother? What does he know?
I wondered now if it was worth it to leave my home with Salazar. It was safe and peaceful.
I was more lost than before. I was disappointed in myself.
Now, I was taken hostage, and my life was in Ezra’s hands to do as he pleased. I just wanted answers, and I could feel them slipping from me the further I got from Zyriah.
The robe I wore was stuffy, hot, and heavy, and every time I readjusted, Ezra would tense up and raise his voice at me.
He was controlling, rude, and, worst of all, no fun with absolutely no sense of humor. He was drier than the desert.
I could tell he hated riding with me as much as I hated riding with him. And the more commonality I found between us, the more I hated him.
I was going crazy.
Literally.
My eyes caught a silver reflection of the sky in the distance and a sliver of green in the distance.
Oh no.
I’d been out in the desert for too long. I imagined a mirage.
My heart pounded.
“What is it?” Ezra asked me.
How could he read me like that?
“I think I’m seeing things.” I swallowed.
I felt the rumble of his laugh behind me. “No, it’s real.”
“Where are we?” I breathed.
The closer we got, the bigger the oasis became. I couldn’t count the number of trees and shrubs near the shallow, crystal-green lake. It was so beautiful and clear, I would drink it all up if I could.
“Tranah. It’s a private oasis that my family goes to and that we permit some other families to use. It’s too far from civilization for enemies to find and expect royalty to be here, so only a few people know about it.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said under my breath.
“It’s secluded.”
“What for?”
“In case I want to kill you.”
The gasp that came out lifted me slightly from the saddle, and Ezra tightened his hold on me. “I was making a joke. Ever heard of one before?”
Was the universe messing with me?
“I think jokes are supposed to be funny,” I retorted. “You should get some lessons on that before spewing those types of words out.”
“Every person has their own sense of humor. It’s not my job to make sure you understand them.”
I rolled my eyes, wishing he saw how annoying he sounded. “What’s the point in saying it if nobody finds it funny?”
“I think it’s funny. That’s the point.”
I stifled a laugh. And I think Ezra did too.
Goddamn it.
After a few more minutes, Ezra stopped his horse in the middle of the sands and took off his robe from the saddle. He replaced it with a black robe, tossing his white one back into the saddlebag.
“What about me?”
“You’re a woman.”
Right. I was a woman and could never be an Atrovian. No one would suspect… But even if I could be, I would never be one. These white robes washed me out.
A large building, safely hidden in the midst of tall trees, came into view on the left as we continued riding closer.
I felt a chill breeze on my face, and my body instantly tingled.
I don’t think I’d ever been anywhere so beautiful before.
It had a large brown dome on top, and pillars encircled the building.
Behind the oasis, I could see a large cliff the color of the sands, casting a shade upon the small valley.
We passed the left side of the emerald waters toward the building, and the sand dipped into the water. Large boulders were in the lake, almost as if they were there for a cool dip in the water as well, soaking up the sun.
I quickly noticed a few more horses tied against a post, and a tall man who looked like Ezra emerged from the building.
My brows lowered.
“Hey brother,” Casimir greeted Ezra. He nodded to me. “Eshe.”
Last time I saw him, Kavid had agreed to marry me off to him. I couldn’t even look at him. My stomach tightened. I didn’t want him.
My entire body tensed. Was Ezra planning on marrying me off to him? Right now? Was that why he had demanded that I stay in Urnaz? Oh God, I was going to be sick.
Was this how Norrah felt?
I knew he would be a good husband, but my body cringed thinking of being close to him in that way.
I gave him a small smile, but remained quiet.
Ezra dismounted and laid his hands around my waist, which I then slapped. Ezra rolled his eyes shamelessly. I swear this man was a conundrum. He wanted to be as far away as possible, but touched me every time he got the chance.
I dismounted gracefully.
A young woman about my age appeared behind Casimir and wrapped her arm around his waist in a possessive manner.
A wave of relief flooded through me. Maybe I had jumped to conclusions. She had an open veil around her loose, dark hair. Her black, catlike eyes were marked with kohl ink.
She gave me a shy smile.
My tight smile hadn’t changed.
Then another woman emerged, sprinting toward us. It took me a moment to realize it was Norrah. I forgot about Ezra’s attitude and my betrothal to Casimir and ran toward my friend with the largest smile on my face.
“Norrah!” I squeaked.
“Oh, Mara.” She sighed, pulling me into her arms. “It’s so good to see you here. I’ve been waiting for a few days with Casimir.”
My jaw dropped slightly, and I shook my head from side to side. I had so many questions. She and I locked arms and began walking up the steps.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my mind boggling.
“Ezra sent Casimir to take me here where he said you would be,” she spoke softly as the brothers conversed behind us.
“But why?”
She leaned forward with a slight shake in her voice, “Ezra wanted me to be near because of Gabriel. Apparently, he’s turning Urnaz upside down looking for me and decided it was best I was no longer there.
” I took note to catch her up, because Gabriel was definitely not in Urnaz anymore—he was among the sands with us.
Gabriel also knew that the Atrove took her, whereas Norrah knew it as Ezra, Qahl of Tehara.
I knew Norrah didn’t know Ezra was Atrovian, thinking the royal family was merely helping her, but I felt in that moment oddly protective of Ezra’s identity. “He thought I would be safest here…”
Norrah bit her lower lip, and I gave her shoulders a squeeze. Despite her circumstances, my heart felt right with her near me.
“I’ll show you to your room,” the woman behind us whispered. She called out to a man inside the building to come take care of Ezra’s horse.
We all followed the woman up the short but wide marble stairs through the tall pillars and into the building.
There was a low seating area to the right of the room, and to the left were a few servants waiting for orders.
In front of us, wide ceiling-to-floor windows carried the view of the oasis.
It took my breath away. We continued through the large open room to the right hallway, where I was reminded of the Atrovian cave.
It was dark and built of limestone. Burnt red tapestries in gold threads marked these walls, though.
“Here is your room.” She pointed to the door on the right. “It’s the only one left.”
“What are you talking about?” Ezra said in a clipped tone.
Behind me, I heard Casimir explaining to Ezra in a low voice, “Norrah’s here.”
Ezra mumbled, “Right.”
Casimir cleared his throat. “Listen, hey, don’t get upset with me. You won’t be put into the sands. You can share with Eshe.”
That was it. I twirled around and held my stance.
“No,” Ezra and I both said in unison.
We glared at each other.
“Eshe?” Norrah questioned my name a moment later.
Everyone went quiet.
But in my head, I was screaming FUCK.
She eyed everyone around us. If I really wanted to, I’d be able to hear the winds out on the dunes. It was so quiet and awkward. “Does everyone know except me? What’s really going on?”
No one moved an inch. Her eyes blinked up at me, but I didn’t see betrayal or pain there, only curiosity. I nearly tilted my head at her, reading her as she was reading me. She then stared at Ezra and Casimir, and back at me.