THOMAS ROSE early, filled with an energy he hadn’t felt for many months. The sun was smiling on the horizon; canyon larks sang from the cliff; a morning breeze whispered through his hair.
The Great Romance filled his mind. He understood now. This love he felt for Chelise was tantamount to the love that Justin felt for everyone whom he would woo, diseased or not. The realization was dizzying.
Chelise still slept in her bedroll beside him. He’d found his way past her disease and kissed the woman beneath. He’d stepped past the skin of this world and stepped into another, not unlike what he did when he dreamed.
Yes, Chelise was as disease-ridden as ever. Yes, he could taste the bitterness on her breath. Yes, he would give anything to lead her into the red pool and see her forever changed. But he loved her anyway. And he loved her desperately.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Wake up, my love.”
Her eyes batted open. He kissed her again. “Did you dream of me?”
She smiled. “As a matter of fact, I did. You?”
“No dreams, remember?”
She sat up and gazed at the others. Johan was stirring. They’d fallen asleep before the others had returned from their walks. Chelise looked unsure. He would settle that soon enough.
He stood and clapped his hands. “Let’s go, everybody. We have a long way to go today.”
They stirred from their dreams and sat up.
“Where are we going?” Chelise asked.
“To the tribe. If it’s okay with you, that is. Or would you rather send a message to your father?”
She pushed herself to her feet and brushed sand from her cloak. “They won’t bite my head off?”
“Not if they expect to live the day.”
“Then I suppose I could manage.”
Only Thomas and Chelise wore the Horde garments—the rest had traded them for the tan tunics worn by the Circle.
They cleaned the camp quickly and prepared to leave. Thomas saddled his horse and walked toward Chelise, who was working with her mount. He spoke loudly enough for all of them to hear.
“I don’t know where you found those rabbits, Johan, but I insist you find more like them for our celebration tonight. There was something in the meat.”
Mikil looked at him. “And what are we celebrating this time?”
Thomas put his hand on Chelise’s neck and drew her close. “Love,” he said and kissed her gently on her lips.
The others were as surprised as Chelise.
“Love it is,” Johan said, glancing at Suzan.
Thomas winked at Chelise, who smiled sheepishly. It would take her more time to feel at ease in their company, but Thomas would remove any obstacles.
They rode south into the desert. Normally a journey through the hot dunes would be a quiet, plodding affair, but not this one. They settled into three pairs with Johan and Suzan leading. Thomas and Chelise trailed behind Mikil and Jamous. The hours didn’t pass slowly enough for them to plumb the depths of their experiences and theories. But with each passing mile Thomas felt his love for the woman who rode beside him grow.
He had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. Fortunately, there were no cliffs to ride off, or he might have. She rode like a warrior, straddling the saddle, and she had a habit of resting one leg at a time across her steed’s shoulder. When he pointed out the cleverness of her riding posture, the others just looked at him with blank stares. To Thomas it was brilliant, though he tried it himself without much success.
She also kept her head up as she rode, chin level, like only a princess could, he thought.
Midday they came to the Oasis of Plums, as the Horde had named it. Chelise excused herself and bathed. When she emerged around the plum trees, Thomas had to look twice to be sure it was her. She’d washed her black hair and applied an oil that made it shine. Flowers again, and the scented morst, but she’d also applied a blue powder under her eyebrows and to her lips. She wore gold earrings and a matching band around her neck. She might have stepped out of the histories’ ancient Egypt.
Thomas immediately hurried over to her, took her hands, and declared that she was stunning. The others agreed. And this time, he thought, they actually meant it.
That afternoon they rode six abreast and reminisced about the colored forest. The Roush, the fruit, the lake, the tall colored trees. Chelise asked a hundred questions, like a child first learning that the world was round.
Try as they did, they couldn’t find rabbits for a feast that night, but Mikil found two large snakes, which they filleted and roasted over the coals. The meat was sweet and satisfying. Chelise and Johan showed them how to dance, Horde-style, and then Suzan led them in a Circle dance. They debated the merits of each and laughed till their sides hurt.
Johan and Mikil urged Thomas to dream, but he insisted that another night without knowing what was happening with Carlos wouldn’t hurt any of them. For all he knew, he’d been sleeping for only a few minutes in the other reality, and he wasn’t interested in interrupting his romance with Chelise. For that matter, he might consider eating the rhambutan forever and never dreaming of the virus again.
They broke camp the next morning and resumed their journey south. The tribe was camped four hours away—they would arrive before noon.
“You’re sure they’ll understand?” Chelise asked.
“Of course, they will. You aren’t the first.”
“This is entirely different. I’m not coming to drown.”
Thomas glanced at the others. “They’ll get used to the idea. A day may come when you’re more comfortable with the drowning.”
“No. I’m the daughter of Qurong, princess of the Horde. I have my limits. It’s one thing to fall in love with an albino and make friends with the Circle; it’s another thing to become an albino.”
She could not know how painful her words were. They hadn’t spoken of what would become of their love, but they both knew that some things were irreconcilable. The Horde would never accept peace with the Circle, not while Qurong was their leader and Woref led their forces. And Chelise couldn’t expect to be princess of the Horde while living with the Circle.
Chelise looked over at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You know that I love you.”
“And you know that I love you.” He winked at her. “That’s all that matters.”
“A rider!” Suzan pulled up.
Thomas followed her gaze to the south. A plume of dust rose from a lone rider charging hard toward them.
“Is he from our tribe?” Mikil asked.
“He must be. The next closest tribe is a hundred miles from here.”
Thomas slapped his horse’s rump. “Let’s go!”
They galloped out to meet the rider.
“It’s Cain!” Suzan shouted, leaning low over her mount. “There’s trouble.”
Cain reined in hard. His eyes were bloodshot. “Thomas . . .” He glanced at Chelise and back. His horse snorted and sidestepped. “The village was attacked. My brother’s dead with nine others. They took half of us before we could escape.”
“Slowly, man! Who attacked?” But Thomas knew who. “When?”
“The Horde . . . a division, at least, last night. William sent me out to bring back Johan.”
“William’s in command? Who was taken?”
“Yes, William. The Horde took twenty-four trapped in one of the canyons. Men, women, children. They caught us without mounts in the middle of the night.”
Alarm flooded Thomas’s veins. “My son and daughter?”
“They’re safe.”
His heart eased.
“William is still at the camp?”
“A mile east.”
Thomas spurred his horse. “Cain, follow as fast as you can.” Their horses were fresh, and they would outrun Cain. “Let’s ride!”
“Thomas!”
He looked back and saw that Chelise sat on her steed, stricken with fear. “We’ll catch you,” he called to Mikil. They galloped ahead.
Thomas swung around and drew up beside her. “This changes nothing.”
“There’s more, Thomas,” Cain said.
Thomas reached out and put his hand on Chelise’s neck. “You’re with me, my love. Nothing will happen to you, I swear it.”
She hesitated. The Horde would want to retaliate. She was assuming the same about the tribe, despite all she’d seen.
“Trust me, Chelise.”
“Okay.”
Thomas glanced at Cain. “What more?”
Cain stared at them, eyes round.
“Well, what?” Thomas demanded, pulling his horse around.
“William will tell you.”
He glared at the man. They had no time for this. “Let’s go!”