Page 34 of The Demon Tide

Ulluwyn raises a brow at Sparrow in unspoken meaning and Sparrow holds her earnest gaze as offense flares. It’s chafing, how Ulluwyn has taken on the unasked-for role of Sparrow’s protector during their small band’s journey east across the vast, storm-riddled desert.

When Sparrowmuchprefers Thierren’s company and aid.

They’ve been traveling for weeks now with a Vu Trin contingent, journeying toward a hidden desert portal that will take them to Noilaan. Gratitude rises in Sparrow every time she considers how Thierren negotiated passage to the East for her as well as her young charge Effrey, the small dragon Raz’zor, and Aislinn Bane, the longed-for journey secured with the understanding that Thierren, Effrey, and Raz’zor would join the Vu Trin military, forces that Thierren has been secretly aligned with for months.

But still, much to Sparrow’s dismay, Thierren’s undercover work for the Vu Trin has done little to foster acceptance amongst this particular group of sorceresses.

Sparrow glances across the wide crimson-stone cavern to where Thierren is unrolling his bedding, her brow knotting as she notices, not for the first time, how careful he’s being to position himself far away from everyone else. Her gaze slides to Aislinn, who, as usual, has taken a spot on the other side of Sparrow and Effrey, also positioning herself away from the Vu Trin, this soft-spoken, watchful, and deeply kind Gardnerian as unwanted as Thierren.

The maverick high commander of the Vu Trin forces, Vang Troi, gave the order allowing Thierren’s and Aislinn’s passage east. But, as much as the soldiers accompanying them seem to respect Vang Troi’s military prowess, they are all of one intractable mind.

Mages should not be allowed in Noilaan.

Sparrow’s gaze slides to the cave entrance, which frames a panoramic view of the desert landscape. The light is a luminous saffron as the sun sinks closer to the horizon, the stone walls surrounding her glittering a breathtaking gold. The goat-size ivory dragon Raz’zor sits on the cavern’s ledge beside young Effrey, one of his wings fanned out against the child’s back as he scans the view like a dogged sentinel, hell-bent on fulfilling a fealty-vow to Elloren Grey to keep their group safe.

The desert’s expanse of crimson sand is such a gorgeous orange-red that, for a moment, Sparrow’s artist mind yearns for decent drawing supplies—a sketchbook with fine parchment and colored pencils—so she can create an imprint of the ruddy stone formations that arc over the desert like great swaths of paint.

It’s stunning, this edge of the continent’s Central Desert, but Sparrow is more than ready to step into that portal tomorrow and leave the West far behind. And she would have never made it this far without Thierren.

“Thierren has aided me...and Effrey too,” Sparrow tries to explain to Ulluwyn as the muscular soldier lounges on her bedroll and takes a long swig of water, eyeing Thierren with venomous dislike.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Thierren glances at Ulluwyn. His gaze slides to Sparrow, and a heated shiver runs through her that she’s instantly ashamed of, especially sitting in the company of this fellow Urisk woman who spent over a year on the Fae Islands.

That familiar, piercing ache rushes through Sparrow. Her friendship with Thierren increasingly feels like one of a handful of true things in her life. Yet her growing feelings for him also seem like a betrayal of her people, illicit and unfathomable and wrong.

But...every time she thinks about leaving him behind as she starts a new, free life in the East, her heart squeezes to the point of actual pain, the bond they’ve forged over these past few months a source of incredible comfort...and increasingly tinged with want.

It’s sparked hard, here in the desert—her growing desire to be close to him. To take his hand. To know what his black hair would feel like under her fingers. To kiss his glimmering green mouth.

HisMagemouth.

Her conflict rears higher.

“He’s been...very kind,” Sparrow tries again, endeavoring to justify this unstoppable tide to both Ulluwyn and herself. Even though she has nothing concrete to be ashamed of.

Ulluwyn spits out a sound of disgust and shoots Thierren a rancid glare. “Of course he’s pretending to be kind. He wants you in his bed. But you’re a rockbat to him and nothing more. Don’t ever forget that.”

They sting, Ulluwyn’s words, dredging up Sparrow’s outrage over so many humiliating cruelties endured in the Fae Island labor camps. And in continental Gardneria.

Sparrow meets Thierren’s gaze once more, chagrin rising, since she can tell by the subtle tightening of his eyes that he heard Ulluwyn loud and clear. He gets up and strides outside. Effrey reaches up to touch his hand as he passes, and Thierren pauses to exchange an affectionate smile with the child and ruffle Effrey’s newly short and spiked dark purple hair.

Misery floods Sparrow as Ulluwyn stoppers her flask, wipes her mouth with the back of her sleeve, and rises, as well. She sends a look of distaste toward Aislinn.

“Vang Troi iswrongabout this,” Ulluwyn insists to Sparrow, the tight coils of her short blue hair haloed by the late-day sun’s wash of gold. “We shouldn’t let any Mages into Noilaan. Take great care, Sparrow.” The warning in her tone sets Sparrow’s hackles rising. “Cut the Crow out of your life. You’re about to start fresh in the East. With your talent as a seamstress, you’ll find good work for good pay quickly. But you can’teverbe Noi’khin if you’ve attached yourself to a Mage. You’ll be hated as much as the Roaches are, and rightfully so.”

Ulluwyn gives Sparrow one last significant look and strides out of the cavern, and Sparrow berates herself for her desire to leave the sheltering space as well...to find Thierren.

To simplybewith him this eve.

She blinks back the sting of tears as she smooths down her bedding, her thoughts circling in unceasing conflict. She pulls in a wavering breath, sits down, and juststopsfor a moment, staring at the glittering wall opposite her.

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you too.”

Sparrow turns, surprised to hear Aislinn’s soft, serious voice. Aislinn hardly ever talks, hardly eats, and keeps to herself. She has a haunted look about her, and Sparrow considers, with a pang, that it’s a look she’s seen before, on the Fae Islands. Amongst young Urisk women after they’ve been preyed on by the Mages. Like Aislinn has been preyed on by perhaps the worst Mage of them all.

Sparrow witnessed Damion Bane’s depravity firsthand the night he attacked Elloren Grey. She secretly cheered when Lukas Grey beat him senseless, all too aware of Damion’s penchant for abuse, word passed around among the Urisk in Valgard and beyond to make themselves scarce anywhere he was ever likely to be.

And Aislinn isfastedto that monster.

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