Page 98 of Joy Guardian

“Where is Elaine now? Do you know?” she asked.

“They took her somewhere. I believe they’re planning to sell her and the others.”

Dawn paled in horror. “Sell to whom? Where?”

“That I don’t know. The fae who brought us in may be able to help with identifying the location better, since they know the geography of Alveari better than I do, though I’ve spent enough time in the desert to last a lifetime.”

“They said you walked for a long time and were in bad shape. You must be starving. You have to eat.” She gestured urgently at the food on my plate.

I picked up a piece of some vegetable and put it in my mouth. I was hungry, but after chewing, I could hardly swallow it. Worry and anxiety gripped my throat, making it too tight for the food to pass.

“I’m not hungry,” I said, putting the plate aside.

My stomach spasmed in protest. It always felt so empty lately, it could probably pack an entire garden of vegetables, but I couldn’t focus on food right now.

Dawn squinted at me with concern. “When was the last time you ate a hot meal?”

“Um…” I tried to remember. “About two weeks ago. Back in Kalmena.”

“Oh, Ciana! You need to eat.”

“I can’t…I’m…” I heaved a breath then blurted out the truth, “I’m so sick with worry, I fear that if I try to eat anything, I’d just throw up. And that would be a waste of a perfectly good dinner. Dawn…” I straightened in my cushions. “The guards detained the man who brought us here. They say he’s now in the dungeon, but he doesn’t deserve to be there.”

“Rha rarely puts anyone in the dungeon. He usually just kicks criminals out of Teneris and bans them from ever returning. The worst of them, he executes pretty quickly.”

“Well, Kurai doesn’t deserve either. He is not a criminal.”

“They say he’s a Watcher, Ciana.”

I remembered the scorpion tattoo on Kurai’s wrist and how carefully he’d been trying to hide it, even from me.

“What does it even mean?” I asked.

“The Watchers swore to protect what they call the kingdom’s one true Source of Joy. They see all humans as a threat, believing we can somehow pollute it. At first, they just wanted us gone from their world. But with the last portal now closed, we learned that they want all of us dead. Rha forbade them to enter Teneris. The only reason he hasn’t ordered them killed on sight is because he wants to learn more about their organization, to better understand how to protect us from them. It’s been a challenge to catch a Watcher alive. They guard their secrets so rigorously, the moment we come close to one, he or she ends up dead. They would kill themselves or each other, rather than talk to us. ”

“Kill?” I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. “They kill each other?”

Blood ran cold in my veins. Kurai wasn’t safe. While I was chatting here with my cousin, he was in mortal danger.

“I need to get him out of there, Dawn. Please, can you help me? I’ll plead with the prince. I’ll do anything.”

She peered at me closely. “Are you in love with the Watcher, Ciana?”

“Love?”I almost choked on the word, then shook my head quickly. “No, of course not. Why would you even think that?”

“Hm,” she hummed skeptically. “It’s just the way you talkabout him. Also, instead of relaxing after a long journey, you’re stressing out and won’t even eat.”

“Kurai is myfriend,” I said quickly. “He kept me alive, protected me, and eventually brought me here to safety. I owe him my life. Wouldn’t you worry about a friend like that if his life was in danger?”

She raised an eyebrow but got no chance to say anything as the gates to thesaraiopened and a guard announced, “His Highness, Prince Rha.”

A tall, elegant fae entered. He wore a chest armor full of jewels and a golden circlet upon his long hair. The way he held himself with his chin up and his shoulders rolled back—strong and proud—left no doubt he was of royal blood.

“Rha.” Dawn smiled, looking at him as if he were the life-bringing sun in the sky.

He gazed at her the same way, opening his arms for her to run into them. “I missed you, my treasure.”

With a soft, contended giggle, she placed a peck on his cheek before he pressed her to his chest.

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