Page 87 of The Gilded Ones

Good boy, Ixa. I praise him silently as he stands next to me, snarl deepening.

A fearful sweat is dripping down Baxo’s forehead now. Nevertheless, he uses the moment to incite the other soldiers. “You see that?” he says. “You see what she’s making that creature do?”

He returns his focus to me. “You bitches think you’re better than us, whispering among your kind, giving us the evil eye. You’re nothing but a group of malformed demon spawn, and I hope to Oyomo the deathshrieks finish your kind off well before we return from the desert.”

My hands are clenched so tightly now, the skin feels like it’s about to split. Can’t massacre your comrades, can’t massacre your comrades… Around me, the other men nod their agreement, then begin to add their own thoughts.

“Demons,” one man calls.

“Abominations,” another adds.

“Whores!”

And with that, I can remain silent no longer.

“Whores?” I scoff, looking at Baxo and his friends. “Hardly. We’re soldiers, just like you. Many of us are going to die on the battlefield, same as you.”

“As you should,” Baxo jeers. “Women don’t belong here – especially not your lot – and the more of you that die, the sooner you’ll know it.”

I unsheathe my atika, advancing closer, a growling Ixa at my side. A smile slices my lips when Baxo’s face turns ever paler. “See, that’s the amusing thing,” I say. “Death is a common thing for our kind, which is why we welcome it, consider it an old friend.” I point my atika at him. “Do you welcome death, Bax—”

A warm, calloused hand traps my shoulder. “Deka.”

I turn to find Keita behind me, Li, Kweku and Acalan at his side. They’ve all walked over from their end of the lake.

He smiles at me. “Trust me?” he asks.

I roll my eyes, nod, then move to the side as he approaches Baxo, who takes a step back, alarmed.

“Lord Keita,” the older man whispers.

“You have me at a disadvantage,” Keita says. “I don’t know your name. I do know you should be grateful for the alaki presence. Deka’s especially. She’s one of the most effective deathshriek killers there is, prized by the emperor himself, which is why she was given her mount, the first of its kind – personally developed by the Lady of the Equus.” He thoughtfully taps his lips. “Are you saying that the emperor is wrong?”

“Wait, I don’t think that’s what he’s saying at all,” Kweku muses, entering the conversation. “I think he’s saying both the emperor and the priests are wrong, because they’re the ones who decreed that the alaki come with us.”

“Also the Lady of the Equus,” Li adds. “He’s insulting her hard work. She personally bred Ixa, you know…”

Baxo’s eyes are as wide as saucers now, and he turns from one to the other. “No, no, you’re mistaken. I wasn’t saying any of those things at all.”

“Strange.” Keita frowns. “I could have sworn you were. All of you, that is. In fact, I could have sworn that’s why you all gathered here and made sure the alaki gathered there.” He points to the muddy side of the lake.

“No, no, that’s not it at all!” Baxo shakes his head quickly. “We were just leaving, weren’t we?”

The other men nod.

“C’mon, then,” Baxo urges.

He and the other men scurry away.

Once they’re gone, Keita smiles at me. “I know you had it handled, but you’re always saving me, Deka. I thought I’d return the favour at least once, even though you’d already done most of the work yourself.”

“So you’re the hero,” I tease, amused despite myself.

“No, you’re the hero,” he corrects. “But every once in a while, the horned lizard shows his stripes.” As I grin at this reminder of our first truly friendly conversation, he motions his head. “Come on, the rest of us are gathering water over there.”

He points to the glistening portion of the lake, where the alaki are now gathering, their uruni by their side. They are partners, after all. And Keita and I… Well, Keita and I are something else altogether. Something that almost feels like…sweethearts.

“This hateful desert,” Britta groans, squinting against the sun.

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