Red Hood's Revenge

Jhukha herself. “You were always a lousy liar.”
    Faziya finished the meat and took another drink, then settled back down against Talia. Talia brushed the hair from her face. Faziya still felt cold. Talia pulled the blanket over them both.
    “You could help me get dressed,” Faziya pointed out.
    Talia smiled. “I could.”
    “Mm.” Faziya closed her eyes.
    Talia’s back was bruised from the rocks, and Faziya’s weight was already starting to numb her right leg. Her shoulder was cramped, and her stomach growled. She hadn’t thought to ask Danielle for any food for herself.
    She couldn’t recall the last time she had felt so content.

CHAPTER 17

    D ANIELLE WAS TALKING TO ARMAND and Jakob through the mirror on her bracelet when Talia and Faziya finally emerged from the cave. Danielle kissed the mirror and rose to greet them. “Faziya wanted me to thank you,” Talia said.
    Faziya was pale and looked as though she would collapse without Talia’s support. Her lips had no color, and she flinched against the sun. But she was alive. Danielle smiled. “You’re welcome.”
    “About time you got up,” Roudette said from the shade of the rocks. She bit into a strip of smoked goat meat, eating half in a single bite. Still chewing, she asked, “Did your friend tell us where we could find Zestan?”
    “She doesn’t know.” Talia frowned and looked over at the horses, which were munching on a small, twisted tree. “What did you do with them last night?”
    “I sent them away,” said Danielle. “We hid the saddles and supplies. I told the horses to run and enjoy themselves and asked if they’d come back today to help us. Wild horses roaming the desert shouldn’t draw attention, right?”
    Talia led Faziya to a spot in the sand by the rocks. The way she held Faziya’s arm reminded Danielle of a lord escorting his lady at a ball. The sun was still low, providing plenty of shade. Talia waited until Faziya was comfortable before turning to answer Roudette. “If Zestan is deev, then we’ll need the help of those trained from birth to hunt and destroy the deev.”
    Roudette stood up and shook the sand from her cape. “You mean to find the Kha’iida? You realize that puts us back into the Wild Hunt’s path. Having failed to catch us, Zestan will probably order them to resume hunting the Kha’iida.”
    “No doubt,” said Talia.
    Roudette bared her teeth. “When do we leave?”
    Talia pointed east. “Faziya says her tribe should be at hai’ir tel this time of year.”
    “Hai’ir tel?” Danielle asked.
    “The Valley of God’s Tears,” said Talia. “An oasis, about halfway between Jahrasima and the Makras River. Two days on horseback.” She glanced at Faziya. “Possibly longer.”
    Snow pursed her lips. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to be on horseback so soon.”
    “Would you rather wait around until we run out of food and water?” asked Roudette. “Or until the Hunt finds us?”
    Rarely had Danielle seen Talia so indecisive. Talia glanced at Faziya, whispering something in Arathean. Whatever Faziya said in response, it made Snow roll her eyes and walk away.
    “She’s as stubborn as Talia,” Snow complained. “She insists she’s well enough to travel.”
    “Healers make the worst patients, don’t they?” Danielle teased, earning a mock glare from Snow. Danielle’s face turned serious. “Waiting is too dangerous. I’ll tell her mount to be as gentle as possible.”
    Talia nodded. “She can ride with me.”
    “Of course.” Danielle helped gather the rest of their supplies into the saddlebags and packs, shifting as much weight as she could from Talia’s horse to make up for carrying two riders.
    Once everything was ready, Danielle sat down and tried to figure out what to do with the sheffeyah. She tried to remember how Talia had wrapped it for her the day before. She knew it wrapped three times, and the second loop protected the neck and lower part of the face, but she couldn’t get it to stay in place.
    Eventually, Talia took pity on her. “Don’t start with the center of the scarf. Start midway between the center and the end, and wrap the long side.” She moved to Snow, reaching out to help her next, but Snow shoved her hand away.
    Roudette had already changed into her wolf form. Danielle checked the cave one last time to make sure they had left as little evidence of their camp as possible. Normally Talia would have done this, but she was understandably