Read Online Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton - Free Book Online

liked him twice as much as the men in this town I’d known my whole life. And my life was what was at stake here. One way or another. “And you should take me with you.”
    â€œNo.” Jin’s answer came so quick, I knew he’d been expecting me to ask, maybe even before I’d decided to. He didn’t meet my eyes as he spoke next. “You saved my life and I’m returning the favor.”
    â€œI didn’t ask you to do that.” I tried to check the desperation in my voice. “I’m just asking you to get me out.”
    His eyes were fixed on mine, trapping me there. “You don’t even know where I’m going.”
    â€œI don’t care.” I caught myself leaning closer, too close when there was already nothing between us. “I just need help getting anywhere that’s not here. Somewhere with a train, or a decent road. Then we can call it quits and I can find my own way to Izman. There’s nothing for me here, any more than there is for you.”
    â€œAnd who says there’s anything for you out there?”
    The words stung. “There’s got to be more than here.” He laughed, and for that split second, I had the advantage. I took it. “Please.” I was as close to him as I could get without touching him. “Haven’t you ever wanted something so bad that it becomes more than a want? I
need
to get out of this town. I need it like I need to breathe.”
    His breath came out in one hard exhale. I saw his resolve teetering. I didn’t dare say another word in case I pushed it the wrong way.
    Then the bells started and the moment toppled. I looked round so fast, I near split my skull on the counter.
    â€œIsn’t it a bit early for evening prayers?” Jin said what I’d been thinking.
    â€œThose aren’t prayer bells.” My heart felt like it might’ve stopped, but I was still breathing. Listening long enough to be sure.
    â€œIf the army—”
    â€œIt’s not,” I interrupted. We didn’t ring bells for the army.
    â€œYou should—”
    â€œShut up.” I held up a hand to silence him. To listen. And sure enough, I knew that frantic ringing, though it’dbeen years since we’d heard it last. A few seconds later it was echoed by others. Bells on porches, from open windows. Iron clanging against iron. The sound sent shivers down my back. “It’s a hunt.”
    And then I was running for the door.

five
    I barreled out of the store full tilt and near knocked straight into Tamid.
    â€œI was coming to find you.” He was out of breath and resting heavily on his crutch. “You should go back inside.”
    â€œIs it—” I started.
    â€œA Buraqi.” He nodded. My heart jumped in excitement.
    A desert horse. A First Being made in the days before us mortal things, from sand and wind. That could run past the end of the world without tiring. And worth its weight in gold if you could catch one. Like hell I was going back inside.
    I squinted past the edge of town. Sure enough, I could see the cloud of dust and men getting closer, herding the thing in with iron bars. It must’ve sprung one of the old traps.
    â€œIt’ll be on account of the fire in Deadshot,” Tamid said in his preacher’s voice. “First Beings are fond of fire.”
    I saw a crooked nail sticking out of the porch and yanked it out. Used to be, folks in this desert made their whole living gathering the metals from the mountains and sending daughters out into the sands with iron gloves to trap and tame the Buraqi. To turn them from sand and wind to flesh and blood so that the men could take them into the cities to sell. Then the Sultan built the factory. The sand filled up with iron dust. Even the water tasted of it. Buraqi got scarcer, tents turned to houses, and horse traders turned into factory workers.
    Iron could hold First Beings. Or kill them, same as it