find everything packed and ready to go, with Bran tightening the straps on her saddle. “I was wondering,” she asked tentatively. “What if the Kalorians aren’t there? What will you do?”
He glanced her way, then continued with his task. “I’ll help you look for them until we find them.” He turned his full attention on her. “Are you worried that I won’t keep my end of the bargain?”
“No,” she stepped back. “I just want to make it clear that I’m not stopping until I find them, whether you’re with me or not.”
“I’m not your jailor,” Bran said, pursing his lips. “I released you from that, remember?”
She flushed, realizing she had just insulted him. After everything he’d done for her, she still had trouble trusting him. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I just needed you to know.”
He stopped what he was doing and caught her gaze. “I know that you’ve been living in hell for the last ten years, so I’ll try not to be offended. I just hope you won’t let that experience cloud your judgment of me. Not everyone is bad.”
“I’m sorry.” Teya glanced at her boots in embarrassment. “I didn’t mean that you were. You’ve more than proven yourself. It’s just that I’m new at this, and I don’t know the rules.”
Bran lifted her chin until she met his gaze. “Rule number one, you can trust me. Rule number two, I’m not going anywhere until we find the Kalorians. Now, let’s get going.”
This coaxed a smile out of her, and she nodded. Bran helped her mount up and hope lightened her mood. The clear blue sky soared overhead, and it seemed warmer than it should at this elevation, but Teya didn’t complain. She was free.
Feeling the pull toward her people, she led the way with Bran riding beside her. Curious about him and his country, she decided to ask a few questions of her own. “What’s it like in Braemar?”
A smile lit his eyes. “It’s very different from here. We have a lot of things that you don’t have.”
“Like what?”
“Motorbikes. If we had one of those, we would have found your people yesterday.” At her puzzled frown he continued. “They’re machines that can take you anywhere you want to go. They have two wheels, and the front wheel has a handlebar on it that you can turn to guide it. You sit in the middle like on a horse.”
“How do you keep from tipping over?”
He shrugged. “You learn. It has a gear mechanism that turns the wheels, and it runs on halo crystals, so it can go for miles.” His brow tilted at a rakish angle. “And they’re very fast.”
Teya couldn’t comprehend such a thing. “How do the crystals make it work?”
“They contain energy.” At her puzzlement, he continued. “The energy turns the gears.”
“I’m not sure I understand, but I can tell you love them.”
He smiled. “Yes.” Then with heartfelt excitement he said. “Someday I’ll have to take you for a ride.”
She couldn’t help the lurch of her heart, nor his contagious enthusiasm. “I’d like that. When was the first time you ever rode one?”
Bran regaled her with several stories, some of them downright hilarious. It was so easy to talk to him. He was different. He didn’t look at her like she was a freak. She almost envied the freedom he’d had growing up, knowing it was nothing like the last ten years of her life. But it was nice to carry on a normal conversation, and her laugher at his escapades surprised her. She hadn’t laughed for years.
A little while later she noticed the beginning of a change in the countryside, and worry tightened her stomach. Here, the grass had turned brown from lack of water, and in many places, nothing grew out of the dry and dusty ground.
“It looks like this area has had a dry spell,” Bran said.
“It feels wrong, but I know this is the right way.” Every time she thought about changing direction, she was pulled back to this course. Foreboding entered her heart and she shivered. They
He glanced her way, then continued with his task. “I’ll help you look for them until we find them.” He turned his full attention on her. “Are you worried that I won’t keep my end of the bargain?”
“No,” she stepped back. “I just want to make it clear that I’m not stopping until I find them, whether you’re with me or not.”
“I’m not your jailor,” Bran said, pursing his lips. “I released you from that, remember?”
She flushed, realizing she had just insulted him. After everything he’d done for her, she still had trouble trusting him. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I just needed you to know.”
He stopped what he was doing and caught her gaze. “I know that you’ve been living in hell for the last ten years, so I’ll try not to be offended. I just hope you won’t let that experience cloud your judgment of me. Not everyone is bad.”
“I’m sorry.” Teya glanced at her boots in embarrassment. “I didn’t mean that you were. You’ve more than proven yourself. It’s just that I’m new at this, and I don’t know the rules.”
Bran lifted her chin until she met his gaze. “Rule number one, you can trust me. Rule number two, I’m not going anywhere until we find the Kalorians. Now, let’s get going.”
This coaxed a smile out of her, and she nodded. Bran helped her mount up and hope lightened her mood. The clear blue sky soared overhead, and it seemed warmer than it should at this elevation, but Teya didn’t complain. She was free.
Feeling the pull toward her people, she led the way with Bran riding beside her. Curious about him and his country, she decided to ask a few questions of her own. “What’s it like in Braemar?”
A smile lit his eyes. “It’s very different from here. We have a lot of things that you don’t have.”
“Like what?”
“Motorbikes. If we had one of those, we would have found your people yesterday.” At her puzzled frown he continued. “They’re machines that can take you anywhere you want to go. They have two wheels, and the front wheel has a handlebar on it that you can turn to guide it. You sit in the middle like on a horse.”
“How do you keep from tipping over?”
He shrugged. “You learn. It has a gear mechanism that turns the wheels, and it runs on halo crystals, so it can go for miles.” His brow tilted at a rakish angle. “And they’re very fast.”
Teya couldn’t comprehend such a thing. “How do the crystals make it work?”
“They contain energy.” At her puzzlement, he continued. “The energy turns the gears.”
“I’m not sure I understand, but I can tell you love them.”
He smiled. “Yes.” Then with heartfelt excitement he said. “Someday I’ll have to take you for a ride.”
She couldn’t help the lurch of her heart, nor his contagious enthusiasm. “I’d like that. When was the first time you ever rode one?”
Bran regaled her with several stories, some of them downright hilarious. It was so easy to talk to him. He was different. He didn’t look at her like she was a freak. She almost envied the freedom he’d had growing up, knowing it was nothing like the last ten years of her life. But it was nice to carry on a normal conversation, and her laugher at his escapades surprised her. She hadn’t laughed for years.
A little while later she noticed the beginning of a change in the countryside, and worry tightened her stomach. Here, the grass had turned brown from lack of water, and in many places, nothing grew out of the dry and dusty ground.
“It looks like this area has had a dry spell,” Bran said.
“It feels wrong, but I know this is the right way.” Every time she thought about changing direction, she was pulled back to this course. Foreboding entered her heart and she shivered. They
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