Page 92 of Thief of Hearts

Another full day of travel and, again, no resting at night. We had been on the road for two whole days now.

The next morning, when we stopped for a break, I realized that Zain’s face had gone pale and his lips were cracked. Had they given him any water at all in the last two days?

They were going to kill him, and only I got to do that.

“I want my manservant in my cart with me,” I announced loudly. There was some muttering as the message was passed along. The leader came up to me.

“What is it you are demanding?”

“I want my manservant in the cart with me,” I repeated.

“That’s not appropriate. You are above him in station.”

Was I really supposed to believe that this man cared about class and station? It seemed to me that they just enjoyed torturing Zain.

Sadistic bastards.

I had to gulp down my pride and I did my best to look helpless. It wasn’t easy. “It’s just that I’m so frightened by all of this and I would feel so much better if he were with me.”

After a few moments, the leader said, “Fine. Throw him in there with her.”

Two of the men did just that—they untied Zain from the cart and threw him into the bed. His wrists were still tied together.

“Thank you,” he said to me, and then he passed out.

Despite my own thirst, when they next brought me water, I poured almost all of it into Zain’s mouth. He swallowed it but didn’t open his eyes. I also cupped some into my hand for Dagger, who greedily gulped it down.

The view never changed from the back of the cart. The Wastelands here were different than the ones near Sagaris. It was all flat sand as far as the eye could see. None of the brushes or rocks that they had farther south.

No oases as far as I could tell, either. I would’ve given anything for one, to be able to drink until I burst. My mouth tried to salivate at the thought but couldn’t.

I did my best to stay awake. I didn’t know what would happen to me if I was foolish enough to sleep, and I did not trust the Dracanians. Even if they had been hired to bring “Lia” to Epirius, they’d never specified what condition I had to be in when I arrived.

My eyelids had started to flutter shut despite my best efforts. Fortunately, a few seconds later someone called out, “Epirius ahead!”

That woke me up. Thank the goddess. Epirius had to have water.

It felt as if it took forever before we reached the city gates. Our caravan came to a halt and the leader walked around to the back of the cart and threw something at me. “Put this on.”

It was the silk dress Zain had bought me. A moment later a full waterskin was also thrown in. I grabbed at it but then turned to Zain, offering to help him drink it.

“You first,” he rasped.

I shook my head. “You need it more than I do.”

“They will be suspicious if a servant drinks before his queen.”

He was right. I uncorked the waterskin and took a drink. I had never tasted water so sweet and so perfect before. And it was cold! How had they managed that? I didn’t care.

Quenching my thirst after crossing that desert—it was one of the best things I’d ever experienced.

Worried that I would start cramping if I kept going, I then helped Zain to drink. He gulped it down quickly and I could see the color returning to his face.

“Some for Dagger,” he said before he had finished the waterskin off.

I cupped my hand again and gave the dog the rest. He seemed to perk up.

“They had water. Why didn’t they give us any?” I wondered, angry at their cruelty.