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If you don’t show people what they’re missing, they’ll believe what you tell them—our leader’s motto.

“You can’t carry me,” I said.

The monitors zipped in close as if sensing a burgeoning tense moment. I wanted to swat them away, but I had a feeling that would not go over well with the Universal Council

“Of course I can,” Adone said.

“I’ll walk.”

“It is too much for you.”

He had that right. “I’m a soggy mess already, and you’re not even sweating.”

“Which is why I offered to carry you.”

I started moving. “I can walk.”

“But I can run.”

“In this heat?” I released a low chuckle. “And in the sand? You’d be worn out within minutes.”

He galloped up to me and with a soft laugh, scooped me up in his arms. He bolted across the sand, each of his strides as long as three of my own.

A monitor flew on either side of us, keeping pace.

“Put me down, Adone,” I hissed. “I can do this.”

“Allow me to carry you for a few ticks.”

“What’s a tick? I get the feeling you don’t mean the little black bug that sucks your blood and gives you a disease.”

“A tick is a short span of time.”

Like a minute or a few seconds.

He was making so much progress while I contemplated ways of making him put me down that I decided to give into him on this.

“All right. You can carry me for a few ticks.”

He only needed to use one arm to hold me; he scooped me up along my spine with his big, meaty hand latching onto my thigh. This kept his other arm free to . . . I wasn’t sure what.

“Are there snakes or other creatures in this desert?” I asked, my hands braced on his chest. I wasn’t sure where or how to hold on, and despite feeling leery about his not-poisonous scales, they felt good under my palms. Soft and pliable, though stiffer at the points.

“I haven’t seen signs of predators yet,” he said.

A neutral answer. I studied the ground as he ran, but it was a blur of blue sand that sparkled in the sunlight. Some might even call it pretty in a desolate way.

“You can put me down now,” I said.

Adone kept running.

“Adone.”

He sighed, though his pace didn’t slow. “Allow me to carry you for a few more ticks.”

“You’ve already carried me for many ticks.” I guessed about a half an hour. The sun hung overhead, suggesting midday, but I didn’t know how long daylight lasted here. I guess I’d find out. “I can jog.” Walk, actually. I wouldn’t hold out for long at a jog in this heat.

“A few more ticks.”