lit a match and set the spools on fire.
“Don’t!” I cried.
Edan blocked me with his arm. “What makes their silk so special is that fire cannot consume it,” he reminded me. “It can’t be frozen, either, for that matter.”
With a triumphant grin, he blew out the fire and held out the spider silk to me. “Behold, Master Tailor, the first step to conquering your quest and taming the sun and moon.”
Mesmerized by the glistening silken threads, and the possibility that my task wasn’t so impossible after all, I hugged him without thinking. “Thank you!”
Edan quickly peeled my arms off. Pink tinged his cheeks, and he wore a frown.
“Sorry,” I said, backing away.
“I’m not one of your brothers,” he reminded me tersely, “and I’m not your friend.” He sounded like he was trying to scold me but couldn’t quite muster enough edge in his tone. “I’m here to make sure you don’t get killed.”
I swallowed. “It won’t happen again.”
We rode in silence for the rest of the day, but I didn’t mind. In spite of the brutal sun, I was in good spirits. Finally, I could do something other than sketching while riding Milk—I could knit!
Eagerly, I took out a needle and cast on the first row of stitches. Knitting gloves was tricky, for if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up with holes between the fingers. So I took my time, starting with a rib pattern for the cuffs, then crossing stitches at the finger splits to reduce holes. I was so absorbed in my work I didn’t even notice the lone tree ahead until Edan’s camel stopped in front of it.
Anywhere else, a tree might not have been so exciting, but in the middle of the Halakmarat, the sight of one was enough to make me fall off my camel.
The tree was gnarled and spiky, with empty branches that reached like claws into the vast, cloudless sky. Surrounding it were parched, sickly shrubs and rocks that bulged from the ground like bones of the earth.
To my endless disappointment, I found not a drop of water by its roots.
Edan tied our camels to the tree. “Set up your tent,” he said, brushing his forehead. “Tomorrow will be a long day. We’ll head east to the heart of the desert. That’s where we’ll capture the sun.”
Obediently, I staked my walking stick into the ground and unfolded my tent over it. But when Edan wasn’t looking, I stole a glance at him.
His cheeks were red, and sweat glistened on his brow. No, it couldn’t be—he’d said he couldn’t feel heat…unless it was extreme. He’d been fine this afternoon during the brunt of the day. Now the sun was setting, the air finally cooling down…yet he didn’t look at all like his tireless self.
What was happening to Edan?
CHAPTER TWENTY
A hawk’s cry tore into my dreams. I bolted up, my head brushing the flap of my tent. It was difficult to hear anything over the howling of the wind, but then the hawk cried again. Louder. It didn’t sound far.
“Edan!” I called, kicking off my blanket.
No answer.
I poked my head out of the tent. The moon shone bright against the black, starless sky. There was no sign of my traveling companion, but the hawk had plunged into one of Edan’s saddlebags. Now it flew away with a bright red pouch in its beak.
I started chasing after it, but the camels caught my attention. They pulled against their ropes, hooves kicking up sand. They were trying to flee, but from what?
I stilled. There was no sandstorm. And I didn’t hear any horses. Horses were afraid of camels, not the other way around.
Bandits? No—
I squinted, picking out a pack of moving shadows in the distance. My chest tightened.
Wolves.
They were close. I’d mistaken their howls for the wind. Demon’s breath, no wonder the camels were jittery! I staggered back, their screams drowning the thump of my racing heart.
My hands trembled as I dug through Edan’s trunks and satchel. Books, papers, pens, and more books. Amulets that were of no use to me. Did he not bring any weapons?
There! A dagger. I pulled it out but couldn’t get it free of the sheath.
No, no, no.
Tried again. Still wouldn’t budge.
Blood rushed to my ears. In desperation, I ran back into my tent and rummaged through my things. Silk, satin, linen. I couldn’t throw my blanket over a pack of wolves, or toss needles at them.
Then I saw my scissors.
I bit my lip. Edan was sure to scold