recalling Tiana’s earlier promise— Tonight . He stared unblinkingly at the entrance of his tent—and waited.
But Xerx’s outburst continued to resonate. Why had he kissed Tiana? It was as though he temporarily had lost control of his body. Was it because their first kiss, the night of his first Atlantis sunset , had been the greatest moment of his life?
He heard the deep rumbling of Wolfrick’s snoring from the adjacent tent. Why isn’t she coming? Did she lie to me? Cody sighed in disappointment and rolled over. I should have known. Maybe Xerx was right.
A cool chill washed over him, tickling the hair on his arms. He sat up. “Illumchanta.” The faint light filled the tent, steaming around Tiana like an eclipse. She looked angelic. “I thought you weren’t…”
“ Shhhh …” Tiana cooed, crawling toward him. “We have more important things to… think about .” Without warning she pressed her lips against his. She inched closer, backing him against the edge of the tent.
Breaking the kiss, Tiana smiled. “Did that one feel… really good ?” she purred.
Cody’s heart beat in a wild frenzy. “Ti…I thought we were going to talk about…” His words were muffled by another passionate assault. Cody felt the warmth of Tiana’s body next to his.
“Stop!” Cody shouted, shoving her away. “What are you doing?!”
Tiana’s face hardened. “What’s wrong with you?! I thought this is what you wanted.”
Cody bundled his blanket around himself as a barrier. “I wanted to talk . This isn’t talking. It’s wrong…”
Tiana pursed her ruby lips and ran her fingers through her thick hair. “Are you telling me…you didn’t like that?” She crawled toward him again, but Cody forced her back with his legs.
“ Stop! Yes, it felt amazing . I think you’re absolutely beautiful. When we kiss I can’t even think straight…” Cody stammered, speaking faster than his ability to pronounce the words, “but that’s not the point. Obviously, I care about you; but I want to go back to how it was before the ambush; before everything became so complicated. What you’re doing tonight isn’t right.”
“What I’m doing isn’t right?” Tiana spat. “Don’t you dare blame me . It wasn’t me who started smooching you at the water well!” Her cheeks were scarlet. “Why can’t you understand? Things can’t go back. Never…”
Cody found himself smiling. “If you really believe that then why are you here?”
Tiana turned and left without answering.
“Go to bed,” Tat issued flatly. Cody froze his silent approach toward Tat who was keeping watch outside the tents. When it was clear Cody wasn’t leaving, Tat finally shrugged. “Oh, very well . Have a seat if you must.” Cody found a rock beside Tat and joined him in staring into the darkness. For the next several minutes neither spoke. The silence was soothing.
“Is it true?” Cody asked quietly. “What Chazic said today; about your real mission to find your wife?”
A small smirk came across Tat’s face. “I suppose it is.” He pulled an arrow from his quiver and began twirling it through his fingers. “You of all people should understand—when that piercing sting of love exposes everything else as dull and colorless….”
“What was she like? I mean…”
Tat laughed. “What is she like?” he corrected. “She’s the most beautiful woman alive, Upper-Earth or Under-Earth alike. Her eyes are glittering gems and her laughter could light the darkness to Atlantis and back…my precious Rali. I don’t deserve her. I never have,” he chuckled. “When I asked her to marry me, I felt so unworthy. I saved my earning for three years to buy her a bracelet with a heart-shaped pendant. To the Inner-City folk it would be a cheap trinket, but for me it represented everything I had to offer.”
“Did she like it?” Cody asked.
Tat shook his head. “She couldn’t stand the thing! Oh, she never said it, but I could tell by the
But Xerx’s outburst continued to resonate. Why had he kissed Tiana? It was as though he temporarily had lost control of his body. Was it because their first kiss, the night of his first Atlantis sunset , had been the greatest moment of his life?
He heard the deep rumbling of Wolfrick’s snoring from the adjacent tent. Why isn’t she coming? Did she lie to me? Cody sighed in disappointment and rolled over. I should have known. Maybe Xerx was right.
A cool chill washed over him, tickling the hair on his arms. He sat up. “Illumchanta.” The faint light filled the tent, steaming around Tiana like an eclipse. She looked angelic. “I thought you weren’t…”
“ Shhhh …” Tiana cooed, crawling toward him. “We have more important things to… think about .” Without warning she pressed her lips against his. She inched closer, backing him against the edge of the tent.
Breaking the kiss, Tiana smiled. “Did that one feel… really good ?” she purred.
Cody’s heart beat in a wild frenzy. “Ti…I thought we were going to talk about…” His words were muffled by another passionate assault. Cody felt the warmth of Tiana’s body next to his.
“Stop!” Cody shouted, shoving her away. “What are you doing?!”
Tiana’s face hardened. “What’s wrong with you?! I thought this is what you wanted.”
Cody bundled his blanket around himself as a barrier. “I wanted to talk . This isn’t talking. It’s wrong…”
Tiana pursed her ruby lips and ran her fingers through her thick hair. “Are you telling me…you didn’t like that?” She crawled toward him again, but Cody forced her back with his legs.
“ Stop! Yes, it felt amazing . I think you’re absolutely beautiful. When we kiss I can’t even think straight…” Cody stammered, speaking faster than his ability to pronounce the words, “but that’s not the point. Obviously, I care about you; but I want to go back to how it was before the ambush; before everything became so complicated. What you’re doing tonight isn’t right.”
“What I’m doing isn’t right?” Tiana spat. “Don’t you dare blame me . It wasn’t me who started smooching you at the water well!” Her cheeks were scarlet. “Why can’t you understand? Things can’t go back. Never…”
Cody found himself smiling. “If you really believe that then why are you here?”
Tiana turned and left without answering.
“Go to bed,” Tat issued flatly. Cody froze his silent approach toward Tat who was keeping watch outside the tents. When it was clear Cody wasn’t leaving, Tat finally shrugged. “Oh, very well . Have a seat if you must.” Cody found a rock beside Tat and joined him in staring into the darkness. For the next several minutes neither spoke. The silence was soothing.
“Is it true?” Cody asked quietly. “What Chazic said today; about your real mission to find your wife?”
A small smirk came across Tat’s face. “I suppose it is.” He pulled an arrow from his quiver and began twirling it through his fingers. “You of all people should understand—when that piercing sting of love exposes everything else as dull and colorless….”
“What was she like? I mean…”
Tat laughed. “What is she like?” he corrected. “She’s the most beautiful woman alive, Upper-Earth or Under-Earth alike. Her eyes are glittering gems and her laughter could light the darkness to Atlantis and back…my precious Rali. I don’t deserve her. I never have,” he chuckled. “When I asked her to marry me, I felt so unworthy. I saved my earning for three years to buy her a bracelet with a heart-shaped pendant. To the Inner-City folk it would be a cheap trinket, but for me it represented everything I had to offer.”
“Did she like it?” Cody asked.
Tat shook his head. “She couldn’t stand the thing! Oh, she never said it, but I could tell by the
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