Windburn

Frowning, I stared over the water. “Why was he working with Keeda, then? That makes about as much sense. He doesn’t need anyone . . . yet he was about to set Keeda on the throne in the Pit. That has Cassava written all over it.”

The more I thought about it, the more sure I was that I was right. Cassava was pulling the strings on Blackbird . . . it made a twisted sort of sense. With him working for her, she would be able to attack anyone, control anyone with Spirit, and unlike her usage of the pink diamond, the only way to stop her from using him would be to kill him. Something I knew from experience was more than difficult. Not to mention he was a coward, the slippery little bastard.

“Lark, you have to look at his motivation,” Cactus said, pressing his case. “There is no reason for him to help her.”

“Unless they’re lovers, as we suspect,” Peta said. “That would be enough for him to work with her, to do as she wishes.”

A shudder ran through me. “If she got pregnant with his child, she’d have what she wanted. A second child who carries all five elements. Exactly as she and Requiem were planning.”

A snort escaped Cactus and I really looked at him. He wasn’t buying into the theory, I could see it in his eyes. “What?”

“Why . . . Lark, you need to start asking why. Why would she want your father?”

“How the hell should I know?” I snapped at him.

He stood and stared down at me, his words harsh. “You should know. You’re accusing her of treason, attempted regicide, and genocide.”

I shot to my feet. “Why aren’t you on my side?”

“I am!” he roared. “But you have to think. You can’t assume anymore. We aren’t children, and this isn’t a game of hide and seek. Lives are at stake. Yours. Mine. Peta’s. Your father’s.”

Incredulity whispered along the bond between Peta and me. I had to agree with her; I couldn’t believe Cactus would stand there and yell at me, telling me I needed a reason to believe Cassava was the bitch we all knew she was.

“I know that. Do you think I’m stupid?”

His whole body shivered. I knew because I knew him so well that he wanted to pace. But the size of the boat prevented much more than standing and sitting. “I think you have a one-track mind. You need to ask questions, Lark. You need to see the wider picture, because I don’t think this is about Cassava. It feels . . . like there is more at stake. This is about more players than a single woman who’s lost her mind.”

Peta jumped onto the wooden seat between us. “Wait, do you mean a premonition?”

He scrubbed his hands through his hair. “This doesn’t make sense. Cassava escaped with her life. Your father was going to hunt for her. Blackbird wanted Giselle. We’re going after a Tracker. What are the threads that tie it all together? If you can pluck those out, then we will know what we’re up against.”

Suddenly I understood what he was saying. The pieces of our lives were threads and they bound us to certain paths and people. And he was right, I could no longer assume Cassava was always at the center of the evil in my world.

I closed my eyes and let the rocking of the boat flow through me as I let the things he said sway through my mind.

Cassava. Blackbird. My father. Giselle. The Tracker.

They brushed against one another, slowly revolving until I saw the pattern and the pieces. There was only one that truly didn’t fit, and that was the Tracker. But the rest . . . the rest revealed themselves to me.

What I saw made my muscles clench and my stomach roll with dismay.

“If my father is dead, Vetch would rule, and Cassava would be able to come back to the Rim with Blackbird at her side as her new lover. Giselle would have been able to tell them how to do it, how they could accomplish the task.” The words slid out of me and my eyes widened. “Mother goddess. That’s it, isn’t it?”

A wry grin twisted over his lips. “I think I should piss you off more often.”

I reached to him and brushed my hand against his. “Cactus, you didn’t piss me off. Not really.”

His fingers wrapped around mine. “No? Then shouldn’t I get something for helping you? A gift?”

Peta snorted and turned her back. “Not while I’m in the boat, Prick.”

I gave him a wink. “Maybe later.” What was I saying? I turned away as heat curled up my neck to my face. I was not giving Cactus another reason to hang onto me. Pressing my hand to the smoky diamond around my neck, I breathed out. The wind picked up again, pushing us toward our destination.

Behind me, Peta and Cactus spoke as though I weren’t there.

“Stop pressing her to give up her heart. You heard what Giselle said, she is not meant for the yoke of marriage.”

Cactus laughed. “You don’t know much about Terraling partnerships, do you? Often we don’t marry. And as in the case of Lark’s father, if there is a marriage, it is more often than not rather . . . open. We follow our hearts wherever they lead and believe that is the nature of our people.”

“You would share her with Ash?”

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. We all knew I heard what they were saying, but I chose to pretend I couldn’t hear a word.

“No, I wouldn’t. I’m just saying things are not cut and dried when it comes to love and sex with Terralings. Salamanders, on the other hand, are jealous types. I suppose I have a bit of them too.”

A roll of satisfaction from Peta tipped me off. I cranked my head around. “Don’t you dare.”