In the Shadow of the Goddess (Book 1 of The Fallen Gods Trilogy)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Rafe's paranoia ran deep and kept them off the main roads whenever alternates were available. They spent the rest of the night traveling down animal trails and through barely manageable underbrush. Jill's body ached with every stumble of the horse. Brexten was so tall, she couldn't see over his shoulder, leaving her sick to her stomach—the horseback equivalent to car-sickness. Exhaustion numbed her too. It was all she could do to keep her legs wrapped around the horse. She marveled at Brexten's staying power; if he felt the same weariness, it didn't show.

After their next break, Brexten had her ride in front. Again came the body-consciousness, making her keenly aware of his arms around her as he took up the reins. Worse, the motion of the horse kept jerking her back into his chest.

Eventually he held her still with an arm about her waist. "It will be more comfortable for both of us if you stop moving."

"Oh, right."

She forced herself to lean against him and once settled, it was impossible to move. His body curved around hers and her head rested on his shoulder. At one point, she woke to find her forehead pressed against his throat and her face half buried in his jacket.

"Sorry," she muttered and tried to ease away, only to find herself asleep and in the same position moments later.

His chest shook with soft laughter. "Stay there. You're keeping me warm. If you drool on me, I'll be a gentleman and pretend not to notice."

They reached Shaar at midmorning.

Cresting a hill, they looked down at the city. It sprawled out aimlessly along the shoreline of Myriette's Bay, named for the woman who had drowned herself there centuries ago. For love, Brexten said.

It was a city of red- gray brick walls and shining silver towers. Brexten explained the tower stones had been treated with a reflective coating to keep them that way. It was ridiculously expensive and a nightmare to upkeep, but the city was famous for its towers so the coating stayed. So far as Jill could see, five different attempts had been made to wall Shaar. Each time the city grew outside its boundaries, a new wall was constructed. Yet even the fifth was unsuccessful at containing the growth—the beginnings of a sixth were visible.

Directly through the heart of the city flowed a river and when the sunlight hit, its waters sparkled like diamonds. Towers crowded its shoreline, reaching up to the sky and shadowing the smaller buildings. An extensive harbor had been built around the bay. Ships of numerous size and shape boasting flags of every color filled the inlet.

Even so far away, she could see the city was alive with furious activity as people bustled about its walls. It was unlike any place she'd seen so far in this world and its breadth amazed her. She looked over her shoulder at Brexten and saw a grin stretched across his face.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," she whispered.

"Welcome to Shaar: the jewel of Dolmar."

Rafe broke in with, "The main gate's guarded by the local militia. Nothing complicated, but they're employed by Nikolos. He'll have augmented them with mongrel Shey, but with the fair going on, the city's a sieve. We'll break into smaller groups and pass through at different intervals. That will attract less attention."

He looked back and frowned as if surveying the lot of them and finding them all lacking. Jill followed his gaze. They were all filthy and exhausted, resembling thieves and cutthroats rather than innocent citizens. Even Brexten looked like he'd mug an old lady and steal her purse without a second's thought. It made Jill all the more aware of how filthy she was. The days she'd spent with little more than quick splashes of cold stream water had taken their toll.