Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Twenty Nine ~

Amir had sent Rashid back to the palace since the rest of their party had perished. They would return for Khalar's body since Sanaa's carriage had been destroyed and they couldn't travel with a dead body in the heat. Sanaa had wanted Amir to mist him the way he'd done for Miri and the guards, but Amir knew they owed Khalar the proper funeral rites of an Alamuhim, the sect to which he'd devoted his life. Amir constructed a cairn for him while Sanaa ransacked what remained of the carriage and the tents for something suitable to wear. From an assortment of bags and her own belongings that hadn't been completely torched, she pieced together an outfit much like Amir's, with considerably fewer weapons.

"We'll find you some better clothes when we get to Bel-Banoor." The large port city that served as the gateway between Northern and Southern Ahkalthia. It was another days ride through the mountain and since there was only one other horse beside Kage and Sanaa couldn't ride anyway, she would ride with Amir.

As the pair packed their meagre belongings together and cleared away anything they could that was left behind, a hawk circled above before settling on a rock just by them. Sanaa didn't notice it at first, but when she stood stroking Kage's mane as Amir misted their burnt belongings, she felt its eyes watching her. Intensely so. The bird didn't move, its stillness almost preternatural before its head twitched to the side before it took off.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?" Amir asked, coming up beside her and placing his hands around her waist.

"The bird..." her voice trailed off as the feeling of Amir's hands on her again left her unable to concentrate. He turned to look behind him, but the hawk was gone. Amir turned back to her, confused but she only smiled back. "It was nothing."

Sanaa raised on her tip tops to bring her lips to his, "I still can't believe I can do that," she said, looking up at him, her arms now around his neck. Amir smirked, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

"Do what?"

"Touch you, kiss you whenever I want." Her words were soft, like a confession, and Amir's face sobered as he nodded and lowered his head to kiss her once more.

"I know the feeling," he murmured against her mouth. They stayed like that for the moment, just breathing each other in when Sanaa felt herself slowly lifted into the air. She giggled as Amir used his power to place her on Kage's back. He climbed up behind her moments later, took hold of the reins and, with a quick kiss to her temple, took off into the desert.

~~~

While dawn wasn't far off, neither of them were tired and so they travelled through the early hours of the morning. They planned to ride until Bel-Banoor, find more provisions, get some rest, then find further passage to Northern Cotai. Rashid would return with news of their searching for the new seer alone, but the fact they would not be returning at all would not be discovered for a while. Amir was reluctant to declare who he was to anyone they might encounter so Sanaa was thankful they'd had enough from their belongings and those of the warriors Amir had killed, so they wouldn't have to use his title to survive. Once Ghassan learned they had run away, he could use knowledge of where they'd been to track them across the country. It was safer, Amir said to Sanaa, that they keep their identities hidden.

As the first light of dawn painted the desert landscape with delicate shades of pink and gold, Sanaa slowly grew accustomed to the rhythmic sway of the powerful animal beneath her. Amir had kept them at an easy pace so not to distress her or Kage, but it didn't stop her heart from racing as they went. Not simply from the exhilaration of their freedom from Ghassan and the narrow escape from the attackers, but from the solid presence of the man behind her. Amir's closeness was intoxicating as she remained acutely aware of his muscular frame against her back, the warmth of his breath brushing her ear when he spoke, and the subtle scent of him. A playful smile curled onto Amir's lips as he leaned in close to Sanaa's ear and kissed it, his words carrying a hint of flirtatiousness.