"Femi," Heated lips whispered my name as hot arms enclosed around me. "Burn with me."
It was a command I couldn't disobey. Not like I had a choice, but I did burn. Gods, I burned with him.
The fire took us; skin and bone but it was different now. W...
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A pebble clacks off the stone next to me and my head whips to see a figure now in the open, crouching slowly, eyes on us.
One by one, bodies emerge from hidden crevices surrounding us in a crescent.
My heart is pounding hard but I don't let it show.
Breath in. Hold. Breath out.
"Do not run." My head whips to the owner of the voice. "You will only waste your body's water."
My attention is taken to the Fremen who inches closer, hand on their blade. My own hand twitches to my side, palming my blade and we make eye contact.
"Hold," the Fremen who spoke, says.
"Stilgar," Paul says suddenly.
The Fremen with his hand on the blade unsheathes it and I follow suit.
"Hey!" Paul shuffles on his feet to block me partly as he speak to the leader. "You know me. I was there when you came to my father's Council."
My brows furrow and I straighten, eyes glowing back to the voice. Stilgar.
Now that Paul had said it, memories of that day flash briefly.
I will respect you as I respect her.
His eyes rove over Paul then me then to Jessica and back. He briefly pauses, inclining his head slightly to me before his eyes go to Paul.
"This is the Duke's son," he announces.
"Why are you waiting?" The Fremen who unsheathed his blade asks. "We need their water."
"This is the boy I told you about." Stilgar says. "We can't touch him."
"How can he be the Lisan al-Gaib?" A woman asks and my attention moves to her. She catches my gaze and lifts a brow. "He hasn't proven himself."
"They are weaklings," the Fremen with the blade says.
"Jamis." Stilgar call not taking his eyes off Paul. "That was a brave crossing they made in the path of Shai-Hulud. He does not speak or act like a weakling nor did his father."
"My thumper saved his life," Jamis frowns. "Go back to reason, Stilgar, he's not The One."
"My name is Femi Monteclu," I say before I could think about it. "Daughter of Audrey Monteclu -"
"I know your blood, Child." Stilgar cuts me off.
"Right," I nod, "then you know I can be just as resourceful. You help us off-world, to Caladan, you will be well rewarded."
"What wealth can you offer beyond the water in your flesh?" He questions.
"The same she provided," I reply without missing a beat. My mother was Fremen born but she became apart of the Bene Gesserit order for a reason and the most obvious reason I could think of was power and information.
