Shadows of Avarice - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 27

When Xia regained consciousness again, he felt something cool and wet against his forehead. Without opening his eyes, Xia touched the object on his head to find a washcloth. The cooling sensation was pleasant, and Xia would have stayed there if he could, but he needed to open his eyes. When he did, a sudden headache overcame him. His head was throbbing, and his body felt sore. Moving would make this feeling worse.

"Careful. You have a fever, so you need to rest," a voice beside him said.

Xia glanced over to see that it was the young girl who ran up to assist him. She was stirring something in a bowl, but Xia didn't know what it was. Whatever the concoction was, it smelled minty. He glanced around the rest of the tent, only to see that it was just the two of them inside. Her family must have been waiting outside or preparing to leave. It was daylight out now, so they couldn't stay in the hot desert for too long.

The girl finished stirring and then brought the bowl to Xia's lips. "Here. This will help you feel better. It won't cure your fever, but it should help until we reach Rasea."

He nodded, then accepted the liquid without question. He couldn't think straight, but he didn't believe she was trying to poison him or anything. If this family wanted to hurt him then they could have done something to him while he was passed out. Instead, they took care of him when they didn't have to. They didn't seem to be commoners, but traders from what Xia could tell. If they were crossing the desert, then they must have been returning from trading with one of the other kingdoms. If that were the case, then they were wealthy merchants. They wouldn't be helping Xia because they wanted money.

Once Xia was done with the bowl, the girl put it down. She looked at him, taking in all his features. She bit her lip, then asked, "Why did bandits kidnap you? I may be crossing the line, but . . . was it because you're not human? I heard rumors that elves are often sold on the black market . . ."

That wasn't quite the reason why he was kidnapped, but that's where he was going to end up if he didn't escape. It wasn't like Xia could tell her why. He didn't want to reveal that he was Osiris' fiancé. He didn't know how outsiders would react to such news. Some people would be glad to help someone so important, but there were plenty of people who didn't like the sultan. He didn't know where this family stood when it came to their loyalty.

He was vague as he answered, "It doesn't have to do with my race. Let's just say they did it to get back at my husband."

It wasn't a complete lie, but Xia felt odd referring to Osiris as his husband. They were engaged, but not married yet. He didn't want to say that the sultan was his fiancé. He didn't know if that would reveal too much information or not. He didn't know these people, so he didn't want to reveal his identity to them. Or more like his fake identity. He was grateful for their help, but that was all.

The girl blushed after Xia's words. She looked nervous as she grabbed a strand of her long black hair and glanced away. Shyly, she commented, "Oh, um, I didn't realize that you're . . . gay. I should have guessed that after learning that you're a crossdresser."

It was Xia's turn to blush this time. He glanced down at his attire, but nothing seemed to be out of place. His dress was torn, but not enough to be revealing. Perhaps the makeup had come off. He had been traveling in a hot desert, after all. The sweat could have washed it away.

She quickly added when she realized that he was flustered, "I-I'm sorry, that was rude of me. You're very pretty, it's hard to tell that you're a man. I never would have known if I didn't . . . see. Your dress is torn up, so I thought that I would change you into something more comfortable. But when I saw that you're a man, I panicked. I didn't tell my family, so your secret is safe with me. I am so sorry for invading your privacy."

The girl sounded genuine, but she struggled to look at Xia's face. Learning that she found out he's a man without meaning to embarrassed him. She saw something she shouldn't and she seemed uncomfortable admitting that to him. An awkward silence fell between them.

Xia wanted to change the subject. "Um, well, thanks for helping me. I'm Xia, by the way. What's your name?"

"Oh! It's Dariya. It's a pleasure to meet you officially, Xia. It's been a while since my family has been to Rasea. How is everything there? We're returning from the Eastern Empire, after being there for a month," the girl, Dariya, explained.

He wasn't sure how to respond to her question about Rasea. The kingdom stayed mostly the same, besides the sultan's engagement. Even if he mentioned this detail, it wasn't as though Dariya would put the pieces together. After all, Xia already mentioned that he had a husband. She wouldn't suspect it was him. Not unless they heard rumors about the sultan's bride being missing upon reaching the kingdom.

Xia shrugged. Either way, they would find out eventually. Xia would just stay silent about himself until they reached Rasea. Vaguely, he answered, "Besides the sultan being engaged, not much has changed."

Her eyes widened upon hearing that bit of information. "I thought he would never marry again after losing his previous wife. I heard that he truly loved her, more than anything. But it is good to know that he finally moved on."

Why did hearing those words bother him? Xia always knew that Osiris loved his previous wife. This wasn't news to him, so why did it make his chest hurt? He shouldn't be jealous of someone who was a part of the sultan's past. He wasn't in love with him.

Before Xia could respond, Dariya's mother entered the tent. When she saw Xia awake, she gave him a gentle smile. "Good morning, dear. I realize you have a fever, but we do need to get going. It's not safe for us to linger too long in the desert heat. We should be reaching Rasea by the end of today."

It was a relief to know they would reach the kingdom so soon. His head was still pounding, but the medicine Dariya gave him did help. He nodded, ready to get out of this desert. Dariya helped him to his feet, making sure that Xia stayed steady. Standing up did make his headache worse, but he could handle it. This was nothing compared to how he felt yesterday. If he never found this family, there was a good chance Xia would have died out there.

Once all the tents and supplies were packed, it was finally time to leave the desert behind them.