tiny points twitched and a
light dusky rose color flushed her cheeks.
*.*.*
Tia loved the journey to the Kingdom
of the Sand. It had taken them until dusk to reach it. Her first
view had been of the huge clear, glittering dome set upon a high
rocky surface. As they skimmed across the sands, more details began
to emerge. She could see the shape of a huge castle built into the
center of the rock face. It was surrounded by large turrets on each
corner.
Tia pressed a hand to her chest as her
heart stuttered and stopped. She tried to draw in a deep breath but
couldn’t. The hand gripping Jett’s arm tightened in panic as she
feared her time had come to an end just when she was getting a
chance to experience her first true adventure. Jett’s arm squeezed
her and she felt his warm breath against her neck just as her heart
restarted sluggishly at first before picking up its uneven rhythm
again.
“ Welcome to Sandora,” Jett
whispered in her ear.
Tia nodded, unable to
speak for the lump in her throat. Instead, she squeezed his arm to
let him know she heard him. The light
skimmers sped down a long tunnel that opened up at their approach.
Tia looked over her shoulder trying to see but couldn’t because of
Jett’s larger frame.
“ The tunnel collapses
behind us so nothing else can come in behind us,” he explained with
an understanding smile. “Hang on,” he said.
He tightened his hold on her before
pushing down his feet on the accelerator, sending the skimmer
speeding through the tunnel until it burst through high above the
walls of the city below them. He shouted with joy as he flew in and
out of the narrow tubes that formed walkways between buildings. He
didn’t slow down until he reached the outer corridor leading into
the palace.
They swept through a long,
dark tunnel before coming out into a wide area filled with men,
women, and skimmers. Santil floated down beside them a moment later
with a huge grin on his face. Jett jumped off the skimmer, sweeping Tia up into his
arms.
Tia squealed in alarm before wrapping
her arms tightly around his neck. “I can walk,” she said
breathlessly even as she snuggled closer to his warm
body.
Jett smiled tenderly down at her and
shook his head, sending his long braids dancing around him in
waves. “I know but I like carrying you,” he teased. “I don’t ever
want to put you down.”
Tia rolled her big brown eyes at him.
“You would just tire yourself out,” she snorted but couldn’t quite
hide her amused smile.
“ I’d like to see that!”
Santil said coming up beside them and slapping Jett on the back of his head before
dancing away out of Jett’s reach. “His mother, father, sister, and
brothers have been trying to do that since the day he was
born!”
“ Like you are any better!”
Jett retorted with a playful snap of his teeth.
“ Jett!” A loud, deep voice
called out harshly.
Santil grimaced before raising his
hand and saluting Jett and Tia. “That is my signal to disappear. It
has been a pleasure to meet the one who could capture this
mongrel’s attention, my lady,” he said before disappearing between
two outer buildings.
Tia watched wide-eyed as a figure as
imposing as Jett’s walked down a set of steps towards them. The man
was dressed in a pair of dark brown pants with a black vest that
left much of his chest exposed. Around his waist he carried two
swords that swayed as he strode toward them. His hair was as long
as Jett’s and braided in long dark brown ropes that flowed
gracefully behind him as he walked.
“ Who is that?” She asked
in a hushed whisper, watching the huge male approach with a fierce
scowl upon his face.
“ My father,” Jett grinned.
“He only looks scary but he really isn’t.”
Tia ducked her head to hide her giggle
before she raised it to look at the man as he came to a stop in
front of them. “Who is this?” Roan asked looking at Tia with a
puzzled expression on his face. “Why is she green?”
Tia looked