Misplaced (61 page)

V
ictoria’
s
e
y
elid
s
gre
w
heav
y
w
atchin
g
th
e
star
s
tiptoe
acros
s
th
e
immens
e
sky
.
I
t
seeme
d
that
,
i
n
suc
h
stillness
,
the
earth no longer turned. Stranger
y
et, it no longer mattered.

I
n
th
e
distance
,
mo
v
emen
t
caugh
t
he
r
e
y
e
.
A
win
d
suddenly
kicke
d
u
p
fro
m
th
e
south
,
moanin
g
a
discordan
t
song
.
No
matte
r
ho
w
har
d
sh
e
squinted
,
V
ictori
a
coul
d
no
t
brin
g
the
mirag
e
int
o
focus
,
bu
t
sh
e
sense
d
somethin
g
movin
g
to
w
ard
them.

“
W
ak
e
up,
”
sh
e
sai
d
urgently
,
grabbin
g
Khara’
s
hand.
“Something’s coming this
w
ay.”

Khar
a
struggle
d
unde
r
th
e
san
d
fo
r a
momen
t
before
pushin
g
through
,
an
d
the
n
studie
d
th
e
vision
.
“D
o
m
y
e
y
es
decei
v
e me, or is it taking the shape of a man?”

“Oh god, he’s found us,”
V
ictoria groaned, fumbling for her clothes.
Pullin
g
he
r
bac
k
down
,
Khar
a
whispered
,
“Sta
y
calm.
P
erhaps the sand is playing tricks.”

“There,
”
Khar
a
said
,
pointin
g
t
o
th
e
san
d
underneat
h
the
shifting
,
swirlin
g
shado
w
a
s
i
t
stoppe
d
abou
t
fift
y
fee
t
a
w
ay
.
“It
cannot be a man; there are no footprints.”

V
isions
of
her
misspent
life
flashed before
V
ictoria’s
e
y
es.
Thi
s
i
s
wha
t
happen
s
whe
n
yo
u
g
o
pro
w
lin
g
i
n
forbidde
n
place
s
at
al
l
hour
s
o
f
th
e
night
,
sh
e
thought
.
An
d
y
et
,
hunkere
d
down
and
ready
to
flee,
she
could
not
take
her
e
y
es
off the
nebulous
shadow
.
A
s
th
e
dar
k
Goliat
h
floate
d
closer
,
he
r
leg
s
ga
v
e
out
and she collapsed to her knees.

Astonished
,
sh
e
w
atche
d
unexpecte
d
tendernes
s
come
o
v
er Khara’s face. She stood, calm and unafraid, and then took se
v
eral steps for
w
ard and bo
w
ed low, left fist
across her chest.
No
w
i
t
loome
d
les
s
tha
n
t
w
ent
y
fee
t
a
w
ay
,
an
d
i
t
w
as
twice—no, three times—the size of a normal man.

“So,
”
Khar
a
called
,
“yo
u
retur
n
a
s a
shado
w
o
n a
moon—
filled
night.
Still,
I
recognize
you.
W
ill
you
not
come
closer,
old friend?”

V
ictori
a
w
atche
d
i
n
horro
r
a
s
th
e
silhouett
e
stretche
d
out
v
a
s
t
ar
m
s
an
d
rai
s
e
d
the
m
t
o
th
e
h
e
a
v
en
s
.
Mom
ent
s
pa
ss
e
d
befor
e
th
e
arm
s
cam
e
dow
n
acros
s
th
e
cyclon
e
tha
t
had
somehow morphed into a torso, and the great head bo
w
ed.

Khara’s
voice
shook
as
she
fought
back
tears.
“See?
I
am
not
the
frightened
girl
you
sent
to
hide
in
the
desert.
Let
your
spirit
rest and do not worry for me.”

W
it
h
that
,
th
e
apparitio
n
nodde
d
an
d
pointe
d
northeast
with an arm that seemed miles long.
What you seek can only be found by taking the journey of death.

Th
e
whispere
d
word
s
lodge
d
themsel
v
e
s
profoundl
y
in
V
ictoria’s mind.

From
there,
you
must
follow
the
path
of
kings
until
you
reach
the
city of faith.

A
gian
t
spra
y
o
f
san
d
emerged
,
swirlin
g
an
d
en
v
eloping
th
e
phantom
.
A
s
quickl
y
a
s
i
t
ha
d
come
,
th
e
funne
l
o
f
sand
disintegrated and with it, the apparition.

Fo
r
a
lon
g
tim
e
after
w
ards
,
Khar
a
shi
v
ere
d
i
n
th
e
fal
l
air,
he
r
bar
e
arm
s
stretche
d
piteousl
y
to
w
ar
d
th
e
empt
y
plac
e
on
the sand.

Whe
n
V
ictori
a
coul
d
rel
y
o
n
he
r
wit
s
an
d
leg
s
again
,
she
grabbe
d
Khara’
s
s
w
eate
r
an
d
drape
d
i
t
o
v
e
r
he
r
shoulders
.
“It’s
not coming back, is it?”