The Library of Fates(37)

But instead, my eyes met those of a boy about my age, maybe a little older, wearing a white tunic and blue pants. The very sight of him made something in my stomach tense and then flutter violently. His dark, wavy hair curled at the edges from the humidity in the air. He was gazing at me with bright blue eyes that were hard to look away from. He smiled, and I wondered if he was taunting me. There was something beautiful about him—actually, everything about him was beautiful: his squared shoulders, his lean hips, his clear blue eyes, and his full lips, and I realized that many of the young women and men walking by turned to get a second glance at him.

“Are you . . . speaking to me?” I asked, both irritated and confused.

Even though I wasn’t accustomed to strangers and was overwhelmed with paranoia that Sikander’s men had somehow sent him, his seductive smile made me impulsively curious.

“You’re the only one here, aren’t you?” I noticed his confident gait, his strong arms.

“Technically, there are thousands of people walking this path today.”

“Technically, there are millions of people in the world. But it’s you I’d like to speak with.” His eyes looked back at me like a question as he cocked his head to the side, watching me.

I stiffened, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. “What for?” I realized that he intimidated me and simultaneously drew me in while putting me on the defensive.

Suddenly, he grabbed my waist with his strong hands, pulling me to the side of the road as a camel carrying a pair of newlyweds sidestepped me. They were waving to the people along the road, tossing handfuls of sugar candy to children and pilgrims. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched the camel thump by, golden bells on his ankles, a red and gold patchwork quilt hanging off his flanks, a thread of red pom-poms tied around his ears.

“That would have been a tragedy, if that camel dressed in wedding regalia killed a beautiful young girl on their wedding day,” he said, laughing, as he waved to the couple.

He continued to hold my waist, and I felt an electric charge where his fingers touched my back, the roughness of his palms against my bare skin, the heat of his body against mine.

“Aren’t you going to thank me?” he asked, and I turned my head to look at him.

He grinned, and his smile made him appear more approachable for a moment. Something about him seemed oddly familiar. I could have sworn I had seen him before, but I wasn’t sure where.

“And why would I do that?” I looked at him defiantly.

“I just saved your life. You owe me one.” His voice was a whisper, and he continued to hold me close.

“Do I now?” Pulling away, my body felt cold where his hands had once been.

“Here’s how you can make it up to me,” he said, somehow sensing that I wasn’t about to walk away from him. “You can keep me company on this journey.”

“I don’t think so,” I told him, stepping back, but it was as though we had a string connecting us. I could step only so far from him before I felt the urge to be close to him again.

“Why not?” He was grinning again, but I held strong.

“I don’t know you. You could be a murderer. Or a thief. A criminal . . .”

“Or simply a nice guy who would love to accompany you to Mount Moutza.”

“How do you know I’m going to Mount Moutza?” I said, alarm in my voice.

“I overheard an argument you were having with your friend.”

I immediately regretted that Thala and I had failed to be discreet. But I was also annoyed that this stranger would rudely admit to listening in on us.

“And that’s why you’re wasting my time?” I snapped.

“That’s why I’d love to keep you company. Your friend’s obviously not in the mood.”

I was irritated at his presumptuousness. He was probably accustomed to getting whatever he wanted on account of his good looks and felt it was appropriate to intrude on our business. “No, thank you. I’d prefer to be on my own.”

He wasn’t deterred by my tart response.

“It’s a shame you two plan on parting ways after you get to the temple.” He was watching me with such intensity in his eyes that I had to look away.

A pang of loneliness shot through my belly as I watched Thala walking ahead of me. “And why is that?”

“The temple is a good place for reconciliation. You two should reconsider your friendship once you get there.”

“Perhaps you should reconsider your patronizing and entirely unsolicited advice to strangers.”

This time, he laughed out loud. “So why are you headed to Mount Moutza? What are you asking for?”

“Do I need to be asking for something?”

“That’s typically why people make the pilgrimage.”

I didn’t respond.

“I take this walk fairly often. I can tell you more about Mount Moutza, if you’d like.”

“I don’t have any money to pay you . . . ,” I said, understanding now that this was probably some sort of scheme. Perhaps he was a guide and this was how he made a living.

He laughed. “Truly, there’s nothing I want from you. I promise.”

“You just want . . .”

“Your company,” he said, his voice quiet but persistent. Then he glanced at me carefully. “Why does that surprise you so much?”