We Dream of Gods by Devin Madson

Author:Devin Madson [MADSON, DEVIN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2023-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

A sheen of white covered the grass, crunching beneath my boots at every step. Both the sound and the sensation were satisfying, but Jass looked grim. He hovered inside the entrance to my tent, and while it was best for me not to be seen with him even at such an early hour, the way he looked at the grass made it clear he didn’t want to step out.

“Is this snow?” I said. “Have you been here over winter?”

A nod, his eyes not straying from the glittering ground. “Just the one. We came as the last one started, about half a cycle before you arrived. But this isn’t snow. This is just the warning it’s coming. This will melt in an hour or two.”

I turned, each stomp making a sound that not only crackled but squeaked. “What is snow then?”

“It’s like this but more. It’s like… like sand that you can’t stand on; you have to wade through it, and it’s cold and wet and slippery.” His features twisted sourly. “I hoped not to be here for another winter.”

“Well,” I said, returning to the tent. “If today goes well you might not be.”

The sun had only just begun bathing the camp in pale grey light, but tension was already palpable. Most soldiers were awake, either sitting and eating in silence or preparing for what could be a day of battle or a day of boredom. Over in the Levanti camp, things would be more lively, but there was also Ezma.

“What will you do today?” I said when Jass didn’t move, his eyes upon the marks I’d left in the not-snow. “Will you fight with Ezma?”

His gaze snapped around. “No. Why would you think so?”

“Because you don’t like hanging around feeling useless, and I’m afraid you’ve had to do rather a lot of that recently.”

“I don’t like endangering my life for no good purpose either, nor fighting beside Chiltaens.” He gave me an odd look. We’d not spoken about my deal with Ezma, preferring the quiet enjoyment of one another’s company to worrying about what couldn’t be changed. “I’m sorry,” he added. “I know you need today to be a success, but I won’t be drawing my blade. And since you need to maintain the fiction you’re not Levanti, I suppose I’ll stick with Harmara and the others.”

I turned away, face heating beneath my mask. “You make it sound like I don’t want to be Levanti.”

“I didn’t mean—I just… don’t know where we stand anymore. Don’t know what I ought to do, what I’m allowed to do, and seeing Chiltaens everywhere brings back memories I’d rather banish forever. And don’t say I can leave. Reminding me I can be selfish and bugger off rather than help hasn’t worked before, and it won’t work now.” His hands slid around my shoulders, and he burrowed his face into the back of my neck, sending a shiver through my skin. “You’re stuck with me. At least until you need me to carry another desperate message for help.

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