WendyyWolfe
Action Adventure Series • Book 2
Deep in the shifting sands of
Zagora Morocco.
Where the tents of the
Sultans hide their secrets.
The Sunbound are thrust forward
into mystery and intruige.
"...The desert remembers."
The words rose from the cushions of crimson and gold, low and velvet, yet heavy enough to silence the very lanterns above. The Sultan leaned forward, his ring catching the lamp's living glow, and the Sunbound felt the air tighten.
"It remembers every secret, every oath, every betrayal buried beneath its sands. And you-" his eyes lingered, one heartbeat too long, on Atlas, before sliding back into shadow, "-you are here because the sands have decided it is time to remember again."
Atlas's Ordeal
━━━━━━━━━━━
At last, Atlas steps forward, jaw set, muttering curses under his breath. "Bloody circus," he growls, but still kneels.
He thrusts his hand into the sand with defiance. The lamp erupts. The flame roars tall and wild, shadows streaking across the tent. For a breathless instant, the gazelle's silhouette leaps across the canvas - and then turns its head, staring only at him.
Atlas freezes. The sand burns into his palm, leaving the mark of a single gazelle's hoofprint. He jerks back, swearing, clutching his hand.
The Sultan's voice drops to a whisper heavy with meaning:
"The Hand of the Hunt. Marked by the Gazelle herself. The hunter who is chosen... becomes the prey."
The lamp flickers low, then steadies, its judgment complete.