Chapter 24
When he fell asleep that night—the night before they were to run away—Rinaldo was surprised to awaken in a place of white sand.
He sat outside the white house and saw Manat for the first time. He knew her instantly. Bradamante’s descriptions had carved Manat’s features deeply into Rinaldo’s mind. He knew her deep set eyes and her feminine, muscular form. He was instantly comfortable in her presence, yet he was also vaguely frightened to have her so near. She was attractive, in a strange way—the same way lightning could seem beautiful, as long as one admired it from a safe distance. Rinaldo’s heart pounded. Manat was speaking to him, but he could not yet hear. His heartbeat thudded against his eardrums.
Rinaldo swallowed hard. His voice cracked. “Why am I here?”
Manat smiled.
