Free Mirage by Jenn Reese

way to the tent. She paused outside, surprised to hear laughter and a male voice that she didn’t recognize coming from inside. She shoved the flap out of the way and strode in.
    Calli and an Equian male sat on either side of a picked-over tray of food.
    “Oh, Aluna,” Calli said, scrambling to her feet. “Is Hoku with you? He said he was going to find you.”
    The girl’s face flushed red as she babbled, but her companion remained unflustered. He stood slowly — probably the reason most Equians didn’t sit very often — and offered a bow.
    “Dantai khan-son,” he said. “You must be Aluna. Calliope has spoken highly of you.”
    Aluna raised an eyebrow at Calli, but the girl quickly looked away.
    “Swift currents, Dantai khan-son,” Aluna said to the Equian, falling into a more formal Kampii greeting. She normally thought long hair and braids were impractical and unnecessary, but she had to admit that the Equian wore them well. “Am I interrupting . . . ?”
    “No, of course not,” Dantai replied smoothly. “Calliope and I were just discussing the intricacies of leadership.”
    “Fascinating,” Aluna said. Her eyebrow tried to rise again, but she forced it back down into its normal position. “I didn’t realize that . . .
Calliope
. . . cared so much about leadership.”
    Calli laughed nervously. “Well, truthfully, I haven’t had much interest before. But I
am
the daughter of the president, and someday the burden will be mine, whether I want it or not.”
    “And so, better to embrace the unique challenges that come with leadership,” Dantai said, folding his hand into a powerful fist. “A leader does not have the luxury of indifference nor the time for selfish indulgence.”
    Calli nodded. “It’s true! And what have I been doing for so long? Ignoring my duties. Causing my mother no end of frustration. Skyfeather’s Landing has other scientists, but I am my mother’s only daughter. I must learn to live up to my legacy.”
    “Well spoken!” Dantai said, and Calli beamed.
    Aluna wondered if they’d been nattering like this the entire time she was gone. She wasn’t surprised to see that Hoku had bolted. Dantai reminded Aluna of her brothers — especially Pilipo — and Hoku could never tolerate being around him for more than a minute or two.
    “I hate to change the subject,” Aluna lied, “but I saw a strange horse a few minutes ago, gray and black with white spots? It wandered outside the horse enclosure.”
    “That would be Tal,” Dantai said. “Her story is a sad one.”
    “Sad? How so?” Calli asked.
    Dantai grew somber. “Because you know Dashiyn, you are already familiar with our concept of
aldagha
, a mistake. This is an Equian formed incorrectly during the birthing process.”
    Aluna ground her teeth together. “I’d rather not hear anyone use that word for Dash ever again.”
    “I agree,” Dantai said smoothly. “The word is merely intended to be descriptive. Usually less than one percent of all our births result in . . . someone like Dashiyn,” he finished carefully. “Dashiyn is an Equian, but born missing half of himself.”
    He’s still worth more than you
, Aluna thought. Calli stared at her, eyes wide, and Aluna took a long, slow breath to still the churning in her thoughts.
    Dantai continued, oblivious to how much Aluna wanted to wrap a talon around his neck and pull. “Occasionally, another type of
aldagha
is born. It happens rarely, and I know of no others in the desert at this time,” he said. “Tal is the first in our herd. The first Equian of our bloodline to be born without a Human side.”
    “Tides’ teeth, she’s an actual Equian?” Aluna said. No wonder the horse seemed to understand what she was saying! “Why doesn’t she have her own tent? Why isn’t she treated like . . . She refused to use the word
mistake
. “Why isn’t she treated like Dash?”
    The Equian shrugged. “The offer has always been open, but once Tal was capable of feeding