11
Stepping into Nothing
‘What are you doing here?’ Teya was so freaked she forgot to speak Quechua.
‘My Teya, are you hurt?’ asked Mateo, holding her close.
‘What? No. No I’m not hurt.’ She slipped into Quechua with ease. ‘What are you doing here? How did you get here?’
They were making a spectacle of themselves. The porters and the New Zealanders were beginning to stare.
‘I ran. I started out early this morning. One of my uncle’s associates owns a tour company here. He will let me camp with one of the tour groups tonight. I could not let you go alone. I could not let you be in danger. My Teya.’ He let her feet gently touch the ground, but he held her closer, wrapping his long arms around her and softly kissing her hair. His body was so warm, and he smelt of the earth, of spices and
