The Treasure (28 page)

Selene shivered as she watched him ride away. “He’s rather terrible, isn’t he? I had no idea he would start a bloodbath.”

“It’s a bloodbath that will probably save us all. He’s right: The only way to keep any of us safe from the assassins is to make sure no word gets back to Maysef.”

Vaden’s men had set fire to the tents and smoke curled upward, blackening the clear blue sky.

“It’s time to get back to camp,” Kadar said. “Where’s your horse?”

She nodded at the boulder behind which she had waited those many hours for Kadar.

“I’ll get it. Stay here.”

She didn’t argue with him. Her gaze was fixed in fascination on the burning tents. Death and destruction—and justice.

“It’s done, Haroun,” she whispered.

Layla and Tarik met them as they rode into the camp.

“The grail is safe.” Selene jerked her head at the chest tied to Kadar’s saddle. “You can see for yourself.”

Neither made a motion toward the chest.

“And how are you?” Layla asked.

How was she? She didn’t know. Sad. At peace. “Tired, I suppose.” She slipped from the saddle. “I just want to go to sleep.”

“Nasim?”

“Dead.” She grimaced. “According to Vaden, they’ll all be dead before he’s through.”

“It’s safer,” Tarik said.

“I know.” But she didn’t want to think about it. She was exhausted. Her legs felt unsteady as she moved toward her tent.

Kadar was there, his hand beneath her elbow.

“I don’t need—”

“Hush. Yes, you do. It’s all right to need someone. God knows, I need you.”

He was right, she did need him. It was time she accepted that need. She let herself lean against him as he helped her to the tent.

It was dark when she woke, and Kadar was sitting cross-legged on the ground beside her pallet. It was like the night after she had come to Tarik’s villa, she thought drowsily. No, not really. Kadar had been strange and forbidding then, and there was nothing threatening about him tonight.

He smiled down at her. “You slept deeply. It’s almost dawn. Do you feel better?”

“I think so. I had dreams.”

“Nightmares?”

She nodded. “Nasim. He was a terrible man. He deserved to die. Why should he plague my sleep?”

“He shouldn’t. The dreams will go away.”

She shivered. “I hope so.” She sat up and brushed her hair back from her face. “Has Vaden returned?”

“Over an hour ago.”

“And?”

“There will be no one returning to Maysef.”

“What about the
Dark Star
?”

“It’s docked near Rome. It seems we have a ship to take us home to Montdhu. Of course, we’ll have to get a new crew.”

“Home.”

“You do want to go home?”

“Yes.” Montdhu. She longed to see it again with aching intensity. She wanted to leave these foreign shores and go back to all that was familiar and beloved. “Don’t you?”

He nodded. “But I have a decision to make.”

“The grail? Why should you have to care for it? Let Tarik and Layla do it.”

“Perhaps.” He smiled. “But I’m feeling a small tugging of responsibility.”

And he might still choose to do it. “Why should you? You had no choice about taking Eshe.”

He became still. “What did Layla tell you?”

“Everything you should have told me.” She tossed aside the cover. “Now, go get me some food. I need to wash and eat before I talk of such matters.”

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “We don’t have to talk at all. There’s time.”

“More time for you than for me.” She turned away. “That’s why we must talk. Later we will go for a walk and discuss this.”

The sky was a glory of pink-scarlet as the dawn broke over the ruins of Pompeii. It seemed impossible that it had only been a day since they had stood on this same spot, Selene thought.

“I was going to tell you,” Kadar said.

“When it suited you.”

“It seemed better to wait.”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure I believe any of this, you know.”

“I know.”

“But you do?”

“As much as I can with no proof.”

She looked away from him. “Then I want you to give me the potion.”

He stiffened. “Why?”

“What difference does it make? Just give it to me.”

“It makes a considerable difference. I’ve been struggling to keep myself from persuading you since I was told about Eshe.”

“Then stop struggling. The battle’s won. Go to Tarik and tell him to give it to me.”

He shook his head. “Not because I want it.”

“Very well, then do it because I want it.”

“But you don’t. You told me you’d never choose it.”

“I was afraid.”

“And you’re not afraid any longer?”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

He looked at her.

“All right, I’m still afraid. But I’m more afraid of not taking it. I won’t leave you alone. You
need
me.”

“That’s a poor reason.”

“I’m not reasonable about this. The entire idea is mad. Why should I be sane?”

“Because I won’t let you do this for me. It has to be because you want it for yourself.”

“Maybe I do.” She moistened her lips. “I was terribly afraid when I was running away from Nasim. I thought every minute I was going to die. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live with you and have your children. I wanted to see Thea again. I wanted to
live.
”

“Nothing is sweeter than life when you’re close to losing it. You could change your mind.”

“I won’t change it. Why are you arguing with me?”

“Because it means too much. It’s too important.”

“You’re just being selfish.” She tried to smile. “You want me to grow old, ugly, and wrinkled and then you can laugh at me.”

“How did you guess?”

She launched herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest. “Give me the potion,” she whispered. “Please, Kadar.”

His arms closed tightly around her. “I can’t,” he said hoarsely. “It’s killing me, but I can’t.”

“I’ll do it anyway. I’ll go to Tarik or Layla and ask them myself.”

“And I’ll tell Tarik that if he gives it to you, I won’t act as guardian for the grail.”

“You told me once we had to be together. You said it was meant to be.”

“Not like this. I can’t force you to—”

“You’re not
forcing
me.” She pushed away and glared up at him. “Stop being noble. I won’t lose you. Not by your death. Not by mine. We’re going to be together. Yes, I’m frightened. Yes, I can see a mountain of problems. But I won’t let any of them keep me from having you.”

His face was pale and taut. “And I won’t let you hate me later for rushing you into doing this.”

“Rushing? When I can’t even convince you to—” She drew an uneven breath. He wasn’t going to yield. She would have to handle this differently. “Very well, we won’t rush. I’d rather take Eshe now and put the decision behind me, but I can wait. I’m not going to age overnight. You’ll probably find me just as desirable a wife in a fortnight.”

“Possibly.” He smiled faintly. “But a fortnight is still not enough time to make such a choice.”

“The choice is made. I just have to persuade you to forget your scruples. I think we’ll go away by ourselves for a little while. I don’t want you around Tarik. He has far too many scruples of his own.”

“You wanted to return to Montdhu.”

“Not before I take the potion.”

“You’re afraid you’ll change your mind.”

“I won’t change my mind. You’ll change yours. We’ll couple and talk and I’ll be so winsome and captivating that you’ll not be able to resist me.” She took his arm and started back toward camp. “So you might as well forget this stubbornness now and do as I wish.”

“It’s not stubbornness,” he said. “It’s desperation. I couldn’t bear for you to grow to hate me.”

“Do you think me so unfair? Never mind. You’re obviously not thinking clearly. You’ll be much more reasonable when I get you to myself.”

“I shouldn’t go with you.”

“But you will.” She smiled lovingly at him. “Won’t you?”

He sighed. “I greatly fear I will.”

“You’re being very rude,” Tarik said as he watched Kadar lift Selene to the saddle. “Are we to at least know where you’re going?”

“No,” Selene said. “We’ve had enough intrusions. Go back to the villa. We’ll return there when we’re ready.”

“I don’t like this,” Layla said.

“Because you aren’t controlling us,” Selene said. “Don’t worry: In this instance, I’m doing exactly what you would want me to do. But I’ll brook no interference.”

“I still think we should know. What if we need to contact you?”

“Vaden knows where we’ll be. I asked him where we could find a safe, quiet cottage near Rome.”

Selene grimaced. “And we only hope he hasn’t directed us to a hovel like the one where we found him. It would be just like his wicked humor.”

“Vaden,” Tarik repeated thoughtfully.

“Don’t sound so hopeful.” Kadar mounted his own horse. “I told him if he revealed our whereabouts to you I’d cut his throat.”

“I don’t think we deserve this lack of trust,” Tarik said.

“Yes, we do,” Layla said. “Or I do. Stop arguing, Tarik, it will do no good.” She stepped forward and gazed into Selene’s eyes. “Be sure. There’s no going back.”

Selene nodded and turned her horse. The next moment she and Kadar were galloping down the mountain path.

“He’s going to try to persuade her to take Eshe,” Tarik said as he watched them disappear around the bend of the trail.

Layla shook her head. “No, she’s trying to persuade him to let her take it.” She made a face. “And I thought it was Kadar I had to warn. I should have known that once she made up her mind she’d throw caution to the winds.”

“Why are you concerned?” His tone was mocking. “Eshe is perfect, is it not? Mankind’s savior.”

“Not perfect, but wonderful. We just have to learn how to use it. You thought the same once.” She turned away from him to hide the hurt. “We disrupted their lives. I’m not so lacking in conscience that I’ll let them wander about the countryside with no guidance if they need it. I’ll go and see if I can find out where they’ll be from Vaden.”

“He won’t tell you. He has a liking for Kadar.” He fell into step with her. “But I’ll go with you. I have to speak to him anyway. He still hasn’t told me his price for destroying Nasim’s forces.”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“No.” His lips twisted. “But it’s better than having it hang over my head like a sword.”

Tarik and Layla arrived at the villa two days later. The next day Vaden and his army left and headed north.

“Are you going to do it?” Layla’s gaze was on Vaden’s retreating figure.

“Do I have a choice?” Tarik asked. “I’d wager Vaden intends I have none.”

“You have a choice.” She suddenly whirled on him. “Why do you always fool yourself into thinking that anyone controls your destiny but you? You’re more like me than you think. You believe you wouldn’t have given Kadar the potion if he hadn’t been hurt.

You would have done it. Otherwise, all of your philosophy and soul-searching would have come to naught. Because you’re human, Tarik.”

“I never denied it.” His lips twisted painfully. “But I try to limit my opportunity for mistakes.”

“I know.” She tried to control the trembling of her voice. “Who should know better? I was one of your mistakes.”

“No, it wasn’t—”

“Don’t lie.” She blinked to rid herself of stinging tears. “I’ve always known it. Well, you need not put up with my presence any longer. After Kadar and Selene are settled, I’ll go away.”

He stiffened. “You’re going away?”

“Why not? You never wanted me here. You made that—”

She couldn’t stay here. She was running through the corridors and out into the garden. Dear God, she shouldn’t have lost her composure. She had been so careful not to let Tarik see the pain since she had arrived here. Where was her pride? Lost somewhere in the pain and regret and the—

“You were never a mistake,” Tarik said from behind her.

She didn’t look at him. “Yes, I was. From the beginning you never really wanted me. Oh, perhaps my body. But you wanted your scrolls and your learned discussions and your peaceful life. Then I came and everything was different. I made you leave the library, I caused you to be crippled and involved you with Eshe . . . and I gave you no children.”

“And you took me out of grayness into sunlight. I had only to look at you and I came alive.” He paused. “Just as I did when I walked down that hill and saw you again.”

She stiffened. Don’t be foolish. Don’t begin to hope. “How can you say that? You left me.”

“You know why.”

“Eshe. But it had nothing to do with us.”

“It had everything to do with us. It still does. It’s what brought us together. It’s what kept us apart.”

Past tense? Her heart stopped and then began to race. “I haven’t changed. I can’t change. Not about Eshe. I’ve tried. I believe you’re wrong, Tarik.”

He was silent. “Perhaps we can come to some compromise.”

She held her breath. “Why?”

“If you’d turn around and face me, I think you’d know.”

She couldn’t face him. Not yet. “Why?”

“Because I can’t fight it any longer. I don’t want to fight it. I thought I wanted peace, but peace can be very dull.”

“You say that now. But you left me before.”

“Not because I didn’t love you. It was that damnable relentlessness. But over the years I’ve found I’m stronger than I gave myself credit for. I’ve discovered I can do battle with you if necessary.”

“And?”

“Why, I deserve you, Layla. For good or ill, for the rest of our years, I deserve you.”

“That doesn’t sound like a statement of devotion to me. Ill? Do you insult me? Do you think I’d let anything bad—”

“Look at me, Layla. I tire of staring at your back.”

She took a deep breath and turned to face him.

He was smiling at her. He held out his hand.

Joy soared through her. She wanted to run to him.

No, she had always been the aggressor. That had been part of their problem. Compromise. This time he must come to her. “You may be right,” she said unevenly. “There’s a possibility you do deserve me.”