Iris Johansen - The Treasure

“Good God, can you not wait until you get back to camp to embrace?” Vaden asked. “There should be a certain dignity to war.”

She lifted her head and saw Vaden sitting on his horse a few yards away. He had taken off his helmet, and the contrast between that almost angelic beauty and the blood that spattered him was a strange and macabre sight.

Kadar loosed his hold on her and whirled on Vaden. “You bastard, you were supposed to watch her.”

“She had other ideas.” Vaden smiled. “She came to my tent last night and persuaded me we should not leave it all to you. It didn’t take much persuasion when she told me that I was to attack when I saw Nasim die. It was better than having to wait for some vague signal from you. I had no liking for the idea of having no control.”

“She almost died, damn you.”

“But she didn’t, and neither did you. Though judging by that wound on your head, you came closer than she did.”

Selene’s gaze flew to Kadar. She hadn’t even noticed the thin line of blood in the dark hair above his temple.

“It’s nothing.” Kadar shrugged. “Nasim hit me with the flat of his sword. It only stunned me for a moment.”

“You see, you took too much on yourself. What if he’d killed you? I’d be out my fee,” Vaden said. “Incidentally, your claim that the assassins were better warriors than my men has proved as false as I knew it to be.” Vaden turned his horse. “But I can no longer chat with you. I have to finish my task.”

Kadar glanced at the scene of battle. “I’d say you have finished. You left no one standing. No prisoners?”

Vaden shook his head. “Survival. I intend to live a long life, and the only way to do that is to make sure no word is carried back to Maysef of what happened. I’m done here, but I go to attack the main camp.” He kicked his horse into a gallop. “And, after that, the Dark Star .”

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.”