Lion's Bride - Iris Johansen [102]
“If you can stop shaking,” Selene said dryly. “No man would ever make me fear him enough to tremble at his coming.”
She wished it was fear. She hadn’t expected her body to respond in this mindless fashion. Bitterness should have prevented such a betrayal. “I’m only surprised. I’ll be fine.”
Selene gave her a doubtful glance before slowly leaving the room.
She took a deep breath, and then another. She could hear Ware’s quick, heavy steps in the hall. She must not let him see that she was not in control.
“What madness have you been about?” Ware said roughly from behind her.
She turned away from the window to face him. He looked as out of place as a huge, ravenous wolf in this gleaming chamber. He slammed the door and came toward her. “Kemal is preening like a peacock. He thinks he can move the world.”
She was grateful for the harshness of the attack. It banished that insidious weakness as nothing else would have done. “Why blame me?”
“You know why. He thinks that blasted banner has magical powers.”
“And what if he does? He came to that belief himself.”
“And you never fostered it.”
“Should I have turned my back and walked away when opportunity came knocking?”
“You’re damn right you should have.” He reached out and grasped her shoulders. “If he believes you bring good fortune, he’ll also blame you when his luck turns. Don’t you know that?”
“Let me go.”
“Listen to me. Tell him any magic the banner might bring is gone.”
She gazed at him defiantly.
“He worships Saladin. If he humiliates himself before his master, he’ll come back and cut your throat.”
“He won’t humiliate himself. There will be no battle. He goes only to meet with Saladin on this journey.”
“And what if Saladin changes his mind and takes him to Acre?”
“I’ll face that possibility when it occurs.”
“You will not. As soon as I find a place, you’ll leave El Sunan.”
“And have you take me to still another prison?” Her eyes blazed up at him. “I’ll not leave here until I go as a free woman. You have no power here. Kemal won’t let you take me away.”
“Do you want to die?” He shook her. “Do you want Selene to die?”
“I only want you to leave us alone. I’ll take care of Selene.” She jerked away from him and defiantly lifted her chin. “Go on. Tell Kemal that you’re going to take me away. It may be the prod that will bring me what I want.”
She thought for an instant that he would reach out for her again, but he turned away with a muttered curse and strode toward the door. He was leaving.
Her relief was short-lived. At the door he whirled to face her. “Kadar said he thinks you’re dangling some prize before Kemal. What the hell did you promise him?”
She could refuse to tell him. But why should she waste the effort? she thought impatiently. She wanted him gone from here and he could do nothing to stop her. She smiled at him. “A banner for Saladin. But only on my terms.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “Christ.”
The next moment he had slammed the door behind him.
The anger was draining out of her, and she felt as bruised as if she had fallen down a mountain. She would not permit him to do this to her. She had spent the last two years blocking him from her thoughts and memory, and the first time she saw him again, it was as if he had never left.
“Is he gone?” Selene came into the room. “He didn’t hurt you?”
“No, but he was angry. He may try to take us from El Sunan.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I’ll talk to Kemal when he returns from the journey. He should be puffed up by Saladin’s praise and ready to be plucked.” She frowned. “And it would do no harm to make a few preparations. Tomorrow we’ll start packing our embroideries, and next week I’ll send Jasmine and Tasza back to Dundragon.”
“They won’t go.”
“They have to go. It wouldn’t be fair to drag them with us when we’re not certain what we’ll face. We’ll have to convince them that we intend to send for them as soon as we’re settled.” Though heaven knows when that would be, she thought wearily. Another beginning. Sweet Mary, beginnings were hard.