Lion's Bride - Iris Johansen [135]
“And Kemal will be awake and reaching for his sword…and the banner,” Kadar said. “It’s not a good plan. Let Ware defeat Kemal, and the banner will be easy to pluck from—”
“Let me know when you hear of Ware’s approach,” Thea interrupted. She had made her decision. “I’ll be waiting.”
“I have no doubt.” Kadar sighed as he turned away. “I’ll go tell Selene all is well. Will you sup with us?”
Thea nodded impatiently. She did not want to be alone. “I’ll join you after I refresh myself.” She entered the chamber and closed the door.
The chamber echoed with emptiness. Ware was gone.
She sank back against the door, fighting off an overwhelming sense of panic. Ware would return. God would surely not have brought them through all these trials if He had meant to tear them apart. The God who had saved Ware would not let him die now. It would make no sense.
Keep busy. She moved quickly to the washbasin and poured water from the pitcher into the bowl. Keep busy doing what? She had no embroidery, and Kadar would confine her more here than she’d been at El Sunan. She would find something. She would probably spend much of her time watching Kadar and have Selene watch him also. She knew he would not tell her when Ware was coming. Like all men, he’d choose protectiveness over fairness. He didn’t understand why she couldn’t let Ware fight this battle for her.
Dear God, she wished she could. The thought of going to Kemal’s tent for the banner sent a chill through her.
But the thought of Kemal retaining control of the banner when he faced Ware again terrified her more. The terror might be without reason, but she could not hold it at bay. This love was too new and fragile; she could not take any risks with it.
Golden eyes searing her with their power.
She swiftly blocked the vision as she bent over the washbowl and dipped her hands into the water. She was mad enough to risk her life to retrieve the banner; she would not addle her mind by dwelling on it.
Golden eyes…
“Kadar’s gone. He just left.” Selene stood in the doorway of Thea’s chamber, a pale shadow in the darkness. “I think Ware must be coming. A messenger came to the door a short time ago.”
Only five days had passed since Ware had left, but Thea had known the message would come soon. She jumped from the bed. “Your clothes?”
“I brought them.” She sat on the bed and watched disapprovingly as Thea hurriedly dressed in Selene’s boyish garb, donned the cloak, and tucked her hair under the turban. “I should be the one to go. You’ll bungle it and Kemal will kill you. You’re not good at things like this.”
Who was good? Thea wondered desperately. Who could creep into a tent and steal from a man who wanted to kill you? Kadar, perhaps, but he had already told her that not waiting for Ware would be foolish. “I’ll be careful.”
“Let me go with you.”
“We’ve already talked about this. You have to stay. Sinan will know when I leave the fortress. As long as one of us stays here, he’ll know that we’ll return. We don’t want him to interfere when the battle starts.” She moved toward the door. “Lock yourself in your room until I come back.”
“Wait.” Selene held out a glittering object. “You should have this.”
A dagger. Slender, shimmering, strangely beautiful in its deadliness.
“Where did you get that?”
“Kadar. He left it on the bedside table. That’s why I know Lord Ware has come. He wouldn’t go into battle without leaving me a way to defend myself in case he didn’t return.” She said fiercely, “And he knows I would use it. Will you?”
Thea stared at the dagger with repulsion. Then she drew a deep breath, snatched the weapon, and thrust it into her waistband. “Yes.”
She whirled and ran from the room.
Moments later she was riding through the gates and down the mountain. She could see the pinpoints of Kemal’s campfires in the foothills below. Dear God, what if Ware reached Kemal before she did? She