The Treasure_ A Novel - Iris Johansen [113]
Eshe.
Impossible.
Yet Tarik and Layla were intelligent, reasonable people, and they believed it possible. Kadar was not a man to plunge foolishly to any conclusion, but he was beginning to believe it too.
And she could see how Kadar would be lured by the prospects it presented. It was his nature to question and explore.
What if he decided that he could not resist that ultimate challenge?
But he had promised her he’d not take that challenge.
But did she have the right to ask that promise?
Of course she did. She loved him. Dabbling in the unknown could be dangerous. She had to protect him from that risk.
He was not afraid of risk. But she was afraid for him.
Or was she afraid for herself? When Tarik had spoken of her not being ready, he had been talking about Eshe. He had seen what she knew to be true: She wasn’t ready to face the possibility of losing what she had to gain an uncertain future. She had grown up with uncertainty. Now she wanted everything secure and predictable.
Secure? Nothing could be less secure than their immediate future, and that danger was by her will and was her responsibility.
“You’re frowning.” Kadar’s eyes were open, but his voice was thick with drowsiness. “Stop worrying about Nasim and go to sleep.”
“I will.”
“It will be all right. Nothing will happen to me.”
“I know.” Because she had already made the decision that there was no chance of anything happening to Kadar. She closed her eyes. “Go back to sleep. You need to garner your strength. I intend to wake you in a few hours and have you pleasure me.”
“I’m not that sleepy now.”
“But I deserve better.”
He chuckled and brushed his lips across her cheek. “As you command.”
Not when it came to a choice of her will or protecting her from Nasim.
Well, that was one challenge she was ready to meet. No mysterious Eshe, no groping into the future, just a duty to be done, a debt to be paid.
A life to be taken.
“Why should I believe you?” Nasim’s gaze narrowed on Kadar’s face. “It would be no small thing to steal the grail from Tarik. What if it’s a lie? It could be a trap.”
“Why would I want to trap you? I want gold, not blood.” He glanced at Balkir hovering by the tent entrance and smiled maliciously. “Well, some blood. I want him. That wound in my chest still pains me at times.”
Balkir stiffened, his gaze flying to Nasim’s face.
Nasim didn’t look at him. “I don’t have to give you anything. If you’ve truly stolen the grail, I could torture you until you tell me what I need to know.”
Kadar chuckled. “But you won’t. It would take too much time. You’re the one who taught me to withstand torture. Who knows? I might even die before I told you where I hid it. Wouldn’t that be inconvenient?”
Nasim was silent. “How much gold?”
“I want the golden coffer that holds the grail and enough sacks of gold to fill it.” His glance went to Balkir. “Perhaps not quite fill it. There should still be room for Balkir’s head.”
Balkir’s face flushed with anger. “The master would not consent to such a bargain.”
“No?” Kadar’s gaze returned to Nasim and he said softly, “I really do want him, Nasim.”
Nasim made an impatient gesture. “You know that’s not possible. What else?”
“The Dark Star to take me back to Montdhu and your promise that Montdhu will continue to exist.”
“A high price.”
“Too high for the grail?”
“He thinks to beggar you,” Balkir said. “Let me have him. I’ll make him give you the grail.”
“You interrupt,” Nasim said icily. “Leave us.”
Balkir’s eyes widened. “I did not mean—forgive me. I only wished to—”
“Did I ask for your aid?”
Balkir shook his head and backed quickly out of the tent.
“A fool,” Kadar said. “I’m surprised you endure him.”
“A loyal fool. Not like you, Kadar. I could always count on your brilliance, never your loyalty.”
“Because I’m not a fool. I’d not throw my loyalty down a bottomless pit.” He smiled. “Now that he’s gone, we can talk freely. I wasn’t joking.