The Treasure_ A Novel - Iris Johansen [17]
“Hush.” Kadar scooped her up in his arms and started down the deck toward the cabin.
“Put me down.”
“When I have you safely behind a closed door. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re outnumbered, and I doubt if I could keep Balkir from strangling you if you persist in antagonizing him.”
“He’s an idiot.”
“Granted. And he’ll get his just desserts. But not now.” He opened the cabin door and set her on her feet. “Go lie down while I help the ‘idiot’ get under way. I’ll be back as soon as I can. We have to talk.”
She shook her head.
He closed the door and leaned against it. “Stop treating me as if I were your enemy. Nothing’s really changed. I’m the same man you’ve known all these years.”
“Yes, you are.” She crossed the cabin and sat down on the bunk. “Exactly the same.”
“But now you wish nothing to do with me.”
“You were going to leave me.”
“I had to leave you.”
“Without telling me? Without giving me a choice? You promised me once that if you ever went back to Sinan you would tell me. You lied.”
“Yes.” He grimaced. “I thought it was safer.”
“And it was your decision. It’s always a man’s decision. If he wishes to take a woman’s body, he does it. If he wishes to desert her later, he does it.” Her hands clenched at her sides. “Well, I won’t sit meekly and let a man make my decisions. I won’t let you have my body and then go away whenever you wish. I won’t care. I’ll never care again.”
“The devil you won’t. You can’t change what’s between us.”
“I can. I will.” She lay back against the pillow and closed her eyes. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”
“I almost wish I’d let Balkir strangle you,” he said through his teeth.
“The usual solution to any man’s problems.”
“Selene, this is difficult enough. We need to—You’re not listening.”
“My head aches and I’m sick unto death of listening to you. Go away, Kadar.”
He muttered something beneath his breath and then she heard the door slam.
She opened her eyes. Difficult? It was almost impossible to uproot all the years of feeling. Build the wall higher. She could do it.
She had only to keep him away.
It was a quarter of an hour later when the anchor was lifted and the ship eased away from the dock.
It was five minutes later when she heard the shouting on the deck.
Oh, God—Ware? No, he’d had no time to ride from the castle.
She jumped up and ran out on deck. She could see Kadar and Balkir in a crowd of sailors at the far rail. Angry sailors. Balkir was angry too. He lifted the club in his hand.
Kadar caught it and spoke rapidly to Balkir.
She ran toward them. “What is it? What’s—” She stopped short as she saw the huddled figure in the middle of the crowd. “Haroun?”
The boy was sopping wet, his eyes wide with terror as he looked from Kadar to Balkir.
“What are you doing here?”
“He swam out and grabbed the anchor rope,” Kadar said without looking at her. “Our captain wishes to club him and throw him back.”
“No!”
“That’s what I said.”
“When a rat climbs on to a ship, you kill it before it can devour your rations,” Balkir said. “He disobeyed you. He was supposed to deliver the note.”
“I gave it to Robert to take,” Haroun said. “I had to come. Lady Thea would have wanted me to take care of Lady Selene.”
And he had come even though he was clearly terrified, Selene thought. He looked thoroughly miserable, not capable of caring for himself much less anyone else.
Balkir was struggling to release himself from Kadar’s grasp. “Let me go.”
“When you promise to let the boy live,” Kadar said. “He may look like a rat, but I’m quite fond of him. See how lucky you are. Another hostage for Sinan.”
“I don’t need another—” He broke off as he met Kadar’s stare. He moistened his lips. “Perhaps another hostage would do no harm.”
Kadar released his arm and stood back. “I knew you’d be reasonable.” He bent down and helped Haroun to his feet. “Go with the lady Selene. I’m sure she can find you something to use to dry off.” He shook his head. “You really are a great bother, Haroun.“
“I’m sorry, Lord Kadar,” he whispered.
“So am I. I wished you’d