“I’m not a fool. I know men care for only one thing from a woman.”
“Some men. If that’s all I’d wanted from you, I would have bedded you years ago.” He opened the door. “I’ll send Haroun with food to break your fast.”
The door closed behind him with a decisive force that was almost a slam. He was angry. Well, that was good. Anger would distance him. The faint unease she was feeling was just a lingering thread from that time when every breath he drew was important to her.
That time was no more.
“You summoned me?” Kadar asked.
“I’m going mad cooped up here.” Selene glared at him. “I have nothing to do. Every hour of my day was filled at Montdhu. We’ve been four weeks on this ship. When will we arrive at Hafir?”
“Another two weeks perhaps. Haroun isn’t proving entertaining? I sent you a chess set I borrowed from the good captain.”
“He does his best. One cannot play chess every hour of the day.” She scowled. “Besides, I win all the time.”
“Poor Haroun. There are not many players your equal. I’d offer my services, but you made it clear you want none of my company.” He arched a brow. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”
“I’ve not changed my mind. But you play a fine game of chess. Why should I cheat myself? It’s all your fault that I must endure this long, boring trip.”
“And it’s my duty to make it less boring.” He bowed. “I recognize my responsibility. I’m at your service. Shall I get out the board?”
“No.” She stood up. “I want to go on deck. I think I’m going to suffocate if I stay one more minute in this cabin.”
“You could have called on me before this. I was waiting.” He smiled. “Waiting for you seems to have become my life’s vocation.” He opened the door for her. “The sun is bright today. You should not stay out long.”
She wanted the brightness. She drew the fresh salt air deep into her lungs and gazed contentedly at the sun’s rays glancing off the blue of the sea. “I don’t want to ever go in.”
He took his burnoose from his head and plopped it on hers. “At least cover your head. That red hair is like a beacon, and you’re attracting enough attention.”
For the first time she noticed the glances she was receiving from the sailors. A little of her joy faded.
Kadar swiftly drew her to the rail and put himself between her and everyone else. “Look at the seagulls.”
“How close are we to land?”
“You can see it on the horizon.” He pointed. “That’s Italy.”
“Where the Pope lives.”
“In Rome, yes.”
“You went there last year to sell our silks.”
He nodded. “Hard bargainers. I prefer dealing with the Spanish.”
“I wanted to go with you. I wanted to see Rome and Naples. I wanted to see everything. You wouldn’t take me.”
“Perhaps I should have let you come.” He grimaced. “As it happened, it all came down to the same thing anyway.” His voice lowered. “If I had, I guarantee you wouldn’t have been bored.”
She felt the heat sting her cheeks. “You speak of coupling? I found it not so much. And one cannot couple for weeks at a time.”
“One can but try,” he murmured. “I think I know enough variations to keep us entertained for that length of time. Did I tell you that as a boy in Damascus I once worked in a house of pleasure?”
Her eyes widened. “No, you did not.”
“I probably thought it unfitting for your virgin ears. But you’re no longer a virgin, are you? So I can tell you of Jebra, who spent more time on her knees than she did her back. Or of the tight kiss that can bring more pleasure than—”
“I’m not interested in this.”
“Of course you are. You have a great zest for life, and you’re curious as a cat about everything around you. But so far you’ve only stood back and watched.” He smiled. “As I did at the house of pleasure for the first few months. Then I decided if there was a skill to be learned, I should apprentice myself wholeheartedly to the task. I found there were many paths both bright and dark to explore.”
Bright and dark?
“Ah, that intrigues you.” His gaze focused intently on her face. “If you like, I could lead you a little way on the dark path. Not too deep, or one can become—”
“No.” She pulled her gaze away and drew a steadying breath. “I told you I didn’t want to hear this.”
“But I feel it my duty to distract you. Skimming the dark waters holds a fascination for most people. Don’t worry, I’d hold you afloat. I’d never let you be pulled down.”
“Bright path, dark path. It sounds like Sinan.”
“Oh, no. It was all dark when I was with Sinan. He believed only in the dark pleasures. Far darker than any I practiced in Jebra’s house.”
She searched desperately for a way to shift the subject. “What task has Sinan set for you?”
“I don’t know. I only promised to come when he needed me.”
“You don’t know? You agreed blindly?”
He shrugged. “I had to find a way to get him to let us go. It can be no worse than other things I’ve done in my life.”
“It could be more dangerous.”
“It probably is. Sinan always gets his price in any bargain.”
And his price might very well be Kadar’s blood. She stared blindly out at the sea. “You’re such a fool.”
“The better to keep you entertained.” He was silent for a moment. “There’s something you should know. Sinan will try to use you.”
“He doesn’t need me to make you do his bidding. You’re all too willing.”
“He’ll still use you, if I can’t prevent it. It’s his nature to bend everyone to his will, and I don’t bend. It’s a battle that’s waged between us for years. It’s better if he believes you mean nothing to me.” His lips twisted. “If I can fool him. It may not be possible. I’ve only known one man more clever.”
“Who?” she asked curiously.
He shrugged. “Nasim. He was . . .” He searched for the right word. “Linked to Sinan.”
She frowned. “I’ve never heard you speak of him.”
“Because he doesn’t matter. That was a long time ago.” He switched back to the previous subject. “I think Sinan realized what you were to me all those years ago. He’ll be pleased with Balkir for delivering you into his hands.”
“He won’t use me. I won’t permit it.”
“I hope you’re right. I suppose it’s foolish to ask you not to interfere?”
“Why should I interfere? You’re the one who was idiot enough to promise to do his will. I wish only that Haroun and I are freed so that we may return to Montdhu. Be sure that is part of any bargain you make.”
“I’ll try. I can only promise that you’ll both survive.” He took her elbow. “Have you had enough air? I think we’d better go back to your cabin. That sailor aft has been eyeing you and edging closer for the past few moments. I don’t want to be forced to toss him overboard.”
She hadn’t been aware of anything but their conversation, but Kadar had noticed. Kadar always knew everything that was going on around him. Sinan wasn’t the only one who was uncanny. “I suppose I’m ready.”
“Astonishing,” Kadar murmured as he guided her back to the cabin. “Knowing how displeased you are with me, I thought surely you’d want to see me put to the trouble of ridding us of him.”
“Sinan will give you enough trouble when we reach Maysef. He needs no help from me.”
Sinan . . .
After Kadar had taken Selene back to her cabin, he returned to the rail to stare out at the sea. Selene’s last remark had stirred the uneasiness that had been growing in him during these weeks on board the Dark Star.
Something was not as it should be. When he had spoken to the sailors casually of Sinan, they had frozen and then made excuses to bolt away from him.
And Balkir’s slip of the tongue on
the night of their departure. He had scarcely noticed it at the time, but it had evidently stuck in his memory.
Nas—Sinan.
Nasim?
The familiar chill swept over him at the unwelcome possibility.
But possibilities must be faced before they became realities that caught you by surprise.
He turned on his heel and strode to where Balkir stood at the front of the ship.
“There’s something you should know,” Kadar murmured as he helped Selene down the gangplank at Hafir. “It wasn’t Sinan who sent the Dark Star.”
“What?” she asked, startled. “But it had to—”
“Sinan is dead. He died years ago.”
Relief poured through her. She hadn’t known until this moment how frightened she’d been of facing that evil old man again. Joy followed on the heels of relief as she realized that the threat that had dangled over Kadar’s head all these years was gone. “Thank God.”
“It may not be an occasion for rejoicing. Nasim sent Balkir to bring me here.”
“Nasim?” He had mentioned Nasim, she recalled. “The man you said was linked to Sinan?”
He nodded. “Sheikh Jabbar Al Nasim.”
“What do you mean, linked?”
“When one of Sinan’s followers was deemed ready to walk the dark path, Sinan sent him to Nasim.”
“Why?”
“Training.”
“But I thought Sinan trained you.”
“He did. Nasim’s teaching was . . . different. Some called him a sorcerer. Sinan was able to go only so far. It’s not easy to take the final step on the dark path or lead someone else to take it.”
She didn’t like this. It seemed impossible that anyone could be more threatening than Sinan, but Kadar’s tone was making her uneasy. “He wasn’t at Maysef when we were there.”
“He has his own camp a day’s journey away. He seldom came to Maysef except during the training or when he wanted something from Sinan.” He paused. “And he always got what he wanted, Selene. I never saw Sinan yield to anyone but Nasim.”
“And does he now lead Sinan’s followers?”
He shook his head. “He was never interested in that kind of glory. He only wanted the power. According to Balkir, Nasim just comes and goes as he always did, watching the power struggles among Sinan’s followers. He always stood apart.”
“Then why does Balkir obey him?”
“He trained most of Sinan’s assassins, and it’s difficult to shrug off . . . I suppose the fear is still there. It’s hard to describe the influence he wielded. He held absolute control over us.” He stopped beside a small mare whose reins were held by one of Balkir’s sailors. “Don’t be frightened. It will be all right. I just wanted to warn you.”
Don’t be frightened? He had just told her that this man was even more evil than Sinan, and he expected her to be calm about it? “What does he want of you?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Balkir said he was only told to bring me and not to let me know Sinan was dead.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I,” Kadar said soberly. “Not at all.”
The fortress of Maysef was everything Selene remembered it to be: the castle strong, stark, forbidding; the white-robed followers moving ghostlike about the courtyard and dim halls. She hadn’t realized her memory of that first encounter was so clear and vivid.
“Wait here.” Balkir dismounted from his horse. “I must go and make my report to the master. I will send for you if he wishes to see you.”
“But Kadar never likes to wait.” A man in a billowing black cloak stood on the top step, looking down at them. “So I came to greet him.”
Kadar inclined his head. “Good day, Nasim.”
“It is a good day now. I’ve been waiting a long time.”
Selene suppressed a shudder as she saw Nasim’s fierce gaze fasten on Kadar like the talons of an eagle. Why, she was afraid of this man. She hadn’t been afraid of Sinan, though she supposed she should have been. But this man . . . The menace and power that surrounded him were nearly visible. Nasim was clearly an old man. His face was deeply lined and his dark hair, tied back in a queue, was white at the temples. But his eyes glittered with an almost feverish vitality that defied age.
Kadar didn’t seem afraid. He said lightly, “It’s the least you could do after I’ve come such a long distance at your request.”
“Command.”
“Request,” Kadar repeated with a smile. “I no longer obey commands, Nasim.”
“Brave words. It’s deeds that count. You don’t seem surprised that it’s I who summoned you.” His glance shifted to Balkir.
The captain flinched and said hurriedly, “He guessed, but not until we were almost here. I didn’t tell him. He already knew when he came to me and—”
“You have the brains of an ox.” Nasim’s gaze shifted to Selene. “Who is this?”
“The lady Selene,” Balkir said. “It was necessary that I—”
“You have bold eyes,” Nasim said. “Too bold for a woman.”
“Lower your eyes,” Balkir muttered.
She would not lower her eyes.
“Why is she here, Balkir?” Nasim didn’t wait for an answer. “Your choice, Kadar?”
“No, a mistake on the part of the captain,” Kadar said. “She’ll only be in the way.”
“He couples with her,” Balkir said quickly. “I saw him.”
“And did you see anything but conflict between us other than that one unimportant act?”
“I thought she might prove useful.” Balkir’s desperate gaze was fixed on Nasim. “But if it displeases you, I will dispose of her.”
“Why do that?” Kadar asked. “Send her back to Montdhu with the boy. It will pacify Lord Ware and prevent the possibility of him coming after her.”
“Boy?”
Balkir jerked his head in the direction of Haroun behind him. “He’s Lord Ware’s servant. Shall I dispose of them, Lord Nasim?”
Nasim’s glance moved from Selene to Kadar and then back again. “I think not. One never knows when dross may turn into gold. Find them chambers.” He turned to Kadar. “Come with me. We will talk.”
Kadar nodded. “The sooner, the better.” He deliberately avoided looking at Selene as he dismounted and climbed the steps. “Get them food, Balkir. It’s been hours since they broke their fast. We don’t want them sent back to Lord Ware in poor condition.”
“If we send them back.” Nasim entered the castle with Kadar following closely behind.
“Come. Quickly,” Balkir tossed over his shoulder to Selene. “You heard the master.”
Selene slipped from the saddle.
Haroun immediately sidled next to her. He was trembling, his gaze fixed fearfully on the castle. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
“I know you will.” She didn’t know any such thing. She hadn’t expected to be this shaken. “But the danger is not great. I think this Nasim is bluffing.”
“You do?” Haroun asked uncertainly.
She didn’t believe that cold devil ever bluffed, but there was no use alarming Haroun. She followed Balkir up the steps. “Of course he was. You saw that Kadar was not afraid of him.”
“But Lord Kadar is—They seem . . . alike.”
She whirled on him. “They are not alike,” she said fiercely. “They are nothing alike.”
He took a step back. “I beg pardon, Lady Selene. I meant no—”
“It’s all right.” She tried to steady her voice. She shouldn’t have exploded like that. Haroun’s words had provoked a response that had come out of nowhere.
She was lying. She had merely blinded herself. She hadn’t wanted to see what Haroun had seen. She had hoped that time and distance would bring about a change that had not happened. As she had watched Kadar and Nasim, the tethers that bound them together had been almost visible. The bond between the band of assassins and Kadar was still there.
“I didn’t mean th
at Lord Kadar—I spoke without thinking,” Haroun said.
“I know.” She walked quickly up the stairs. Haroun’s remark had been spurred by pure instinct, and sometimes instinct was more revealing than thought.
And far more frightening.
“You may sit in my presence, Kadar.” Nasim gestured to a cushioned divan. “Your journey must have wearied you.”
Kadar shook his head. “I’m not tired.”
“No, you’re young and strong,” Nasim said impassively. “Your years in that cold land didn’t weaken you.”
“Did you expect them to?”
“One cannot tell what will happen when one walks the bright path. Strength sometimes becomes dissipated. The dark path always keeps its force.”
“Does it?”
“Do you doubt my words?” Nasim lashed out. “Then you’re a fool. Shall I show you my—” He drew a deep breath. “You always manage to anger me. But I will forgive you since I rejoice that you are here.”
“And why am I here?”
“Because this is where you belong.”
“Not any longer. Sinan is dead, and that severs my last tie.” Nasim shook his head. “I claim the service you promised him.”
Kadar was not surprised. “By what right?”
Nasim’s smile was cold. “By the only right that we both recognize. Power.”
Kadar shook his head.
“I could have had Balkir attack the castle at Montdhu. I held my hand, but I can still send him back. Don’t be hasty in refusing me. My temper is short these days.”
Kadar could sense the raw turmoil just beneath the surface, and it surprised him. The Nasim he remembered had always been ice cold and controlled. “And what task do you have for me?”
“I wish you to fetch me a treasure beyond price.”
“What treasure?”
Nasim shook his head. “I will tell you more when it’s time for you to start your journey. I sent a messenger to verify that the treasure still exists in the same place. When Fadil returns, you will set out and bring it to me.”
Kadar frowned. “When do you expect him to return?”
“A week . . . perhaps two.” He shrugged. “If Fadil lives. He may not.”
The Treasure Page 6
