Warring Desires (The Herod Chronicles Book 3)

by Wanda Ann Thomas

  Rahm’s gravelly laugh lanced like shards of glass. “Two hundred shekels, plus an introduction to your father.”

  Hiding behind his reputation as a sulky, snippy boy-man, James scowled at Rahm. “I suppose I have to accept your deal.” James secretly studied Rahm, debating what to believe. Rahm couldn’t be working for his father if he needed an introduction. But what if he was? Of course, two could play this game. If James stepped carefully, he might be able point the finger of guilt for his father’s death at Rahm. What a clever, satisfying turn that would be.

  Rahm’s fat lips peeled back and he held out a nondescript vial. “I knew we’d get along fine.”

  James swallowed the foul taste in his mouth and untied the coin sack from his belt.

  CHAPTER 18

  The string of mules tethered to Gabriel’s saddlebag let out a chorus of forlorn brays. He looked over his shoulder, rechecking the lines. Finding them in order, he surveyed the multi-team mule caravan. Two hundred-plus mules, fifteen hired mule train drivers, and two wannabee soldier-priests riding along a curling ribbon of road under bright blue skies.

  The ride from Samaria to Judea was proceeding without incident. If everything went well, they would reach the safety of Herod’s camp by the end of the day.

  Back to Jerusalem, but still far, far from home.

  The radical shift in his life direction in less than two weeks was jarring, and Shoshana Ehud was still the biggest shock. Three days after almost kissing her, Gabriel was more taken with her than ever, and without any encouragement whatsoever from her. He sorely regretted going so far. She no longer bolted when he came near, though, and he hoped she’d allow him to get close enough to share a private word before they parted ways forever.

  Tempted to glance back at her again, he watched Leonidas rooting around in a sack.

  Leonidas hoisted a shiny red apple aloft triumphant. “Do you want an apple?”

  Gabriel smiled and shook his head. Nobody would be surprised if fun-loving Leonidas did something rash like fall in love with an older, married woman. Gabriel, on the other hand, had always been careful and responsible. He couldn’t understand how he’d allowed his feelings to override his good sense.

  Shoshana rode past mediating an argument between Isaac and Jacob. Though she didn’t give him a glance, Gabriel knew she was as aware of him as he was of her. Brown hair flashing fiery glints in the sun, flowing over shapely shoulders, and cinnamon eyes alight with beauty. He longed to spend more time with her.

  Big Lev and the string of mules he led overtook Gabriel. Taking exception, Ahab tried to follow. Gabriel reined Ahab back, and the mule actually settled. “There’s a good fellow,” he said, scratching Ahab behind the ears.

  Noach nodded approvingly. “I see you’ve taught Ahab who’s in charge.”

  “I have you both fooled.”

  Noach’s eyes twinkled. “You and your brother have done well. You have more strength than most men raised in comfort. I didn’t hold out much hope for you at first, dressed in your colorful robes, with your pretty weapons. But I believe you will make good soldiers. You have the right kind of fight in your bellies.”

  “I hope Herod sees things as you do,” Gabriel said.

  “Men of ability recognize it in others.”

  Gabriel shouldn’t ask, but he couldn’t chase the notion from his mind. “If Rahm divorced Shoshana, would you allow her to wed a Judean?”

  The rangy man’s weathered face turned guarded. “It’s gone that far, has it?”

  “I’d hate to go against your wishes, but—”

  “Shosha is a grown woman, and childless, she is free to make her own decisions.”

  “My father’s friends bemoan the idea of women exercising their own will. They are sure women meddling in men’s affairs is the road to ruin. They accused me of being weak for consulting with Talitha before deciding important matters.”

  “I would hate to see Shosha subjected to the venom the Pharisees pour on Samaritans.” Though his tone was gentle, Noach was far from relaxed.

  Gabriel laughed. “The Pharisees hate me and most Sadducees.”

  Noach didn’t smile. “I thought Simeon Onias was a prominent Pharisee.”

  Gabriel exhaled a heavy breath. He wasn’t surprised an outsider would confuse the two sects. “Our family belongs to the highest ranks of the Sadducees, who are charged with overseeing the Temple rituals. Pharisees accuse us of adopting Greek ways and deride us for eschewing the oral teachings of the sages. We accuse them of following fables and traditions of their own making. And the rest of the day wouldn’t be long enough to list the other differences between Sadducees and Pharisees. My cousin, Simeon Onias, is an opportunist. Though born a Sadducee, he joined the Pharisees sect, hoping to gain their favor.”

  Gabriel fingered the cuff of his coarse brown robe, a replacement for his soft purple cloak. “Though I like my comforts, and wouldn’t care to live the dour, rigid existence of the Pharisees, I steer clear of the constant bickering between Sadducees and Pharisees. As for Simeon Onias, he cares more about power and prestige than about right and wrong. He hopes to overthrow the Hasmonean family and make the Onias family the High Priests of Israel.”

  Noach’s brow creased. “Isn’t that why you left Jerusalem, to unseat Hasmond?”

  “Hasmond, yes. But that doesn’t mean I want my corrupt cousin to take his place.”

  “What does Herod want?”

  Ashamed he hadn’t given the matter any thought, Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. “Herod is engaged to the granddaughter of our last High Priest. I assume he wants to replace Hasmond with a member of the Hasmonean family.”

  “The Hasmoneans don’t come from the line of Zadok,” Noach said.

  Impressed with Noach’s knowledge, Gabriel nodded. “My father’s cousin Simeon Onias will tell anyone who will listen that our family comes from the line of Zadok, the first High Priest to preside over Solomon’s Temple. If it was anyone else but Simeon Onias clamoring to return the office to our family I would wholeheartedly support them.”

  “You would be a good High Priest.”

  Gabriel laughed bleakly. “This might sound boastful, but I’m too upright to be High Priest. I won’t lie, cheat, and bribe the way my cousin has in order to secure the office.”

  “I can see that. And I hope you understand my hesitance where my granddaughter is concerned. A Samaritan woman would not be welcome among your people, whether they be Sadducees or Pharisees.”

  Gabriel knew for certain the high-ranking priests he mingled with would disapprove. A mild rebuke compared to the disgust of the devoutly religious men, who liked to boast of crossing the River Jordan when they traveled north, preferring to pass through the heathen cities of Decapolis rather than tread through Samaria.

  In truth Gabriel had expected to feel out of place among Samaritans and expected them to behave like heathens. While he could never condone or agree with the Samaritan’s dogged insistence that Mount Gerizim was the proper place to worship the Lord, he couldn’t dismiss them as gentile half-breeds, either. Noach observed the Shabbat with due care and offered up heartfelt prayers. Did he follow the ordinances as precisely as Gabriel? No. But the same could be said for his fellow priests and Jerusalemites who debated endlessly over the nuances of each point of the Law.

  Gabriel scrubbed his face. He hated to confess the truth. “Shoshana might never be accepted. The fact she will also be divorced won’t help.”

  Noach frowned and shook his head. “Are you in a habit of setting aside the Lord’s statutes, or just the ones that are inconvenient, such as the command forbidding priests from marrying divorced women?”

  Gabriel’s face heated. “I’m guilty of thinking only of what I want.”

  “I hope you will give the matter more thought,” Noach said gently. “For Shoshana’s sake. She has suffered enough sorrows. And for your sake as well. You will have a difficult enough time going home and reconciling with your family and your fellow priests whe
n the war is over without adding a divorced Samaritan wife to the fray. Be certain you can live with the consequences.”

  Sorrow tightened Gabriel’s throat. “Your advice is sound.”

  “Go learn to be a soldier and fight beside Herod. And if your love for my granddaughter doesn’t change, and you decide to marry, I won’t oppose you.”

  A hawk cut through the blue skies and soared upward on majestic wings. Gabriel envied the bird’s unfettered freedom. “Thank you for reminding me why I am out here riding a lumpy-backed mule up and down hills. I will give the matter more thought before acting,” Gabriel promised.

  Panicked calls arose from the front of the mule train.

  Gabriel leaned forward. Several of the hired mule train drivers pointed east, at a small army marching over a boulder-strewn knoll. Numbering two or three hundred troops and flying a blue and yellow banner, the armored patrol quickened their pace.

  Gabriel’s pulse sped up. “Those are Hasmond’s colors.” The blue and yellow pennant streaming on the wind conjured painful images—horses trampling Talitha, blood pooling on stones, his wife’s lifeless eyes, Helen’s terrified cries, tears wetting his cheeks.

  Gabriel slid off Ahab’s back and freed the pristine sword from the scabbard. He spotted Shoshana looking as glorious as the first time he saw her with the wooden club held aloft, long hair flowing over capable shoulders, standing amid the swirl of mules and men forming a defensive front at the center of the caravan.

  He bolted toward her.

  Shoshana greeted him with a grimace. “Protect the boys before me.”

  It took his entire self-control not to pull her into an embrace. He joined the defensive line and raised his sword.

  Jacob and Isaac stood between Leonidas and Big Lev. Fierce of face and hooked-nosed, Jacob held a warped knife at the ready. The boy glanced at Gabriel and frowned.

  Leonidas nudged Gabriel’s arm. “Your sword is the most impressive. Hold it higher.”

  “Mother of mercy,” Gabriel grumbled. He could all but hear Jacob accusing him of brandishing his sword like a girl. The bandits might not have realized he didn’t know one end of a sword from the other, but the soldiers heading his way would. He re-gripped the hilt of the sword and stood taller.

  Shoshana moved closer to Gabriel, trepidation shimmering in her eyes. “If they try to take me...and the boys...”

  The thought froze Gabriel’s insides. “They will have to kill me first.”

  She buried her face against his sleeve briefly, then met his eyes. “I will do what I must to spare the boys. Do you understand?”

  “Damnation, Shoshana. Don’t ask me to stand back and watch them hurt you.”

  “Promise,” she said.

  He would make the same sacrifice for his loved ones. “I’ll murder Rahm if anything happens to you. A husband should protect his family, not send them into danger.”

  She blinked. “You mean it?”

  A ruthless calm came over him. “He’s a dead man if Hasmond’s troops touch you or the boys.”

  She rose on her toes and her trembling lips brushed his ear. “I wish I had married a man like you.”

  Possessiveness consumed him. He clasped her waist. “Stay close to me.”

  “We’re saved!” Leonidas shouted pointing.

  Gabriel shaded his eyes against the setting sun. One hundred war-horses charged across the scrubby slope. A red banner slapped the air, sunlight glinting off its gold trim. Gabriel rejoiced at the sight of Herod’s cavalry in its glory. Hasmond’s army halted, then turned and ran for the safety of the boulders dotting the hilltop above. Herod’s horsemen gave chase.

  Jacob, Isaac, and Leonidas jumped and cheered. Big Lev rocked on his heels, a wide grin splitting his leathery face. Shoshana squeezed Gabriel’s hand, then turned and hugged her grandfather.

  Gabriel wiped his sleeve across his gritty brow. The cavalry closed on Hasmond’s men. Three horsemen broke away from the chase and headed back in the direction of the caravan. Herod’s woolly head, white war-horse, and battered breastplate were unmistakable.

  Gabriel had delivered the mountain of supplies to Herod. But was it enough to earn Herod’s trust?

  Gabriel glanced at Shoshana, who was celebrating with her family. Their eyes met and held. I wish I’d married a man like you. Her words resounded like thunder exploding from storm clouds. All his concern and concentration ought to be for winning Herod’s confidence, but her confession fanned the reckless blaze consuming his good sense. He couldn’t...wouldn’t part without apologizing for offending her when he tried to kiss her. Without hearing her say everything would be well. Without learning if she would agree to see him again.

  CHAPTER 19

  Herod and two other horsemen charged into the midst of the caravan, kicking up swirls of dust. Shoshana held her scarf to her nose and mouth and studied the man everyone was talking about.

  Gabriel’s arm brushed her shoulder. “No one can say Herod makes a boring entrance.”

  Her toes curled at Gabriel’s touch. “I’m surprised he needs a whole cavalry to assist him. He looks bold enough to take on a small army alone.”

  Gabriel grinned.

  She hugged her arms, a poor defense against Gabriel’s peace-shattering presence. Avoiding him these last few days had been a matter of survival. She only needed to stay aloof a little longer. Then he would be gone and life would return to normal.

  Herod dismounted and strode to Gabriel. “Why are you smiling?”

  Gabriel leaned on the hilt of his sword casually, but Shoshana could feel the tension pulsing from him. “I’m happy to see you.”

  Herod’s eyes lit with amusement. “I bet you are. You have one of my well-placed informants to thank for warning me Hasmond’s troop would be lying in wait for you.” He scanned the caravan. “Well done, priest. These supplies should go a long way toward keeping the Romans happy.”

  “Four more mule trains are coming,” Gabriel said, wondering if James was the well-placed informant. “They’re a day or two behind us.”

  “Who’s in charge of this operation?”

  Gabriel nodded at Shoshana’s grandfather. “Noach ben Ehud.”

  Herod held out a cloth bag, heavy with coins. “A reward for your service.”

  Her grandfather took the coin bag and bowed his respect. “You chose the right men in Gabriel and Leonidas Onias. They worked from morning to night to speed the mission.”

  Proud of her grandfather’s humble spirit and the praise he heaped on Gabriel, Shoshana winked at her nephews, who were jumping in place like eager puppies.

  Herod’s shrewd eyes swept over the rest of the mule train drivers. “Don’t make the mistake of crossing me. I reward my allies, but I also don’t hesitate to kill my enemies.”

  The giddiness of escaping the enemy withered. An unnatural silence descended.

  Herod’s frightening gaze fell on Shoshana.

  A chill went through her. People said Herod was clever and dangerous. She assumed he was made from the same cloth as Rahm. But Herod’s bearing was twice as ruthless and fierce. Curse Rahm and his overblown pride, thinking he could outwit and outmaneuver Herod. She clasped her trembling hands and stared back. Cowards wouldn’t fare well with Herod of Idumea.

  An appreciative, lascivious look crossed Herod’s face.

  Cursing her miscalculation, she moved closer to Gabriel.

  Bless the angels, Gabriel stepped forward, bracing his hands on his hips, he formed a protective barrier between her and Herod. “We can have the caravan underway again shortly.”

  Herod smiled knowingly. “You and your brother will accompany me to my camp. My cavalrymen will escort the caravan to Jericho. We took the city while you were away. The Romans are setting up winter quarters there. ”

  Regret over Gabriel’s imminent departure pricked Shoshana.

  “I feel responsible for the caravan,” Gabriel glanced her way. “I’d like to accompany Noach the rest of the way.”

 
“You need to start your training. I’m taking a company of men north to recapture the Galilean fortress of Sepphoris. I want you and your brother to get your feet wet before throwing you into full-scale battle.”

  “How soon will we go north?” Leonidas asked.

  “Within the week,” Herod said.

  Gabriel looked back at her briefly, his expression stark.

  She wanted to protest, sick at heart over the prospect of her young, innocent princes bloodying their swords or lying in a field wounded or dying.

  “What sort of training?” Gabriel asked, his voice firm and confident.

  Herod’s laugh was more of a grunt. “Your cousin Alexandra has allowed her husband to leave his olive farm. Nathan of Rumah arrived from Galilee yesterday with a handful of young men eager to join the army. Nathan volunteered to train the lot of you.”

  Gabriel shifted in place. “Give us time to say farewell.”

  Herod waved his horsemen over. “There’s no time. It will be dark soon.”

  A pair of magnificent war-horses clopped toward them. Leonidas slapped Gabriel’s back. “I always wanted to ride a war-horse.”

  Tears stinging her eyes, Shoshana spun away and fled blindly to their mules, where her mount Rabbit brayed a welcome. She set aside the wooden club and fumbled with a saddlebag, working open a knot, she pulled out a square of purple cloth, one of the few pieces she’d salvaged from Gabriel’s ruined cloak. She ran her thumb over the soft remnant she’d secreted away. It was dreamy and girlish and unlike her, but she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t ready to let go of the idea of Gabriel.

  “Shoshana,” Gabriel's warm breath caressed her neck.

  Her breath caught. She balled the cloth in her hand, turned, and pressed back against Rabbit. “You’re still here?”

  His amber-flecked eyes blazed with knee-weakening intensity. “I was going to apologize for kissing you. But...” He swallowed. “I swear, if I didn’t have Herod and fifteen mule train drivers watching me with ridiculous grins, I’d kiss you breathless.”