"My father?"
"Presumably. Who else?"
"How far away?"
"Perhaps two days' journey."
She felt an instinctive shiver of fear, and suddenly she was a child again, trembling before the wrath of her father. "Then we must go and meet him." She straightened her shoulders. "I'm ready."
He shook his head. "Not you." He turned to Sacha. "Will you come with me? Your presence may help, but it will mean publicly aligning yourself against the royal family."
"Would I miss a chance of tweaking my dear uncle's august nose?"
"I'm not afraid to face him," Tess lied.
"Your presence would only complicate things and add fuel to the fire," Galen said. "You'll stay here under Yusef's protection until I send for you. Your father would be foolish to launch an attack on Zalandan with only a token force. It will be a matter of threats, not battle."
"Then why hide me here? I can't—"
"No," he said sharply. "I won't risk you being taken from me."
She was bursting with happiness. There was no doubt about the possessiveness of his manner. "Very well, I'll stay here."
Sacha chuckled. "Such meekness. The chastising you gave her must have robbed her of spirit, Galen. Perhaps old Hakim had the right of it."
Galen ignored him as he stepped closer and gently brushed the hair back from Tess's face. "I'll send for you as soon as I deem it safe. I'll prepare a welcome for your father that will illustrate both Zalandan's military power and wealth." He smiled. "Don't worry, dealing with the reigning head of a country is entirely different from confronting the sheikh of one tribe. We'll come to an agreement."
"By paving Axel's journey back to Tamrovia with gold?" Sacha asked dryly.
"Without a doubt. It will be worth it." Galen dropped a kiss on Tess's forehead. "I'll leave Yusef a full troop of men for your protection. Promise me you won't be foolish."
"I'm never foolish." But his expression was grave with concern, and Tess again felt a burst of golden happiness. "I promise."
Sacha shook his head mournfully. "She's just a crushed flower, a ghost of the Tess I knew."
"Be silent, Sacha," Tess said without looking at him. "I'm only being sensible."
"Is that what it is? I thought it—"
"Come along, Sacha." Galen turned and walked toward the enclosure where Said was saddling the horses.
Sacha lifted his hand in farewell to Tess. "God watch over you, imp." His grin disappeared. "And heaven knows we'll do our part to keep you safe."
"It will be difficult for you to return to Tamrovia after this."
He shrugged. "No loss. Life at court seldom amused me anyway. They didn't appreciate either my amazing intellect or keen humor."
It was only a few hours later that Kalim rode into the encampment.
His arrival set off cries of alarm that brought Tess running out of the tent to gaze at him in horror. A rough bloody bandage encircled Kalim's head, fresh blood stained the shoulder of his white shirt. He appeared barely able to stay in the saddle.
She saw Yusef, half running beside Kalim's horse, speaking urgently, but Kalim only shook his head as he walked his horse up to Tess and stopped.
"Kalim," she whispered. "Viane?"
"Leave us," Kalim ordered Yusef as he dismounted. As he touched ground, his knees buckled and he clung to the saddle.
Yusef stepped forward. "Kalim, you're hurt. Let me get you—"
"Leave us." Kalim pulled himself up straighter and released the saddle. "I must speak to the majira."
Yusef muttered something beneath his breath before reluctantly turning and walking away.
"What happened?" Tess asked.
"Tamar. He attacked the escort in force when we were only four miles into the hills. We had no chance. They were double our strength."
"Viane?"
"Captured. They're all dead or captured."
Tess inhaled sharply. "How did you get away?"
"I didn't." Kalim smiled bitterly. "Tamar let me go to bring a message back here to the encampment."
"To Galen? He's not here. He rode out this morning for Zalandan."
"I know. Tamar also knows. He had men watching the encampment." Kalim paused. "The message is for you. "
"Me?"
He nodded. "Tamar doesn't want Viane. He wants you. He feels you're the most likely weapon that can be turned against Galen." His expression was wooden as he gazed straight ahead. "He'll trade Viane for you. I'm to bring you to him, and he promised to release her and let me take her back to Zalandan."
"Sweet Mary," Tess whispered.
"If you don't come, he'll give Viane to his men and then kill her." Kalim's voice was still without expression. "He said to tell you this."
Tess dazedly shook her head. "Where is he?"
"In the hills."
"Perhaps you could ride to Zalandan and tell Galen where he is, and he could surprise him."
"Tamar's an experienced raider and no fool. He'll move camp every night. There will be no way for Galen to find him." He looked somewhere past her shoulder. "He said the exchange must take place by noon or not at all."
She drew a deep, shaky breath. "You're saying I have to go. "
He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them they held such pain they struck her like a blow. "I'm saying Tamar will keep his word."
"There has to be something we can do." She distractedly ran her fingers through her hair, trying to think. Tamar had threatened he would make Galen break the alliance. Even if Galen didn't love her, he felt a strong sense of possession, and she knew he would come after her. After persuading the El Sabir not to attack Tamar, he would invalidate his own position if he sought vengeance himself. "It's not only me, it's the alliance. Galen mustn't be forced into a tribal war now."
Kalim was silent.
"Help me," Tess said in exasperation. "What can I do?"
"I cannot help you. You must make your own decision."
"How can I when—"
"I cannot help you," Kalim's tone was fierce. "Don't you understand? He will kill her, and it will be my fault. I failed to protect her. Tamar took her from me as if I were a sniveling old man. She will die. I won't tell you not to go, even if it means breaking faith with the majiron."
"No." She felt a ripple of sympathy blend with her sense of helplessness as she stared at his tortured expression. She had not dreamed stiff, stern Kalim could feel so deeply. "You cannot tell me not to go." She shrugged wearily. "And there is no question I will not go. Viane is no match for that slithering snake. "
"No. She—she was very frightened. She realizes what he is. She's known Tamar since childhood."
Tess was also frightened, but she must not let it cloud her thinking. "Then we must get her away at once." She turned. "Come inside the tent and let me look at your wounds while I try to think of a way to—"
"No."
She glanced back at him. "What?"
"I will not let you tend me. I have no right to your kindness."
She gazed at him in exasperation. "Will you stand there and bleed to death, then? What help will you be to Viane dead?" She took his arm and pulled him toward the tent. Her brow wrinkled in thought, as she pushed him toward the divan, she said, "I believe the first thing to do is make sure the trade is done without trickery. We'll take Yusef and the rest of the men to protect Viane after the exchange, and then you can escort her safely back to Zalandan to tell Galen—"