The Treasure

Her pace slowed. The point of the sword touched her back as he lunged.

She fell to the ground and rolled toward him.

He grunted as he tripped and stumbled over her body.

She heard him scream as he tottered over the edge of the cliff.

He tried to step back.

“No!” She launched herself forward at his knees.

He went over the cliff, his hands clawing, clutching. They closed on her hair. Agony tore through her as strands were ripped from her head.

He fell through space.

And she saw the twisted terror on his face.

“Quick.” Kadar was lifting her to her feet. “They’re coming!”

The assassins.

He dragged her toward the boulders.

Hooves pounding.

Close. Too close.

They darted across the plateau.

But the sound of hooves wasn’t behind them any longer.

It was ahead, then all around them.

Vaden.

Relief poured through her.

Kadar jerked her to one side as the stream of riders thundered past him toward the oncoming horde of assassins.

“Get behind the boulders,” Kadar said curtly. “You don’t want to see this.”

She was already seeing it. She shuddered as she saw Vaden’s sword decapitate one of the leaders in the charge. She hurriedly looked away and let Kadar lead her toward the boulders where she had hidden and waited.

Death there too.

Balkir.

Kadar dragged her behind the boulders.

She leaned back against the rock and closed her eyes.

“Are you satisfied?” Kadar asked roughly. “He almost killed you.”

No one knew that better than she. She had been terrified on that frantic run to the edge of the cliff. She whispered, “I started this. It was my responsibility. He was mine.”

“And you couldn’t leave it to me.”

“No.”

“How did you get here? Did you follow me?”

She shook her head. “If the assassins couldn’t follow you without you knowing, I knew I couldn’t. You told me where you thought Nasim would set up camp. I was here before you and saw you hide the chest.”

“But your horse was still staked out when I left.”

“Vaden gave me one of his horses.”

“Vaden.” He muttered a curse. “And what if one of Nasim’s guards had seen you?”

“I was careful. They didn’t.”

Kadar swore beneath his breath. “You don’t know how lucky you-”

Her eyes opened. “I was careful, not lucky,” she said fiercely. “Now stop yelling at me. Do you think I wanted to do it? Was I to leave it all to you? You didn’t even have a weapon.”

“There are many ways to kill without a sword. I would have been able to do it.”

“I couldn’t take the chance. I wasn’t going to lose you too. Though now I wonder why I cared. You’re a fool, and you have no more understanding than-” She was suddenly in his arms, her face buried in his chest. “Let me go.”

“No.” His voice was muffled. “Never again. You scared me out of my senses. Now be quiet and try to stop shaking.”

“I’m not-” She was shaking, she realized. “Why shouldn’t I be upset? I’ve never killed anyone before. His face…” She drew a deep breath. “But it was right. I’d do it a hundred times if it meant-”

“Not like that. I’ve no desire to have a bald wife. If you must kill someone, remind me to teach you a few better ways.”

“I don’t want to learn a better way. It was-”

“Shh, I know.” He took the grail she was still clutching in her hand and dropped it to the ground. His hand pressed her head deeper into his chest. “You’ll never have to do anything like that again.”

She could hear the shouts and other sounds of battle only dimly. More death. When would it be over?

She didn’t know how long they stayed locked together as the battle waged. It seemed a long time.

“Good God, can you not wait until you get back to camp to embrace?” Vaden asked. “There should be a certain dignity to war.”

She lifted her head and saw Vaden sitting on his horse a few yards away. He had taken off his helmet, and the contrast between that almost angelic beauty and the blood that spattered him was a strange and macabre sight.

Kadar loosed his hold on her and whirled on Vaden. “You bastard, you were supposed to watch her.”

“She had other ideas.” Vaden smiled. “She came to my tent last night and persuaded me we should not leave it all to you. It didn’t take much persuasion when she told me that I was to attack when I saw Nasim die. It was better than having to wait for some vague signal from you. I had no liking for the idea of having no control.”

“She almost died, damn you.”

“But she didn’t, and neither did you. Though judging by that wound on your head, you came closer than she did.”

Selene’s gaze flew to Kadar. She hadn’t even noticed the thin line of blood in the dark hair above his temple.

“It’s nothing.” Kadar shrugged. “Nasim hit me with the flat of his sword. It only stunned me for a moment.”

“You see, you took too much on yourself. What if he’d killed you? I’d be out my fee,” Vaden said. “Incidentally, your claim that the assassins were better warriors than my men has proved as false as I knew it to be.” Vaden turned his horse. “But I can no longer chat with you. I have to finish my task.”

Kadar glanced at the scene of battle. “I’d say you have finished. You left no one standing. No prisoners?”

Vaden shook his head. “Survival. I intend to live a long life, and the only way to do that is to make sure no word is carried back to Maysef of what happened. I’m done here, but I go to attack the main camp.” He kicked his horse into a gallop. “And, after that, the Dark Star.”

Selene shivered as she watched him ride away. “He’s rather terrible, isn’t he? I had no idea he would start a bloodbath.”

“It’s a bloodbath that will probably save us all. He’s right: The only way to keep any of us safe from the assassins is to make sure no word gets back to Maysef.”

Vaden’s men had set fire to the tents and smoke curled upward, blackening the clear blue sky.

“It’s time to get back to camp,” Kadar said. “Where’s your horse?”

She nodded at the boulder behind which she had waited those many hours for Kadar.

“I’ll get it. Stay here.”

She didn’t argue with him. Her gaze was fixed in fascination on the burning tents. Death and destruction-and justice.

“It’s done, Haroun,” she whispered.

Layla and Tarik met them as they rode into the camp.

“The grail is safe.” Selene jerked her head at the chest tied to Kadar’s saddle. “You can see for yourself.”

Neither made a motion toward the chest.

“And how are you?” Layla asked.

How was she? She didn’t know. Sad. At peace. “Tired, I suppose.” She slipped from the saddle. “I just want to