But Mery knew all her weaknesses, her blind spots, her naivete.
Sitamun, Sitamun, you look at the board, but somehow you don’t see it.
She turned back toward the huge white pylons of the palace, now barely visible on the horizon.
Mery never truly cared about winning the little games we played, Sita thought. He only cared about winning this one.
With a heavy sigh, she lifted her robes again and trotted quickly after Karim and Behkai, who hadn’t noticed her slowed pace.
“Wait for me!” she called out. Her feet throbbed. She wasn’tused to walking in the heat for so long, and her sandals were made for looks, not travel.
Karim halted and squinted back at her, his rugged yet boyish face peering out from his dark hood.
“Tired, princess?” he asked—a little flippantly, she thought.
“Not at all,” she replied, raising her chin. She made an effort to catch up, then surpass him. In response, Karim accelerated his own stride until they were both out of breath. Finally, they fell into an easy rhythm, side by side.
Sita studied him from the corner of her eye. Earlier, he’d removed his white tunic and slipped into a set of dark voluminous robes that he’d taken from the skiff before they’d fled, robes that were similar to her own. He was lean, and a little taller than her, and hairy.Is that what all men would look like if they didn’t shave?she wondered. Despite her initial disapproval at his lack of hygiene, she had to admit she didn’t mind it so much. There was an audaciousness about his look and manner that she almost found appealing.
But there was a secrecy about him too. His manner was light and breezy, but an undercurrent of tension lay beneath it, and she wondered at its source. She’d noticed that he glanced over his shoulder as they walked and startled at sounds in the brush.
What’s he so scared of?
The most obvious answer was the royal guard. It was unlikely that Mery would have sent soldiers out this far, but it made sense that Karim would keep a lookout. Though she deeply feared being caught and taken back to the palace, she’d surely be taken alive. Karim, however, was a different story. She had no doubt that if they were found together, he’d be executed right then and there.
The black dog, much like his master, also seemed to be on alert. He’d often scout ahead, sniffing around and then bounding back to them, pink tongue lolling. He’d been doing just that whenhe ran up to her, dropping a dead shrew at her feet with obvious pride.
“Ugh, why?” Karim kicked the mangled creature off the path. “At least find us something we can eat.”
But Sita was pleased at the gift and patted the dog on his big head. “Thank you, Behkai,” she said with a smile.
Karim grumbled and walked on.
Clearly, she owed the man a debt for his help getting her out of Thonis, but after having plenty of time to think, she’d started to wonder if his actions were purely altruistic. He was, after all, leading her farther and farther from civilization, and if there happened to be a band of desert thieves waiting at the end of this journey, a runaway princess would be quite the bounty. For all his charm, he could be nefarious as the rest of them.
If she’d learned anything from her recent experiences, it was to stop being so trusting. She felt for the dagger at her waist. If it came to that, she’d do what she had to do.
“We’ll stop here, sena,” Karim announced, his arms akimbo. They’d crested a small hill and came upon an irrigation canal at the edge of a farm, with a stand of willow trees surrounding it. “We should rest and refill our waterskins.”
Sita nodded—she was parched. Mimicking Karim’s movements, she bent to dip her waterskin into the canal and held it there until it was full. Then she took a long drink. It was cold and fresh, and she guzzled the whole thing. It was easily the best-tasting water she’d ever had—probably because she’d never been so thirsty before. She hurried to refill her waterskin so she could have more.
“Take it easy,” Karim scolded her. “If you drink too fast, you’ll throw it all up again.”
She pouted but slowed down.
Pulling off his hood, Karim ducked under the drooping branches of one of the trees and sat in the shade. He took a deep,slow swig of water, letting the excess drip down his throat and onto his bare chest beneath. Then he poured the remainder over his head, closing his eyes as the water soaked into his dark curls and caught in shining droplets in the stubble on his cheeks. She watched him, her lips still resting on the mouth of her waterskin.
He opened his eyes. He must have sensed her watching.
Sita looked away. “We only have a few more hours until nightfall. Is it safe to stay this close to the river?”
“We’ll venture farther out to set up camp,” Karim answered. “But you needed a break.”
“I told you, I’mfine.” Annoyed, she bent at the edge of the canal and splashed cool water on her face. She blinked at her reflection. Her hair was messy, her face sunburned, and her lips chapped. She should have been mortified but couldn’t bring herself to care.
Behkai ran up next to her, bending to noisily lap at the water before shaking his head, spraying slobber everywhere.
“Eugh!” Karim exclaimed, swatting at the dog.
