Pain shot through her. "Don't talk to me in that way. I'm not a monster." She lifted her chin and stared at him defiantly. "I've done nothing. Do you think I'd rush to please you? I just thought--"
"Then why did you bring Selene here?"
"She's suffered a great loss, and I thought it best to humor her. She was not--"
"What loss? What happened to Haroun?" Kadar was striding down the hill toward them. "How did he die?"
"You're Kadar." It was a statement. He was young enough to be Selene's lover and was clearly a man of considerable stature, as was necessary to be Tarik's choice. "I'm Layla."
"I don't care who you are." His tone vibrated with anger and frustration. "I want to know what happened to Haroun and what's wrong with Selene."
"There's no need for harshness," Tarik said. "Layla didn't harm Haroun."
He was defending her. Layla felt a rush of warmth. How pitiful she had become to feel so much pleasure from such a little thing. "How do you know? You seem to think me capable of anything."
"How did Haroun die?" Kadar repeated.
"Nasim killed him." She briefly related their flight into the woods and the discovery of Haroun's body.
"God's blood," Kadar murmured. "Haroun . . ."
"He seemed a good lad and very devoted to Selene."
"Yes, he was."
"Particularly toward the last." Should she tell him? Why not? She didn't know whether Selene intended to tell him about the child, but she had not been able to reach Selene in the past days. Perhaps Kadar could do it. "After he learned Selene was with child."
Kadar's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"That's why she was coming to see you. She thought you'd give your name to protect the child."
A slow smile lit his face, and in that instant she could see why Selene was drawn to him. "Of course I--"
"Wait." As usual, she had been clumsy. "She lost the child after we found Haroun."
His smile vanished. "Dear God," he whispered.
"It was a terrible blow to her. Together with Haroun's death, it was--She seemed to change overnight."
"You don't have to tell me that." His fists clenched at his sides. "I've never seen her like this. She's not the same."
"Don't be stupid. Of course she's not the same. Some women need children to complete them. To lose a babe tears the heart from your body. Do you expect her not to show--"
"Gently." Tarik's hand fell on her arm. "We all know Selene is in pain. Now we have to find a way to help her."
"If she'll let us," Layla said. "It's as if she's built a wall around herself to keep everyone out."
"She'll let us," Kadar said. "Because we'll do everything we can to make sure she does." A muscle jerked in his taut cheek. "Do you hear me? I won't have her hurting like this."
"Time and patience will help heal the wound," Tarik said.
"Selene has never understood patience, and I can't see her learning now."
"You're the one who appears to be without patience."
"She's hurting. I won't stand for it. I'm going to fix it." He glared at Tarik. "And you're going to help. Whatever it takes, whatever she wants, you're going to give her."
"If it's within my power."
