He raised his head. His hand was leaving her, pulling the blanket up to cover her body. He stood up and stepped back from the bed. "I'll leave you now. Good night, Selene."
She felt a ripple of shock. "But you didn't--"
"Ah, no, and I'll suffer for it tonight. It's not my way to collect until the task is done. I needed to touch you, but I can wait for the rest."
"But you--what was this all about?"
"It's about you learning the pleasure is still there, waiting to be tapped. It's about bringing your body alive again. It's about preparing the way." He moved toward the door. "I'll need to speak to Tarik and Layla alone tomorrow. I'll come to see you later in the day."
Selene huddled beneath the blanket after the door closed behind him. She had to stop trembling.
It's about bringing your body alive again.
Dear God, her body was too alive. The blood coursed through her veins, and her skin was flushed and tingling. There was a familiar aching emptiness between her thighs.
The tower.
He had pleasured her, and still it was not enough.
She wanted more.
She could have more. It was no surrender, no loss of herself. A bargain had been struck.
It could be like the tower.
______
Tarik and Layla were sitting on the bench when Kadar strode onto the terrace the next morning. They both looked at him warily.
"And where is Selene?" Tarik asked.
Kadar smiled. "I thought we could speak more freely without her. I'll tell her of our discussion later."
"I wouldn't think she'd thank you for going behind her back," Layla said dryly.
"Oh, we're in complete agreement. I had a long talk with her last night. She knew you were going to refuse her. I didn't want her to be further distressed."
"None of us does," Tarik said.
"But we can't do what she wishes," Layla said. "Find another way."
"I would, but she's right. The grail is the only bait that will draw Nasim." He smiled. "So that's the bait we have to use."
Tarik shook his head.
"Yes," Kadar said.
"Are you going to threaten us?" Tarik asked. "I believe you know that won't accomplish anything."
"It depends on the threat." Kadar moved over to the balustrade and looked up at the bright blue sky. "I've always loved the night. The stars, the shadows. But the morning is good too. Feel the freshness of the breeze? Since I came so close to death from Balkir's sword, I've learned to appreciate those small pleasures even more." He paused. "What was the potion that so miraculously cured me, Tarik?"
Tarik was silent.
"At the moment Selene is too numb to focus on anything but ways to use the grail to lure Nasim, but, as you were talking, things began to slide together for me. There was more than the grail in the coffer, wasn't there? Eshe?"
Tarik nodded.
"And you had Selene give it to me."
