"You're as bad as they are. I don't have enough to worry about with you going to Nasim tomorrow. You have to boggle my mind with this."
He smiled. "Better to split the worry. You were too somber. You'd have brooded all night about Nasim."
"And you'd rather I brooded over some idiotic choice. Well, I'll not do it. I won't think of you at all." She whirled and strode away from him. "Idiot."
"Does that mean you won't sleep with me tonight?" he called after her.
"Of course I'll sleep with you. Do you think I want to live with guilt if you get your stupid head chopped off? Just stay away from me until I can bear to look at you without wanting to slap you."
"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly. "Fortunately, Vaden isn't so disdainful of my company. He wants to go over the plan this evening."
She didn't answer as her pace quickened. A few minutes later she was inside the tent Kadar had indicated. Imbecile. What made him think introducing a new hazard weakened the impact of the first? It was just like a man to think that a woman could not hold two thoughts in her head at the same time.
Nasim.
I have no choice.
Panic was rising, and she had to remain calm if she was to get through tomorrow. How could she be calm when she was whirling in the dark?
She strode out of the tent and went in search of Layla.
"You're upset," Layla said warily as Selene strode into her tent. "Did you argue with Kadar?"
"No, he was too busy mumbling idiocies about choices and Pompeii and Tarik and you living for centuries."
"Oh."
"Well, talk to me." Selene plopped down on the cushions. "And don't tell me to go slowly or that I'm not ready or I'll throw a pitcher at you."
"I wouldn't want that." Layla smiled. "There's going to be enough violence tomorrow. What did he tell you?"
"Nothing. He's being as cautious and annoying as the rest of you." She bit her lower lip. "He told me he had no choice. What did he mean?"
"It seems he was very clumsy."
"What did he mean?"
Layla dropped down on the cushions across from her. "Shall I start at the beginning?"
"If you don't, I'll strangle you."
"Another threat?" Layla clucked reprovingly. "Since all this is clearly Kadar's fault, I really think he should get the brunt of this." She held up her hand to stem Selene's words. "Very well, I'll tell you all that Kadar knows."
The tent was silent for a long time before Selene whispered, "A thousand years . . ."
Layla nodded. "It sounds like a long time, but it passes more quickly than you would think."
"Why didn't anyone tell me that Kadar had already taken Eshe?"
"Did you really want to know?" Layla asked. "Kadar said you could think only of Nasim."
She supposed that was true. If she had not been so obsessed, she would have suspected Kadar was keeping something from her. "And I'm the one who gave Kadar the potion."
"You didn't know what it was."
"Tarik did."
"And it saved Kadar's life. Would you have him dead?"
