She had not lain with him since the last night at Maysef, and there was a warm sweetness to the moment. Surely it would do no harm to just lie here and comfort him.
And take comfort herself.
The sun rays streaming into the tent were lengthening, Kadar noticed. They had little time left. He should wake Selene.
She had dozed off over an hour ago, but he had been lying here thinking, weighing his alternatives. Not that there were many choices open to them. He could see only one that had even a possibility of success.
"It's late." Selene's eyes were open, her expression panicked.
"It's all right. There's no hurry." He sat up. "I've decided your plan is best after all."
She sat up straight. "You have?"
"Why are you so surprised? You assured me that it was our best choice."
"But you aren't always sensible."
"I can accept the premise but not all the details. I'll go back to the castle at nightfall. Near midnight, when the camp is asleep, I'll return for you."
The mere idea made her panic. "No, you'll get yourself killed."
"If I hadn't learned how to infiltrate a camp, Nasim would have banished me very early in my training. Be ready."
"Don't come. I won't be here. I'll leave before you arrive."
He smiled. "But then I'll surely be killed, for I'll have to blunder around the camp looking for you." He bent down and brushed a kiss on her nose. "Be ready."
He should have been here by now, Selene agonized.
He had said near midnight.
Had they caught him?
No, she would have heard something.
Why? It took no noise to slip a dagger between a man's ribs.
Selene drew a deep breath. Stop it. Imagining the worst would do no good.
She flexed her hunched shoulders and scooted closer to the entrance of the tent. Through the slit in the cloth, she could see the two guards standing a few yards away. How could one man take out two guards without rousing the camp?
One of the guards lifted his head as if listening. He said something to the other guard and then strode around the right side of the tent.
What had he heard?
Then she heard it. A soft trilling sound that might have been a bird.
It was not.
She heard the sound of a falling body through the thin material of the tent.
One guard left, but it would be difficult for Kadar to surprise him now that he had taken out the other man.
She jumped up and threw open the flap. The guard whirled to face her.
"I need to see Nasim," she said. "I have something to tell him."
The guard shook his head. "Tomorrow."
