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but are you sure this is the right time?"
"Yes,” her eyes glistened in the candlelight, but her smile reassured him. “We both wanted to couple with you. Amra has gone from this world and now it is you who makes me feel whole again. I need you, Kerr."
Her words made him proud. “You both wanted me?"
Her eyes were filled with secrets and memories.
A suspicion crept up on him. “Wait ... did you two know that I was in the Empresses’ bathing room, that first day I met you?"
"Maybe."
"You did.” He laughed softy. “What were you trying to do, drive me to madness?"
"Capture your attention, perhaps."
"You surely did that."
As he thought back over what had happened, knowing what he now knew, he wanted to see her as she had been, in the comfortable surroundings of her home, where she had lived a happy, carefree life. He wished that he could provide that for her. But after this night, he had also seen that love could thrive in the most unlikely circumstances and under immense pressure. Kazeen and Hanrah had proven that to him. Despite the circumstances they lived under, they found happiness in their moments together, no matter how short-lived. Rather than regret where they were not, they should celebrate being together.
He stared into her eyes and ran his finger from her beautiful lips down her chin and the length of her neck, slipping his hand inside her robe to touch the warm supple flesh of her breasts. When her nipple hardened beneath his hand, he whispered his pleasure aloud, and then climbed over her, moving between her opening legs, his body driven with the need to unite with her and make her happy. “I love you,” he whispered.
He moved to kiss her, and that's when he felt her stiffen in his arms. She was looking over his shoulder at the door. The sound of footsteps marching along the passageways reached him. He glanced up at the small window. Light was pouring into the room. It was dawn.
A moment later the door was flung open and a torch flared into the room, dazzling them. The person holding the torch shouted an order. Guards spilled into the tiny space and snatched Kerr out of Elra's arms. Drawn weapons were at his throat. He shouted and scrambled for freedom.
Anger flashed through him when he heard Elra's muffled resistance to their captors behind him. Another of the guards had lifted her. He shouted his objection, and then a hand clamped over his mouth and he was hauled bodily from the room.
* * * *
Elishiba slept a shallow sleep at first that night. Then she slid deeper, and dreamt she was walking in a starlit sky. In the dream she was alone, and then she saw Amshazar seated on a throne in the midnight sky, as if he were a king or a god. He whispered her name, and offered her his hand. When she reached out for him, she realized she walked on a carpet of stars that showed the way, but as she walked, she seemed to grow no closer and a sense of fear stole into her heart.
She was growing restless with concern, when a sound startled her from her dreams. She blinked into the darkness and then noticed the door to the chamber was open and light spilled in from the outside corridor. Yoshi was pushing past the guards into the room, prodding one of their spears out of her way as she did so, nose in the air.
Puzzled, Elishiba sat up.
Yoshi trotted across the room, a blanket thrown around her shoulders, a self-satisfied smile on her face. The doors clanged shut behind her, leaving them in darkness.
"What happened?” Elishiba whispered when Yoshi settled back on the mattress beside her.
Yoshi plumped the pillows to hide the fact she was speaking, for even in the darkness they were both concerned about it. “A message from Kerr. He came to the door and told the guards to wake me. He insisted one of us come and speak with him, offering to change over with me. I didn't want to leave you, but he was insistent. He would not allow the guards to deny his request, stating I must surely be tired.” She paused to chuckle, clearly impressed by his resourcefulness. “He said he would be there to do your bidding so I could sleep."
"I missed all of this?” Elishiba thought she'd only been dozing, and then she remembered her strange dream about Amshazar.
"You were asleep.” Yoshi poked her with an accusing finger. “Don't look so appalled. You didn't sleep at all last night. I had to let you rest."
Elishiba hadn't meant to sleep. She'd stayed clothed in the close-fitting tunic and skirt she had slipped into when she had finally changed out of her Aleem guard's clothing. When she'd gone to rest, she stayed propped up, for she had wanted to stay aware of her surroundings. “Well, never mind that,” she replied, shrugging it off. “Don't keep me in the dark on the matter, what did Kerr want?"
Yoshi leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. “He had a message from Amshazar."
Elishiba's blood quickened at the very sound of his name.
"Ah, your attention is grabbed when he is mentioned.” Yoshi put her mouth right beside Elishiba's ear, as if about to impart another secret. “I was right about him and you, wasn't I?"
Elishiba drew back and sighed. “What is the message, Yoshi?"
Even in the gloom, Elishiba could see that Yoshi lifted her eyebrows, waiting for the response.
"Yes, yes. You were right, now tell me!"
