"Why did he come? I could make no sense of him."

Galen shrugged out of his robe and moved back toward the divan. "Who knows why Tamar does anything? Whim directs him." He lay down on the cushions and stretched out his big limbs. "He's a lawless brigand, a total savage."

"But you were once friends."

"Once."

He fell silent, but Tess could still feel the tension emanating from him.

"Why did you lie to him about me?"

"It was best. Tamar has no desire for Sedikhan to be united. He enjoys his life exactly the way it is. He might have been much more determined to have you if he'd known you were part of my plan."

She suddenly remembered the word Tamar had used in referring to her. "What is a kadine?"

"A woman of pleasure."

"Couldn't you have named me your wife and still kept my identity a secret?"

"Perhaps, but he would have been suspicious. Tamar knows I have no desire to wed."

A strange pain rippled through her at his words. She swallowed. "Of course, I understand." She lay still, pondering the extraordinary events of the last quarter hour. After a time she spoke again. "You say no one knows why Tamar does anything, but I think you do."

"Yes, I've always been able to gauge what Tamar was going to do next."

"How?"

He was silent so long she thought he wasn't going to answer. "Because he's my mirror."

"What?"

"He's what I was. He's what I could become again."

Startled, she blurted, "But you said he was a vicious bandit."

"Yes."

"A brigand and a rapist."

"Yes."

She became conscious of the waves of emotion radiating from his rigid body. She could sense violence, controlled with difficulty, within, but no trace of the malice that Tamar had exuded. "You're wrong. You could never be like him."

"I'm not wrong," he murmured almost inaudibly. "But it won't happen. Not if I'm strong. Not if I fight it. Not if I'm vigilant…"

Chapter 4

« ^ »

"Galen tells me you had a visitor last night," Sacha said as he lifted Tess into her sidesaddle at dawn the next morning. "You needn't worry that it will happen again. Kalim was mortified that Tamar had managed to slip by his sentries. "

"Galen reprimanded him?"

"Galen seldom reprimands. He simply told Kalim he was disappointed in him."

"That seems a strange way to handle the matter."

"It's Galen's way, and it's always proved effective. The majiron's 'disappointment' has more sting than a tongue-lashing from another leader."

She wrinkled her nose. "Kalim probably wishes that savage Tamar had cut my throat. It's obvious Kalim has no liking for me."

Sacha glanced away from her. "That's only your imagination. How could he dislike you when he doesn't know you?"

Tess recalled the brief look of resentment on Kalim's face when Galen had introduced her and shook her head. "It's not my imagination." She caught sight of Galen. He was riding out of camp at Kalim's side. "What do you know of this Tamar?"

"Not much. There have been a few skirmishes between his tribe and the El Zalan in the past few years, but Galen usually tries to avoid him."

"Why?"

Sacha shrugged. "I have no idea. Galen doesn't talk about him."

"They were children together. Perhaps he still has a lingering fondness for him."

Sacha shook his head. "Galen wouldn't let friendship interfere with the good of the El Zalan. It's probably that the tribes are so widely separated they don't get in each other's way. "

And cows could fly. "Yes, that must be it." She gathered the reins. "Let's go. Galen has left the oasis."

"There's no hurry." Sacha swung up into the saddle. "You're to ride in the rear with me until we reach Zalandan."

"I can keep up," she said, hurt. "I ride better than you."

"That's not the point. Galen has to ride up ahead with Kalim and lead the escort, but he wants to keep you away from the main party."

"Mother of God." Her hands clenched on the reins. "First, I'm penned up in that tent, and now I'm forced to eat the dust. I'm getting very tired of being placed in—"

"I'm hurt," Sacha interrupted, pulling a face. "You've not seen me for years and yet you are already weary of my company."

"You know that's not what—"

"Five more days," he coaxed. "Things will be different in Zalandan."

She scowled. "Freedom?"

"To some extent."

She kicked her horse into a trot. "To a great extent," she said through clenched teeth. "I have no liking for all this smothering. When we get to Zalandan, I will no longer tolerate it."

"Majira, wait!"

They both turned to see a young man galloping toward them. As he reined in, he flashed a broad grin and inclined his head in a polite bow. "Greetings, Majira. Since you're not to be with the main party, Kalim has sent me to protect and serve you on the journey. My name is Yusef Benardon. "

"I believe I can assure my cousin any protection she requires, Yusef," Sacha said dryly.

Yusef stared at him guilelessly, his black eyes like sparkling buttons in his round face. "Very well, then I will protect you, Sacha. It makes no difference to me."

"Protect me?" Sacha said blankly.

Yusef lowered his lids to half mask the mischief glittering in his eyes. "You think the honor bestowed on you is too great? I admit having the greatest warrior in Sedikhan put at your disposal is enough to dazzle and humble most men."

Sacha closed his eyes. "I believe I'm beginning to feel ill."

Yusef waved his hand airily. "You see? The majira does have need of me, since you're clearly of a delicate nature."

Tess smothered a smile as she saw Sacha's eyes flick open in outrage. It was all very well for her cousin to joke about his delicate sensibilities, but he couldn't tolerate others doing so.

Yusef had caught her glimmer of a smile from the corner of his eye and immediately turned to her with a coaxing grin. "You must not send me back to Kalim. It's very boring and lonely up there for me, as all the other men are jealous of my prowess. We shall get along much better back here together."

"Indeed?"

He smiled solemnly. "I shall immerse myself in the radiant delight of your company, and in return I will tell you many stories that will inform and amuse you. I promise I'll make the hours of the journey fly by."

"A result much to be desired," Tess said.

"Then we're agreed." Yusef gave her another dazzling smile. "I'll go ahead and make sure the road has been made safe for you, but do not fear. I'll not let you linger without me in this abysmal boredom a moment longer than necessary." Yusef galloped out of the oasis after the column of men.

Tess laughed helplessly as she heard Sacha's muttered oath.

"I don't find anything amusing in—" Sacha broke off and smiled reluctantly. "It's no wonder Kalim sent him back here out of harm's way. The scalawag has unerring aim. By the end of five days he probably would have managed to antagonize every one of Galen's men and completely disrupted the escort."

"He's not a great warrior?"