he sensed the enemy at his back and jerked to his right to avoid a thrusting lance.
That warrior he took with his dagger. The thrown sidearm slammed into the man’s temple and sent him back over the rump of his mount.
Without clear thought, I dropped to the earth, sword in hand, screaming. I stepped up under a Thamud camel and took the leg off a warrior bearing down on me.
My mind was on Judah. I had to reach Judah. We had to find Talya!
“Maviah!” Saba’s gruff cry came from behind and I heard his blade thudding into flesh.
“Judah!”
I ran, surrounded by beasts and blades and blood. Two more fell under my sword as I sliced through them. But I had lost sight of him.
“Judah!”
And then a hand grabbed the nape of my tunic and plucked me from the ground. I twisted, intent on bringing my blade to bear, but Saba caught my wrist.
“Not now.”
He swung me onto his mount’s rump, fended off a spear, and cut through the sea of carnage.
“Judah—”
“Judah is a warrior!” he roared. “He is no good without a queen. Stay close and low!”
I clung to his strong body with both arms, pressing my head between his shoulder blades.
I dared not look now, for the bloodshed was too much for me. My mind was lost on Talya, and yet the price being paid for him was more than I could bear. Saba took me from that battle. How, I can hardly imagine.
Only when Saba pulled the beast up on a rise did I turn to see the battleground. Hundreds lay slain. Many more were crying out in pain, and those who could were scattering over the dunes into the night. Of the three thousand, at least half would not see the sun rise.
“My queen!”
I turned to see Arim rushing up to us on his camel.
“We have been slain!” He pulled up hard. “The Thamud have—”
“Have you seen Judah?” I demanded.
“Judah…Yes.”
“Where?”
“They have taken him.” Arim’s eyes skittered to Saba, then back. “I tried to save him, surely I did, but the Thamud are like mad jinn this night. I swept in—”
“Who took him? Where?” I was beside myself with fear.
He pointed haphazardly. “Into the night.”
“Where?” Saba demanded. “You point to the sky!”
“There, to the north,” Arim said.
Saba studied the night, then Arim. “Can you still serve your queen?”
“But of course. Would I not die for—”
“Then take her to the oasis. If you must, strike deep into the sands—”
“No,” I said, dismounting from Saba’s beast. “I have need of your camel, Arim. Find another for yourself and go to the oasis alone.” He dismounted. “Tell Fahak to take the Bedu deep into the desert. To the Shangal valley. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my queen.”
Saba started to protest but I cut him short.
“You are to remain hidden at the Garden of Peace to send any who return from the battle. Yes?”
I gave Arim my weapons and took his beast.
“Yes. I will do as you say. Then I will return—”
“After one day, you will go to the Shangal and wait for me.”
“Where will you go?”
I faced Dumah, less than an hour away.
“I go to my son.”
Chapter Eleven
DUMAH. The ornament of the desert. All caravans from the east and south laden with frankincense and spices and treasured silks and wares of great value traveled through the city on their way to Petra, Palestine, and Rome—caravans of a thousand camels each, heavily taxed for passage.
The sprawling oasis fed a fertile landscape rich with date palms and fruit-bearing trees. Here the nomadic Bedu had settled in lavish homes, violating tradition. True Bedu did not establish roots in a city, for a city could be made one’s prison if conquered.
High atop the city stood the palace Marid, jewel of Dumah, where I had once lived in service to my father. And beneath the palace lurked the dungeons that had held Judah in darkness for two years.
The very dungeons in which Talya was now imprisoned.
Morning light cast a red hue over the white and gray homes as Saba
That warrior he took with his dagger. The thrown sidearm slammed into the man’s temple and sent him back over the rump of his mount.
Without clear thought, I dropped to the earth, sword in hand, screaming. I stepped up under a Thamud camel and took the leg off a warrior bearing down on me.
My mind was on Judah. I had to reach Judah. We had to find Talya!
“Maviah!” Saba’s gruff cry came from behind and I heard his blade thudding into flesh.
“Judah!”
I ran, surrounded by beasts and blades and blood. Two more fell under my sword as I sliced through them. But I had lost sight of him.
“Judah!”
And then a hand grabbed the nape of my tunic and plucked me from the ground. I twisted, intent on bringing my blade to bear, but Saba caught my wrist.
“Not now.”
He swung me onto his mount’s rump, fended off a spear, and cut through the sea of carnage.
“Judah—”
“Judah is a warrior!” he roared. “He is no good without a queen. Stay close and low!”
I clung to his strong body with both arms, pressing my head between his shoulder blades.
I dared not look now, for the bloodshed was too much for me. My mind was lost on Talya, and yet the price being paid for him was more than I could bear. Saba took me from that battle. How, I can hardly imagine.
Only when Saba pulled the beast up on a rise did I turn to see the battleground. Hundreds lay slain. Many more were crying out in pain, and those who could were scattering over the dunes into the night. Of the three thousand, at least half would not see the sun rise.
“My queen!”
I turned to see Arim rushing up to us on his camel.
“We have been slain!” He pulled up hard. “The Thamud have—”
“Have you seen Judah?” I demanded.
“Judah…Yes.”
“Where?”
“They have taken him.” Arim’s eyes skittered to Saba, then back. “I tried to save him, surely I did, but the Thamud are like mad jinn this night. I swept in—”
“Who took him? Where?” I was beside myself with fear.
He pointed haphazardly. “Into the night.”
“Where?” Saba demanded. “You point to the sky!”
“There, to the north,” Arim said.
Saba studied the night, then Arim. “Can you still serve your queen?”
“But of course. Would I not die for—”
“Then take her to the oasis. If you must, strike deep into the sands—”
“No,” I said, dismounting from Saba’s beast. “I have need of your camel, Arim. Find another for yourself and go to the oasis alone.” He dismounted. “Tell Fahak to take the Bedu deep into the desert. To the Shangal valley. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my queen.”
Saba started to protest but I cut him short.
“You are to remain hidden at the Garden of Peace to send any who return from the battle. Yes?”
I gave Arim my weapons and took his beast.
“Yes. I will do as you say. Then I will return—”
“After one day, you will go to the Shangal and wait for me.”
“Where will you go?”
I faced Dumah, less than an hour away.
“I go to my son.”
Chapter Eleven
DUMAH. The ornament of the desert. All caravans from the east and south laden with frankincense and spices and treasured silks and wares of great value traveled through the city on their way to Petra, Palestine, and Rome—caravans of a thousand camels each, heavily taxed for passage.
The sprawling oasis fed a fertile landscape rich with date palms and fruit-bearing trees. Here the nomadic Bedu had settled in lavish homes, violating tradition. True Bedu did not establish roots in a city, for a city could be made one’s prison if conquered.
High atop the city stood the palace Marid, jewel of Dumah, where I had once lived in service to my father. And beneath the palace lurked the dungeons that had held Judah in darkness for two years.
The very dungeons in which Talya was now imprisoned.
Morning light cast a red hue over the white and gray homes as Saba
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