the tower room. My mind must be clear and I need rest for the journey.”
“It’s true you’ve been very strenuously occupied.” Nasim chuckled. “Very well, I admit you’ve done everything possible to assure that she is with child. You may rest until we see if your seed has taken hold.”
“Many thanks,” Kadar said with irony.
“Impudence.” Nasim gestured a dismissal. “I’m astonished I permit it from you.”
Kadar started to leave.
“But I still think the whip would prove interesting. If she’s not with child, we will try it the next time you go to the tower.”
Kadar didn’t bother to argue. Nasim always had to win, but Kadar had bought a delay. By the time the issue emerged again, the messenger might have arrived.
Now he must consider what action to take when that occurred.
“What happened?” Selene asked as soon as she unlocked and threw open the door.
“Nothing of importance.” Kadar came into the chamber. “We no longer have to go to the tower. At least, not for a while.”
Shock and another emotion less identifiable surged through her. “Why not?”
He smiled crookedly. “I pleaded weariness. He doesn’t want me to be overtired when I start my journey.”
“Has the messenger arrived?”
“Not yet.” He pulled his mantle over his head and walked naked to the pallet. “Nasim said we will wait until we see if you’re with child. If you’re not, we must return to the tower room.”
“I see.” She moved slowly across the room toward the bed. It was the first time since they had started going to the tower that she had thought of the possibility of a child. The pleasure of the act itself had overwhelmed all else. “What if I am?”
“We must hope you aren’t. The tower room is the lesser danger.”
“We may not know for a while. My flux is often late.” She took off her gown, blew out the candle, and climbed into bed.
A child . . .
She lay staring into the darkness. She had thought only of the danger of refusal, not of the babe itself. A child born of Kadar and her. Perhaps a boy like Thea’s babe, Niall. Gurgling laughter, soft, and silken smooth as—
A baby Nasim would either take or kill.
Panic soared through her. A child born in this dark place and taken from her. Nasim would—
“For God’s sake, stop shaking.” Kadar was sitting on the bed beside her.
How had he known she was shaking from across the room? But Kadar always knew. She reached out and clutched his hands. “I won’t let him take my baby,” she said fiercely. “He can’t have it.”
“We don’t know that you—”
“I don’t care. I’ll kill him before I let him—”
“Shh.” He lifted the covers and slipped into bed beside her. “It will never happen.” He gathered her into his arms. “I promise you he’ll never touch any child of ours.”
A little of her terror eased. “It’s just . . . I never thought of it before. The possibility seemed so far away. . . .” And now it was too close. A week or two and she would know if—
“Will you stop trembling?” he said gruffly. “You’re tearing me apart. I’ve never seen you this frightened.”
“It’s not for me. It’s the babe. We had no right. A babe is helpless and cannot—”
“But we’re not helpless. If necessary, we can protect him.” He held her closer. “Now forget this and go to sleep.”
Yes, he was right. They could protect their child. Kadar and she could do anything together. She relaxed against him even as she said, “You shouldn’t be in my bed. You said Nasim would know . . .”
“Nasim may go to hell.”
“He would be at home there.” She was silent for a moment, thinking. “I’ll not stay here without you.”
“I never intended to leave you or Haroun here.”
“Then what will we do?”
“Would it be too much to ask you to stop worrying and leave the matter to me?”
“Yes. I can’t stop worrying.” She paused. “But you know Nasim better than I do. I
“It’s true you’ve been very strenuously occupied.” Nasim chuckled. “Very well, I admit you’ve done everything possible to assure that she is with child. You may rest until we see if your seed has taken hold.”
“Many thanks,” Kadar said with irony.
“Impudence.” Nasim gestured a dismissal. “I’m astonished I permit it from you.”
Kadar started to leave.
“But I still think the whip would prove interesting. If she’s not with child, we will try it the next time you go to the tower.”
Kadar didn’t bother to argue. Nasim always had to win, but Kadar had bought a delay. By the time the issue emerged again, the messenger might have arrived.
Now he must consider what action to take when that occurred.
“What happened?” Selene asked as soon as she unlocked and threw open the door.
“Nothing of importance.” Kadar came into the chamber. “We no longer have to go to the tower. At least, not for a while.”
Shock and another emotion less identifiable surged through her. “Why not?”
He smiled crookedly. “I pleaded weariness. He doesn’t want me to be overtired when I start my journey.”
“Has the messenger arrived?”
“Not yet.” He pulled his mantle over his head and walked naked to the pallet. “Nasim said we will wait until we see if you’re with child. If you’re not, we must return to the tower room.”
“I see.” She moved slowly across the room toward the bed. It was the first time since they had started going to the tower that she had thought of the possibility of a child. The pleasure of the act itself had overwhelmed all else. “What if I am?”
“We must hope you aren’t. The tower room is the lesser danger.”
“We may not know for a while. My flux is often late.” She took off her gown, blew out the candle, and climbed into bed.
A child . . .
She lay staring into the darkness. She had thought only of the danger of refusal, not of the babe itself. A child born of Kadar and her. Perhaps a boy like Thea’s babe, Niall. Gurgling laughter, soft, and silken smooth as—
A baby Nasim would either take or kill.
Panic soared through her. A child born in this dark place and taken from her. Nasim would—
“For God’s sake, stop shaking.” Kadar was sitting on the bed beside her.
How had he known she was shaking from across the room? But Kadar always knew. She reached out and clutched his hands. “I won’t let him take my baby,” she said fiercely. “He can’t have it.”
“We don’t know that you—”
“I don’t care. I’ll kill him before I let him—”
“Shh.” He lifted the covers and slipped into bed beside her. “It will never happen.” He gathered her into his arms. “I promise you he’ll never touch any child of ours.”
A little of her terror eased. “It’s just . . . I never thought of it before. The possibility seemed so far away. . . .” And now it was too close. A week or two and she would know if—
“Will you stop trembling?” he said gruffly. “You’re tearing me apart. I’ve never seen you this frightened.”
“It’s not for me. It’s the babe. We had no right. A babe is helpless and cannot—”
“But we’re not helpless. If necessary, we can protect him.” He held her closer. “Now forget this and go to sleep.”
Yes, he was right. They could protect their child. Kadar and she could do anything together. She relaxed against him even as she said, “You shouldn’t be in my bed. You said Nasim would know . . .”
“Nasim may go to hell.”
“He would be at home there.” She was silent for a moment, thinking. “I’ll not stay here without you.”
“I never intended to leave you or Haroun here.”
“Then what will we do?”
“Would it be too much to ask you to stop worrying and leave the matter to me?”
“Yes. I can’t stop worrying.” She paused. “But you know Nasim better than I do. I
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