Page 47 of Kismet

Together they rode in the direction of the birds. As they drew closer, she recognized them as vultures. The stench was the first thing they encountered. It was the sickening smell of rotting carcasses heated by the sun. The first slaughtered animal they saw was an ewe. Partially decapitated, it was bloated from the sun. Nearby, another ewe, its skull completely crushed, lay dead and swollen from the heat. Shaheen grabbed Adiva’s bridle and brought the horses to a halt.

“Stay here.”

All she could do was nod obediently as she surveyed the grisly scene. Strewn out in front of them was carcass after carcass. Each one brutally hacked to death. Covering her nose with her hand, she watched Shaheen ride deeper into the carnage. Where was the Bedouin sheepherder? The answer was an insidious whisper in the back of her head. She swallowed hard as a vulture swooped down to steal another bird’s carrion. It failed and flapped away in defeat. The winner hopped to one side to peck at its prize from a different angle and as it did so, she screamed.

Shaheen wheeled Tarek around in a sharp turn. Nauseated and sick with fear, she could only point at the vulture’s prize as the bird plucked at the eye socket of a decapitated head. Wrenching her gaze away from the horrendous sight, she twisted in the saddle to bend over and retch. When she’d finished, she rested her forehead against Adiva’s mane.

Oh God, how could someone do such a thing? What kind of man—she immediately knew the answer. Despite the heat from the approaching noon hour, she shivered with cold. Strong fingers bit into her arm as Shaheen pulled her upright. Her stomach still churning, she moaned softly at his action.

“Look at me, Allegra.”

The command was impossible to ignore, and she lifted her head. Fury had darkened his eyes to jet stones. She’d seen him angry, but not this type of cold wrath. It sent ice sluicing through her veins. Instinctively, she drew back from him, and his gaze softened. He offered her the water bag and she took a sip to rinse out her mouth.

“I need you to listen to me,” he said with a crisp urgency. “We’re in danger. There’s only one person I know who would condone this type of behavior.”

“Nassar,” she said with conviction as she returned the water bag to him. Deep down inside, she’d known the Sheikh was responsible from the moment she’d seen the first dead ewe. He nodded his head in agreement.

“I need you to be strong ma chérie, because we need to leave here now.”

Despite her queasy stomach, she’d do anything to avoid Nassar. She nodded and they turned their horses around and left the carnage behind them at a hard gallop. The air grew fresher as they put distance between them and the butchery, but the memory of the heinous act didn’t abate. It was difficult to blot out the memory of the sheepherder’s severed head, but she fought valiantly to forget. The horrible sight was a reminder of how lucky she was to be out of Nassar’s reach. She shuddered. They rode hard toward camp, continuously looking over their shoulders, but saw no one in pursuit. After almost a half hour, Shaheen motioned her to halt.

“We’re not being followed, and the horses need rest and water,” he said. Despite his calm tone, her fear didn’t abate. He grasped her hand and raised it to his lips. “Just a few moments, ma beauté courageuse. I promise.”

She trembled at the gentleness of his voice, and nodded as he offered her a smile of encouragement. While he watered the horses, she worriedly scanned the landscape for any sign of riders headed in their direction.

“Why would he do such a terrible thing? What purpose could it possibly serve?” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Fear,” he said quietly. “It sends a message of fear. Nassar wants to expand his territory, and this is how he does it.”

“Isn’t this your territory?”

Confusion swept across her face, but it was the fear and horror glazing her green eyes that sliced viciously through him. Christ Jesus, he’d been a fool. He’d been so consumed with his need for her, he’d not bothered to assess the dangers of a ride so far from camp. He should never have brought her with him. He’d put her life in danger and if something had happened to her—he stopped himself. The thing to do now was calm her fears.

“In a manner of speaking,” he said as he began to water Adiva. “This land and the people in my tribe have been entrusted to me by Sheikh Mahmoud, First Sheikh of the Amazigh.”

“Sheikh Mahmoud . . . Jamal said something about him being the sovereign?”

“He’s a descendant of the first Sheikh of the Amazigh. That birthright makes Khalid leader and sovereign of all the Amazigh tribes.” With the horses watered, he quickly mounted Tarek and sent her an encouraging smile. “Come, we’re less than an hour from camp.”

She acknowledged his words with a nod, and urged Adiva forward. As they rode, he continued to watch the landscape for any sign of Nassar. He wouldn’t feel at ease until he’d returned her safely to camp. He’d heard stories about Nassar’s terror tactics in territories southwest of Marrakech, but nothing this far north. This meant the balance of power was shifting, and he didn’t like what that meant for Khalid or the rest of the Amazigh.

Nassar seemed on the verge of a power play, which could mean war, something he knew Khalid didn’t want any more than he did. More importantly, he didn’t like how all of this affected Allegra’s safety. She was in danger if Nassar knew where his camp was. Shaheen glanced over at her. She’d witnessed the horrifying work of a madman, and yet she’d not succumbed to hysterics. He was proud of her, and furious with himself for putting her in harm’s way.

The moment the tents of his tribe appeared on the horizon, he found himself breathing easier. As they approached camp, two men rode out to meet them and he quickly issued several orders. Shaheen’s men raced away as they came to a halt at the outer perimeter of the encampment. In a lithe movement, he leaped off Tarek to help her dismount. The warmth of her filled his arms, and she clung to him with what he recognized as relief. A tremor shook her body followed by another until she trembled violently against him.

He cradled her and murmured reassurance into her ear. Her reaction was understandable given the horror of her experience. The shudders wracking her body eased at the same time he saw Jamal hurrying toward them. Somehow, he didn’t think the anger on his friend’s face was entirely for Nassar. He grimaced and returned his attention to Allegra. He lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. That haunting vulnerability of hers was back, and it tugged at him to keep her safe from whatever threatened her.

“Go rest. There are things I must do, but I’ll come to see you shortly.”

“We didn’t even bury him,” she whispered as she slipped out of his arms. Catching her by the shoulders, he forced her to look at him.

“If we had, and Nassar had returned, he would have known we’d been there. We have the advantage if he doesn’t know. Omar would understand this.”

“It wasn’t right.” Her stubbornness was offset by the softness of her voice.

“No, it wasn’t. But here on the desert plains, we do what survival demands first, propriety second.” He saw a glimmer of understanding flare in her eyes, and he brushed his fingers across her cheek. “Go now.”

With a nod, she walked away like an obedient child. It wasn’t her normal behavior, and he cursed himself for causing it. He’d give anything to have his fiery Allegra back in place of this docile creature. The possessive thought startled him, but he pushed it aside in order to deal with the current problem. Turning to Jamal, he faced his friend’s anger.