Banished (Forbidden)

by Kimberley Griffiths Little

“Oh, Kadesh, I’m so sorry.” Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I could only reach out to wipe the tears rolling down his scarred cheek. I moved closer, our faces within a breath’s distance of each other. Holding his face in my palms, I said, “I’m so sorry to make you relive these memories.”

  His bottomless eyes were filled with pain. “I’ve wanted to tell you, but I never had the courage. I didn’t want to disgust you with my family’s story. To bring you to a broken kingdom. I was selfish, but I wanted you so badly. I knew if anyone could help me heal this land you could with your strength and genuine unconditional love. Uncle Ephrem may not be alive a year from now, and I am his heir now that my father is gone. I needed a weapon against Aliyah. And I—”

  I gave a small laugh. “You greatly overestimate me. How can I be a weapon for you? Do you want a girl to infiltrate the temple of the Sariba Goddess? To learn its secret plans and strategies? To destroy its poison and propaganda?”

  “I would never send you to the temple. And I’m going to help you get Leila back before her mind is destroyed. I’m marrying you because my kingdom will be stronger with a king and queen on the throne who can fight to save Sariba. If you still want me for your husband.”

  “I’m not being fair questioning your intentions. After all, I asked you to save my family from Horeb. An enormous thing to ask of you and you’ve done it willingly.” I turned to Asher. “So have the Edomites. You’ve harbored me and my family, and now you’re willing to fight for our survival at the risk of your own lives and kingdom.”

  We’d had the threat of Horeb’s armies following us for months. Now a corrupt temple with a devious and scheming priestess was laid at my feet. The Land of Sariba was treacherous. Not a safe haven at all.

  Kadesh clasped my hands. He seemed to gain strength from our touch. “My uncle tells me Aliyah’s influence has infiltrated the palace. We don’t know who yet. Servants, guards, or cooks who do her bidding to taint the food or water supply. Once we have evidence, they’ll be executed for endangering the royal family.”

  “The problem is the citizens don’t believe Aliyah is dangerous,” I said, thinking out loud. “They only want to maintain their prosperity. How have you escaped her brainwashing?”

  “I was the one who found my parents dead. First my mother at the altar, and then my father in his private rooms. Aliyah planned it that way to bring me under her influence. She thought it would show me how powerful the Goddess was and that we needed to be completely obedient to make sure the frankincense caravans kept flowing to the north. Instead, the opposite happened. I hated her and everything about the temple. My ancestors worshipped the God of Abraham, not the cults of gods and goddesses who demand your body and soul as their own. To torture or kill in the name of love is a vicious doctrine of the most devious kind. When I departed Sariba a year ago on that fateful caravan, I left knowing I had to figure out a way to defeat her. But it took so many months to return.”

  “Because of me and Horeb.” I remembered the hazy confusion in my mind when I followed Aliyah onto the dance floor. “The only reason I danced tonight was because of what I ate. My food was targeted to lure me into going to her.”

  “I fear that’s true. But many people in the dining hall tonight are loyal to the temple. Their livelihood comes from the goddess.”

  “That’s why you looked so furious.”

  “Politely furious.” He feigned a smile. “But you were lovelier than I’ve ever seen you. You dance with all of your soul, Jayden. A heart of genuine purity and trust.”

  “But why did you allow me to go down to the dance floor—”

  “I dared not make a scene during the first royal dinner after a year. My aunts love Aliyah. They don’t see the wily, crafty priestess I know. They can’t bring themselves to believe it was the temple Goddess who sent my parents to their deaths. Going insane and killing yourself is not the way a queen and king should die. Their suicides brought shame to our city and caused my people to turn away from the royal family and embrace the ways of the temple even more.”

  Chills prickled along my neck. “How can a relatively new priestess wield such power?”

  “She’s been in training since she was sixteen years old and arrived from Sa’ba. The farmers say there are spirits in the mountain of the Goddess temple. That the spirits of past goddesses whisper in her ears and commune with her under the moon.”

  “That’s where the stories come from,” I said, thinking aloud. “The stories of magical spirits guarding the frankincense trees. The priestesses use those groves for their rituals. Kadesh, there is so much I have to learn about your people, but I cannot do it unless you confide everything to me. You must promise to trust me for the rest of our lives.”

  “I was afraid you would reject my proposal if I told you everything.”

  “Aliyah and the High Priestess are the ones to be rejected,” I said with severity.

  “Unfortunately, Aliyah and the High Priestess are now one and the same. She was recently promoted, which means her power is that much stronger.”

  “But she’s so young.” Sweat trickled down the inside of my gown. The situation just got worse and worse.

  “Last night I learned that the old High Priestess was found dead in her bed two months ago.”

  “Dead? How?”

  “The physicians couldn’t determine whether it was natural causes or foul play. Despite her youth Aliyah elevated herself to the highest position at the temple by calling in favors from the other women. Using blackmail, making promises. She’s charismatic and gets what she wants—and all the other priestesses admire her. To their detriment.”

  Asher spoke up. “The only thing left that Aliyah covets is the position of High Priestess and queen of Sariba.”

  “How will she make that happen?” The dread growing in my stomach turned poisonous.

  “At the summer solstice there will be another human sacrifice.”

  I staggered against the desk behind me. Ceramic figurines crashed to the floor, shards flying. “I know why Aliyah brought Leila and the other girls from the Temple of Ashtoreth. She plans to make my sister the sacrifice.”

  27

  Making Leila the sacrifice perfectly suits Aliyah’s evil designs. A sacrifice to the Sariba Goddess, who will then be considered more powerful than the Goddess of Ashtoreth. That’s why my sister was taken.” I held my hands to my stomach, feeling ill. “Leila was probably glad to volunteer. Thinking she’d become even more divine, more special, and important.”

  “And the High Priestess Armana was probably paid handsomely,” Kadesh added.

  “Killing my sister would cause such hatred in my heart Pharez and I would leave this land—which would mean relinquishing you to Aliyah, Kadesh. All part of her plan.”

  Kadesh’s fingers tightened around my wrists as though I’d become his lifeline to reality. “If we marry quickly, our union will slow her down.”

  “This is the reason the Queen of Sheba advised us to marry quickly and create a lavish wedding. But Aliyah will kill me if she has to.” This couldn’t be happening; it was all so insane, but I knew it was true. “My father will die. Leila’s sacrifice will literally break his heart.”

  “Aliyah will think twice before destroying a second king and queen within two years. She doesn’t want an uprising. She needs the people’s docile obedience to carry out a coup.”

  I paced the floor. “Maybe. Maybe not.” A shudder ran through me as though I were getting a premonition of my own death.

  “Remember what the Queen of Sheba told us in the anteroom?”

  “I can’t seem to forget.” I recalled the intense lavender eyes of the queen. There was something she had said that I couldn’t stop wondering about and what she had meant.

  Asher stepped between us. “There are many reasons to marry quickly, not just to thwart Aliyah. When you are queen of Sariba one day, Horeb will have no hold on you. He cannot claim betrothals or contracts. You can order his execution if you want
.”

  “His execution?” I repeated. “If I did we’d have a full-blown war.”

  “War is already coming,” Asher said soberly. He turned away to stare out the window, clearly remembering his traitorous messages that gave Horeb such a great advantage.

  “And Chemish and I have been meeting with Uncle Ephrem and the generals to concoct a plan.”

  “That’s where you’ve been the past two days.” I’d been troubled by his secrets and the fragile trust between us. Jealous of a girl who no longer had a soul.

  “Have you heard from our scouts, Asher?” Kadesh asked.

  “No, and it worries my father.”

  “In the morning,” Kadesh said to me, “we’re scheduled to meet with my uncle and Pharez. We’ll get the marriage contract signed. Then I’ll spend the rest of the day with Chemish and the Sariba army.”

  “Doesn’t meeting with you and the king go against protocol? The bride is never allowed to attend a marriage contract meeting.”

  “These are special circumstances.” Kadesh gave me a tired smile. “I want you to trust me completely. I’m assigning guards directly to your suite, too.”

  “Am I not already protected while in the palace?”

  “Aliyah, as sister to the Queen of Sheba, has access to the palace. I’m going to have to figure out a way to ban her without bringing down her wrath and causing chaos. Too many of my own servants and staff have been seduced by her cunning.”

  “Go carefully,” Asher said. “The walls may very well have ears—and lips to impart treachery. I’ll be here to protect you both. I pledge my life to you and I hope you can entrust your well-being in my hands once more.”

  Kadesh looked deeply at Asher, and after a moment, he nodded. “The Sariba Goddess can’t steal our hearts or free will unless we give them to her.”

  I understood what he was saying, but everything changed when sedition came into play. Potions, drugs, coercion, blackmail, blind obedience to a powerful being—and a citizenship too afraid not to worship the Goddess.

  After Kadesh and Asher departed, I wanted to strip off the fancy green gown and flop into bed, but Jasmine insisted on cleaning the dress while Tijah washed the rouge and kohl from my face and applied lotion to my skin.

  When I finally crawled under the cool sheets I was as tired as when I’d arrived from the desert. But now I had the weight of a thousand new worries.

  Tijah lowered her voice. “Did you know there’s a personal guard outside your door and one on the courtyard outside the windows?”

  I was grateful for Kadesh’s swift action. The peace of mind knowing guards were so close. But when the lamps were extinguished, I drifted in and out, too exhausted to sleep deeply. Shudders crawled all over my skin as though I had a fever.

  I woke sometime before dawn. I’d been dreaming, but the details were elusive. I was left only with a sense of dread.

  Once light appeared through the draperies, I rose and I dressed, seeking fresh air, seeking something I wasn’t even sure I could define. When I ran a brush through my hair, flecks of gold dust fell into the washing bowl. The reality of the previous night returned with startling force.

  Pulling on a simple dress of burgundy I stuck my toes into a pair of slippers and tiptoed past the beds of my maids. The candles in the wall sconces were melting when I cracked open the door. I almost stumbled over someone lying on the carpets. At first I presumed it was a male servant, but then the man rolled over and grinned at me. “Kadesh! What are you doing on the floor?”

  “I was hoping you’d wake early. I was about to go in and get you myself, but I didn’t want to alarm your maids.”

  “Why aren’t you in your own rooms? I’m perfectly fine.”

  There was a moment of silence while we gazed at each other.

  “We are not perfectly fine, Jayden,” he whispered.

  I nodded, biting at my lips.

  “We have an audience with Ephrem and your father in a few hours, but right now we’re getting out of the palace. It may be our only chance. I want to show you my country. Our kingdom,” he added, reaching up to stroke my face.

  I gave him a wobbly smile.

  Holding hands, we raced through the winding hallways and out the rear doors. A stable boy had two black Arabians saddled and ready. Kadesh helped me onto the smaller gelding and I grasped the reins.

  A moment later, we flew through the rear gates and headed toward the mountains.

  28

  At first, I was surprised the palace guards would let Kadesh out of their sight. But it wasn’t long before I noticed royal soldiers with sabers hovering in the background.

  The horses skirted the city streets, taking side roads until we reached the city limits at the limestone cliffs. A series of switchbacks took us higher into the northern flat-topped peaks.

  Far away in the distance, the blue-green sea sparkled with sunbeams on frothy, silent waves. Above us in the foothills of the Qara Mountains, the Temple of Sariba’s towering walls rose throne-like, embedded with glittering stones of sapphire and amethyst. The towers were capped gold like the sun, so bright my eyes hurt.

  Kadesh dismissed the temple with an expression I couldn’t read. “Let’s keep climbing. I have so much to show you.”

  When we nudged our horses forward again, the cry of a bird razed the air. A magnificent falcon with black feathers and a white downy breast wheeled over our heads.

  “Look!” I pointed. The creature soared and then circled to fly lower and lower. The movement of his wings fluttered as a breeze against my face.

  We walked deeper into the forest and the air cooled. My mood lifted as birds chattered and mourning doves called. A squirrel raced up a tree to hide behind the leafy fronds. Wildflowers blossomed along the paths.

  When we bumped legs on a narrow passage, Kadesh reached out to press my hand. My love for him created an ache in my throat.

  I leaned forward in the saddle when we climbed the last steep incline. At the crest my horse’s silky mane whipped in the warm breeze.

  In a hollow of hills lay a picturesque lake. Ripples danced along its surface. Pine trees, tamarisk, and willows formed thick groves around the water.

  I ducked under branches, the path winding its way about the shoreline. The sound of rushing water grew louder. A moment later the path turned to face a waterfall gushing down a second set of cliffs above us.

  Kadesh dismounted and tied up his horse, then helped me down.

  “I think you’ve worked a magic of your own, Prince of the Sariba Lands. You’ve transported us to the Garden of Eden.”

  “Come on, we can duck behind the water using this path.”

  Within moments we were standing on the edge of a limestone opening, gazing through a curtain of water pounding its way from high above to the lake below.

  “Is there a river where the waterfall originates?”

  “This is the last of the spring runoff. We irrigate the frankincense groves using canals and ditches.”

  We stood quietly, listening to the rushing water, without speaking. After several moments, Kadesh put an arm around my waist, pulling me in tight. I leaned my head into his chest. We gazed out through the dazzling waterfall to the peaceful lake beyond.

  “Kadesh,” I said, lifting my face. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

  “It’s my fault. I should have trusted you months ago with my family’s tragedy.”

  “I remember how angry I was the day my mother died. You stumbled into our camp and then collapsed, bleeding to death. I had to take care of you. If we died on the journey, separated from the tribe, I was ready to blame you. Of course, it was only in my head I hated you.” I laughed at the memory. “Until I knew that I loved you.”

  Kadesh brushed back my hair with his fingers, his own face in shadow from the rock overhang. From this angle I couldn’t see his eye patch or the scar running jaggedly down the left side of his face. For one brief moment it was as though nothing had ever happened, as if he were whole an
d unblemished.

  “You’ve endured terrible tragedies,” I said softly. “To watch your parents die under such excruciating circumstances.”

  Kadesh surrounded me with his cloak in the damp air. I put my arms around his waist and held him tight. “I’ve had to work hard not to hate. Not to call on the army of Sariba to destroy the temple . . .”

  His voice trailed away and I became aware of the juggling act Kadesh had to control. To keep the city safe while appeasing the Goddess and her power over the people.

  “Even a land of beauty comes with a price.”

  I glanced up at him, his words echoing between us. “What did the Queen of Sheba mean when she asked you to take care of something? She was quite cryptic, but I had a feeling you knew what she meant.”

  I felt rather than saw Kadesh’s reaction of surprise. “And don’t try to hide it from me,” I added with a small laugh.

  “The queen has come to the conclusion that I might need to have Aliyah assassinated.”

  I gave a sharp intake of breath. “She would kill her own sister?”

  “Aliyah has a peculiar hold on the people. We’re not sure how to stop it. But we must to preserve our people and this country. Isn’t it better for one person to die than an entire nation vanish into history?”

  “But to kill her . . . murder.” The idea made me sick. “The duties of a king are more ruthless than I imagined.”

  “I don’t want to resort to that. I fear it could backfire against us, but Aliyah has gained in strength this last year. Uncle Ephrem wanted to wait and see what happened. I think he hoped the people would turn against her when my parents died. But just the opposite occurred. I fear it was a decision my uncle should have made. I keep hoping I can weaken Aliyah without killing her.”

  “The situation keeps getting more complicated.”

  “Unfortunately, my love.”

  I twisted a strand of his dark hair with my fingers. “And now, you must kiss me so I know you still love me.”

  “Oh, Jayden, I never stopped.”

  My arms went around his neck and I pressed my lips against his. Exhilaration rushed from my toes all the way up through my belly and into my heart. I savored the strength of his arms, breathed in the taste of him. Our kisses turned deeper and I swore I was falling into him, our spirits and bodies entwining.