“Can we take one of the machines? Wouldn’t that be faster?”
“Yes. But it would be certain death. We would be heard too soon, with no element of surprise. And those machines are not as reliable as they seem. The only thing that can cross the desert without a breakdown is a camel. If one of those machines ran out of fuel, or there was a sandstorm, we would die a slow death from thirst.”
* * *
The camels did come back. Talok held the reins of three, and Gabriel walked toward their camel. He spoke softly, and the beast dropped to the ground. She was anxious now to go home, to get started on the last part of this journey so she could begin the next: getting rid of the Prime Minister.
“Senna, come. We must find shelter and rest. And start tonight.”
“I want to go now. How far are we from the Oasis?”
Talok made a sound, not unlike the camel’s snorts. “You will die in the desert before you arrive. It is too far. You must rest now, and travel at night.”
She ignored him, focused on Gabriel. “How far?”
He looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded. She saw in his eyes that he understood her urgency to return home. “It is far. But we have water. And we have the will.”
“Gabriel, that’s not a wise move.” Talok blew out an exasperated breath. “But I have known since you were a child that when you have your mind set on something, nothing will deter you. Here...” He reached up, and unhooked the leather water bag from one of the camels. “Take this. It is still not enough, but with it, you might die closer to home.”
Senna was stung by his sharp words, but Gabriel only smiled. “We’ll make it through. Don’t worry.”
The remaining man mounted his camel, and reached down to take the reins of the camel that held the body of the dead man. They’d wrapped him in his robes, but the camels still snorted and danced away, but the one holding the bundle stood stoically, as if it knew what it carried.
“Then may the universe, and all the Gods smile on you, and your journey.”
Talok reached out, and wrapped an arm around Gabriel, pulling him close. He said something in Gabriel’s ear, but Senna couldn’t hear the words. Then Talok’s other arm came out, and she found herself crushed between the two men.
Senna mounted the camel behind Gabriel. The camel rose, tipping her forward, then back. Gabriel clicked his tongue, turned the animal’s head, and they began the last part of the journey, back to the Oasis.
Chapter Eleven
Senna was hot, the sun beating down on them with relentless brutality. Gabriel had told her to drink water, but she was afraid of drinking it all. She knew Gabriel was pushing the camel to its limits. He’d told her that camels could travel over a hundred miles in a day, but it was very hard for them. Now she wondered if they were going to kill the camel before they reached their destination. She didn’t think Gabriel would let that happen, but she thought maybe Talok was right, that they should have waited.
She had lost track of time, riding with her face completely covered, her head tucked behind Gabriel’s back. A long time after they had started riding, the wind kicked up, sand stinging against her face. She’d pulled herself into her robes like a turtle and hidden.
With a sudden jerk, the camel came to a stop. The wind was still blowing, and she decided he was going to tell her they had to stop. But they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, of nothing. There was nowhere she could see to hide.
“We are closer than I thought. But there are guards out here.”
How he knew that, she had no idea, but if he said there were guards, she had to believe him. She got ready to dismount the camel.
“And with this wind, they can’t ride the machines, either the aliens or the shifters. We can, with luck, slip past them. I know a place on the Oasis wall where we can hide.”
“Hide a camel?
By degrees the camel had turned its back to the storm, and when Gabriel turned to talk to her most of his words were swallowed by sand and the wind. He leaned down, his lips beside her ear.
“We walk. At least for a short distance. The camel can take care of itself here.”
A thrill ran through her. They were close, close enough to walk. But in the swirling sand and screaming wind, she wondered how he planned to get them from where they were to where they needed to be.
“How?” They would be swallowed up in the sand in moments. “How do we walk through this?”
“I know a way. But it will be dangerous. Can you do it?”
He dropped off the camel, and helped her down. With a swat on its backside, he sent the camel to wherever camels go in sandstorms. Wherever that was, it disappeared in seconds.
“How can you know where we are?”
Slinging a water bag over his shoulder, he put a length of rope in her hand. “Tie this around your waist. If we get separated, you won’t get lost.”
She did as she was told, tying a knot. The rope went taut, and she felt for a moment like it was the only thing keeping her from flying into the sky.
“This is madness, Gabriel.”
Over the wind, she heard what sounded like his laugh. “Possibly. But I have been in storms like this before. It seems worse to you than it really is.”
Her laugh joined his, but hers was tinged with panic. “I can’t imagine how it could be worse.” But she had to trust him. There was nothing else she could do.
“It has been lessening, over the last hour. The wind has shifted, blowing at our back now. Think of it as blowing you home.” For a brief instant, he lowered his face covering, and she saw his smile. He kissed the only part of her visible, her forehead, before pulling the cloth back over his face.
“It will blow itself out before night. We will be at the Oasis by then.”
This all seemed unreal, but she followed him, blindly, hands wrapped around the rope, letting the feel of it guide her. And maybe he was right, maybe the storm was lessening. She’d spent hours with her head down and eyes closed, hiding behind Gabriel. The day could have turned into night and she might not have noticed.
She could tell by the way the ground shifted that they were walking downhill. The wind had been pushing her robes against her back, but now they swirled around her, the wind tearing at the scarf on her head, the cloth covering her face. Gabriel turned again, the rope pulling her to the right. Her feet went out from under her, and she fell, her knee hitting a rock.
“Are you alright?”
His hands were under her arms, pulling her to her feet. “Yes. Just tripped...” Pain shot up her leg, but it didn’t buckle. “On a rock. Oh...a rock. This is the ravine behind the Oasis, near where the supply carts came and went. Or had, before the aliens kept traders from coming by cart. The gate where they entered had been closed and locked a long time ago. Now she knew exactly where he was taking her.
“Come. It’s almost dark. I can find my way in the light, even in a sandstorm. But in the dark, I would be lost.”
Adrenaline flooded through her, and she followed Gabriel with renewed energy. They were close, closer than she’d thought. Soon, very soon, she would find Ana, and this would all be over.
With unerring accuracy, or so she thought, Gabriel led them to the gate set in the outer wall. And as he’d said, the wind had died down, leaving the sky an angry color, like a bruise, a distorted blood-red sun setting behind them.
The door was inset in the thick walls, and they hid in the shadows. Gabriel tore his face covering away, breathing out a sigh. Above where the cloth had covered his face his skin was red and irritated. “Glad to be rid of that.”
She pulled the covering away from her face, glad to be able to take a breath without breathing through the cloth. “What do we do now?” She had images of them confronting the Prime Minister, a bloody battle with knives and swords. Her heart beat faster, anticipating making her body shake.
“Nothing.” Gabriel sat down, his back against the wall. “We wait until dark. And then we wait longer.”
She stared down at him. “Wait? Why did we risk life, and limb to wait?”
“Because, there is no way we can move around inside the palace during the day without being seen instantly. At night, it is still dangerous, but we have the cover of darkness to help. And at night, there is only one place the Prime Minister would be, correct? I’m hoping I can find one of the guards, one who does not believe am a deserter, who can help us do what we need to do.”
Gabriel untied the rope that connected him, coiling it around his hands. Then it disappeared beneath his robes. It would be impossible to wait, to sit here, and do nothing while the Prime Minister was doing more harm. While Anacelia, where ever she was, might be in danger.
“Sit, Senna. Have patience. Just a little longer.”
She slid down the wall, resting beside Gabriel. The minute she hit the ground, she yawned. Exhaustion, deep and overwhelming, didn’t creep up on her. It just took her. She yawned once and then closed her eyes, leaning against Gabriel.
“Alright. Wake me.”
“I would not think to leave you behind, Senna. Never.”
* * *
She snapped awake with a shiver. It was cold, very cold. Outside the arch where she sat dark sand stretched in all directions, each grain seeming to cast a shadow in the brilliant moonlight. The sky overhead was deep indigo, not black. The moon was somewhere behind the wall, but she could see the yellow glow overhead.
But she was alone.
Scrambling to her feet, she bit back calling out Gabriel’s name. He would not leave her. And if they’d found them, he would have taken her as well. She stepped back into the shadows, and did the only thing she could do. She waited.
There was a sound behind her, on the other side of the door. A scratching, metal against metal. Fumbling in her robes, she found the dagger Gabriel had given her, and then slipped around the edge of the archway. Instantly she felt exposed, like a brightly lit bug against the outer wall. But there was something there, and she would rather be exposed than discovered in the small alcove with whoever was coming for her.
Gripping the dagger, she listened. There was a metallic ping and a scraping sound. It could only be the door opening. From here, she could see nothing.
She crept forward, trying to see. The door blocked her view, but it blocked her from whoever had opened it. Indecision tore at her. She wanted to see, but she didn’t want to be seen. Gabriel would know what to do; he was a fighter. He’d tell her, but he was gone.
“Senna...” Her name was a whisper on the breeze. “Senna. It’s me.”
Slowly, she looked around the edge of the door. Gabriel was there, in his guard’s uniform. Behind him she saw something more and drew back the dagger, ready to kill whoever was sneaking up on him.
“No.” he reached out, his hand on hers, on the hilt of the dagger. “This is my man, one of the guards. They have agreed, those that I have found, to help us.”
Relief washed over her, and for a giddy moment, she wanted to laugh. But Gabriel was pulling her through the doorway. Behind him were several men, all dressed in the familiar guard’s uniforms. When they saw her, they bowed. She was touched, and for a moment remembered who she was. She was Princess Senna, and this was her kingdom.
“Princess. We are at your service. We followed your father, and now we shall follow you.”
“Thank you. But for now, I think you should follow Gabriel. I have no idea how to dethrone the Prime Minister.”
Gabriel turned to the men. “Go, find those who will fight with us. Meet me in the guard room.” The men bowed, and disappeared into the darkness, the dim glow of a light box going with them.
“Why did you leave me?”
To her surprise, Gabriel laughed. “I wanted to see if I could find a way in, besides this door. And I got caught by one of my own men. I must have trained them well. At any rate, he had me on the ground, at knifepoint, but he recognized me. And then, thankfully, he decided not to kill me.”
The guard had told Gabriel that the Prime Minster had yet to make changes to the guards or their routines, although it was rumored he was going to kill them all, and replace them with the Ottway’s men. The guards believed that the next time the Ottway’s train returned, they would all die. So when Gabriel told the man he had the Princess hidden, the guard had rallied those he could find, that he knew were loyal to the Princess.
“So we have a small force that is at my command. But this time, Senna, and I mean this. You will not fight with us. You will not.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he covered it with a kiss, shutting off her protests. When he let her go, she was breathless. “If necessary, I will have you put in the cells in the basement.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would. You have risked your life too many times. But now, here, this is my place to fight for you. Do not argue with me, Senna. Do not.”
His words were hard and insistent, but tinged with love. She nodded, but she was not happy.
“Then go to Anacelia. I know where she is. And don’t worry, she is safe.”
He led her down halls she had never even known existed, through passages and doors. And then into a hall with doors on either side. One was open, and in the soft light a woman stood. Senna knew before seeing her face, that it was Anacelia. She let go of Gabriel and ran to her friend.
“Senna. I never thought I would see you again.” The woman reached up, winding her arms around Senna in a grip that threatened to leave bruises. “But you are home. You are home.”
“Yes. I am. And with Gabriel’s help...” She pried herself away from Anacelia, looking behind her for Gabriel, afraid he’d already left her. But he stood in the hallway. “With his help, we are going to take back my kingdom.”
Anacelia looked at her with wide eyes, but Senna could see the smile growing on her face. “It is time. And you are the rightful ruler of this land.” Anacelia looked past Senna. “And you are the man to do this. Now...” Anacelia thrust her chin at Gabriel. “Go. Quickly.”
Senna watched as Gabriel disappeared down the hall. Then she turned back to Anacelia, pushing her through the open door. The woman staggered back in surprise, clutching Senna’s arm.
“Listen. I am not staying. I am going to fight with Gabriel, or at least watch. I cannot just let him go...”
“Senna. You can, and you must.” She tugged at Senna with surprising strength. “You have to stay here. You are to be the next ruler.”
It hurt Senna to wrench her arm away from the woman. She only had the best intentions and Senna’s well-being at heart.
“I have to see this through, Anacelia. I am sorry.”
To the sound of Anacelia’s surprised gasp, Senna stepped into the hall, slamming the door on her startled expression. Then she turned, tripping over her robes as she ran down the hall. She undid the ties at her neck, and shrugged out of it, leaving it in a pile in the hall. It was far easier to run in her dress, her leather boots tapping on the stone floor.
But she wasn’t sure which way to go. Up, obviously, but not all stairs in the palace led up. She needed to find the main corridor. After a few minutes of running, and several dead ends, she found a wide staircase that curved up. She was sure this took her to the kitchens. And from there, she knew where she had to go.
The kitchens were empty, and she dodged between huge copper pots and big pans, racks of knives hanging on the wall. Something scurried behind her. Instinctively she reached for the dagger Gabriel had given her, but her hand brushed against her dress. The dagger was left on the floor with her robes. Whatever was there it was gone. But she detoured around a counter and grabbed the biggest knife she could find. Clutching it, she ran out the big doors.
The hall led to the main stairs that would take her to the upper floors. If the Prime Minister had taken over her father’s rooms—the thought chilled her—or if he’d kept his own, they would all be on the same level of the palace.
Before she could tak
e a step, there was a yell from above, and a crash. She ran up the stairs, coming into the big hall that ran the length of the palace. In the hall, was a crush of men and wolves, all of them fighting against the other. She looked desperately for Gabriel, not sure if he would be in human, or wolf form. But there were too many black wolves, too many men crammed into the small space.
It took her a minute to determine who was fighting whom. The men on the right side were guarding a door, and it was the door to her father’s chambers. The men and shifters attacking were being driven back, pushed further down the hall. That meant the Prime Minister had taken over her father’s suite of rooms.
Gritting her teeth, she held herself back, aching to join the fight, to rush the door with Gabriel and his men. But they would cut her to ribbons in a heartbeat. She held back, hiding at the top of the stairs.
Then the answer was there, so easy it almost made her laugh. Her rooms and her fathers had a connecting passage. Her mother was the last one to use it when Senna was small. There was a small nursery along the passage, an alcove really, where her crib had been. The doors between her rooms and her fathers had been closed and locked for many years. But she knew where the key was hidden.
With one eye on the fighting men and her back against the wall, she moved as quietly as she could in the other direction. At the door to her room, she pushed, hoping against hope no one had decided to lock the door. It swung open quietly, and she slipped inside, pushing the door closed.
In the wall of her bathroom, in the corner by the tub, there was a loose stone she’d discovered when she was a young girl. She’d hidden all kinds of trinkets and secret things there, things she thought her parents or Anacelia wouldn’t approve of. Most of them had been silly things, but among them, she’d put the key to the door to the passage. It had been left in the door at some point, and she’d locked the door and taken the key, more to protect her privacy than out of any malicious intent. Now she gave a little prayer for her packrat ways. She only hoped the key was still there.
Wild Things (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance): Shifter Lovers Romance Page 14