LustingtheEnemy (4 page)

She was floating on a cloud when Judas escorted her around
the rest of the market. He seemed enchanted by her renewed excitement, her
naïve enjoyment. And although her mission weighed her down, along with a
deep-rooted fear of him discovering her true identity, for the moment at least
she basked in his admiration.

At one stall she stopped and sniffed appreciatively at the
freshly baked, yeasty bread. A little boy of around eight stood nearby, his
clothes ratty and face grubby as he stared wide eyed at the loaves.

Her heart sank, joy evaporating. Her people were at one with
the forest and glowed with good health. But they too would experience hunger if
they were forced into the
Helbelzcha
desert.

She turned to Judas, the ache heavy in her chest. “May I buy
one?”

“Please.”

She selected the biggest loaf, before bending so that she
was eye level to the boy. He stepped back, shy and a little scared. She smiled
encouragement and offered him the bread with an outstretched hand. “Please.
Take it.”

The boy looked up at Judas, eyes wide.

The king smiled at him. “It’s yours, Mahaya.”

When the boy took one step and another forward, before
snatching it from her and racing off, she couldn’t help but feel sad for him
even as she cheered him on. She had a feeling the little boy was a fighter.
He’d do all right.

Judas took her hand, a frown marring his smooth brow. When
they retraced their steps back to the cobbled street where the carriage waited,
he said, “No matter how much I’ve planned to ensure my people have money enough
to live on, there’s always those who’ll drink or gamble away their earnings,
despite the needs of their family.”

“That’s so sad,” she whispered, appalled that anyone could
give into such selfish pursuits above the welfare of their kin.

“I agree.” He glanced at her. “You love children?”

“I do. Yes.”

“You have brothers—sisters?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m an only child.”

“Oh?” Judas’ thumb stroked her hand, soothing. “Do your
parents approve of their only child being here…with me?”

“I imagine every parent in the land would dream of their
daughter being with you.”

He stopped and tugged her around to face him. She swallowed
at the intensity of his gaze. The crowded market place, the soldiers, the noise
and the aromas, all faded into obscurity as he growled, “And yet you evade my
question. Why is that?”

She locked her eyes with his, willing calm. “Actually…my
father doesn’t approve,” she conceded.

His lashes swept half-mast as he asked, “Your mother is
departed?”

Was he the only man she knew to make another question out of
an answer? He was too astute by far. She’d do well to remain focused on why she
was here; do well to remember not to let her guard down lest he guess
who—what—she was.

Akeisha managed a nod, though repressed emotions threatened
to surface. “Yes. She died when I was young.”

An infant.

“I’m sorry, angel. Rest assured I’ll work hard for your
father to see me as a worthy partner.”

Partner?

Emotions be damned. Her wobbly smile was all real as she
experienced a moment of almost dizzy triumph. She cleared her throat. “I only
wish I could have met your parents. Their love was acclaimed throughout the
land.”

His gaze narrowed, sharp, piercing and astute. “My father’s
devotion was to his detriment.”

“You don’t believe in love?”

He blew out a breath. “I just don’t ever want to be held in
its thrall, where nothing else matters. The king was in robust health when my
mother died from heart disease. I think something happened to his heart too.
All he wanted was to join her in the afterlife.”

Shit.
In matters of the heart his feelings were
understandable. But it didn’t bode well for her cause. It didn’t bode well at
all. She flashed him an understanding smile. “Some people would feel blessed
experiencing such a rare love in their lifetime.”

He shook his head. “Perhaps if they weren’t royalty. My
father was so busy jumping through hoops for the queen, he neglected his own
people.”

His own child too?

“The kingdom was teetering on the edge of collapse when he
finally died,” he added heavily.

She searched his stare, all too aware of the weight of his
responsibilities. She understood his burden, but it wasn’t something she could
share, royal-to-royal, no matter how much she wished to lighten his load. “You
must know you’ve turned it all around for the better?” she said softly. “I
doubt the people have ever been so happy.”

Aside from the apparent thorn in their sides called the
larakytes.

He nodded, but there was a determined glint in his eyes.
“Not all my people are content with my reign. I have some way to go yet before
they’re convinced I’m a just ruler.”

She chewed her bottom lip. Now or never. “You’re referring
to the people rumored to live in the
Scantia
forest?”

He arched a brow. “Actually—yes.”

She pretended her gut wasn’t twisted in knots as she
pressed, “Have you ever been there? I mean, to the
Scantia
forest?”

“Of course. I visit all the places I rule.”

They began walking again, Judas having to shorten his long
stride to keep pace with her. She withheld the million and one questions
bubbling inside, striving for the most banal that wouldn’t arouse his
suspicions, yet still feel out his ideals for her people. “The haunted forest
doesn’t bother you?”

“Not at all. I’m not superstitious, angel.”

A sick churning unraveled in the pit of her belly. She
swallowed. Hard. Had Judas been party to the murder of her people? Was he even
now secretly plotting their downfall? Bloody hell! Wasn’t he going to be
satisfied until the last of the
larakytes
were wiped out and his people
rejoiced his name?

One corner of his lip quirked. “Why this sudden interest in
the
larakyte
heathens?”

Heathens?

She almost choked on the rage, the bitterness churning
within. “Some of those…
heathens
are being butchered simply because of
who they are.”

He froze mid-step and she could do little but stop beside
him, looking uneasily up at his stark profile, his lips pressed into a glower,
a muscle throbbing at one side of his clenched jaw. “I don’t condone any such
thing.”

So he wasn’t behind it? Relief took the edge off her raw
emotions, easing the tension that’d sprung up between them.

His expression abruptly softened. “Tell me, how would you
handle the situation between the humans and
larakytes?”

He was asking her? Hells bells! Where to start? She sucked
in a breath. What she said next had to be counted, direct and to the point if
she hoped to make an impact.

“I believe a law should be put into place to protect the
larakytes
from the murder and ill will against them.” She was on a roll.
“And I think humans should be tried and sentenced who break those laws.”

“Strong words,” Judas murmured. “Many humans would see you
hung for such ideals.”

And what about you?

“For speaking the truth and wanting justice?” she asked.

The back of her nape prickled, alerting her to someone
watching. She turned to look at the crowd, but no one appeared to be staring,
nothing appeared to be amiss. She shrugged off the feeling as they approached
the carriage. A soldier stepped forward and open a gilded door with the royal
insignia pressed into plush velvet.

Judas swept out a hand. “After you, angel.”

Only after they were seated inside, his hard thigh pressed
along the length of hers, did Judas continue in a casual voice, “You
seem…passionate about the
larakytes.
Why?”

If I told you, you’d probably have me killed
.

She shrugged, striving for nonchalant. “I just hate to see
innocent people wronged.”

“What would you say if I told you I’m working on a
solution?”

Solution? She closed her eyes, ruthlessly quashing the hope
uncurling in her belly. She wouldn’t put all her faith in his hands—she
couldn’t. It’d hurt way too much if she was led down a path that ended in
bitter disappointment.

Her eyelids flipped apart and she croaked, “I’d say hurry
up. Your Majesty.”

A bark of laughter revealed an amusement that didn’t quite
make it to his eyes. “Some things can’t be hurried, angel. No matter the urgency.”

Except the
larakytes
are running out of time
.

She chewed her lower lip. “So…what is your plan?”

He blew out a breath. “Give me a day or two to implement
them and you’ll be the first to know. Agreed?”

She nodded. Best to bide her time and see what he planned—if
only the very thought didn’t make her so nervous! The longer she stayed with
him, the more her feelings grew and the harder it would be to walk away in the
end.

And the greater his chance of discovering who she really
was.

But even if the best she’d done was speed up his plans to
save her people, she’d walk away from him knowing her love for him hadn’t been
in vain.

Love for him?

She looked out the carriage window with a frown. She’d
thought she might be half in love with him already, but she wasn’t going to
allow it to go any further than that. She’d leave Judas, heart intact.

Or die trying.

Only then did she realized the claustrophobia of before
hadn’t even registered. The markets and wooden houses had long since given way
to stone buildings and sandy, wide roads.

She peered ahead, where the huge stone walls surrounding the
palace and the
Zaneean
outbuildings, loomed large. Huge gates swung open
at their approach, and she turned to Judas and asked, “Where are we going?”

He smiled, but there was an odd note in his voice when he
explained, “I’m taking you somewhere few people know exists.”

The carriage jostled over the potholes and ruts of the sandy
road leading away from the security of the palace. Four guards rode behind and
four in front; even so she couldn’t help but wonder if Judas wasn’t too exposed
outside the walls. “What about your safety?”

“Don’t worry about me, angel,” he said wryly, “although I
bring soldiers along with me as a precautionary measure, I can take care of
myself.”

She tilted her head to one side. “Are you saying I can’t?”

He chuckled. “I’d never be so uncouth.” He shrugged.
“Besides, I have a feeling you can more than take care of yourself too.”

You don’t know the half of it.

A little over an hour later Judas commanded the soldiers on
horseback to return to the palace. Though she could tell by their faces they
were reluctant to leave, they had no choice but to obey their king. As they
rode away, the driver of the carriage clucked his tongue and the grays
continued ahead.

When the carriage veered off the road a few minutes later,
Akeisha jerked her attention outside. It looked as though they were traversing
unmarked territory, but in this inhospitable land, trails were often covered up
in a sandstorm. Even the best trackers would have trouble navigating their way
through the
Helbelzcha
desert.

The sun blazed high in a bright blue sky, heat rays bouncing
off the sand and into the carriage. She swiped at her brow, longing for the
cool sanctuary of Judas’ palace.

She’d grown used to the
Scantia
forest’s relative
coolness and had yet to accustom to the desert heat that Judas seemed to
relish.

“We’re almost there,” he said, evidently reading her
discomfort.

“I’d forgotten how hot it is out here.”

She should remember. The journey to the palace in a cramped
carriage with too many other women had been hell. The only thing that’d kept
her going as the others had moaned with discomfort and distress was the
knowledge she would save her people.

Or die trying.

It was almost amusing using those three words again, this
time in relation to her people, the first in relation to her heart. She
shivered, despite the heat. Perhaps the latter would need to be sacrificed for
the former?

“Then you’ll like the destination,” Judas said, brushing
back a sliver of her hair that’d dared to escape Fontaine’s amazing handiwork.

When the carriage tilted forward and they rolled down a
sharp incline, he instructed, “Close your eyes.”

She squeezed them shut, chewing her bottom lip and
experiencing a giddy excitement, much like a little girl did anticipating a
longed-for present.

When the carriage lurched to a stop, she kept her eyes
closed even when Judas helped her to her feet then led her down the carriage
step and onto the ground outside. As the horses whickered and the carriage
lurched away, he said huskily, “Open.”

Her eyelids fluttered apart. She looked around, awed. “How
do your people not know of this place?” she breathed.

“Some do.”

A small lake evidently fed by an underwater spring,
glistened a sparkling blue under the relentless sun. Palm trees reared high
into the sky, ferns and grasses a green carpet underfoot. And right near the
waters’ edge, a picnic basket was perched on large, flat cushions.

Caution waylaid enthusiasm when she asked, “You sent someone
earlier to set up a picnic?”

He watched her with a soft smile that was completely at odds
with his hard demeanor. “I did.”

Something almost gleeful tore through all sense of restraint
as she danced to the cushions and sank down. “I love it.”

A large, long-legged bird honked annoyance as it cocked its
head at them from the other side of the lake. Feathers ruffling with annoyance,
it continued digging with its beak at whatever was edible beneath the sand.

Judas joined her on the cushions and she forgot to breathe,
to think as his stare caught and held hers. Damn. What was he doing to her? She
felt things for him she’d never imagined possible in such a short time. She had
too many people relying on her, too many secrets to guard. Yet he’d broken down
her defenses as easily as a strong wind tearing up the dunes.