The Sheik and the Siren (Elemental Series) (15 page)

“I would
dance,” she said, following her mother’s lead as they swayed their hips to the music. The bells around their ankles tinkled lightly as they moved.

While the dance was seducti
ve and Ebba already had Ace aroused, he was also disgusted by the action and could not let her continue.

“Stop!” he called out, and
the music silenced.

“How dare you give an order in my home as if you had the right to,” said the sheik standing to face Ace eye to eye. They both had their hands on the hilts of their swords.

“I do have the right . . . Father,” said Ace.

“Father?” The sheik laughed. “Have
you gone daft over the years or have you forgotten that you are naught but a bastard to one of my past favorite harem girls?”

“I have not forgotten why you gave the order to execute me, nor have I for
gotten that it was by your command that my own mother was struck down dead right in front of me.”

“You should be dead too, right now, and I thin
k I would finish what I started.” He lifted his sword, but Malik stepped between them with his hands raised.

“Let the boy talk,” said Malik. “I think he has something that may be of interest to you.”
Hesitantly and curiously the Sheik lowered his sword.

“Then talk.”

“I would, Father.”

“And quit calling me that, you bastard!”

“I call you father because I know now for a fact that it is true.”

“How could you know that?” asked the sheik.

“By using this.” Ace pulled out the crystal dolphin from the pouch at his side and held it up high in the air. He heard Ebba gasp and her mother whimper slightly.

Ebba watched in horror as Ace pulled the crystal dolphin out of his pouch. How could he have brought it here? She’d gone to such extremes to protect it and keep it out of the wrong hands and here he was bringing it all the way over the ocean to a foreign land and handing it over to someone who would use it to take over the world.

“The crystal dolphin,” said the sheik eagerly, reaching out to take it.

“Nay!” Ace snatched it away from him and held it against his chest. “I bring it only as a trade – for the life of Ebba-Tyne,” he looked over to her, “and her mother.”

Ebba’s heart stilled as she surveyed the situation. She didn’t know what to think, but she knew she could not allow Ace to hand
over the crystal to the sheik. Unfortunately her powers were draining quickly without water and she could do nothing to help him.

“Ace, please don’t do it,” she told him, but knew her words were wasted.

“So is it a deal or not?” asked Ace, waiting for the sheik’s answer.

Ebba grabbed her mother’s hand and the woman gave it a slight, sad squeeze. Then Ebba looked over to her and her mother was crying. She reached out and wiped a tear from her mother’s eye.
“Don’t waste the water,” she whispered and forced a smile.

“You need to protect . . . the crystal,” her mother said, swaying back and forth
. Ebba knew her mother’s life essence was slipping quickly from her.

“I would
, I promise,” she whispered back.

“I would
trade you – but for one of the women only,” the sheik answered.

“What?” she heard Ace say with a
gasp.

“Choose,” he said cleverly, and Ebba knew that he was setting Ace up. No matter what he did now, he would not win.

“Save my mother,” Ebba cried out. “Please, Ace, if you love me than prove it, and do it.”

“Nay,” said her mother softly. “Asad, save my daughter as she is . . . carrying your child.”

“My child?” Ace looked quickly in her direction.

“Mother, why’d you tell him?” Ebba whispered.

“Because,” said her mother looking at her and smiling. “I want you to be happy, Ebba. And I want you to marry the man you love.” She looked back to Ace next. “Promise me you would marry my daughter and protect her and the baby always.”

Ace still stood with the crystal dolphin clutched to his chest, his other hand on the hilt of his sword ready to fight his father if need be. But now, he was forced to make a decision that would bring about sadness and regret no matter how he looked at it.

If he saved
Ebba and not her mother, he’d always feel as if he let Ebba down. She would never forgive him. And if he saved Ebba’s mother to prove his love, he would lose her to the sheik in the process. As well as lose his babe. Her mother was looking at him, waiting for his answer. Ebba was staring right through him as well and he had so much he wanted to say to her right now, but couldn’t. The sheik was waiting for his decision and his uncle was looking as anxious as he felt at the moment. Only the servants and flute player sat quietly, as well as Juturna who stayed back in the shadows.

“Well, what is your answer?”
asked the sheik. “Which one would you take in exchange for the crystal?”

Ace looked over to the women once again, shaking his head. “I would take both of them in exchange as the crystal is a precious and valuable piece and a very powerful tool as I am sure you already know.”

“I know naught of the kind,” said the sheik. “As a matter of fact, I don’t even know it has any powers at all and that it would be a fair trade.  Prove to me that the crystal really works.”

“All right,” said Ace, holding the crystal in both hands.

“Don’t do it,” cried out Ebba.

“I don’t think he can,” said her mother. “Only sirens can use it.”

“If that’s the case, then I may not be so apt to give up either of my sirens,” said the sheik.

“Nay, that’s not true,” he said, “as somehow I have been able to activate the crystal.”

“Then ask it a question so I can see the answer within.” The sheik walked up closer and so did his brother.

“All right,” he sai
d. “I would prove to you that you are my father.” He held the crystal so both the men could see within it. “Look deeply into the stone as I ask the question.” He cleared his throat and said, “Show me the identity of my father.”

He watched as the two men looked within as the crystal started to cloud over. Then both of them opened wide their eyes by what they saw.

“What sort of trickery is this?” asked the sheik.

“’Tis not trickery but the truth,” said Ace.

“You lying bastard, I would kill you!” The sheik was talking, but looking at Malik instead of him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were Asad’s father?”

Chapter 20

“What?” Ace turned the crystal and looked within and was shocked to see something he hadn’t before. Like before there was a crowd of people and two men talking, but thi
s time the crystal was focused on the face of Malik. He realized his mistake instantly.

When he had seen this vision last time,
he had asked to see his father. He had seen the face of Malik but was so focused on the back of the Tamarian with his face hidden, that he didn’t even realize he already had the answer to his question. Instead, he had asked to see the face of the man who was hidden. And he had turned and revealed himself to be the sheik.

“U
ncle – Malik. Is this true?” Ace asked curiously. “Are you really my father, and not the sheik?”

“’Tis true,” said Malik with a slight nod of his head
, looking at Ace and then at his brother. “I fell in love with the harem girl, Hala, and together we sired you, Son.”

“Why did you keep it a secret all these years?” asked Ace, shoving the crystal back into the pouch hanging at his side.

“Because I wasn’t the sheik,” he said, “and because your mother wanted it kept a secret so you wouldn’t be killed.”

“But she lost her life because of the secret,” Ace shouted. “And you did nothing to keep it from happening. Nor did you come after me. I can never forgive you for that.”

“You don’t understand, Son.”

“Don’t call me Son!” He was so upset he didn’t even see the sheik reac
hing for the crystal dolphin. The man snatched the pouch from his side and then grabbed Ebba with his other arm, holding his sword to her throat.

“Guards!” called the sheik. Six guards entered and two more were stationed at the door to the tent. With a nod of his head the two servants and the fl
ute player quickly left the room.

“You called
for us, Sheik Talib?” asked one of the guards as they entered.

“Yes. But first, Kamil, use your whip on the old siren until she is dead,” he said.
“She is no use to me anymore, and I have all I need right here now.”

“Nay
!” shouted Ebba. “Kamil, don’t do it.”

Ace drew his sword and stepped forward to stop him, but the sheik called out, “drop your sword, Asad or I will kill your lover.”

“He won’t kill her,” said Malik. “He’s got what he wants now that she is with child.”

“Well, mayhap Asad would like to find out first h
and.” The sheik moved his sword and cut Ebba on the hand before moving it back to her throat. She cried out in pain as blood from her hand fell onto the sand. She looked weaker than Ace had ever seen her and he knew he had to get her to the water soon if she was going to recover. Ace could not bear to watch the sheik torturing Ebba. Thoughts flitted through his mind of the death of his own mother. He couldn’t chance that he wouldn’t do it all again just to see Ace squirm.

“Don’t harm her,” he said throwing his sword to the ground and holding up his hands
above his head.

“Now you, too, brother.”
The sheik nodded to Malik.

“Talib, you cannot be serious
.” Ace’s newfound father looked at his brother in utter shock.

“You’ve deceived me all these years and I cannot take the
chance that you’ll deceive me again to gain the throne.”

“If I was after your throne I’d have taken it long before now.”

“Put down the sword,” he warned.

“I can’t do that, Brother.” Malik pulled his sword from his side and took a step toward the sheik.

“Kill him!” The sheik called out his order to his loyal guards and they stepped forward, but Malik turned to fight them. “Kill Kamil too,” he called out, “as he has just betrayed me also by not killing the siren.”

The
guard turned and thrust his sword toward the dark man.

“Nay!” Ebba’s mother dove in front of the blade to save her friend, the tip of the guard’s sword embedding itself into her chest.

“Mother!” Ebba bit the sheik on the arm and managed to loosen his grip, then she ran across the room and collapsed atop her mother. Juturna rushed out of the shadows to comfort her.

Ace dove for his sword but one of the guards brought his sword down toward him and Ace had to roll out of the way in order not to be killed. When he got to his feet, the sheik was now standing over him with his sword aimed right at Ace’s heart.

“I should have killed you years ago,” he said. “Or at least hunted you down.”

Ace heard Ebba weeping in the background and Juturna’s voice trying to comfort her. Malik fought bravely, six men at once
, and Ace knew if he tried to get to his sword the sheik would have him speared through the heart before he reached it.

With t
he sound of whizzing passed his ear, a whip cracked, hitting the sheik on the hand. It was enough distraction that Ace was able to dive for his sword again.

“You have made me half a man and taken my fa
mily from me,” said Kamil. “I have waited a lifetime for this moment.” He struck out again with the whip and the sheik jumped back in the process.

“Guards, now!” The sheik
called out and several more of his men entered the room.

Ace picked up his sword and fought a guard trying to kill him. It was havoc in the tent and Ace knew they were now severely outnumbered. Then, to his surprise, the flap of the tent moved aside and Sir John stood there, his sword in his left arm. Right behind him
were Willis, Boots, Bear, and Moose.

“Men,
so glad to see you,” Ace called out.

Ace knew there were too many men in too small
of quarters and he could barely use his sword arm to get a good blow. He rushed to the corner of the tent and used his sword to cut the rope. Then he repeated the action on the other side and the tent came down upon them all. Commotion and confusion broke out as the candles caught the tent afire, giving him the distraction he needed. But he knew they were going to kill their own men if they couldn’t see what they were doing now that the tent came down upon them. He raised the end of the tent and the wind caught it and pulling it to the side, it blew upward around them and away until they were uncovered. It continued to burn, leaving an acrid stench and black smoke billowing up into the air.

That’s when he saw Cook standing in the middle of the tent with his hand on the center pole. He called to Moose and with one hit of the man’s sword he’d severed the center pole and handed it to
Cook.

Then Cook picked up the pole and used it to hit a guard headed right toward him. The guard stumbled but continued to go t
oward Cook until Willis used the hidden device on his peg leg, stabbing the guard from behind.

“Good work,” said Ace, running his sword through the guard
to finish him off. Then he saw Ebba still lying atop her dead mother and rushed to her.

“Ebba, sweetheart, you need to get out of here before you’re hurt.”

“I won’t leave my mother,” she told him.

“She is dead,” he said. “I am sorry but there is nothing we can do to help her now.”

Another guard came toward them and Ace took him down quickly with his sword and then reached down and grabbed Ebba. “I’m getting you out of here now,” he told her, fire now burning all around them as the tent was consumed quickly.

But she was too weak and could barely stand. He continued to fight with his one arm and with the other supported her to try to move her to safety.

“Let me help you, my lord,” said Juturna, taking Ebba’s other side. They moved her to far away from the burning tent and the fighting, but there was something else Ace had to take care of.

“Here Juturna,” he said, handing her his dagger. “Watch over her, but you should be safe here.” Then he ran back toward the melee in the midst of the desert, because he was not going to leave this land again until he was certain the sheik was dead.

In the firelight Ace was proud to see his men doing what he had taught them. They were using their weapons just as accurately as any man would who had all their limbs. Barnabus stood off from the others and used his bow and arrows to take down more of the sheik’s guards who rushed forth from the palace.

The sound of something splitting the air stopped him in his tracks and when he turned he saw a throwing dagger in the chest of a man who was behind him and about to kill him. He looked off in the distanc
e and nodded his thanks to Willis, who smiled at him in return.

He could hear Kamil’s whip from the far side of the fight and
rushed over to see him battling with the sheik. Just then the sheik managed to unarm the dark-skinned man, and Ace rushed over and pushed Kamil out of danger. “Go find Ebba’s mother and bring her body over to her daughter, please.”

“I would
,” he said and hurried away to do as ordered.

“So you came back to die in the same land as your mother,” said the sheik.

“You would die for what you’ve done,” said Asad striking out at him like a man possessed. He fought like the lion that he was known to be, and managed to stab the sheik in the side before he disarmed him. The sheik fell to the ground.

“Go ahead, strike an unarmed man dead, as you always have been a coward,” called out the sheik from the ground. “But if you were a true son of a sheik like I always wanted you to be, you’d fight me honorably.” The sheik got to his knees, his hand hidden beneath his robes.

“You had no remorse when you killed my mother,” he said, “so why should I show you mercy now?”

“You shouldn’t,” he said, rushing him with a hidden dagger from inside his robes. But before Ace could strike him down dead, Malik stepped forward, stabbing his sword right through his brother’s heart.

“You have killed my lover and I won’t let you kill my son as well, you bastard,” Malik ground out. “I am sheik now, and it is long past due that I stepped up and did this.”

He turned then
, shouting loudly so everyone could hear him. “The sheik is dead by my hand, and as his brother I now claim the throne of Tamaris. Anyone who wants his life spared can be loyal to me now. If not, I would strike you down dead where you stand.”

The fighting ceased and all eyes were on him. Then one man called out, “Long live Sheik Malik.” Before Ace knew what was happening, they were all chanting and several of the men came and picked up his father and carried him around on their shoulders.

“Boots, Sir John, get the men and meet me back at the ship,” Ace called out.

“Aye, Captain
,” said Boots.

“Asad,” called his father from behind him. “Stay with me in the palace tonight and we would celebrat
e. You are now the son of a sheik,” he said.

Ace didn’t turn around to acknowledge him at
all. Instead, he left and didn’t stop until he was at Ebba’s side.

“How is she?” he asked Juturna.

Juturna just looked at him sadly and shook her head. “She’s been out of the water for too long. She is close to dead, Lord Ace, I am sorry.”

“Nay!” he cried, shoving his sword back into his scabbard and scooping Ebba up into his arms. “We need to get her to the sea, anon,” he told her. And throwing her over his shoulder he took off in a mad dash for the shore, only hoping he wasn’t too late to save his lover and also his unborn child.