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“I think that we have had enough of a break,” Diana agreed as she half-turned to him. “But where are my manners? I haven’t introduced my second-in-command.” She gestured to the young man. “This is Amin Sadiq. He’s one of the few locals who will venture out here to help in our digging.”
I offered him a smile. “You saved our life.”
Amin smiled and bowed his head to us. “It was nothing, I assure you. I merely saw your wagon and alerted the doctor to the trouble. It was she who knew what to do.”
Ben turned his face toward the animal who even then still quivered a little. “It’s an interesting mystery what spooked our qasi so. I’ve never seen one so terrified of his own shadow.”
Diana smiled at him. “The sands have been known to scare the animals, but if you don’t trust this one we can provide you with one of our own.”
Ben moved over to the animal’s front and stroked the beast’s muzzle. The animal’s shivering soon stopped and Ben smiled at our steed. “I think this one will suit us just fine, but I thank you for the offer.”
I leaned to one side and glanced over at the hole in the ground. With clearer, less terrified eyes, I now saw that a dozen ruined stone columns stuck out from the dunes. There were even a few low stone walls that ran parallel to the river and road.
“Can we go down?” I inquired.
Diana shook her head. “I’m afraid not. The king has expressly permitted only my crew and I from venturing into the depths. All others are forbidden, even guests.”
“I wonder that he’s allowed you to remain in the country,” Ben mused as he studied the untanned skins of those around us. Only Amin was tanned. “I was informed that all foreigners had been removed.”
“That’s true, but his majesty couldn’t find a better team than mine on the island and our funding was very time-sensitive,” Diana told him.
“Then we had better let you return to your important work,” Ben spoke up as he rejoined us at the wagon. “And thank you all again for your quick actions.”
Diana smiled and bowed her head. “It was our pleasure.”
We climbed aboard the wagon and Ben gently flicked the reins. The qasi trotted forward, though I couldn’t help but notice that it moved to the far side of the road as far from the hole in the ground as it could manage.
I waited until we were well past the dig before I spoke up. “You don’t think it was just a fluke that our steed ran off with us.” It was more a statement than a question.
Ben shook his head. “No. Qasi are some of the easiest-going creatures and Faris trains his animals to be the best pullers. Whatever spooked our friend here was something unusual.”
“Something like a shadow in the sands?” I guessed.
“That would be my assumption.”
I folded my arms over my chest and thought back to that dark hole. “I wonder what’s down that hole. . .”
A smile curled onto Ben’s lips. “We might venture down there.”
I cocked my head at an angle and lifted an eyebrow at him. “How?”
He chuckled. “Youarespeaking with a Dragon Thief who is only semi-retired, after all. Invading a dig site would be an easy task, particularly at night.”
“So we have our dinner plans set?” I teased.
Some of his good humor fell away as he nodded at the road ahead of us. “That depends on what happens there.”
I looked to where he indicated. The road stretched for some fifteen miles and ended at a group of low hills that huddled together as if for warmth. The river flowed into them and a small forest popped up around the foothills where the water disappeared.
However, something else caught my attention. It was a shimmer of light that stretched a mile above the hills and followed the coastline. “What’s that light?” I asked my guide.
“That is the barrier provided by the Thaqiba,” Ben told me as he cracked the reins again, and with a little more gusto. “We’ll see it’s power up close.”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
The closer wecame to the barrier, the more charged the air felt. I rubbed my arms to tamp down the hairs.
“Are you alright?” Ben asked me.
