AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I playfully slapped his arm. “Not likely. You’re not leaving me behind, but if this way into the pools means I’ll get us caught I’ll stay in the river if I have to. Speaking of water-” I turned and glanced at the open hole. “Wheredidthat smell of water come from?”
Ben shook his head. “That’s a question for another time. Right now we should focus on eating an ample supper and venturing out into the sands under the cover of darkness. We should be able to approach the stones via the fields to avoid any prying eyes from the dig site.”
I grabbed his arm as he headed up the path to our wagon and arrested his movement. “Wait a sec.” Ben turned to face me and his eyes revealed his eagerness. “What happens if you get caught in that holy place?”
A crooked smile slipped onto his lips. “The Dragon Thief rarely gets caught.”
“Yes, but what if youdo?” I persisted.
The worry in my voice and face dampened some of his good humor. He cupped one of my cheeks in his palm and met my gaze. “I’ll be as careful as I can manage, and should I be spotted I’ll be sure to make a hasty exit.”
My eyebrows crashed down. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
Ben sighed. “If anyone is caught trespassing on the holy grounds of the ghasl, they’re sentenced to several years of hard labor, or worse.”
“And what’s the ‘worse’ entail?”
“A public execution.”
A lot of the color drained from my face. “Would they do that to you?”
“I doubt I’d be spared merely because of my connections. It wouldn’t be wise for the king to make exceptions, especially since he’s laid an explicit ban on the ghasl.”
My heart sank into my stomach. I bowed my head and bit my lower lip. “Are. . .are we sure this is worth it?”
Ben lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
I shook my head. “Not that the islanders aren’t worth helping, just whether or not the info is worth getting. I mean, we don’t even know what that rock is offering us.”
“Stones such as Pazari and Tijari offer only what’s worth offering,” Ben assured me as he drove us due east across the sands.
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Where are we going? To the ghasl?”
He chuckled as he held up the reins to me. “Have you forgotten we must return this wagon and qasi to Faris?”
I shrank beneath his reminder and gave him a sheepish grin. “Maybe?”
Ben grinned as he stared ahead at the setting sun. A small breeze blew past me and it contained a chill that hadn’t been there before. I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around myself and shiver.
“We’ll be in Salah’s house with a warm soup in front of us before you know it,” Ben assured me.
The shadows had crept over everything by the time we reached the stables. Faris’ eldest son hurried up to us as his father followed behind him.
“I see your habit of arriving late has not abated,” Faris teased as Ben hopped down and helped me to the ground.
Ben turned to him and grinned. “Actually, we were wondering if we couldn’t rent them later tonight.”
Faris frowned. “Tonight? Going out into the desert is asking for trouble, my friend.”
“If trouble comes knocking we’ll be sure not to answer the door,” Ben promised.
The qasi renter crossed his arms over his bulky frame and a dark cloud covered his brow. “Have you forgotten I have been on my share of adventures with you? You are seeking trouble.”
Ben set a hand on his friend’s stiff shoulder and his humor changed to a dour expression. “Trouble is already around us, Faris. Millie and I only seek to lift what we can of the burden from your weary shoulders.”
Faris studied him for a long moment before a grin slipped onto his lips. He gave a great, belly-filled laugh as he clapped his hand on top of Ben’s outstretched arm. “And if I were to not give you my wagon you would find another, so I say to you there will be a wagon and qasi whenever you need it!”
Ben grinned. “A thousand thanks, and a blessing of gold upon your house.”
