Dreams Of The Medjai

But something was wrong, he seemed too still.

She got to her knees and started crawling around on all fours, one hand extended out until she found one of the saddlebags she had brought into the tent. Rummaging through the contents, she almost cried out with relief when she found a small candle lantern. Moments later, the light flared up and gave off a small illumination, enough for her to see Ardeth.

She scrambled back over to him and immediately sagged with relief. The Medjai chief still lived.

But he wasn’t out of trouble yet and with one hand, she felt his forehead, burning hot with fever.

Jessa bit her lip, for once indecisive as to what to do, realizing that if Ardeth’s wounds didn’t kill him, the fever would.

She had promised to take care of him but sitting here helplessly watching him die wasn’t what she had in mind. Jessa had seen her fair share of bullet wounds to know that unless tended to right away, most of the victims didn’t live beyond three days. Loss of blood and infection were Ardeth’s greatest enemies at this moment.

If she could ride out on her own, heading north as Amal had instructed, she felt certain either the other Medjai would find her or vice versa. The idea of leaving Ardeth alone, defenseless against the desert was almost enough to make her stay, but damn it, Amal had said the Medjai would find them sooner than this and so far, no Medjai.

Unexpectedly she heard the distinct sound of a horse nickering outside the shelter and curious to see what pricked the animal’s interest, she scooted outside, her pistol already in her hand in case of trouble.

No sooner than she came out into the moonlight when the noise of several rifles being loaded came from all around her and Jessa found herself surrounded by at least twenty men, their faces hidden and all dressed in black. In retaliation, she brought up her own pistol, puny defense that it was and crouched, waiting to see if these men were hostile or friendly.

“Evening boys. Something I can do for you?” She sounded casual, almost bored at the possibility she faced her own death.

Amin frowned. From his limited experience with foreigners, Americans were still a mystery to him and it appeared this one was no exception. She dressed and acted like a man, but one thing he was certain of was that she probably knew how to use her pistol. Amal had been generous in his description of her and Amin had no doubt that his friend was inside the shelter she was intently protecting.

Ignoring her, he called out in his language, “Ardeth Bay, it is I Amin. Can you hear me?”

Getting no response, Amin signaled for two of his warriors to take the girl. They didn’t have much time to explain for he knew of the chief’s wounds.

Faris and Waleed, two newly appointed Medjai warriors, dismounted and slowly advanced on Jessa, each intent on disarming her and gaining access to the tent.

“I guess not.” Jessa grimly answered her own question as she watched the two men approach.

The three circled each other, until finally Faris, the younger of the two warriors lunged at Jessa and tried to knock the gun away. Waleed went in low, grabbing Jessa around the legs and tackling her to the sand.

The two warriors suddenly felt as if they had captured a tigress.

Jessa let her gun be knocked away and rolled with the fall. When Waleed released his grip long enough to try and grab her better, Jessa lashed out with her boots and hit him squarely in the stomach. The force of the blow knocked the warrior back and he landed on the sand with a surprised “Whoof!”

Faris didn’t fare too well either as Jessa twisted her body around and landed a lucky punch squarely on his jaw.

Startled, he back peddled to keep his balance and ended up hitting the sand just as hard as his friend.

Unexpected laughter and grunts of approval came from the other warriors but Amin raised his hand for silence, and commanded two more to get the girl. After all, how many could she fight at once?

Five minutes later, the struggle was over only after one warrior got in close enough to the she-devil to lightly clip her on the chin. Jessa went down without a sound. The warriors she had been fighting slowly got to their feet, holding various parts of their bodies that had the misfortune of coming in contact with Jessa’s fists and boots.

Now able to get inside the shelter, Amin dismounted and instructed Faris to take the girl with him on the ride back to the village. He ran into the tent and moments later, he harshly called out for his men to come assist him, the sight of the fallen warrior’s condition making him believe they were too late.

Quickly they carried out Ardeth, and Amin himself took the chief’s limp body in his arms, laying most of the weight across his legs.

“Yallah! Imshee!” he cried out and kicked his horse into a gallop, praying to Allah that they weren’t too late. His friend was still alive but for how long? And why did he have such a fierce protector with this woman? Questions that had no answers just yet Amin decided, at least not until they reached the village and could question the girl.

He looked down at her and grinned, then without warning lifted her until she now sat in front of him, riding the way he did, his arm firmly anchored around her waist. Jessa knew she couldn’t escape even if she tried.

A quick look around confirmed that she was riding with the same men she had fought earlier, and anxiously she looked for Ardeth. She found him up front; his unconscious form being carried by what she supposed was the leader. She looked for her horse and saw with relief the knapsack was still securely tied to the saddle.

Having never really seen a Medjai before until recently, Jessa wondered if these men were part of the same tribe. They certainly looked like it.

She looked back at her captor, pointing to his chest and asked, “Medjai?”

Faris looked surprised and pleased at how clever his prisoner was and he quickly nodded his head.

“Thank God,” she whispered and lapsed into silence, wondering if their rescue was too late for Ardeth.

The warriors never stopped during their journey back to their village and at sunrise, the horses galloped into the village, kicking up clouds of dust.

And although Jessa would have never guessed it, the warriors were impressed with the woman they had found protecting one of their own. She hadn’t complained once during the grueling ride, and Faris was most curious about her.

They came to a halt outside a group of buildings, and quickly Faris dismounted, then turned and indicated for Jessa to jump down, his hands ready to catch her around the waist.

She did and immediately regretted her mistake. Her legs were shaking so bad from the extended ride, she thought she was going to fall flat on her face.

Faris held her and could feel her trembling, yet she remained silent, instead holding onto his arms until the tremors in her legs had somewhat subsided.

“Faris, leave her be and return to your post,” Amin’s voice bellowed from behind them.

They both jumped and with a sheepish grin, Faris grabbed the reins to his horse and ran off, turning one last time to stare at Jessa in admiration. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends about his latest adventure as a warrior.

Not sure what to do or what was expected of her, Jessa stood waiting until she saw the men carrying Ardeth to a small home nearby. Heedless of anything except going to him, Jessa turned and ran right into the hard, unyielding chest of Amin. He had soundlessly come up from behind, intent on taking her to the elders for questioning.

He grunted in surprise but grabbed her by the arm and starting dragging her away in a different direction.

“Please, I don’t know if you can understand me, but I need to be with Ardeth,” she begged and fumbled around in her cloak, until she produced the blue sash that had been hidden around her neck.

“See? Amal told me to show all of you this.....” She waived the sash at Amin and the chief stopped.

“Amal gave you that?” Surprise was evident in his brown eyes.

“You speak English! Thank God. Yes, he gave it to me the other night and he said to show it to you.” Jessa tried freeing her arm. “I promised him I would look after the Medjai chief and I intend to do so...please tell me where they’ve taken him?”

Amin wasn’t used to having women argue with him and he was actually weighing out the consequences of either taking her before the tribal elders or taking her to his friend.

“What can you do for him our healers cannot?” he pondered, taking the sash.

“I’ve kept him alive this long, without any healers, so what do you think?” she softly challenged.

The chief thought over her comment but was interrupted when another warrior appeared at his side. Darting glances at Jessa, the two men talked in hushed tones and it seemed Amin had trouble believing what he was hearing. He stared at Jessa again, then as if making a decision, he spun them around and dragged her to the building where Ardeth had been taken, the other warrior following closely behind them.

“Where are we going now?” Jessa asked. “What’s wrong?”

“He calls for you,” Amin answered and said nothing more until they reached the house.

Amin abruptly stopped outside the door and looked at Jessa, the emotions on his face warring between reluctance and concern for Ardeth.

“Know this, inside is a Medjai chief, a respected leader of his people and my friend,” he stated ominously. “If you cannot help him and he dies.....I will cut out your heart myself.”

And before Jessa could respond to the threat, Amin pulled her through the door and into the room where Ardeth lay, fighting for his life.

It was a small, sparsely furnished room, made even smaller by the warriors that had gathered there, keeping a vigil over the chief. Two healers were already attending to Ardeth, for they had stripped him of most of his clothes and were attempting to clean his wounded side. He was awake and delirious, restlessly twisting on the small bed as two more warriors were trying to hold him down.

Jessa didn’t move, suddenly scared and unsure if she was doing the right thing by being there.

“Jessa......” Ardeth moaned and twisted again as the healer continued probing his side.

“Go on little warrior.” Amin nudged her from behind.

Taking a deep breath, Jessa calmly walked through the warriors as they slowly parted and knelt down by Ardeth’s bedside. She stared down at his handsome profile, now etched with pain and she felt her heart constrict with sadness at the young chief’s suffering. She took his hand, and with her other, tenderly smoothed back his hair from his face.

“Jessa.....?” he hoarsely whispered and looked at her with eyes bright from pain.

“I’m here......I’m here,” she crooned over and over, like a chant.

At her touch, Ardeth immediately calmed down and she heard a few grunts of surprise from the warriors.

One of the healers said something rapidly to Amin.

“Good, try and keep him still. They need to remove the bullet from his shoulder,” Amin spoke up behind her as he translated the request.

Over the next hour, there was a hush in the room as the healers finished their work and Jessa stayed with Ardeth.

As they were leaving, one stopped to talk to Amin.

“We have done all we can, now he needs to rest. It is in the hands of Allah,” the healer said then glanced over at Jessa, a puzzled frown on his face. “Strange woman, this American. Such strength for the chief to live.”

Amin nodded his agreement and signaled for the warriors to leave, pausing in the doorway to look back at her.

Strange woman indeed, he thought, but couldn’t help but admire her courage. For now, until his friend recovered, the elders would have to be satisfied with his report. They would have to wait to speak to her and Amin felt at this moment she did more good being with Ardeth, then not.

“Fight for him, little warrior,” he murmured and then left.

Amin came walking out of a home nearby when the two friends spotted each other, and they greeted one another other with a firm clasp around their forearms.

“Rasheed! It is good to see you al sadeeq, although I wish under different circumstances.”

“I wish the same,” Rasheed said. “I must ask, how is Ardeth?”

Amin quickly filled him in on the previous night’s events and Rasheed listened in wonder as his friend described the bravery of Jessa Travers.

“She has stayed by his side. If not for her love for Ardeth, I would consider keeping her as my wife.”

Rasheed stared at Amin in surprise. He hadn’t expected the possibility of Jessica’s love for Ardeth, but that certainly made sense, for why else would she stay? She could have left for Cairo by now. But he was even more astonished at Amin’s admission, considering he was already engaged to a young woman from the village.

“Come, let me take you.” Amin started to show him the way towards the house.

“Amin, wait. There is something you should know,” Rasheed declared and when the other warrior came back, he asked if they could go somewhere and talk.

Curious, Amin showed him inside the house and Rasheed started telling him the grave news.

His patrol had gone to Cairo but the American wasn’t there. Gaines had left earlier than anticipated, and before leaving, went to the authorities and reported that Ardeth had murdered Adam Travers. The he managed to find another guide to go back to Hamunaptra but an inexperienced one. And a day into their travel, the expedition became lost. Gaines had no choice but to return to Cairo, no doubt furious at another delay in his quest for the gold. Unfortunately, Rasheed’s men had lost the whereabouts of Gaines in the city and Rasheed could only hope that the American had returned to his homeland.

“The authorities said they are launching a full investigation and want to put a bounty on Ardeth.”

“What?!” Amin exclaimed.

Rasheed nodded his head. “That fool of a mayor has been waiting for an opportunity like this to dispel the rumors of the Medjai and Gaines has given him the perfect chance to prove once and for all that we don’t exist. Amal has contacts in Cairo, and even now as we speak, he pleads with them not to post it. He needs help and I believe only Ardeth and Jessa Travers can clear this up. We need to speak to them both to find out what happened that night.”

“Agreed,” Amin murmured. “How much time do we have?”

“They’ve given Amal seven days from today to produce Ardeth or else.”

“Or else.....?”

“The mayor sends out a regiment of soldiers to search every village, and when they find Ardeth, he is to be arrested and taken back to Cairo for hanging.”

Amin swore softly. “Ardeth cannot ride for at least a few more days, the journey might kill him.”

“Then we can do nothing but wait at the moment.” Rasheed sighed.

And the two men lapsed into a troubled silence.

~*~

Jessa stayed with Ardeth for the remainder of the day, alternating between trying to cool his fevered body and keeping him in bed. Several times she had to call out for help, either from the healers or the warriors that were gathered outside, and they had to hold him down. By nightfall, she was close to exhaustion and almost felt like weeping for Ardeth’s fever was at its highest.

He no longer struggled, his movements now weak and ineffective as he lived out his nightmares, crying out in his language and fighting the demons his hallucinations conjured up. She held onto his hand, talking to him, and stroking his face with a cool cloth.

Midnight came and Jessa had been dozing when abruptly, she bolted upright from the side of the bed, sensing something was different. Quickly she checked Ardeth and was amazed to find him awake, staring at her with eyes almost clear of pain and fever.

“Ardeth?” she called softly and touched his cheek. He was still a little warm.

He managed a weak smile and gently grabbed her hand, and Jessa couldn’t help the tears that gathered in her eyes.

“Thank.....you.......” he whispered and slowly fell back into a healing sleep, still holding onto her hand.

Giddy with relief, Jessa knelt down by the bed and gave a silent prayer of thanks.

Sometime near dawn, Rasheed and Amin came in to check on Ardeth and they found him awake and coherent. Astonishment almost made the usually reserved warriors bellow in surprise but at Ardeth’s signal, they kept quiet when they saw Jessa sleeping in a chair by the bedside.

Without a second thought, it was Amin who lifted her body and with a nod from Ardeth, gently placed her next to his side.

The chief was asleep moments later, his good arm resting around Jessa’s shoulder. With a deep sigh, Jessa cuddled closer to Ardeth, one hand lying protectively on his chest.

Amin looked at Rasheed and the two warriors silently agreed.

She belonged there.

They then left, deciding to wait until dawn to tell the village the good news.

~*~

Ardeth woke up about an hour or so before sunrise, awareness coming back to him in stages. And one of the first sensations he felt was that he wasn’t alone in bed. Despite the sharp throbbing in his shoulder and side, he looked down and was pleased to see Jessa soundly sleeping next to him. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and still wearing the clothes from when they had first met. Memories came back to him, some hazy, others crystal clear. Like the ones he recalled where he had heard her voice calling to him through the darkness and had felt her touch. And his dreams, where once they were frightening and confusing, now seemed so much clearer to him.

Maybe this woman was part of his destiny but somehow, had become part of his heart.

He also remembered the night her brother was murdered, and Amal’s plan for the Medjai helping her reach Cairo to report it. And once the matter was settled, he knew she would return to the States, a thought more unsettling than he cared to admit. Having her with him seemed to make more sense, although he knew the ramifications of what he was thinking, it would be complicated. And not possible.

As much as his heart wanted to keep her, his mind cautioned him, for what were the chances of her being able to adapt to life as mate to a Medjai?

Wanting to memorize her face to sustain him, Ardeth stared down at her sleeping profile for a moment, noting the slightly parted lips and the long lashes curled against her cheek as she slept. She looked young and innocent.

And he gave into a desire, slowly bending his head down and softly kissing her lips.

Jessa sighed softly and turned over, her sweet backside pressed against him and he thought he would die from the exquisite torture of it.

With a wry chuckle, he wasn’t sure what would kill him first: recovering from his wounds or the feel of Jessa’s body next to him.

He moved slightly over, ignoring the twinges of pain until he was settled more comfortably, a possessive arm draped over her, and then he fell back to sleep.

He dreamed of her again, and her whispered plea, “Wait for me......for me.”

The room looked familiar, and peeking up, she remembered staying with Ardeth from the night before but how in God’s name did she end up in bed with him?

And then, she remembered her dream.

There weren’t many details to recall, except the one that even now made her face flush with embarrassment and excitement. She had dreamt he kissed her and with a small smile, she also remembered her liking it.

While she sat there mulling it over, Rasheed and a healer came in and both stopped in surprise at seeing Jessa on the ground.

“Are you alright?” he asked and came over to offer a hand.

“Yes, I’m fine.” She took it and stood up, brushing herself off and offering a sheepish grin. “I, um, fell out of the......ah, thanks.”

Rasheed and the healer exchanged amused looks but said nothing, instead the healer went to check on Ardeth and Rasheed turned to Jessa. He explained to her who he was, then indicated that she was to follow him and as they walked outside, he expressed his gratitude for her help in the recovery of his chief. They passed by a few homes, until they came to the last one on the end, and there she met two women of the village, assigned as he described it to help her with whatever she needed. Then he left, stating he would return for her in a short while.

Through hesitant and clumsy interpretation, Jessa managed to convey what she wanted and they brought food and a basin of water so she could freshen up. Jessa somehow found a way to express her thanks and the two women shyly smiled, for whatever they could for the woman that had helped one of their chiefs was reward enough.

While she was gone, Rasheed visited with his friend, and he decided to question Ardeth about Jessica, and how his care had come into her hands. Ardeth also spoke of the last dream he had, and Rasheed listened intently.

“Tell me what your thinking, al sadeeq,” Ardeth commanded quietly.

“That I agree, this woman is somehow part of your destiny. Your dreams have proven that, but tell me how can you let her return to her homeland?”

“How can I not? Our sworn oath at manhood dictates we do whatever possible, at all costs to keep He Who Must Not Be Named buried at Hamunaptra. How can I demand Jessa to live a life with someone who could possibly die at any given moment?”

Rasheed shook his head and gave a heavy sigh. Ardeth was being stubborn again and failing to see the obvious that he as well as others saw - Ardeth and Jessica were meant to be together. And it was Allah that had brought them together for a purpose yet to be revealed.

“You say how can you demand this of Jessa but have you thought to ask her?” Rasheed said with a rueful smile. He got up and walked to the doorway of the home, turning back to look at his chief. “While it is true your are a Medjai chief first and foremost, you’re also a man who deserves happiness.”

“As a chief, I must obey the tribal laws .....” Ardeth started to argue.

“And as chief, you can also change those same laws,” Rasheed stated firmly, then left his friend to think about what he was suggesting.

An hour later, Rasheed came for Jessa and brought her back to the other house, and she sat with Ardeth for the remainder of the day, again falling asleep in the chair by the bedside that night.

When she woke up on the second morning, she was not surprised to find herself in bed again, with Ardeth’s arm draped over her shoulders. This time, she thought she had managed to get out of bed without causing any injury to herself until she went to move away and found that Ardeth had captured her by the hand.

She fell back onto the bed and sat there, not sure what to do and thinking he needed something.

“Are you alright?” she asked and felt his forehead, thinking he was feverish.

With gentle but constant pressure, he tugged on her hand until she had no choice but to lie on half his chest, their faces inches apart, and she felt like she was drowning in the dark depths of his eyes.

With his free hand, he caressed the side of her face and for a moment, Jessa leaned into the contact, closing her eyes from pleasure.

“It seems I am, thanks to you,” he murmured, his eyes focused on her lips.

A discreet cough from the doorway broke the spell and Rasheed walked in with one of the healers. Jessa jumped up from the bed flustered and the man pretended to ignore her, as he began checking Ardeth’s bandages, his mouth twitching to suppress a smile. Then Rasheed took Jessa back to the two women from yesterday and instructed her to wait for him, and about an hour later came back.

As they walked, he explained, “You are a guest in Amin’s village and the elders have given me the task to look after you until we can make the journey to Cairo. There is much we need to discuss and soon, Amin will join us here.”

“Of course,” Jessa agreed, although truthfully she didn’t like the sound of someone being ‘assigned’ to watch over her. She hadn’t had that happen to her since she was a kid. Before she could protest at not wanting to be any trouble, Rasheed took her inside.

Ardeth was awake, sitting up slightly against the pillows as the healer finished changing the bandages. The man grunted softly in approval. He proclaimed the chief was healing well and in about a week, should be able to start moving around. The healer bowed to them all, then left, leaving the three of them alone.

“The healer has told us good news, my chief,” Rasheed said and he went over to his friend’s side. “We had feared....the worst.”

Ardeth nodded. “It seems I’ve been in good hands.” And both men looked at Jessa, who was standing off to the corner, not wanting to intrude on their conversation.

Ardeth asked for her to come over, and shyly Jessa took the chair next to his bed, a little uncomfortable at the attention she was receiving.

The two friends continued talking quietly, Ardeth asking questions about the days past, and Rasheed as well as Jessa answering them.

Towards evening, Amin came in to join them and as if it were an unspoken signal, all three warriors began telling Jessa of the story of the Medjai. They explained Ardeth and Amin were chiefs of their own tribes and of the sacred duty their people had in keeping the evil buried beneath the sand for over 3,000 years. They already knew she was familiar with the legend of Hamunaptra from her brother’s research. And then Ardeth and Rasheed finally spoke of the night Jessa’s caravan was attacked.

She listened as the warriors told her that they couldn’t take the risk that the expedition would make it to Hamunaptra and unknowingly uncover the priest’s tomb, the possibility of Imhotep’s resurrection too dangerous for all mankind. And so they charged into the camp, fiercely intent on sending the foreigners back to Cairo.

Finally, Ardeth told of what had happened that night in the alcove, and Jessa felt nervous, for finally she would learn the truth. She felt a little sick to her stomach when hearing the details and remembered that Amal said a Medjai doesn’t lie.

“When I came upon on the two men, they were arguing, and Gaines already had his pistol drawn on your brother. Before I could react, he shot him. When he saw me, he tried to kill me as well but I was able to jump off my horse before he fired again. I knocked his gun away and we fought, just as you found us.” Ardeth spoke directly to Jessa, his eyes never leaving her face. “I’m sorry for the loss of your brother, but there was nothing I could do,” he said in sincerity and leaned against the pillows, suddenly very tired.

“But why would Gaines kill her brother? I thought Travers was the one leading them to the city of the dead,” Rasheed asked.

“Because of the gold,” Jessa answered sadly. “He wanted all the gold and I guess he felt by killing Adam, it was a way to ensure he had more than his fair share. And Ardeth is the only witness to what happened.”

“Foolish men,” Amin finally commented, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I have a question to ask,” Jessa spoke up, and hesitated a little unsure of how to ask what had been bothering her since that night. She looked at Ardeth. “Did you plan to kill Adam?”

Ardeth replied without hesitation. “No, Rasheed and I knew who he was and we agreed that we would give him fair warning to leave.”

Jessa felt relieved and nodded her acceptance of his explanation. Abruptly she rose from her chair and went over to the doorway and picked up the knapsack where it had been sitting since her arrival. All three men watched in curiosity as she brought it over and handed it to Amin. The warrior grunted in surprised, for he had no idea of the contents.

“Here, I think you should have this. It’s brought nothing but trouble and heartache for me,” she explained.

“What’s inside?” Rasheed asked.

“My brother’s research for finding Hamunaptra. I thought whom better to have that information than the Medjai.”

Silently, Amin nodded his thanks, astonished that Jessa would give them something this valuable.

Rasheed suddenly thought of something.

“My chief, Jessa pointed that you’re a witness to a murder, then the news from Cairo can wait no longer,” Rasheed abruptly declared and repeated his report to a stunned audience of Jessa and Ardeth. He told them of the time limit set by the mayor and informed them that there was only five days left.

“Then we must leave tomorrow,” Ardeth firmly stated and listened to the sudden arguments from his friends and Jessa, as they wondered how he would be able to endure the ride.

He held up his hands for silence and continued. “Rasheed, by failing to appear at city hall you know what will happen. The mayor will certainly send out a regiment of soldiers but they will burn and ransack every village until I am found. I cannot allow this to happen to our people just as I cannot allow myself to be falsely accused.”

He then asked for the warrior’s reluctant agreement and once received, they decided to leave at dawn, allowing for a slower pace in consideration of Ardeth’s still healing wounds. They also agreed as an additional precaution, the warriors would disguise themselves as nomads, belonging to no particular tribe or village.

Jessa listened in dismay at their planning, and stood up, needing to get away and walked over to a small window on the opposite wall from the bed. She had wanted to return to Cairo, hell yes, but not at the risk of killing the man she had just saved.

Eventually the warriors left, leaving Jessa and Ardeth alone. She stared out at the night sky, a thousand stars twinkling above and felt an overwhelming sadness. She missed Adam.

“You’re unhappy with my decision?” Ardeth’s voice came from unexpectedly behind her and Jessa spun around, shocked to see him standing there. He looked tired and pale as he favored his injured side but his eyes captured Jessa’s with their intensity. And he would never admit to how much strength it took for him to stand, instead he gave into a longing to come to her and offer comfort. He had seen the sadness on her face.

“Not much I can do about it, is there?” she asked and turned back to the window. “It seems Brian could win yet and accomplish what he tried to do a few nights ago.”

“And that is....?”

Jessa turned back to Ardeth and he could see the anguish in her eyes. “Kill you.”

Ardeth closed his eyes for a moment, oddly happy with the thought that she cared for him. She just had to admit it to herself.

“And why does that matter to you?” he asked softly and took a step closer. “I thought you wanted to get to Cairo as quickly as possible.”

“I do. But it matters because I can’t.....I won’t.....” she stammered, at a loss for words.

“Because....?” he murmured and stepped closer again until they were almost touching; yet he didn’t move, instead watching Jessa’s face reflect her inner torment. Then he tenderly stroked her cheek and Jessa’s eyes widened at the feel of the caress and her own conclusion making her gasp out loud. Dear Lord, could she be in love with him?

“Because I care to damn much,” she finally muttered but didn’t sound exasperated. She sounded confused.

Ardeth chuckled. “Then I am most thankful.”

Then he gave into a nameless need and reached out, his arms wrapping around her waist, and drew her in close. They stared at one another for a heartbeat, then slowly Ardeth leaned down, until he was inches from her face. Blue eyes wide with anticipation stared back at him before they closed a moment later, and she leaned up, meeting him halfway.

He had only meant to taste her, and he lightly kissed her lips, teasing them until she opened her mouth. And suddenly, he could no longer control himself as his passion overcame him, his tongue sweeping inside to mate with hers in a ravenous kiss.

Jessa sagged against him and his carnal assault to her senses, sexy little whimpers from the back of her throat telling him of her own desire. Hands shyly came up, wandering over his chest until they wrapped around his neck, then gently tangling themselves in his hair.

He grunted in surprise when she tugged on his hair hard as her tongue boldly stroked his, and Ardeth slanted his mouth over hers again and again.

Quite by accident, she bumped his injured side and Ardeth almost fell to the ground, the pain overwhelming. He groaned and broke off the kiss, clinging to Jessa, taking in deep breaths of air.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Jessa cried out and struggled to keep the warrior standing. Somehow she managed to bring him back to the bed and a moment later, Ardeth fell, his brow dotted with beads of sweat.

Frantically, she checked his bandages and only when she saw no blood spotting the fabric, did she allow herself to calm down. In amazement, she heard him chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, clearly confused.

“I’m not...” He managed to say as the waves of pain gradually subsided. Ardeth moved on the bed, the need for sleep overpowering.

“Not what...?” Jessa came next to him, still not sure she hadn’t done any harm.

“Sorry I kissed you,” he mumbled and with a small smile, fell asleep moments later.

~*~

In a seedy hotel room, off the main streets of Cairo, he patiently waited.

He had exiled himself there, since the day he had returned from his failed expedition and would occasionally mutter out loud, “Welcome to my web, said the spider to the fly.” And giggle insanely. The other patrons and workers of the hotel gave a wide path around the American, crossing themselves and whispering prayers to Allah for protection from his lunacy.

The existence of his failure took root in his soul, and like poison it festered until he lost all reason. He existed on meager rations of food, but mostly on strong whiskey and the cold taste of revenge.

He waited for Jessica to return to Cairo, as he knew she would. And he would make her pay, for costing him his fortune and refusing his love. And with or without her consent, she would help him obtain another fortune that he knew of - the estate of Adam Travers.

“Oh yessss, welcome to my web...” Brian whispered, his red eyes gleaming with evil.

Distracted by her musings, she got ready and failed to see the knowing smile tugging one corner of Rasheed’s mouth as he helped his chief.

Once outside, Amin sent a message to Amal, telling him of their estimated arrival and added something else to the message that Jessa had asked, although he was puzzled by the request. She explained nothing more, simply saying that she knew of a way to help them in court and left it at that. Unknown to the warriors, Jessa came up with this idea last night when she couldn’t sleep and to her, it was the only way to ensure justice would prevail. And to protect the man she cared about.

Within the hour, they headed due east, their group consisting of not only Ardeth’s men but Amin as well. The warrior adamantly felt they needed all the help they could get while in Cairo and had left his second in command charge of the village.

They rode through out the day, and almost well into the night and with each passing mile, Jessa grew more concerned for Ardeth. He had rarely spoken since sunset, his mouth set in a grim line against the pain he had been fighting since first getting into the saddle.

When they finally stopped to rest, Ardeth made sure Jessa didn’t see the help he needed from Rasheed in dismounting from his horse. He had barely made it to his sleeping mat before he collapsed. Quietly, Jessa appeared by his side minutes later, unrolling her sleeping mat next to his and gently started checking his bandages.

“There is no need...” he tried to object.

“I need to make sure,” Jessa interrupted and finished checking his shoulder.

“Because you care?”

She was leaning over him, her shirt gaping open slightly to give a tantalizing view of her breasts and Ardeth swore softly under his breath.

Jessa immediately sat back, thinking she had hurt him and contemplated her answer.

“Yes, I do,” she declared, without any confusion or hesitation. And she smiled, her feelings for the warrior were so much more.

“Then, I am most....”

“I know, I know. Most grateful,” she finished for him and they both chuckled.

Without another word, she finally settled down on her mat, her body close to Ardeth’s, falling asleep a few moments later. Ardeth stayed awake long enough to gaze down at the woman next to him, then gave into the exhaustion that had been plaguing him since earlier in the day.

His last coherent thought was hope. Hope that she would always be by his side, and that maybe Rasheed had been right. He could change the tribal laws.