Free Destiny's Lovers by Flora Speer Page B

wanted to touch him,
but she could not, not here in the open courtyard, where anyone
could see them. “It hurts me to know you are so deeply
unhappy.”
    “Does it hurt you enough that you’d help me
escape?”
    “Escape?” She stared at him, terrified by the
idea. “Don’t even think of such a thing.”
    “Why not?” His voice was harsh and filled
with anger. Janina watched him trying to control his feelings until
he spoke more calmly, yet still with strong emotion. “I am being
kept here against my will. Therefore, I have the right to try to
escape if I want. You people don’t seem to understand that I have a
life, and friends, and important work, beyond Ruthlen. I want to
return to all that. I wish your High Priestess would believe I’d
never bring others here if you want to remain isolated. Commander
Tarik would respect Tamat’s wishes, too. What about the sea? I’m a
fairly good sailor.”
    “The sea?” He must think she was incredibly
stupid if she could do nothing except echo his words, but the
sudden question had surprised her. She answered him promptly and
definitely. “You can’t leave by the sea. Once you reached deep
water the sea monsters would eat you. That’s why the fisherfolk
only go as far away from the shore as the near side of the swift
current.”
    “Monsters?” He looked as though he would
burst into laughter.
    “Besides,” she added quickly, seeing that he
did not believe her about the monsters, “you could be observed from
the village until you were far enough out at sea to be below the
horizon. There is no place to hide out there.”
    “That kind of thinking I can understand,” he
said, nodding. “As for sea monsters - well, there may be something
in the deep water that I don’t know about. I’ll accept that much of
your sea monster story. I’ll have to go by land then.”
    “Don’t. Reid, please don’t. You will only be
caught and brought back here. Then you truly will be a prisoner.
Please accept your fate. It’s the best thing for you. It’s the
safest thing.”
    “Janina, why are you loitering here with this
man?” Sidra had come up to them so quietly that her question
startled both of them. They had been standing close together,
talking in low tones. Now they hastily moved apart. Sidra acted as
though she had caught them in some forbidden activity, but her
voice was silky-smooth. “Stay away from her, Reid. There are women
enough in the village to assuage your lust, if that is what you
want.”
    “We were only talking,” Janina declared,
feeling like a naughty child under Sidra’s mocking gaze.
    “Tamat needs you,” Sidra said. “While you
have been wasting the day with Reid, our High Priestess has been
waiting patiently for her neglectful attendant. As for you, Reid,
go to Osiyar and ask of him the questions you were asking Janina.
I’m sure he can give you more intelligent answers than she ever
will.”
    “We will talk again, Janina,” Reid said.
    “No,” Sidra told him, “you will not, for if
you do, I will see to it that Tamat punishes both of you.”
    “How?” snarled Reid. “By taking away my
nonexistent freedom?”
    “Ah, Reid,” Sidra replied with a soft trill
of laughter. “You have no idea what punishment means until you have
been punished by a telepath.”
    “Reid,” Janina said, trembling now in as much
fear for him as she had earlier been afraid of him, “please obey
Sidra. You must learn to follow our customs.”
    With Sidra close at her back, Janina hurried
toward the temple.
    “I’ll be watching you,” Sidra said.
    “I know,” Janina replied. “You always watch
me, to catch me in any mistake.”
    “Insolence is not the proper way to deal with
me,” Sidra murmured as they went through the double doors and into
the central room. “I require from you the respect due to my
position.”
    “Yes, Sidra.” It was useless to defy the
woman. In any contest of wills between Janina and Sidra, Sidra had
always won. Janina