How much of your concern about Cleo is that she will not have time to raise your children and how much of it is your fear that she will have a life away from you? One that she may come to enjoy more?”
Sadik ignored the questions, mostly because he didn’t like them. He was a royal prince of Bahania—he feared nothing.
His father’s phone rang. Sadik nodded and left. But he did not feel better for having spoken of his troubles. Uneasiness dogged him. Things with Cleo were not as he thought they would be. She was not grateful that he had married her, nor was she willing to do as he requested, no matter how reasonable the demand. She spoke of the university, and before their marriage she had even spoken of love.
He knew she wanted to take possession of his heart. That he could not allow. The price of love was loss. Losing Kamra had upset his world for many weeks, and although he refused to admit it to anyone but himself, Kamra had mattered far less than Cleo. He did not want to consider the destruction that would follow if his wife were to disappear from his life. He could not allow himself to be shattered that way, so he would not allow her to matter.
As he did every morning Sadik appeared promptly at seven forty-five. He carried a tray into the bedroom and set it carefully on the nightstand. He bent low and kissed Cleo on the mouth, then handed her the disgusting, purple protein drink he insisted she have each morning.
While she concentrated on sipping without gagging, he drew back the covers and pulled up her nightgown. He placed both his hands on her stomach and addressed her growing belly.
“Good morning, my son,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with affection. “Today we will discuss the ways of the desert. The desert is like a magnificent woman who will not be tamed. Treat her with respect and she will serve you all your days. Ignore her or underestimate her and she will destroy you.”
Cleo couldn’t help smiling. “You underestimate me all the time and I have yet to destroy you. Although I do think about slapping some sense into you from time to time.”
Sadik ignored her, although she saw the corners of his mouth twitch slightly.
“Your aunt, Princess Sabrina, was once foolish enough to go out in the desert by herself,” he continued. “She was trapped by a sandstorm and nearly died. You, my son, will never behave in such a manner. You and the desert will be one.”
Cleo choked down her protein drink and let Sadik’s words wash over her. She didn’t understand this morning ritual of his—mostly because she was sure their unborn child couldn’t understand anything that was being said. But she enjoyed the time with her husband. When he was like this, so kind and gentle, touching her, caring about her and the baby, she believed they might have a chance at making their marriage work.
Unfortunately, more times than not, Prince Sadik was stubborn and uncooperative.
She finished her drink about the same time he finished his “desert” lecture. Sadik rose and sat on the side of the bed.
“What are your plans for the day?” he asked.
“I’m meeting with my tutor.”
His expression tightened. “You are too intelligent to require a tutor.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. On the one hand he hated that she insisted on starting at the university; on the other, he was insulted that she would need help getting up to speed.
“Sadik, while I appreciate the vote of confidence, the reality is that I was never much of a model student. I barely made it through some of my high school courses. The university can’t refuse me—I’m married to you. So to avoid embarrassment for everyone, I’m brushing up on a few subjects.”
Her husband’s gaze suddenly narrowed. “Who is your tutor and where will you be studying?”
For a second her foolish heart took flight. Sadik’s jealousy gave her reason to hope. But before she could read too much into the question, she reminded herself that he had made it clear he wasn’t about to fall in love with her. So being jealous was a knee-jerk response, not one that meant anything.
“A woman,” she said with a sigh. “Don’t get your panties all in a bunch. Even I know better than to hire a male tutor.”
“That is as it should be.” He rose and kissed her again, then touched her cheek. “I count the hours until I see you later today.”
She watched him leave. A part of her wished those words were true. He said them each morning, but they were simply a ritual without meaning. Like their marriage, she thought sadly, not knowing how to make things different. No matter how intensely she and Sadik made love, no matter how often, she couldn’t seem to touch more than his body. She wanted to believe there was a way to reach his heart, but so far she had no bright ideas. Maybe it was time for some expert advice.
Cleo had never flown in a helicopter before. She tried to stay calm and not think about the insanity of trusting her life to a giant flying bug. Rather than give in to her fear, she stared down at the endless stretch of desert. Somewhere in the sandy beige of the Bahanian wilderness sat a secret city hidden for over a thousand years.
The City of Thieves acted as a home base for thousands of wandering nomads. The residents had originally made their fortunes by stealing from desert travelers. Eventually they had realized it was far easier to offer protection to the merchants on the Silk Road than to take from them. Now the nomads protected the vast oil fields belonging to Bahania and neighboring El Bahar.
Cleo had read up on the City of Thieves, at least on the legends about the place. The city didn’t officially exist. In a way it was like Camelot—without the English accents.
Cleo smiled at her feeble joke, all the while trying not to feel apprehensive. Zara had returned from her honeymoon the previous day. As much as she wanted to deal with Zara over the phone, it didn’t seem fair. Not after all they’d been to each other. Her foster sister would want an explanation, and Cleo was going to give it to her. Maybe in defining all that had happened between Sadik and herself, she would come to understand it more clearly.
The helicopter moved lower. Cleo squinted against the bright sunlight. There, at the base of a mountain, she thought she saw something. Buildings maybe? They blended perfectly with the surrounding rock. Was it possible that a medieval city still functioned in these modern times?
The original stone huts had given way to an elaborate walled city, complete with a castle. The location had been decided by two factors: the geography that allowed a stone city to blend into the surroundings and a river flowing from an underground spring. The water circled the city, then dove beneath the earth to be cleansed and renewed.
Sabrina’s husband, Prince Kardal, ruled the city. Zara’s new husband, Rafe, was in charge of security. Although a Bahanian princess, Zara now called the City of Thieves her home.
Cleo pressed a hand against the window as the giant bug slowly lowered itself to the stone landing pad in front of the main doors to the palace. She could see vast fields, irrigated by the river, and corralled cattle and goats. In the distance several dozen nomads made their way back to the desert, after visiting the city.
Once the helicopter came to a stop, a uniformed guard opened the door, put out a step for her and bowed.
“Welcome to
