Page 23 of Dalla's Royal Guards
But then, that last line about staying out of their politics…
I suppose she meant skimming over those passages…
“What do you remember?” Musad asked despite himself. Even though her words made little sense, he wanted more of them.
She shrugged and turned to stare out of the window again. She was hiding something. That frustrated him more than he liked to admit.
He glanced in the rearview mirror at Nasser. His brother gave him a brief nod. The nod sparked a strange echo in Musad’s chest. His alignment with Nasser made him feel both off balance and centered in a way he never had before. As if this woman were the sun and he and Nasser were in her orbit.
“Where is Albion and Alkebulan?” Colin suddenly asked. “I haven’t heard of them before.”
“I believe you now call them England and Africa,” she said before leaning forward as the SUV began to climb through the mountains. “The mountains here are beautiful. So much has changed since I was last here.”
“When was that?” Nasser asked.
She looked over her shoulder at Nasser. Again, Musad sensed the storm behind her silence. She turned and silently stared at Musad, too, before she looked out the window. When she finally replied, her response was both angry and heartbroken.
“Back when Gerold and Pascal still lived.”
Six
The Library of Narva
Earlier That Day
Hari sat stiffly in the plush 18th-century chair that he had pulled up in front of the mosaic gracing a thirty-by-fifty-foot section of the royal treasure room. He stared blindly at the beautiful, ancient image of Dalla in the center panel. His mind was not on the Warrior of the Sands, but on the battles surrounding Musad, Nasser, and the other team members that were being broadcast over the radio.
“Musad, we need additional backup,”Nasser shouted above the sound of gunfire.
“We’re working on it. There are three more vehicles approaching,”Musad responded.
The staccato burst of gunfire filled the air, sounding louder because of the volume of the speaker and the cavernous interior of the lower-level vault. Rising slowly to his feet, Hari walkedover to the mosaic and laid his hand against the cool tile. He looked up at the mosaic and into the face of Dalla.
Hari closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the tile. He felt a father’s sense of helplessness knowing his sons and granddaughter were in danger and he was not there. He knew that Musad and Nasser were prepared and well-trained. They would do everything possible to remain safe. But… he also knew that rescuing a small child in a combat situation increased the odds of something going wrong.
“Please, Dalla… protect my sons and my granddaughter,” he murmured.
The tile under his hand warmed at his quietly spoken plea. Deep down, he wanted to believe that some force in the universe had heard his request. He stiffened when the sound of an explosion shattered the silence in the vault.
Tears burned the back of his eyes, and he opened them to look up at Dalla’s face again. He frowned in confusion and stepped back. His gaze swept over the mosaic. The beautiful landscape showcased the cliffs of Narva and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea. The ornate tiles also highlighted the Fort of the Black Tide, home of Pirate Kings for centuries. In the background, he could see the coast of Kashir. What was missing from the ancient mosaic was the strikingly beautiful woman that had been staring out at him just moments before. In her place was an empty outline where she had once stood.
“The legends… they are true!” he breathed out in awe.
Border mountains with Simdan:
Musad parked next to the whitewashed stone three-room hut they had chosen as a safe house. Donovan and Andre were standing outside and quickly strode to the Land Cruiser, pulling open the back door where Colin sat hunched. Musad pushed open the driver’s door at the same time as his brother and Dalla opened theirs.
“We’ve got you, old man,” Donovan teased when Colin grunted in pain.
“Old man. I’ll show you old man,” Colin hissed.
The low snort of feminine amusement drew all their attention. Donovan and Andre lifted an inquiring eyebrow at the woman who’d told them her name was Dalla Bogadottir, but when she ignored them as she looked around, they glanced at Musad and Nasser, who both shrugged. Musad didn’t have an answer for them… yet.
“I think both bullets went through. There are exit wounds,” Nasser stated.
“Yeah. Twice as many holes. I get to count them as double,” Colin muttered.
Nasser chuckled as Donovan and Andre guided Colin into the small stone hut. Musad smiled, knowing the men had a running joke over who had been shot the most times. Donovan returned within a few minutes.
