Page 30 of The Guardian's Promise

Reaching for Mira’s hand, he leaned close. His heart thundered in his chest. Their breaths mingled between them. He should have accepted Caleb’s offer and pledged his troth to her. “Mira, if aught should happen to me protect him with your life. He knows the way, but guard him well.” He slipped his hand from hers and replaced it with the hilt of his dagger.

“Remember, twenty, then forty, and run if need be.”

Joash’s shadowy figure nodded. Ari straightened his tunic, pulled his sword from its sheath and crept forward.

He peered around the opening that led to the large cavern centered in the network of caves. A small fire flickered in the middle of the floor. A young girl knelt beside it stirring the contents of the kettle over the flames. A woman shuffled around carrying out various tasks as if she were expecting visitors. His gaze slid to one of the plaster benches that had been built into the walls hundreds of years before. Three men sat with their heads bowed and another woman sat at their feet. He drank them in having not seen them for near seven years. “Thank you, Lord,” he prayed.

Without hesitation he returned for Joash and Mira. At the entrance he motioned for them to remove their sandals, as he had done. Bowing his head he entered with Joash and Mira at his side.

“Shalom, my family,” he offered.

* * *

The men lifted their heads at once. Mira regretted leaving her veil behind, even soiled as it was. Fearing her lack of proper manners would shame Ari, she sunk back into the darkness of the tunnel and tucked her hand into her tunic lest they see her imperfections. As if reading her thoughts, Ari wrapped his fingers around her upper arm. It wasn’t a touch meant to reassure or comfort, but a silent command to heed his will.

She fought the urge to pull from his grasp. She started to dip her chin when the men closed their eyes and raised their hands heavenward. The women halted their movements and bowed. They didn’t return to their tasks until Ari returned their greeting.

One woman, the older of the two, set a bowl of water at their feet. She dipped her cloth in the bowl and washed the dust from Joash’s skin. She dried them before perfuming his feet with oil.

Mira had seen the honor of welcoming guests performed many times, but never had she been the receiver of such a welcoming. The woman knelt before Mira. Unaccustomed to the attention from a stranger, Mira shrank back against the wall and curled her toes.

The woman glanced at her before looking to Ari. At Ari’s firm nod, the woman gently took Mira’s foot in her hand and began performing the same ritual she had on Joash. With the same grace and care as she had the young king. After she perfumed Mira’s feet she moved on to Ari.

Once their feet had been cleansed, the youngest of the three men rose and approached Ari. In light of Ari’s recent command, wariness trickled over her and she wrapped her arm around Joash hugging him close. The man bussed each of Ari’s cheeks. “Shalom, Ariel. I have missed you at the temple.”

She choked. She was parched from their hasty journey. Her head spun. She pressed her fingers to her temples. What she’d just heard could not be true.

Ari, a priest.

“And I have missed you as well, Uncle.” Ari hugged the man.

Heat flooded her cheeks at the realization of what the past years had held. Shame slammed into her belly. This man had served her father with the diligence of any son, and he was a priest? No wonder he taught the law with efficiency.

Her knees began to shake. She pressed her knuckles against the wall to hold her upright. She had known there was something different about him. Had known the Lord had set him apart for a divine purpose and not just to build her bridal home or help tend her chores.

In her naïveté she’d thought the Lord had meant him to torment her with his constant interference. Tears smarted the backs of her eyes. She blinked them back when the elder of the three men greeted Ari.

“Shalom, Ishiah.” Ari grinned.

Her gaze traveled over the older man and then to the other two dressed much the same as this Ishiah. They each wore deep blue sashes around their waists. Were they all priests? They lacked the brightly adorned turbans her mother had told her about.

The older men were much shorter than Ari and their arms did not hold the same contours. They were not well muscled. And Ari’s hair hung only to his shoulders. His face had been clean-shaven when he had arrived at her home all those years ago, and he had not once grown it back. Only now did his face contain a dark shadow from the lack of a blade on his skin.

Ari explained the events of the past days to the people in the room. Leaving out portions about the child’s ancestry. “Mira protected Joash where I failed.”

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