Page 25 of The Guardian's Promise

Mira shook her thoughts. “Who does not know what?”

“Joash.” He took one long stride and stood before her. His breath flowed over her like a cool breeze in the hot desert sun. He reached for her hand, the warmth of his touch raced to her toes. “He does not know who he is.” He uncurled her fingers and plucked the ring from her palm. A ring she had forgotten she held.

“Oh.” A small word, a small useless word. What was she supposed to say? Especially when he stood so close, his cheek so near hers. He moved closer, his lips a hair’s breadth from her ear. She closed her eyes and swayed on her feet, swayed toward the strength offered in his arms.

Before she could allow her arms to wrap around his neck, he stepped away.

“And—” he hesitated, his black eyes boring into hers “—he will not know. No one can know. Do you understand what that means, Mira?”

If there was one thing she found difficult above all other things, it was concentrating when Ari spoke her name. When his r’s rolled over his tongue as if he were vowing his never-ending love. But his voice was flat, emotionless. This was not the Ari she knew. Her anger returned in full. “Of course.”

He arched his brow, an action that left her clinching her fists at her sides, causing pain to ripple through her marred hand. She shoved past him. Her feet quickly halted as he grasped her upper arm. Over the past few days she’d dreamed of him reaching for her hand just for the simple pleasure of it, but she never wished to kick him in the shins, until now.

“It is his life,” he growled. “A life I am bound by God to protect.”

She shook her hair over her shoulder and glared at him. “His life is worth that of my family?”

She knew what it meant to Judah to have King David’s line restored. Knew the restoration was worth the lives of many villagers, yet she couldn’t help the venom slipping from her tongue. Couldn’t help the anger at Ari’s betrayal. His lies.

“It is not what you think.” Ari released her.

Her heart cried out in rebellion. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his back on her. The ever-confident bond servant cowered, and it was then she noticed the missing band from his arm. It was enough to break her heart. Ari was a free man.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I care very much for your father.”

“I will return home.”

Ari spun on his heels. “No,” he said with an authority that could command an army, and probably had.

A hint of anger flashed into his eyes and she remembered she didn’t really know him. Not after all the lies he’d told.

“I will keep your secret.”

“It is not safe to take you home.”

“I will go alone.”

“No.”

“Ari, it is not far from here. All will be well with me.”

“You need to stay with me until the child is safe.”

She could not bear it, even if it were for only another day, she could not bear being in his presence another moment knowing he was a free man. Knowing he would walk away from her family. Her family depended on him too much. She depended on him—whether she liked it or not. “I cannot, Ari.”

“You have no choice, Mira. I will return you to your father when Joash is safe.” He took a step toward her and enfolded her in his arms. The curve of her cheek pressed against the beating of his heart. The warmth of his breath caressed her brow and she wondered if he was going to kiss her there as her father had done whenever she scraped her knees as a child.

A child she was no more, and the emotions swirling in her chest made her long for more than a touch of his lips to her brow. Her hopes of marriage fizzled and disappeared like a falling star. She could never marry, not with the knots he tied to her heart. Not unless it was to him.

If only he were in truth a man of humble means. A man in need of her father’s kindness.

His arms tensed, and he finally pressed his lips to her head. Tears fought their way to her eyes. Why did he have to be an important man from Jerusalem? For he could be nothing but, given the honor he held guarding the king. Why, after all the years of disliking him for following her around and tending her tasks was it now she thought she could possibly share the kind of affection with him as her parents did for each other? She would have been better off had she accepted Esha’s suit months ago, even if he did scorn her for her imperfections.

She slid her hands between them and pushed him away. She wouldn’t look at him. She couldn’t, for there was no doubt he’d see all the anguish warring within.

“If I may, I would like to cleanse.” Cleanse the pain tearing her apart.

“Yes, of course, Mira.” He released her. “I’ll make sure the pool is safe.”

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