Chapter Twelve
The familiar electric charge filled the air. It steadily poked at Najya's subconscious until she awakened to the soft glow that always surrounded her mother. She lifted her head, which had been pillowed against Ardeth's chest, and slowly eased up onto one elbow in order to see Zariah clearly. Hearing a sudden sharp intake of breath, she immediately thought Ardeth had awakened and caught sight of her mother. However, one look at his relaxed face reassured her he still slept soundly.
"Do not worry. He will not awaken," Zariah assured, sensing her daughter's anxiety.
"What have you done to him?" Najya demanded softly. She absently splayed her hand protectively over Ardeth's chest.
"He is fine. He will awaken after I am gone," she supplied elusively. Her expression hardened as she took in the sight of her obviously unclothed daughter in the arms of the Med-jai Chieftain. "Daughter, you have made a disastrous mistake!"
"Mother. Please, do not lecture me." She again glanced down at her sleeping warrior. How dare her mother judge?
"You do not understand. That you let him inside your heart...that is the mistake, my darling daughter." Zariah drew near to the bed and reached out to touch Najya's bare shoulder. "For when the time comes for you to do what is required...you will face the ultimate sacrifice."
Najya sickened visibly hearing her mother's warning. "What are you saying, Mother?"
"I think you know, my love." Zariah glanced around the room as if she were being called. "I must go. Remember, you have a sacred duty and it must be fulfilled. It will be difficult, but the good of mankind must be put above your own wants and needs."
As Zariah faded into nothingness, Najya whispered, "Yes, Mother. As Isis decrees..."
Ardeth awakened to the feel of Najya's harsh sobs, her face buried against his neck and her hair covering his chest like a silken blanket. "MaHabbi, what is it? What troubles you?" he asked concernedly as he rubbed her back tenderly.
"I cannot say," she whispered. She raised her head to gaze into the dark pools of his eyes and her voice caught in her throat when she saw nothing but love and concern. Her mother delivered a severe blow to her happiness and she was unprepared to deal with it. How could she discover these feelings, which she had for the dear man lying beside her, only to have it be declared by her mother that she had done wrong? Life was not fair, and only more so with the knowledge that coming events would lead her to a betrayal so heinous she did not want to think of it. "I am just so very confused."
Ardeth nodded, believing he understood her feelings. "I understand. What can I do?" Their lovemaking had been an unexpected, albeit a most pleasant, turn of events. He found himself just as confused as she. They were of two different worlds and yet he had no doubt they were destined to be together. What had the tribal Seer said? Sometimes we find that which we do not seek. He found something he had never thought to seek. Yet, he had to wonder, what would become of their love when faced with the choice of her world or his? He had a revered position he could not abandon. Was that something she could live with?
Najya shifted to a sitting position, clutching the blanket to her chest. She felt the emotions warring within him, even through her own dazed condition. As she battled decisions based on his welfare, he worried of their feelings for each other. She needed to get away, to think, to calm herself for the hardest choice of her life. And while she was in his arms, the only thing she wanted to think about was his touch, his kiss, and the ultimate ecstasy he could bring her. "There is nothing for you to do, Ardeth. I...I need time to think." Before he could reply, she pushed off the bed, taking nothing to hide her nakedness, and scurried to the door that adjoined their rooms. She noted his stunned expression when she chanced a quick glance back at him before she opened the door and made her escape.
He stared at the closed door for what seemed like hours after he had heard the lock slide into place. To say he was perplexed was an understatement. Perhaps he had not understood her feelings at all. He stood, not bothering to cover himself, and moved to the door, laying his palm on the cold, unyielding wood. There was the possibility that she regretted what happened between them. She might even believe he used her to satisfy his own carnal lusts with no regard for her at all. He had not declared his feelings for her; he had just dived into the heart of the matter and took her. Took them both to a place many strive for and few reach. At least, that was his experience. Perhaps it had not been for her? Afterwards, instead of telling her of his feelings, he had selfishly fallen asleep.
Instead of knocking, instead of reaching out to her, he turned away from the door and went back to the bed. He stretched out, wrapping himself in the blanket that had moments before shielded them both from the chill of the night air. Her scent was all around him and he knew he would get little sleep the remainder of the night. However, he would give her the space she needed in which to sort out her own feelings. Tomorrow...tomorrow he would tell her.
Najya lay facedown across her bed, naked and uncovered, uncaring of the temperature in the room. She was too numb to feel much of anything. She had understood far too well what her mother was telling her and it was her duty to carry things out. She felt the pain in her chest, first a small prick, like a needle to skin. It grew, as if a true wound, as an invisible blade cut into her, ripping at her, tearing her soul from her body. She screamed silently with the injustice of the situation. Mighty Isis! I beg of you! Do not make me do this. You are asking too much of me...of anyone. He is a loyal, true man. Why do you require such a sacrifice!
Her plea was met with silence, as though the Goddess found her pain inconsequential. The coming day would bring further heartache for the chosen of her bloodline and she wished not to face it. However, honor dictated her actions, much as it did Ardeth's, and she would not push aside duty. How she would face him, act as though things were normal, as though she was not hiding a terrible truth from him, she did not know. A vicious sob wrenched from her throat and she buried her face into the pillow. Life was unfair, and would not be worth living after she fulfilled her destiny. Much like her mother before her, she would not go on.
***
To be continued...