Chapter Sixteen: Erroribus

Kadar had been silent for the past five days, a fact Desmond didn't bother to change. They each had their own reasons for silence and Desmond actually preferred it at the moment. It was a sign of how many years he had spent working as an Assassin, finally realizing what it all boiled down to. He would kill people, even his own brothers, even his own friends and family if he had to. His life was nothing more than a sacrifice by taking this path. He sacrificed everything he had and everything he was in order to ensure the world as a whole remained free and justice was wrought. This didn't make him a saint. It didn't make him a martyr. He was as black and sinful as the next man. Losing this much and being the cause of such loss wasn't going to paint him holy or righteous. It didn't even ease the burden he carried.

The mountain loomed in the distance, pointed out by Kadar, but it was the first time they had spoken since escaping Abbas. Desmond expected the youth to carry on the conversation, but instead he fell quiet like a block having been brought from its place only to fall back in after being examined. He wondered if Kadar had figured it out, if he had realized the possibility of three deaths a fortnight ago, but he doubted it. Likely, Kadar remained silent only because Desmond did and Kadar was not about to question a Master.

The climb up the mountain brought them to a nearly hidden doorway, though Desmond easily discovered it with his eagle vision. Using the key, he opened it, but from there realized his mistake.

"Dammit." He crossed his arms in irritation. "I should have known. We need a Piece of Eden."

"Piece of Eden?" Kadar questioned, touching the circular spot where the piece would go. "The Apple?"

"Yes." Desmond huffed. "All right. We'll go to Jerusalem. From there we will plan a way for me to...no...I have a better idea."

"What?" Kadar perked, waiting hopefully to hear this plan.

"You should return to my time." Desmond placed a hand on the young man's arm. "With knowledge of how to reach Mount Sinai, I don't need you here. You'll be safer with Shaun and Rebecca."

"But..." Kadar's brow furrowed with worry and blatant disappointment. "Master..."

"It'll be fine." Desmond reassured him. "You can learn English and how to survive in the twenty-first century. It'll be good for you. You can start life anew."

"And you?"

"I will carry out my plan without risking your life." Desmond told him. "And it'll ease my mind not having to worry about being the cause of your death."

"But..."

"No, Kadar." Desmond placed both of his hands on Kadar's shoulders. "Listen. It is easier on both of us if you return to my era. Understood?"

Kadar sighed, depression in his features. "All right...fine..."

"Shaun? Rebecca?" Desmond called out. "Take Kadar back, all right?"

There was a long pause as Desmond waited for Kadar to fade from view, but when nothing happened he questioned whether or not they had heard.

"Hello? You guys monitoring us or not?"

A buzzing sensation erupted over him and he prepared himself to be zapped back to his time.

"What on earth, Rebecca?" He rubbed at his arm, still prickling from the transport. "Couldn't you have just taken Kadar?"

"Uh..." Shaun's wary tone brought Desmond immediately on edge. "His...genetic code is fairly close to...well, you know..."

Desmond followed Shaun's pointed finger and his jaw fell open.

"Malik!" Kadar rushed past him to embrace his brother, mindful of the sword the man had drawn.

"What is going on here?" Malik demanded and Desmond wished he could have thought of an easy reply, but he was instead left to gape at the man before his mind finally started working again

"REBECCA!"

"Ya Allah, Rebecca!" Desmond paced the room before sticking his head back through the door for what felt like the millionth time to eye Malik and Kadar speaking with one another. "Couldn't you have zeroed in on me and Kadar? If you were uncertain about who you were about to snag, you should have just grabbed both of us! I would have understood!"

"I'm sorry!" Rebecca rubbed at her neck sheepishly. "But it's not as if we can't fix it! We just send him back!"

"I'm not sure it will be that easy." Shaun argued. "Malik was speaking to Altair at that time about assassinating Talal the Slaver in Jerusalem."

"Oh...great..." Desmond pulled off his hood to scratch at his hair.

"We can't match it exactly." Rebecca sighed. "I wish I could, but I can't. Altair is going to be really shocked with Malik disappearing and then reappearing in front of him...well, sort of. I'm pretty sure I can land Malik in the Bureau, but I can't guarantee I won't throw him on top of Altair."

"Who will not appreciate that in the least." Desmond again eyed Malik. "Nor will Malik. Great."

"Yup." Shaun rolled his eyes. "Go Rebecca."

"I said I was sorry!" She wrung her hands, her brows pinched. "What more do you want me to do?"

"Was Malik being tailed at that time?" Desmond returned his attention to Shaun. "Was he being watched?"

"Yes." Shaun nodded. "But from outside the Bureau. They were simply making sure no one came or went, likely keeping an eye out for you still."

"Great." Desmond leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. "That complicates this. I can't go with him."

"Neither can Kadar."

"Yeah...he's staying here with you."

"Wonderful."

Desmond frowned. "Maybe I can go with...no...I better not. All right. I'll go talk to Malik, make sure he understands, and then I think you should just put me in Solomon's Temple again. I'll make my way from there."

"All right." Rebecca started for the Animus. "I'll see what I can do."

Uncomfortably, Desmond peered into the room where Kadar was excitedly telling Malik about their escape from Abbas. By the look on Malik's face, Desmond was able to judge how unhappy hearing this tale made him. Growing even more uneasy, he headed into the room, hoping to salvage some trust from his repeated failures with Malik.