Page 116 of The Treasure
"No, you don't. We all need to think about the problem and the solutions. I'll take you to your chamber." He half-pushed, half-guided Selene toward the door. "Tomorrow."
Before she realized it, she was in the hall. She jerked her arm from Kadar's grasp. "It has to be settled tonight."
"It would be settled. Tarik and Layla would dig in their heels and refuse you. Is that what you want?"
"Of course it's not what I want." But it was what would happen, she realized. Despair and anger had led her to push too hard, and neither Tarik nor Layla responded well to coercion. No matter how desperately she needed to put a plan into place, she would have to wait and approach the situation from another angle. "I'll talk to them tomorrow." She started down the hall.
"You're being very reasonable," he murmured as he fell into step with her. "It doesn't bode well."
"I don't feel reasonable." She didn't look at him. "Are you going to help me?"
"I haven't decided. It's a very dangerous course you've chosen."
Shock rippled through her. Tarik and Layla's help had never been certain, but she had never doubted she could count on Kadar, whether he approved or not. "It's the right thing to do."
"As I said, I haven't decided. I'll have to think upon it."
They had reached her door and she whirled to face him. "You're different tonight."
He smiled. "Am I? Perhaps you're just seeing me clearer. I don't believe anyone else would see a difference."
No, but he had never been with her as he had with the rest of the world. He had shown everyone else that mockery, the darkness, the deadliness just beneath the surface. He had never turned that face to her.
Until tonight.
"Why are you like this?"
"You think I should be gentle with you? You don't want my gentleness. You want the same thing from me the rest of the world wants. A man to be killed, a task to be done." He bowed. "So I must treat you as I do everyone else and weigh the advantages and the consequences of giving you what you want." He opened her door. "I bid you good night. Sleep well, Selene."
"I didn't mean to--" She stopped. What could she say? She did need him, and she planned to use him, as he had said. No wonder she had distanced him. "I mean you no harm. I don't want you to kill Nasim. I only want you to show me how to do it."
He didn't answer. He was walking away.
Don't think of the hurt you must have dealt to turn him into this stranger. Think of Haroun. Think of Nasim.
Think of the act to be done.
Chapter 15.
"THEY DON'T BELIEVE US," Layla said.
"We didn't expect them to." Tarik moved over to the balustrade to gaze into the garden. "It's a wild tale."
"Yes." She stood beside him. "I'm not sure Kadar was a good choice. He likes his way too much."
"And you do not?"
She grimaced. "I like it, but I seldom got it. Not with you."
"As I remember, I told you no only once."
But it had been the most important plea, when she had asked him to stay. "But there were always arguments." She braced herself. "Why did you wed her?"
"Rosa? She was kind. I was lonely."
"I was lonely too. I never took a husband to ease it."
"I don't wish to discuss Rosa."
