Page 34 (1/1)

Elation at yet another endearment, ed forith him to wave to the attendees, who’d all stood up and started clapping

S wide, he winked “Now let’s play our trump card”

He turned and Ameenah came forith Mennah, who launched herself into his ar from him The crowd succu at the sight of her, chuckling at Farooq’s intentional Lion King reference Their clapping rose when he handed Mennah back to Car her hand on both sides in kisses

As he withdrew his lips, straightened, her heart stuttered, felt it would stop again, for real, if she lost contact with hied to id Silence descended

She closed her eyes Oh God Way to be a professional lier at her? Did all those people who mattered to him and to Judar on so many levels think the crown prince had settled on an iitation cah in his ar in his hold in relief, she opened her eyes, sought his, found the to e to pay, you’ve only succeeded in enlarging the installments I’ll exact from you But now you have to cater to all those poor power brokers whose jaded senses you’ve jogged They’re cla for more”

He let her feet touch ground, gave her a slight push He wanted her to go salute their guests alone, the so-called estranged princess laying claihter in her araze trail off his, started across the stage, an out-of-body feeling co that confident woman in the thousands of dollars outfit and priceless jewelry waving and s to the people who shaped and ruled earth as if she was one of the, and technology nates The Ger and queen of Bidalya And…was that the king of Judar…?

Sick electricity arced fro her body He looked so unwell, she alnized him And he didn’t look happy Displeasure came off him in waves There was no question in heragainst his king’s wishes? Or had the king given his consent on ter a finite union? How finite?

And as she wondering? She’d already known her days with Farooq were nu theypractice? When had she learned to hope?

A blacker wave of unease crashed into her She traced its source to a man she’d seen only once Tareq

He’d seeht her condition when she’d stu her life’s darkest hour had iriical explanation when thewhen he’d found her staggering out of Farooq’s skyscraper that night, weeping and lost He hadn’t probed when she’d said she needed to get away, had done all he could to help her She’d never thought about why he had

Now she felt his maliciousness focus on her, on Farooq, and she knew He’d hoped it would hurt Farooq, or at least anger hiht became conviction He’d introduced himself as Farooq’s older cousin That hy she’d accepted his offer of a ride But that meant he must have been the first in line to the throne And he’d been bypassed for Farooq He Farooq’s his eneo as far as physical har with dread and hatred

Farooq took Mennah from her, handed her back to Ameenah, and reached for her frozen-in-sweat hand, stilled its shaking She found his gaze fixed on Tareq, his face turned to stone as hefor reassurance, that he was safe, that Mennah was as he turned her to the kooshah, where Shehab and Kaht their eyes, hers begging, for so they’d understand her fears, defuse theazes behind her, she just knew at Tareq Then Shehab gave her a reinforcing glance, Ka her in his way not to worry

Farooq’s gaze was once more inscrutable as he seated her on one side of the ivethe ritual of katb ek-ketaab, literally writing the book, of matrimony They’d hold hands, oppose thumbs, and the ma’zoon would place a pristine piece of cloth over their hands, place his on top and recite the e vows for each to repeat after hiave him her hand

Farooq stared at Carmen’s hand Was that…?

It was His name She’d written his name on her hand And wait…that was his name, too There And there It was everywhere All over her hands In Arabic and the other languages she spoke He’d bet that Chinese script was it, too Written in a way as to be the building blocks of the exquisite patterns, and to be alht away

It wasn’t a custo the bride within an inch of her life the new rage He’d end up hauling her over his shoulder and giving the international asse ould revert it to the days of desert raiders

Everyone should be grateful he was suffering through thethose stairs, with that distressing outfit hugging her lushness, constricting her waist, echoing her e her, lug her back to their quarters, end the waiting and to hell with everything

He would have done it and thought of his king and other guests only after he’d taken the edge off the hunger enough to regain coherence Then she’d ta he’d expected She’d run to him