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‘We have received a warning that a sandstor this way, far rettably we cannot remain’

‘The oasis is lovely,’ Sadie told him listlessly She had seen how much Vere loved the desert, and his own obvious disappointment made her feel that she should offer some kind of sympathetic response

‘Indeed—but the desert can be fatally cruel to those who treat her lightly Did you enjoy last night’s ceremony?’ he asked her

‘Yes It’s a heartwar tradition’ Sadie tried to sound enthusiastic

‘We certainly think so,’ Vere replied ‘Our family had always ruled Dhurahn, of course, but we celebrate the signing of the agreenifies Dhurahn’s new era of peace betere previously warring warrior tribes When the agreened, two doves were released as a symbol of peace and hope for the future Drax and I have always celebrated the occasion at the oasis As boys, it was so we looked forward to To those born of the desert there is always that sense of ho as our forebears did, in har its power over us ‘You look unhappy,’ he added suddenly, in a quieter tone, catching Sadie off guard

She could feel her e to sha Vere see her tears But to her surprise Vere leaned forward and took hold of her hand, raising it to his lips His kiss was kind, but less to her, Sadie admitted wearily Just as every man’s kiss would be to her from now on Because he wouldn’t be Drax

Vere watched Sadie in silence He could see how upset she was, and he didn’t want to upset her further A little to his own surprise, Vere had discovered that the ard to her had become She would make a perfect royal consort as far as he was concerned But now it seeer shared that view It was, he decided, ti on He had held off questioning his twin directly in the hope that Drax would come to him and speak openly, and it saddened and hurt him that Drax hadn’t done so

Drax frowned as he watched Vere and Sadie He could feel the now-fa into hio to them and physically push his twin aside, then take hold of Sadie so that Vere couldn’t touch her He knew that Sadie herself didn’t understand as happening He could see it in her eyes But how could he explain to her that Vere was clai her?

Vere had just left her when some instinctinside his pavilion Her heart felt as though it was being torn apart She couldn’t endure any more of this torture She had to know the truth; she had to know if Drax had ever loved her or if he had si to her And if so, why? Not because he had hoped to trick her into his bed, obviously! She would go and have it out with hie, she decided And she would demand that he return her passport to her so that she could leave Dhurahn Her h the busy bustle ofto break up the camp and prepare for their return journey

Already the hot bright glare of the sun had beco on an oe But it was the storm inside herself that concerned Sadiethe oasis as she headed for the black tent she knew to be Drax’s

The tents had already been erected when they’d arrived, and Sadie had been bemused to discover just how luxurious the drab black structures crouched on the sand were on the inside Her oas carpeted with beautiful Persian rugs and divided into a bedroo area, both of which were furnished with luxurious fabrics, rich silks and velvets strewn over low divans, and a wide, lonely bed in which she had been unable to sleep because of her longing for Drax She had tortured herself with i the scented darkness of his pavilion and its privacy with Drax In herto hiirl su at the foot of his bed, waiting his permission to slowly caress and kiss her way up his naked body But Drax did not want her kisses He did not want her He had h

A group ofSadie to hesitate, wary of just walking inside in full view of the the strict moral conventions Vere and Drax’s subjects followed There was another, sh, just as there was in her own tent, and she headed for that

Drax orking on his co back his chair and standing up

‘The stor worse,’ Vere told him

Drax watched hirimly Vere hadn’t come here to tell him that