Only she could give him that.
“Yes, we know each other.” Keeping one arm around his waist, she faced her brother. “I’d like you to meet Zaxe. And Zaxe, this is my brother, Esau.”
Not exactly the endorsement he’d hoped for, but she wasn’t disavowing him. He could work with that. Esau held out his hand. “Sorry I shot you.”
“I’ll forgive you. Once,” he added as they shook.
When Jamaeh slumped against him, he caught her. “You need to sit. You need water and food.” Leaving them, he scavenged through what hadn’t been destroyed, finding enough to do them several days.
Both siblings watched him with varying degrees of concern. He sat beside Jamaeh and handed her a water flask. “Once you’re rested, we’ll head back to Badwa.”
She stiffened. “Of course.”
What had he said wrong? “Don’t worry about Reman. I’ll make sure he’s not a problem.”
“Great. Good. When that’s done, I guess you’ll be on your way back to wherever you came from.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jamaeh cursed her tongue for the hundredth time as they threaded their way through the marketplace. Even though she’d been away from home for less than a week, it seemed different, almost foreign. It hadn’t changed, but she had.
The men flanked her, both of them keeping a watchful eye. Good thing, as she was distracted by the man on the right side of her. What was Zaxe thinking? No way to tell from his expression, which was as stoic as ever.
They’d bypassed the outcast settlement on their journey, unsure of their welcome, and camped in the canyon last night. The darkness, the silence, which she usually found peaceful, had been spooky. How many men had died there? A few pieces of sand sleds sticking out of the ground were the only remnants of the battle.
She shivered, in spite of the late afternoon sun beating down on them, and pulled her cloak tighter around her.
Zaxe had kept to himself, allowing her and Esau to talk. She’d told her brother everything. Well, not quite everything. She’d left out sleeping with Zaxe, although if the glances he was giving both of them were any indication, he likely suspected. Why wouldn’t he, considering the kiss he’d witnessed?
She hadn’t slept well last night. She’d missed Zaxe’s presence beside her. Gods, she was a fool. How naïve she’d been to think she could share her body with Zaxe and walk away emotionally unharmed and unchanged. When he left, his absence would leave a huge hole in her life. He was right next to her, but she already missed him.
As though sensing her thoughts, he asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine.” What else could she say? “When will you be leaving?”
A muscle in his jaw worked and his lips thinned. “Eager to get rid of me?”
“No, but—”
“Halt.” The authoritative voice had her coming to a complete stop. Everyone in the market went quiet. Anticipation hummed in the air. What was happening? A troop of soldiers stood before them, their captain at the front, his blaster at the ready.
When she saw who was beside him, her stomach clenched. Samar, the weasel, had obviously gone running to his father. She straightened and assumed a bland expression. “What seems to be the problem, Captain?”
A sneer marred Samar’s handsome features. “That’s the man.” He pointed at Zaxe. “He’s the troublemaker.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Several women tittered, no doubt waiting for her to get arrested. She’d done nothing to them, but many of them resented her, while others loathed her for her mixed birth.
Shit, she had to get Zaxe out of here. He might be an assassin, but they were surrounded by an entire squadron. Not to mention locals who might turn hostile if provoked. And Samar was a master at stirring up discontent.
“What troublemaker?” she shot back. “You’re the one who tried to shake down my client. We’re just back from a desert expedition,” she addressed the last to the captain. She eased closer to Zaxe and nudged him, hoping he’d take the hint and keep his mouth shut. There was a lane to her right, a potential escape route.
The captain frowned before his expression returned to neutral. “We have orders to bring this man to Lord Zaxurus.” He turned to Zaxe. “What is your name? No one seems to know.”
“My name is Zaxe.” His deep voice carried and was easily heard by all around them.
The captain frowned. “No lies. What is your real name?”
“That is the name I’ve answered to since I was six.” Zaxe removed his sunshades and tucked them in his pocket before slowly lowering his hood. What was he doing? He took such pains to hide his identity. What was he doing giving the authorities a good look at him?
“He’s a stranger,” she interjected. “Just here in business. He’ll be leaving now. Right now,” she added with emphasis. The soldiers might not want him to go, but she had little doubt that Zaxe could make a break for his ship and get out of here before they could catch him.
Beside her, he sighed as though perturbed by a slight inconvenience. Was he serious? Did he have any idea what deep shit he was in? What deep shit they were all in?
“No one is going anywhere.” The captain motioned to his men to move in.
Zaxe paid them no mind. “Before the age of six,” he continued as though he was sitting in a coffee shop shooting the breeze with friends, “I had another name.” He tossed his cloak to the ground, exposing the mean weapons strapped to his body, and went to work on his shirt.
“Stop that,” she muttered.
He winked at her, actually winked before pulling off his shirt.
“That’s a battlesuit.” The captain seemed impressed and then worried. “Stop.” He raised his blaster. “You’re heavily armed for a man here on business.”
“You can’t be too careful.” He held his hands out by his sides as several soldiers came forward and removed his blaster and several knives. “Do you want to know my real name?”
Samar pushed forward, fury snapping in his eyes. “This is ridiculous. Take him into custody. My father has demanded it.”
Esau was pale, his hands clenched, ready to jump into the fray. She shook her head to warn him off. Whatever happened, he needed to stay out of it. She hadn’t just rescued him at great risk to allow him to throw his life away. He frowned but gave a slight nod.
“Quiet, boy,” Zaxe snapped at Samar.
It was official. He’d lost his ever-loving mind. Sweat rolled down her back. Tension gripped all those assembled.
“You can’t talk to me like that. Do something,” he screamed at the captain.
“I have not been to Zaxus for twenty years, but I was born here to Dagmar and Amara Zaxurus.”
Gasps were followed by dead silence. Jamaeh’s head was spinning, her mouth dry. She stumbled back a step at the revelation. Dagmar Zaxurus had been ruler of the Northern Territory before he, his wife, and their twin children had been slaughtered by enemies while they’d been on a diplomatic mission. Everyone knew the story.
“My name is Navar Zaxurus.”
“It’s a lie.” Samar was all but frothing at the mouth.