Love Inspired Historical March 2014 Bundle: Winning Over the Wrangler\Wolf Creek Homecoming\A Bride for the Baron\The Guardian's Promise (79 page)

Chapter Fifteen

T
wo more of Ari's brothers and their wives, along with another uncle, a blind man by the name of Seth, joined them before the evening meal. Mira's stomach rumbled as she dished lentils onto the remaining plates.

The sound of Ari's deep chuckle startled her, but his tanned hands were there to take the pottery from her before she dropped it onto his lap. “How long since you have eaten, Mira?”

She swallowed past the invisible lump in her throat. “We are about to eat now.”

Ari wrapped his fingers around her wrist. Heat flooded her cheeks as his family watched their interaction. “You did not answer my question,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

“We broke bread last eve, remember?” Joash spoke. “There's been no time today.”

The glare she sent the child's way went unnoticed. How was it he, too, considered himself her keeper?

“Mira, come you must sit. Eat,” Anna said.

She bowed to Ari's mother out of respect and tried to rise, but he did not remove his fingers from her wrist. Instead he scooted closer to his brother Jesse. “She will sit here with me, Mother,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “I will feed her myself if need be.”

“You wouldn't,” she said, tugging on her arm.

“I would.” He grinned, giving her unblemished arm a slight yank. She landed beside him. His shoulder brushed against hers. She sucked in a sharp breath and tried to scoot away.

How quickly his overbearing and unwanted kindness had turned to overbearing arrogance.

He released her and handed her his plate. The heat that had flooded her cheeks rose to the tips of her ears. She felt shamed, and in front of his family. Never had she seen him act this strong handed and arrogant as if he were her... He had no rights to her. He was not her father. He was not her husband, nor would he ever be.

She spooned a bite of lentils into her mouth knowing he'd carry out his threat if she dared defy him. After her third bite he seemed appeased, and accepted another plate from his sister. The men around the table resumed their conversation. Not much of which she understood. Mainly questions about the activities in the surrounding cities and the well-being of relatives.

She continued to eat, red faced, in silence knowing she should not be sitting with the men. Then as if a shofar sounded, silence hung in the air. An icy chill infused her limbs, she froze.

Ari tilted his head. She heard an odd sound coming from the tunnel. The brothers and uncles dropped their dishes, rose from their seats and drew their swords from their belts. Without being ordered, she snagged Joash's hand and ran to the chamber where Ari's mother had taken her earlier. Anna, Tama and the rest of the women followed.

The hiss of swords as they sliced through the air echoed throughout the cave. A clang rang out and she drew Joash close. Her sanity threatened to lose its tether as grunts filled her ears. Somewhere a piece of pottery clattered, a man cried out in pain. Her heart dropped to her feet.

Had Ari been injured? An image of his old wounds pressed into her mind. The blood, the infection, the fever, the endless days of not knowing if he would live or die.

She squeezed her eyes closed. “Lord, cloak us in Your wings. Protect us from our enemies.”

Although a battle continued to rage in the outer cavern, peace settled in her heart. She opened her eyes. Tama and Ari's mother and sister encircled her and Joash. Each held a short sword in their hands. Even Lydia, the youngest amongst them.

Mira released a sigh. She was not alone in her desire to protect this young boy. This king child.

“Do not worry, my daughter,” Anna soothed. “This place is well fortified, and we are well prepared for the danger.”

She tried to hold on to the hope Ari's mother offered, but the truth rang in her ears. Clang after clang struck through the air, reverberating off the rock walls. In her mind's eye she envisioned Ari and his kin striking, defending their position. And then her mind saw Ari, injured, cut down. Fighting for his life. She'd watched him do so once before. Did she have the strength to do so this time? Now that he was more than a stranger? Now that she might be falling in love with him?

Fear sunk its sharp talons into her.

“Do not fret, Mira.” Joash patted her hand clenching his shoulder. “Ari will not let anyone hurt you.”

She offered him a tentative smile, wishing she had his faith. But in all her years, never had she encountered the likes of what had occurred in the past few days. Never had she seen the face of evil, not even during their trips to Hebron where all sorts of it paraded in the streets.

“Besides,” Joash continued, “if you fear our enemies, you place more trust in their abilities than God.”

The boy amazed her. In the midst of a battle he remained calm. And wise. A strength and integrity. A testament to the man who'd influenced him.

“How did you become so wise?” She mussed his hair.

His mouth curved upward showing a brilliant toothless smile. “I had an excellent teacher.”

“You humble me, Joash.” Ari's voice, although low, echoed off the cave wall and caused chills to race over her arms.

Her gaze flung to the entrance. She drank in the sight of him, damp with perspiration. His muscular chest expanded with each breath he took. He sheathed his sword and then dropped his arms to his sides. He looked exhausted, but well. No visible injury marred his skin, and no blood stained his tunic. She sighed in relief.

“Is it finished?” Joash asked.

Ari nodded. “For now, it is.”

The boy pulled from her embrace and pushed past Ari. It was then she noticed that they were alone.

“Are you well?” she asked, her hands twisted in her tunic.

“I am.”

His lack of words irritated her.

She looked around the room, her gaze skimming the drawings left by men of old, anything to avoid looking at him.

“Mira,” he whispered.

As if they had a will of their own, her eyes shifted to his. And before she could force them away she was caught by his gaze and the emotion pouring out of them. Her heart filled near to bursting, and then it deflated.
This will never do.

“I should see to the wounded.”

“No,” he said, stepping closer. “The others will do what is necessary.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “I never told you how your family fared, and you did not ask again.”

“There was no time. Besides, I feared the answer.” It was true. Even when Tama arrived and told her of her parents well-being she feared pressing further, afraid she'd discover that not all was, in truth, well.

He reached out and slid a hand down her arm until he twined his fingers with hers. “I should have been more considerate. I should have told you.”

As much as she wanted to know they were all right, she did not want to know if they had been harmed. Not after what she'd just heard. Her family did not have the tools to defend themselves. They had no weapons among them. “How many soldiers were there?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “Now?”

She blinked, fighting back the tears. “Yes.”

“Four. Why?”

“Are they dead?” His hand fell from hers. The place where his fingers had been branded her in a way she could not explain.

He raked his palm over his face and hung his head. “They gave us no option, Mira.”

“I see.” But she didn't. These men, these priestly men, had fought like trained warriors, at least from what she had heard. And, they had prevailed over the enemy. Of course, she was not complaining, she knew ultimately the guards had sought Joash's death and anyone who stepped in the way, but she didn't understand. She didn't understand any of it. “Did they follow us? Were they the men from the pool?”

Ari furrowed his brow as if confused by her question. He shook his head and then lifted his hands to her shoulders. He stared into her eyes. “Mira, your family is well. Your mother was bruised a little when she sought to protect one of the slaves.”

She nodded. A tear slid down her cheek. Her mother, so small, had always been as fierce as a lioness. “And the slave?”

“He died.”

“Which one?” It didn't matter. What was done, was done, but she could lift a prayer of peace for those he was close to.

“Obed.”

She closed her eyes against the sadness threatening to burst forth.

“Mira, you should know.” He paused.

She opened her eyes, searching his. “What?”

“Athaliah's men,” he said, motioning toward the cavern. “They've attacked other villages. Jesse said they did not leave one child alive in those camps. You must know, if you would have stayed,” he gulped. “If you would have stayed with Joash, none of you would have survived. It is fortunate all the children from your village remain unharmed. Mayhap, because they were not of the same age as Joash. Mayhap because the soldiers chose to follow you instead. You did right by leaving. And as difficult as I know it was for you to stay hidden, you did right by that, too.”

“Th-thank-you.” Her resolve to remain strong began to crumble.

Ari wrapped his arms around and hugged her close, just like her father had done when she was a child, and sought to comfort her. “All will be well in the end. All will be well soon, I promise you.”

She didn't know if it was his words, or if it was his embrace, but she wanted to believe him.

* * *

He would give all of his possessions to keep her near his heart. Her tiny frame fit snug to perfection against his. She was soft where he was solid. She smelled of henna blossoms and cinnamon, he smelled of several days' travel dust.

His mother had seen to Mira's comforts, for which he'd have to thank her. Now, however, he just wanted to hold Mira. He started to drop a kiss to the top of her head when he recalled he didn't have the right for such intimacies.

Not yet.
Not until he signed the marriage contract. Not until she agreed to be his wife.

With great effort he pulled back from her.

“You must rest,” he said.

She flinched and he immediately regretted his tone. It wasn't as if he meant to cause her distress. He only sought what was best for her, and she needed rest.

“I will rest when everyone else lays their head down.”

“You are a stubborn one.”

“There are things that need tending, too. I will not sit by with idle hands. It is not in my nature.”

He smiled. “I know, sweet. I know. We travel on the morrow to Manna. I do not want you dropping things in my brother's lap from weakness.”

She snapped her head back as if he'd slapped her, but he wouldn't apologize. She was not invincible. Not that he thought her weak. She'd shown much courage and strength through the terrifying events that had occurred over the past several days. Her only failings were recognizing her need for sustenance whilst she cared for others.

“Will we be running for our lives as today?”

Ari held his gaze steady. The threat was even more viable than it had been before. “It is possible.”

She moved around him, her arms crossed over her chest. He followed her with his eyes until she halted. She stood in front of the entrance as if to block his escape if he were so inclined. She looked the warrioress, armed with amber-colored eyes, full lips and perfect curves. Although he could not imagine her brandishing a sword against the Philistine.

He stepped one foot forward and then chastised himself for such thoughts.

“I do not understand,” she said, peering into the outer cavern. “If they are dead, how is it a threat still looms?”

A tick thumped in his jaw. He released a deep sigh. Danger was always possible but he was aware that more of Athaliah's soldiers were hunting them and had breached their sanctuary—a sanctuary no one knew of outside his kin. “Anything is possible, Mira. We should always be at the ready.”

“Who knows of his existence?”

There was no use pretending that he did not know whom she spoke of. And by her stance, there was no use ignoring her question. Besides, he owed her a few answers. “Myself. Jehoiada—”

“Jehoiada, the High Priest?” A crinkle formed between her brows. “My uncle?”

“Your uncle?” This time he didn't stop himself from stepping forward. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back into the depths of the room. “What do you mean?” he whispered.

“Jehoiada is my mother's brother.”

“Of course,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “And Tama?”

“Tama is my cousin on my father's side. We knew when she brought Joash to our village he did not belong to her. We just did not know who he belonged to, nor did we wish to question her. Only embrace her.”

“What did your father think, her bringing a child not her own to his home?”

“I cannot say. Tama had lost her husband before she'd given birth and the babe shortly after its birth. She left for Jerusalem full of sorrow. Father thought it would be good for her. I knew Joash could not be hers. There'd been no time...”

High color rose in her cheeks at the turn of the topic. “The Lord allowed her to be where He needed her to save a child from the same fate Joash's cousins had met.”

The images of the bloody massacre had left him with nightmares. The defamation of King David's house, and worse the defilement of the temple, which had been like tearing out his heart. It had only been by the grace of God that Joash survived.

“Ari?”

“Yes, Mira?”

“If Athaliah's guards are after Joash, then that means—”

“She knows of his existence.”

“She hadn't come for him before, which means she did not know of his existence, which means—”

“Somebody has informed her.”

“But who? Who would do such a thing? And what do they have to gain by doing so?”

“The only people who'd been privy to his existence are my parents and Jesse, and recently my uncles and cousins.” He pointed toward the cavern. It was not possible. Was it? His family would not betray the Lord. They would not betray him, would they? Anger burned hot. He moved forward, Mira caught his arm and stopped him in his tracks.