Love Inspired Historical March 2014 Bundle: Winning Over the Wrangler\Wolf Creek Homecoming\A Bride for the Baron\The Guardian's Promise (80 page)

“No.”

“I have to know. I have to know if one of my family has betrayed God.”

“You know here,” she said, placing her hand over his heart. “Jehoiada is my uncle. He could have told my father of Joash's existence.”

Ari shook his head, because he didn't know. Not for certain. And if her father had known, he would not have told a soul, of that he was certain.

“Ari, somehow, someone discovered the truth.” She chewed on her lip. Sadness entered her eyes, darkening them to the color of the sand just as the sun sinks beyond the horizon. “I cannot believe I am about to say this, but Rubiel, she is petty. Selfish. She hated that Tama was sent to Jerusalem and she was left behind to tend sheep and fields. Yet, why would my parents confide in her and not me? As much as they loved her, they knew her ambitions dictated her actions.”

He drew her into his arms. “They didn't tell her because they did not know. Whoever has divulged information has given more than your sister or your parents ever could have known.” He gave in to his desire and bent his head and kissed her brow. It seemed as natural as drinking water from a clear brook. “Ease your worries, Mira.”

She pulled back, her gaze searched his. She looked puzzled, and she seemed not to have realized that he'd just kissed her brow.

“But who?”

Of course, her mind was on the dangers surrounding their young king. Just as his should be. He dropped his arms and immediately missed the warmth and comfort of her.

Mira crossed her arms over her chest as if she, too, missed the contact between them. “Our journey to Jerusalem will continue to be plagued with danger if we do not know who is betraying us.”

She was right. He knew she was. How could one of his own family betray him? Betray the secrets handed down for ages? He had no doubt it was one of his kin, for the traitor knew the intricacies of the tunnels. Which meant it had to be someone in his family, but who?

He would think on it some more, but first... He lifted his hands and cupped her face, running the pads of his thumbs over her cheekbones. The oil lamps flickered and illuminated the gold flecks within her jasper-colored eyes. He wanted to lower his mouth to hers. To feel the softness and the warmth of her lips. To breathe in her life. To give her his.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall become one flesh.

The verse came unbidden, but there it was filling his heart. Whether she knew it or not, she was his. For eternity. And nothing, absolutely nothing would stop him from keeping his vow.

Not even her.

Chapter Sixteen

H
is lips were soft and gentle against hers. The air caught in her throat as a warm sensation coiled to her toes. She had wondered what it would be like to kiss a man, none of her imaginings had forseen this light-as-air dizziness consuming her. Nor could she have imagined the way her chest welled with some unknown emotion. Is this what her mother spoke of when she spoke of true love, or was this something different altogether?

The comfort of his arms and the simple touch of his kiss made her believe she was worthy of marriage. Worthy of love. The emotions welling inside forced all the turmoil away. The soldiers, the queen's threats, Ari's lies.

Ari's lies. This kiss could not continue. He was a man with a calling on his life. A calling that left no room for a marred wife.

She slid her hands between them and shoved him away.

“You go too far, Ariel! This—” she waved between them “—this cannot be. You—you are not my betrothed.”

He blinked, his gaze focused. His furrowed brow smoothed. His eyes lightened, silver flecks she'd never before seen, vibrated and came to life. His chest rose and fell in rapid movements, his hands clenched at his sides.

He looked crazed, and she had the sudden urge to flee. She pressed her palm against her chest to halt the pounding. A pounding much stronger than when she feared the soldiers would find her and Joash.

What torment! To finally have found a man who liked her, not her father's land. A man she could respect and maybe even love. After all the years of her parents patiently waiting for her to choose, and he was unattainable. He belonged in Jerusalem, and she in her tiny village with her ailing father and a herd of sheep.

Their hearts could never mesh. Could never become one. He was a servant of the Lord and could never leave his duties. Even if Ari was inclined to take her as his wife, he'd be an outcast for her imperfections.

Her chest ached, no longer with the delight of Ari's attention, but with the crushing reality of a broken heart. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

“You should not have done that, Ari,” she whispered.

“I know. You wanted to help with the preparations.” He tugged his fingers through his hair. “I'll see what can be done.” Ari slipped by her and into the outer room.

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest like a breastplate to keep her heart from falling to the stone floor and shattering. If only she could go home. Return to her father. Ay, she had already tried and it had nearly cost them their lives.

She sat in the middle of the cold floor, pulled her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. Loneliness crept into her bones. She missed her family, even her sister.

“Sh'mira.”

She opened her eyes at the sound of her name. Tama knelt in front of her, her head bowed. “Will you forgive me?”

Mira drew her cousin into her arms. “There is nothing to forgive, Tama. You were brave to carry the infant from Jerusalem and to our home. Even more brave to keep him hidden all this time.” She squeezed her cousin's hand. “If not for you and Ari, Judah would have no hope of turning from her wicked ways and back to the one true God.”

A tear slid down Tama's cheek. Mira wiped it away with her thumb. “You have been a faithful servant, Tama. Faithful to Judah, faithful to God.”

“My thanks, Sh'mira.” Tama kissed her cheek and rose. “I must prepare Joash for bed.”

Mira smiled at her cousin as she left the alcove. What would it be like to sacrifice one's life for her people like Tama had done? All Mira had done was feed a few sheep and pick a few pieces of fruit. Tasks far from serving the good of Judah.

“Ari said you needed something to do.” Anna swept into the room with calm assurance as if there hadn't just been a battle. This woman's entire family had sacrificed for Judah. How could she compare to such selflessness? Especially when she'd, only moments ago, been allowing thoughts of pity to enter her mind. A few days from her family was nothing compared to the years Anna had spent from her son.

“My thanks,” Mira responded, resolving to embrace her circumstances with contentment. If only she could banish Ari's kiss from her mind.

“If you could lay out our bedding, I'll turn down the lamps. The girls will be in soon.”

“Joash?”

Anna smiled. “You have a great fondness for the child?”

“He may have been Ari's constant shadow while at my father's, but we had our moments together, as well.” Mira realized that her words sounded too familiar. “My apologies, Anna. I do not wish to offend. Joash was raised as my brother.”

“No, do not apologize. Your days have been wrought with worry, not to mention things that were yesterday are no longer today.” Anna gazed past her shoulder as if she were thinking of another time. “The boy will sleep here with us and Tama if it will ease your mind.”

“My thanks.”

Anna left and came back moments later with Tama and a disgruntled Joash. Mira smiled at the scowling child. She took his hand and knelt beside him.

“Thank you for agreeing to protect me. After how well you've done, I did not think I could sleep without your presence.”

Joash straightened his shoulders and held his head high.

“Come, we must rest. Tomorrow will have burdens of its own. The travel will be long,” Anna said.

“How long before we reach Manna?” Mira asked, hoping that once they were there she could convince Ari to allow her to return home.

“By day's end, however, much of it will be through the dark caves. The rest over the mountains.”

Mira unrolled the beds as the women filed into the cove. Removing their tunics and veils, they laid them in a hole in the wall. They each carried their short knives to their beds. Mira couldn't help notice they had taken the beds closer to the exit, leaving her and Tama to sleep by Joash.

She lay down on her mat and closed her eyes, wishing she'd not given the dagger back to Ari.

“Rest, Sh'mira. My son lies outside the door. He'll protect us.”

How could she tell Ari's mother that her lack of sleep would not come from fear, but from the memory of her son's kiss?

* * *

“Brother, drink?” Jesse offered him a cup of water as he sat cross-legged beside Ari. He didn't know whether to curse his brother or bless him for distracting him from thoughts of Mira. Thoughts that had no place entering his mind until she agreed to be his wife, which she wouldn't do until he asked, which he couldn't do until Joash was safely in Jehoiada's hands.

Ari took the cup. Pressing it to his lips, he sipped. “My thanks.”

The low firelight flickered off the walls, illuminating history, while hiding bits and pieces in the shadows. It was much like the Lord's revelations, while certain things were clear, others were left unknown. Like when he had been sent from Jerusalem, he'd been upset at first, yet he had been humbled at being chosen. He never would have thought that the day he had left the gates of his beloved city that he'd never return permanently. And he never thought the reason would be his care for a woman.

“How long do you intend to stay at Manna?” Jesse asked.

He looked at his brother, his conversation with Mira fresh in his mind. The uncertainty that his family would betray God and Judah sparked anew with his brother's question. Even though he trusted his brothers completely, it wouldn't hurt to keep his plans as vague as possible. “That depends.”

“On?”

Ari took another sip in an effort to stall. He really needed to confide in someone and he'd been closer to Jesse than any of his brothers. “I am not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

Lowering his voice, Ari replied, “Those men, the ones we killed, how do you think they knew where to find us?”

Jesse took a few moments before he answered. “You think they had help?”

“I don't see how else they could have maneuvered the paths.”

Jesse blew out a low whistle. “What you suggest, Ari...but who?”

“That is the question, is it not?”

Jesse tilted his chin and looked Ari in the eye. “Do you think it is one of us?”

Ari hesitated. He knew his scrutiny hadn't caused Jesse's air of discomfort. Jesse had always been diligent in his service to the Lord. “It is not one of our brothers. I do not like to think it is one of our cousins, yet, whoever it is has intricate knowledge of the passageways.”

“You are correct.” Jesse pursed his lips.

“There is something else that has been bothering me.”

“What is that, brother?” Jesse refilled his cup.

“There had been a Philistine warrior with those men near the pool.”

“That is not unusual. Athaliah has kept many of the mercenaries.”

“But that is not all, brother. He was there. In the cave, he saw Joash and Mira and...” Ari rubbed his jaw. “Mira thought to go back home. I found her in the pool. The mercenary saw her. I have no doubt. Yet he did not alert his companions and he was not with the men we killed.”

“Hmm, that is an odd occurrence.” Jesse leaned his head against the wall. His elbows rested on his knees, fingers tented. “I did not wish to alarm you any further.” He sighed and looked Ari in the eye. “After the attack, I scouted the tunnels. There were three more dead just beyond the bend toward Seth's.”

Ari was not surprised. “Did you take care of them?”

“Someone had done it already. Their throats were slit. Not one of them looked like a Philistine.”

“We'll have to keep vigilant and question this mercenary when we find him.” Ari sat his cup near the fire.

“Would you like me to go to the spring?”

“No. I need you here. I need someone I can trust to see Joash to Jerusalem should anything happen to me.”

“So be it, brother.” He patted Ari's shoulder. “I'll take the first watch. There could be more waiting in the wings.”

“I do not think so, brother. You've checked, remember? Just the same, there will be no sleep for me tonight.”

“Then there will be none for me, either. I will make my bed near the western door.”

Ari nodded his thanks and then leaned his head against the wall. It was a shame Mira could not play her lyre. Her music would help soothe his troubles. But then her fingers strumming over each string with such passion would set his heart to longing.

He stared up at the dome ceiling and traced each crevice with his gaze. Had King David lain in this exact spot? Had he looked at the cracks to keep his mind from wandering to temptation? But why was Mira a temptation? Because her father had offered her to him, and the more time he spent in her presence the more he realized how much he wanted to accept the troth. Of course, Ari would insist her feelings be taken into consideration before finalizing the contracts.

She had allowed him to kiss her, something she wouldn't do unless her heart was in the matter. She would agree to be his wife. So why could he not kiss her whenever he pleased?

Because she is not your wife, yet.

That could be easily rectified. He had the contract tucked in his bag. All he needed to do was add his signature next to Mira's father's.

You must focus on seeing Joash safely on the throne.
And that was the core of the matter. If he married Mira, he'd be sneaking off to woo his wife with kisses, and wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Joash.

“What is wrong with you?” Jesse asked.

Ari blinked his eyes a few times and then looked at his brother. “What do you mean?”

“You look troubled.” Jesse sat up, his gaze holding Ari's. “It's Mira,” he whispered as if he'd been given a great secret.

“Yes.” Ari paused. “Not another word. Not until this is all done.”

“On my honor.”

Jesse's honor was the best he could hope for, but if any heard their conversation he'd receive endless taunts from the rest of his brothers.

If Mira had heard?

Then it would save him the effort of trying to find the words himself. Although the thought of never telling her the truth of his feelings left him reacting as if he'd taken a blow to the stomach.

Maybe they'd stay at Manna for only a day. Then four days to Jerusalem. They could be back to her father in a little over a week.

If only they could leave immediately. However, he'd seen the dark circles beneath Mira's eyes, and her terseness was a testament to how frayed her nerves were. If aught else, she needed her rest. And he needed her strength if they were going to make it through this ordeal.