Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The soldiers grabbed hold of Ben's arms and dragged him away down one of the side streets. Qita and I followed behind them at as close a distance as we dared. Fortunately, a few of the crowd also tagged along so we were lost among a few dozen people.

The soldiers rushed Ben through the city along the wide road and to the northern gate. Several dozen wagons were parked outside the archway and people were in the process of haggling over prices with the owners for a front-row seat to the forced magical removal. The soldiers had their own transportation, and I watched with a heavy heart as they dragged Ben into one of the wagons outside the gate and drove into the desert.

A hand clapped on my shoulder, taking my breath away. I spun around to find Faris behind me. His face reflected his concern. "What has happened?"

I glanced past him and at the familiar wagon and qasi. Hope was rekindled within me. "I'll explain on the way, but you have to take me to the Thaqiba."

He didn't ask any more questions but helped me into the wagon. Qita jumped in and sat between us. Faris directed the qasi northward and I could just make out the dark shape of the sled that held Ben as it moved across the desert.

"Tell me what has happened," Faris requested.

"The soldiers have Ben and they're going to sacrifice him to the Thaqiba," I revealed.

He furrowed his brow as he stared ahead. "I see. Then they know he is the Dragon Thief."

My eyebrows shot up and my mouth fell open. "You know?"

A crooked smile slipped onto his lips. "One should not rent their wagon to just anyone, and I have journeyed enough times with Castle to know some of his secrets."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, fortunately, they don't know he's Ben. They just know he helped Salah's family escape the guards who took them from their home."

"You mean kidnapped them!" Qita interjected as his fur bristled. "And not even a knock! They barged in as if they owned the home and wrenched them from their very beds!"

Faris glanced down at our furry companion. "And who is this in our company?"

"Faris, meet Qita, the family good luck charm," I introduced them.

Faris bowed his head. "Greetings to you, but I must wonder about the success of your task."

Qita hunched his back and twitched his whiskers. "How can a good luck charm work amidst so much bad luck?"

Our driver sighed as he stared ahead again. "I must agree with you there, my furry friend. There is much evil afoot. One wonders if the days of the flood are returning to punish us for some sin."

"I think we're dealing with more earthly foes," I assured him as we neared the Thaqiba.

A crowd had already gathered and we weren't the only sleds to park near the hundreds of people. About fifty soldiers stood to one side of the Kneeling Stone and a dozen people were on their knees in their midst. The captives had their hands bound behind their back and looked fearfully at the Stone. Many wore silken nightclothes and nightcaps. All trembled on the sand. Some of them included young children.

There were three familiar pale faces among them. Salah, Fadila and Lila knelt together, with their young daughter shivering against her mother. The girl looked healthier than when I'd last seen her, but the chill air in this early hour wasn't helping as she let out a small cough.

Another of the captives was Dakin. His face was bloodied and there were bruises over his arms. One eye was swollen shut, but he still gave his guards a wonderfully nasty glare.

My blood boiled at the sight of the hostages. Qita, too, glared at the soldiers as we both hopped off the wagon. "Does the king know any depths to his desperation?"

Faris joined us on the ground and tilted his head back to inspect the Thaqiba. "I have driven many times past here, and yet I do not remember ever seeing them turn so slowly."

"That's because they really are slowing down," I told him as we joined the rear of the crowd.

My heart skipped a beat when I noticed Ben still seated in his sled with a soldier on either side of him. His hands were bound in front of him and the lower half of his face had been covered once more by his outfit. The vehicle was parked only ten feet away from the Stone. I looked around for Maram, but her attendants and her were nowhere to be found.

The crowd shouted and jeered at the soldiers who held the families hostage. At a direction from their leader, a contingent of the guards broke off and marched toward the crowds. Rather than run, however, the people pushed back against the soldiers. Thus began a tug-of-war between the two factions that only ended when a shout came from the rear.

"The king!"

All eyes turned to our left where Ramaal's majestic sled slid around the crowd and parked near Ben's vehicle. His Majesty stepped off the vehicle via a set of steps and approached the crowd. He stopped some twenty feet from them and lifted his arms above him. The people stopped their pushing and quieted to hear him.

"My people! I know this upsets you, but know that I only want what is best for everyone!"

One of the people at the front pointed at the hostages. "What about them? They're everyone, too!"

Ramaal used a hand to gesture to the captives. "These people have great power within them, power that is sorely needed for the Thaqiba. Without it, our protection will fail and we will once more be at the mercy of the seas! Do you now want to protect our lands from such a fate?"

A murmur of reluctant agreement swept over the crowd.

Ramaal stepped back and gestured to Ben. "In order to show that I am reluctant to place my people on the Stone, I have here a foreigner, one who holds a great magic and will undoubtedly restore speed and strength to the Thaqiba!"

The king beckoned to the guards and the men hefted Ben from the wagon seat. The pair of guards each took one of his arms and dragged him across the sands to the Kneeling Stone where they shoved him onto his knees.

A terrible hush fell over the area as the flap to one of the nearby tents opened. The priestess Maram stepped out along with her attendants.

And so did Diana.

The magikologist stayed at the tent and I noticed a few more of her lackeys emerged from the shadows. The priestess leaned heavily on one of her assistants as she was led over to the Kneeling Stone. The pair stopped before Ben and the priestess shooed away her help.

Stand there alone before Ben, she gave him a disapproving look. "You have caused the king and our people much grief, stranger."

"No more than you deserve," Ben shot back. One of the guards socked him upside his head. Ben glared up at the man as blood poured from his ear. "I promise to return the favor."

"Quiet, infidel!" Maram snapped as her eyes filled with fury.

They also filled with color. Swirling dark color. My heart skipped a beat as I recalled Dakin's words of warning. The source of the curse would have eyes with shifting color. I focused on the priestess' form and beheld a faint glimmer of light that randomly pulsed out of her body.

Her sudden physical and ephemeral change didn't go unnoticed by Ben. He spoke in a low, sharp voice that cut through the silence. "You put the curse on Salah's family," he accused her as he stretched himself to his full height. "You tried to kill their daughter."

"What?" Salah spoke up as he jerked his head up. "What do you mean?"

One of the guards grabbed his shoulder and throttled him. "Quiet!"

Ramaal glared at Ben before he turned his irritation to the priestess. "What foolishness is this?"

Maram scoffed. "They are merely trying to shift the blame, Your Highness. The curse is the work of the god Eanif against those who would do harm to your loyal subjects."

He stepped back and nodded at Ben. "Then do your work on this one who would work against us."