Fire in the Heart : The Princess and the Bandit (9781629020112) (22 page)

Elijah glanced up. “You’re a lot of help, Karim. Thanks.” Elijah clenched his jaws as Karim continued.

“You brought this on yourself!”

Elijah faced him squarely. “I know! I don’t need you reminding me!” he blurted.

But Karim wouldn’t back down. “I warned you! You would not listen! You were blind to your own selfish pride!”

Isabelle covered her ears. “Stop! It’s okay. We can figure something out,” she cried.

Karim shook his head. “No, Isabelle. I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

Elijah clenched his fists. “I don’t need your help, Karim. I will figure this out on my own,” he replied as he turned away.

Karim replied, “Good luck.”

“Keep your luck,” said Elijah as he faced the others. “Thank you so much for believing in me. I love you all, and I promise I will correct all of this if it’s the last thing I do!”

Rasha sobbed quietly.

Isabelle nodded as Firas added, “Get out of here quickly before Nizar brings the city guard!”

“Yeah!” said Bayan, shaking his head.

Elijah turned toward the door. “Right! Thanks,” he mumbled and glared at Karim.

Aiken followed him onto the roof. “Nice friends,” said Aiken.

“Thanks.”

Aiken glanced around. “Now what?”

Elijah shrugged. “We wait until evening, and Bijan says he knows of a place for us.”

“Can we really trust him? He is a beggar, is he not? He will be looking for an opportunity to take that money,” asked Aiken, frowning.

Elijah raised his hands. “What choice do we have?” Elijah thought,
Maybe Aiken’s promise will undo this horrible mess and make my heart’s desires come true
.

“Well. I would prefer something a little safer,” replied Aiken.

Elijah jumped over the low wall. “I think we are past the safe opportunities now. Sorry.”

Chapter 25

T
he burning rays
of the sun relinquished their control some time ago, causing a quiet to blanket the city. Elijah enjoyed this time of the day. It was cooler, quieter, and much easier to find shadows as he and Aiken approached Bijan’s normal post.

Scanning the area, Elijah’s chest barely moved. He could feel his heart start to race, faster and faster.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” whispered Aiken, with his eyes darting to and fro.

Elijah frowned. “Stay positive. It will work. I trust this man,” he replied. He thought again about Aiken’s promise.
I just have to get to the foothills, and then, I can receive my heart’s desires.

Aiken raised his voice. “I don’t.”

Elijah chuckled. “Is it because he called you a pig?” In the back of his mind, he kept wondering,
Where is the man?

“Yes.”

“Don’t take it to heart,” smiled Elijah.

Aiken replied, “Too late.”

They stepped out in front of the rich man’s house, but Bijan was nowhere to be seen.

Elijah held up his hand. “Stay here.”

“What?”

“If something goes wrong, meet me at the house across from the hideout. You know, the one with the huge metal gate? Meet me in the alley behind that house,” instructed Elijah.

Aiken shook his head. “I think we should stick together.”

Elijah frowned. “No…I’m faster. I can escape if something comes up,” Elijah demanded.

Aiken glanced down.

“Trust me,” said Elijah.

Aiken finally gave in. “Okay,” he replied. He crouched in the shadows as Elijah walked out into the quiet street. He slowly approached to where Bijan was supposed to be, but saw no sign of him. He felt his heart pounding away as he came upon Bijan’s empty corner. He thought,
Bijan didn’t give me a specific time to come. He just said evening.
Suddenly, a door slammed open and Darius appeared.

The rich man walked directly toward Elijah. “Ah, my dear Elijah. I remember telling you I was going to remove that tongue of yours,” he chuckled. “I am afraid that time has come,” he said.

Elijah’s chest suddenly stirred with hopelessness.

Two guards immediately dragged Bijan into the street and threw him into the dirt.

Elijah yelled, “Bijan!”

The fallen man cried out, “I am so sorry, Elijah! They made me tell them! I didn’t have a choice!” he said as tears streaked down his face.

Ignoring the brutal men, Elijah probed, “What happened?”

Laughing, Darius interrupted, “I made him tell me everything. So where is your crusader friend? Where are my 100 pieces of gold?”

Bijan tried to raise his tear-pooled eyes. “He threatened my daughter’s life, Elijah! I didn’t have a choi—” he cried.

Darius quickly slapped his face back to the ground.

“This is how it’s supposed to be! I will turn you in and get the reward! The rich get richer!” snarled Darius, eyes narrowing.

Elijah glared. “You might want to get more help. Those two guards aren’t going to cut it,” he chided.

“These guards are for
my
protection. I have something special planned for you.”

Elijah grinned. “Let me guess. You have the chimera at your beck and call?”

Darius stopped laughing. “No…worse.”

Elijah’s eyebrows suddenly raised.

“Radwan!” exploded Darius.

Instantly, all color drained from Elijah’s face. He felt his chest seize before the massive, armor-covered man, axe in hand. “Oh no,” he muttered.
What do I do now?
he screamed to himself.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.
He couldn’t remove the image of Radwan thrusting his enormous spear from the palace wall.

Darius stepped back. “I will pray for you, my dear Elijah. I will pray that your death is quick,” he said grimly.

Elijah bolted for cover. His ears became his only source of sensation when Radwan’s gait turned into the sound of galloping horses. It grew louder and louder no matter how fast Elijah ran. Elijah glanced back just in time to see the massive axe in midair. He ducked as the razor-sharp metal knocked a huge chunk of wall to the ground. His forward momentum forced a front flip and put him back on his feet as he sped into the night.
I have to get to the roofs
, he thought.
He will be too heavy to make the jumps from up there.
Elijah bolted toward the safety of an awaiting wall, but Radwan’s heavy breathing forced him to change course. The axe again sailed through the air, catching the tattered material of Elijah’s shirt. Elijah shuddered from the chill.
I can make it to those stairs across the street
, he thought.
Then, up to the roofs.
But Radwan’s shuffle grew even louder. The stairs brought no welcome relief as the axe nicked his pant leg and struck the adjacent wall. Radwan’s fist suddenly slammed into Elijah’s back. Instantly, Elijah sprawled in the dirt, sucking for air. Flashes of lights exploded in his head as the night swirled around him.

Elijah shook his head and squinted into the darkness. Once again, the axe zinged through the stillness. But he rolled out of the way just as,
clang
, the axe fell. Down it came a second time,
clang
, forcing Elijah to continue his roll. His adrenaline lifted him to his feet and into a lunge toward the stairs. Radwan grunted as the axe shattered a plastered step. With his head so close, Elijah slammed his foot at it, cutting it on one of the protruding curved blades. Only the red plume wobbled. Radwan’s arm was already in motion. Elijah scurried backward on hands and feet and managed to slither upward and to one side as Radwan’s axe crashed down, only inches away. Elijah tried to kick again, but Radwan was too quick. He latched onto his foot and aimed his axe right toward it. Elijah screamed and started wildly kicking against the man’s arm guards. Radwan glued his eyes to his goal as he raised his axe. Without a second to spare, Elijah thrust himself up and over the low sidewall and broke free. His fleeting thought confirmed that the agonizing pain surging through his body was worth the effort. At least, he still had his legs. He rolled, screaming, trying to catch a glimpse of the man above him. Radwan leaped up and over and landed squarely in the street. His breath exploded out of his chest and into the night air. Elijah watched as the red plume sauntered closer and closer.

This second of reprieve allowed Elijah to jump to his feet.

Their eyes locked as the axe rose into the air. Elijah felt a wall against his back, eyes fixed on the weapon in full swing.
Bam
! Debris fell everywhere. Elijah scooted away as Radwan continued to destroy the house wall. Elijah cringed when he realized that the axe was stuck. He couldn’t believe how powerful that man was. But Radwan’s midsection was exposed, prompting another of Elijah’s kicks. The bandit screamed when his foot connected against the hard metal armor. Radwan latched onto Elijah’s throat and catapulted him into the wall. It shattered inward, with Elijah on top of a massive pile of rubble. Elijah tasted the bittersweet savor of his own red life.
I have to get up! He’s going to kill me if I don’t!
he thought, even though his legs refused to obey. He thrust his hands through the pile, moaning. He glanced up at the images of a man and woman screaming at him, but he couldn’t hear anything. Elijah turned his head just as Radwan launched a huge chunk of wall. Immobilized, a searing pain blasted through his shoulder. Instantly, the jagged edges beneath him cut into his stomach and side. Elijah screamed as he scrambled to move. Radwan wrenched his axe free and broke through the tattered wall. Elijah dragged himself toward the stairs, clinging to nearby table and chairs, as Radwan kicked through the mess. Elijah pressed himself against the stairs as the man’s now familiar grunt released from behind. The spinning axe had never come so close when a massive thud above shattered one of the second floor doors. Elijah collapsed on the upper landing, staggering as he commanded his burning leg muscles to move. He tried to draw in more air while his stomach heaved over and over again. Radwan stepped onto the first step and snarled through his mask. Elijah hobbled onto the roof and searched for a way to escape.
If only I could make it over there
, he thought, but his legs would only wobble. Elijah used his last bit of energy just as Radwan grabbed his shirt and yanked. Elijah’s head slammed down as the near-motionless man groaned out loud. Radwan hoisted him up by his throat, forcing a suffocated gasp to escape. Elijah’s eyes bulged out as Radwan slammed him in the stomach, and with a quick flick of his wrist, Elijah was sailing toward the edge of the roof. His body crumpled into a motionless heap, allowing Natalia’s carved hummingbird to escape onto the roof. Radwan reached down and put it in a slit in his armor. He stepped over to Elijah and grabbed at his shredded shirt, suspending him above the lower roof. Elijah gasped again as blood poured out of his mouth.

Radwan’s raspy voice echoed into the night, bellowing out from his gut. “The demands of the prince have been fulfilled,” he shouted. A second later witnessed Elijah’s body flailing downward through the air. The uneven surface tried to absorb the shock, but gave way almost instantly. His last thought was Natalia in his arms and Mera screaming, “Bandit!” Elijah disappeared into the blackness.

Chapter 26

A
small family of
blue birds fluttered from bush to bush as the gentle sun shed its first golden rays. Natalia smiled when the mother and father commanded the little ones to stay in one place. She thought about her mother and how she missed her.
She would have made everything better
, she thought. How alone she felt after Elijah disappeared through her balcony window. Dizziness swirled in when she considered the recent unfolding of events, Anas and lunch, Radwan and his omnipresence, Mera’s screams, Elijah’s desperate pleads.
I’ll never eat again
, she thought.
How could I after sending Elijah off, helpless, into the night.
She couldn’t shake the terrible pangs of his probable death at the bequest of Anas, her husband-to-be. She shuddered as a cold chill ran up and down her spine.
It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault!
she thought as tears pooled up, once again.
Why did I push him so hard to see the world? Why?

Suddenly, chirping filled the air and the tiny blue creatures were silent.

“How are you this lovely morning?” Anas asked Natalia.

A forced grin appeared. “I am good, thank you,” she replied.

Anas brushed off the bench. “I know that it still bothers you that that fool tried to assassinate you. I want to let you know that everything is going to be okay. You are in safe hands now, Natalia. That will never happen again. I will not allow it!” he said softly.

Looking away, she said, “I know…thank you. I do…I do not think he was trying to assassinate me.” Natalia forced her emotions away, afraid that she would give him a clue of her forbidden love.

Anas turned. “What? What do you mean?” he asked gruffly.

“I…I…”

He quizzed her again. “Do you know him?”

Staring straight ahead, she said, “No! Of course not. I could just tell that he had a gentle heart.”

Anas leaned forward. “Gentle heart or not, he cannot disrespect you by sneaking into your room! Plus, he is in league with the crusaders! This man deserves to die!” he replied.

Natalia coughed to remove the swell in her throat.

“I know you are a kindhearted woman, but to be a princess, you must be strong and willing to make the choices that others cannot,” he said.

“I…I understand,” Natalia said grinning.

Smiling, Anas leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Do not worry. Everything will be fine.”

The pathway’s crumbled stones came to life.
Crunch, crunch, crunch
! Then Radwan appeared.

Anas glared. “What are you doing here? This had better be good!”

The massive man stood motionless, staring straight ahead. “It is done,” he said.

“Ah! So this Elijah is dead?” said Anas with a grin.

“Yes,” came the warrior’s lone reply.

Natalia felt her heart drop through her stomach. She took a deep breath, but it didn’t calm the wave of nausea ripping through her.