alligator challenge. She wasn’t sure she was up to facing that particular kind of challenge at the moment. She closed her lips, her steps unconsciously quickening. “Let’s get out of here before this odor becomes embedded in my bones.”
She didn’t know whether the sound echoing behind her was a chuckle or a reproving cluck. It didn’t matter. Whatever his response, she knew it would not be meant unkindly. She had discovered that beneath the hard facade Sandor Karpathan assumed, there lay a surprising gentleness.
“For the love of God, move!” There was no sign of gentleness now on Karpathan’s face as he jerked her after him up the incline. “Jannot’s men can’t keep up the artillery fire much longer without being spotted. We have to get beyond the summit of the hill so they can get the hell out of there.”
“I
am
hurrying.” She twisted her arm out of his grip. She cast a glance across the river. The attention of Naldona’s soldiers was concentrated on the bluff bordering the highway, but that could change at any moment. “Go on. Run. I’m not a doll to be carried. I can keep up with you.”
Something warm flickered in his expressionbefore he turned away. “I believe you can. Let’s prove it, shall we?” He began to run, keeping as low as he could on the open terrain of the path.
Alessandra followed him, moving with the same speed and caution. The path was steep and went almost straight up. By the time they crested the hill, her breath was coming in labored gasps. Good Lord, she was out of condition. But Karpathan was a little out of breath, too, she noticed with satisfaction, “Were we seen?”
“You would have known it if we were.” Sandor’s lips twisted. “There would have been bullets whistling over the pretty brown bun on the top of your head. But we should keep on going until we get behind our lines. Do you need a rest?”
She shook her head, too breathless to answer.
There was again that flicker of pride in his face. “It’s only across the next hill. Our base is a few hours’ hike away, but once we’re behind the lines, it will be safe to let you stop for a while.” He turned away and began to cover the ground at a half trot, trusting her to keep the pace.
Karpathan’s trust filled her with the same strange, fierce happiness as the pride she had seen glimmering in his face. In that moment she could understand why Karpathan was supposed to be able to inspire his followers to perform miraculous feats. She would probably have done a hell of a lot more than stretch her physical resources to the limit to have him look at her again, with admiration and pride.
However, her limit of endurance had nearly been reached when Sandor called a halt. There was a bead of moisture running down her back and every breath was causing an agonizingly sharppain in her side as she collapsed against a huge maple tree and leaned back against the rough bark of its trunk.
“We’re safe now.”
“How do you know we’re behind your lines?” she asked curiously as soon as she could get her breath. “We haven’t seen any soldiers.”
“That’s because they know who I am.” Sandor dropped down beside her. “Guerrilla warfare. Naldona’s men would have been cut down a hundred yards ago.”
“I’m glad your men have good eyesight.” She grimaced. “I suppose they would shoot me, too, if I wandered away from you.”
“Not after they’d seen you with me.” He went still. His eyes narrowed on her face. “Don’t even think about it, Alessandra. You might be safe from them, but you wouldn’t be safe from me. I’d stop you long before you reached the
labone.
”
“I have to think about it.” She leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree. “I told you, I have something to do in Belajo. I can’t leave until I’ve finished what I started.”
“What the devil is important enough to risk getting killed for?” His tone was roughly impatient. “For heaven’s sake, tell
She didn’t know whether the sound echoing behind her was a chuckle or a reproving cluck. It didn’t matter. Whatever his response, she knew it would not be meant unkindly. She had discovered that beneath the hard facade Sandor Karpathan assumed, there lay a surprising gentleness.
“For the love of God, move!” There was no sign of gentleness now on Karpathan’s face as he jerked her after him up the incline. “Jannot’s men can’t keep up the artillery fire much longer without being spotted. We have to get beyond the summit of the hill so they can get the hell out of there.”
“I
am
hurrying.” She twisted her arm out of his grip. She cast a glance across the river. The attention of Naldona’s soldiers was concentrated on the bluff bordering the highway, but that could change at any moment. “Go on. Run. I’m not a doll to be carried. I can keep up with you.”
Something warm flickered in his expressionbefore he turned away. “I believe you can. Let’s prove it, shall we?” He began to run, keeping as low as he could on the open terrain of the path.
Alessandra followed him, moving with the same speed and caution. The path was steep and went almost straight up. By the time they crested the hill, her breath was coming in labored gasps. Good Lord, she was out of condition. But Karpathan was a little out of breath, too, she noticed with satisfaction, “Were we seen?”
“You would have known it if we were.” Sandor’s lips twisted. “There would have been bullets whistling over the pretty brown bun on the top of your head. But we should keep on going until we get behind our lines. Do you need a rest?”
She shook her head, too breathless to answer.
There was again that flicker of pride in his face. “It’s only across the next hill. Our base is a few hours’ hike away, but once we’re behind the lines, it will be safe to let you stop for a while.” He turned away and began to cover the ground at a half trot, trusting her to keep the pace.
Karpathan’s trust filled her with the same strange, fierce happiness as the pride she had seen glimmering in his face. In that moment she could understand why Karpathan was supposed to be able to inspire his followers to perform miraculous feats. She would probably have done a hell of a lot more than stretch her physical resources to the limit to have him look at her again, with admiration and pride.
However, her limit of endurance had nearly been reached when Sandor called a halt. There was a bead of moisture running down her back and every breath was causing an agonizingly sharppain in her side as she collapsed against a huge maple tree and leaned back against the rough bark of its trunk.
“We’re safe now.”
“How do you know we’re behind your lines?” she asked curiously as soon as she could get her breath. “We haven’t seen any soldiers.”
“That’s because they know who I am.” Sandor dropped down beside her. “Guerrilla warfare. Naldona’s men would have been cut down a hundred yards ago.”
“I’m glad your men have good eyesight.” She grimaced. “I suppose they would shoot me, too, if I wandered away from you.”
“Not after they’d seen you with me.” He went still. His eyes narrowed on her face. “Don’t even think about it, Alessandra. You might be safe from them, but you wouldn’t be safe from me. I’d stop you long before you reached the
labone.
”
“I have to think about it.” She leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree. “I told you, I have something to do in Belajo. I can’t leave until I’ve finished what I started.”
“What the devil is important enough to risk getting killed for?” His tone was roughly impatient. “For heaven’s sake, tell
Similar Books
