Beloved Protector (Heartsong Presents) by Darlene Mindrup

Author:Darlene Mindrup [Mindrup, Darlene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Tapat realized that they were in a terrible predicament when she saw the worried look on the men’s faces. She followed their gazes and saw the rapidly approaching sandstorm in the distance. Having lived in Judea all her life, she knew the danger they were in. What looked to be a great distance away would be upon them in minutes.

During a sharav summer, sandstorms were frequent and often violent. This had been one of those years.

“The only chance we have is to make it to the other side of that hill,” Arius yelled, pointing just ahead of them as the winds that preceded the storm began to increase.

Tapat measured the distance to the hill he was indicating and knew they would never make it, not at the pace they were traveling.

Andronicus glanced from the storm to the hill. His mouth set in a grim line. He held out the reins of Tapat’s horse. “Crassus, take the horse!” he commanded.

Crassus quickly pushed his horse ahead of Tapat and took the lines being held out to him. Andronicus then moved his horse alongside Tapat.

“Hold on to the babe!” he told her.

Tapat only had time to tighten her grip on Hazaq before Andronicus reached over and pulled her off her horse and across his lap. When he was assured that she was firmly seated, he looked sternly at the others.

“You know what to do.”

They nodded, and Andronicus twisted his horse around and dug his heels into the animal’s side. His sinewy arm wrapped around her waist was the only thing that kept her from sliding to the dirt as they leaped forward.

“Adeo!”

At his command to go, they took off in a bone-wrenching gallop that nearly shook Tapat’s teeth from her head. The pounding pace wakened the babe, who began to cry lustily, letting them know in no uncertain terms that he was not at all pleased. She tried to keep him from being jarred by the brutal pace, but, no matter how tightly she held him, the jostling was severe. She could hear the others galloping close behind them and could see Arius just ahead.

When they reached the embankment, Andronicus spurred his horse up, its hooves slipping and sliding against the rock outcropping as it plunged its way to the top and finally over the other side. They made it to the bottom of the hill just as the first of the sand began stinging their skin.

Before Tapat could even think what to do, Crassus was at their side reaching for Hazaq. Realizing just how much she had come to trust the young man, Tapat quickly handed him over.

Andronicus leaped from the horse, pulling Tapat into his arms and hurrying her to where Crassus had found a sizable depression in the hillside.

He pushed her into the cleft and Crassus handed her the screaming babe. As Tapat tried to soothe Hazaq, Andronicus tore off his cloak and dropped it over them, plunging them into sudden darkness. He then covered them both with his body to more fully protect them from the wind and flying sand.

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