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The horse.

The horse was flicking its ears. It was quickening its gait. Dec understood enough horse language to know that meant that something good was ahead. Food? Water?

Its rightful owner?

Why take chances? Maybe what the animal sensed was good for horses, but not so good for two people on the run.

He clucked softly to the horse and tugged on the reins. The animal blew out heavily and came to a stop.

Annie stumbled into him, then jerked back. “Sorry.”

Dec didn’t bother answering. She was worn out. So was he. All of them—woman, man, horse—needed a rest.

He took his binoculars from his pack.

“What do you see?”

What he saw was salvation.

Another few hundred feet and they’d be out of the trees and in that grassy meadow he’d spotted during that last break.

The horse whinnied. It wanted to get to the paradise just ahead, but experience and training had taught Dec to be cautious.

He looked at the princess.

“We’re going to reach open ground in a few minutes. When we do, you’ll stay in the trees with the horse.”

“Declan.” She hesitated. “What I was telling you before—”

“Do you understand? You’ll stay hidden until I signal.”

“Yes. I understand—but—but I want you to know that—that what I said about you being my best friend was—”

“It was bullshit.” He saw her face whiten. Too bad. “There’s no reason to talk about anything but the reason you don’t want to go back to Qaram.”

“I told you. My uncle—”

“I heard you the first time. But you’re a gold medal winner when it comes to lying, Princess. We both know that. And I’m giving you fair warning that I have no intention of bleeding out in the fucking middle of fucking nowhere just because you’re in the mood to spin another fucking fairy tale.”

That got her attention. The color swept back into her face; her eyes flashed with topaz fire.

He had never seen her so angry.

So what?

He was the one who was angry.

Hell, he was furious. At her. At himself. At how close he’d come to letting her make a fool of him all over again just a few minutes ago.

“You have no right to speak to me that way!”

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I don’t give a crap about royal protocol.”

“You know that’s not what I mean! What I’m trying to tell you is that I would never, ever—”

“Never what? Lie to me?” Dec barked out a laugh. Then he turned his back to her and started walking.

CHAPTER SIX