Page 28 of Dalla's Royal Guards

She continued eating. The warm food, the crackle of the fire, and the soothing ambience of the starry night relaxed her. She knew better than to lower her guard. Her mission here was not finished.

“When was the last time you were there?” Nasser inquired.

Her lips quirked into a rueful smile. “Too long.”

“How long is too long?” Musad pressed.

Her gaze locked with Musad’s. “Be careful what you ask, Musad. You may not like—or believe—the answers. I promised earlier to tell you the truth. I keep my word.”

“We’ll hold you to your promise. So, how long ago?” Musad insisted.

“My first life ended in the year 832 A.D.”

“Your first life? What does that mean?” Musad asked in a voice filled with disbelief and confusion.

“I’m still trying to process 832 A.D.,” Nasser muttered.

Dalla huffed and shook her head. “The short story: I was born in the year 813 A.D., died in 832 A.D., and have lived anddied hundreds of times since. I am alive now. Once I finish my mission here, I will die again,” she explained, pushing aside the jacket on her lap, tossing the remains of her meal in the fire, and rising.

“Where are you going?” Nasser demanded, standing.

One eyebrow arched in challenge. “To relieve myself. That’s something else I haven’t done in a while.”

Nasser flushed and grunted as she walked off into the darkness. With a low grumble, he dropped back onto the rock. When Musad rose and stepped around the fire, he looked up in surprise. His expression darkened when his brother picked up Dalla’s longbow.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Musad angled the bow and studied the carvings. “She said the carvings told the tale of her journey since she left home,” Musad replied.

“Do you believe her?”

Musad snorted. “Does she look over a thousand years old to you? Yeah, me either. No, I don’t believe her. What I don’t understand is why she would try to give such an outlandish explanation.”

Nasser shrugged and shook his head. “Damned if I know.” He stood when Donovan appeared out of the darkness. “How is Colin?”

“Resting. I connected with Team 2. A helicopter will meet us the minute we get across the border at 0630,” Donovan said.

“You received clearance from Simdan?” Musad asked.

Donovan chuckled and nodded. “It helps to have friends in high places. We’ve been given clearance.”

“Let us hope that Kashir’s new government adheres to its neighbor’s airspace,” Musad replied.

“If they don’t want to feel the sharp bullet of Raja Hadi, they better,” Donovan responded.

“That’s true,” Musad chuckled.

“Where’s our mysterious guest?” Donovan asked, looking around.

“Visiting the lady’s room,” Nasser said.

“Ah, let’s hope she doesn’t get lost in the dark,” Donovan commented.

Nasser’s eyes widened, and he looked at his brother. Neither had thought of that possibility. He muttered a curse and rose. Before he could take off in the direction Dalla had disappeared, she stepped into the light of the fire. She lifted an eyebrow when she noticed Musad holding her longbow. Walking over to her quiver, she retrieved it before stepping around the fire and holding her hand out.

“I will take a shift to watch for danger,” she announced.

“That won’t be necessary. The others can do it. Why don’t you get some rest? We’ll be heading out early tomorrow morning,” Nasser said.