He pointed to the north. “There is an oil field. You should be able to make out the pumps.”
She squinted slightly and saw several metal pumps, along with a few low buildings.
“There are many more stations, such as that one. We take from the desert, but we do carefully. If there was an attack, the fragile ecosystem would be destroyed. After the Gulf War, oil fires raged for months. I do not want that for my land or my people.”
Sabrina nearly pointed out that the land wasn’t really his. It belonged to the two neighboring countries. However, while Kardal’s territory might technically end at the borders of his city, in truth it stretched for thousands of miles. Neither King Givon nor her father could begin to control the vastness of the desert. It was here that Kardal reigned supreme.
“Perhaps it is time to change your title,” she said. “You are no longer the Prince of Thieves.”
He smiled. “Perhaps not, but I have no desire to acquire a new title.”
He looked especially dangerous on horseback. She had seen him slip a gun into a holster before they left and she doubted that was his only weapon. Should they be attacked, Kardal was prepared. She’d been more than stupid heading out on her own the way she had. She was lucky to have been found alive.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That I should have stayed home instead of going off looking for the City of Thieves. It wasn’t my finest hour.”
“But if you had not ridden into the sandstorm, I couldn’t have taken you as my slave.”
She wanted to say that wouldn’t have been tragic to her at all, but the words got stuck in her throat. “Yes, well, you did and here I am.” She pulled at her head covering, removing it so the breeze could stir her hair. “Where exactly will the air force be located?”
Kardal gazed at her for a full minute, letting her know that he didn’t have to accept her change in topic. But eventually he responded to her question.
“The main base will be in Bahania, but there will be airstrips all over the desert. I believe your brother, Prince Jefri, is in charge of the development of the air force.”
Sabrina shrugged. “Maybe. No one has mentioned anything to me, not that I’m surprised. As a woman, I’m not considered bright enough to follow any kind of meaningful conversation.”
“Obviously they have not spent much time in your company.”
She smiled. “Obviously.”
Their horses were practically bumping shoulders, they were so close. Sabrina liked the feeling of being next to Kardal. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met.
She stared out at the desert and tried to imagine a jet cutting through the silence. “The planes are going to be very out of place in the middle of all this,” she said thoughtfully. “Are any pilots going to be stationed in the City of Thieves?”
“Probably not. They will be at different bases in the area.”
“Is Rafe going to coordinate all that?”
“Yes.”
“Because you trust him.”
“He has given me reason.”
In the process Rafe had become a rich, powerful man. “I can’t imagine him as a sheik in traditional robes. I would guess—”
Without warning Kardal reached toward her and grabbed her by the hair. He wrapped her long red curls around his fist and held her tight.
“Make no mistake,” he growled, pulling her close, forcing her to lean toward him. “I may be willing to give you some freedom, but you are still mine. All the men of the city, including Rafe, have been warned.”
He held her firmly, without hurting her. She listened to his words and stared at the fury in his face. Energy poured from him.
“What on earth is wrong with you?” she demanded. “I asked a simple question.”
She supposed she should have been afraid, but she was not. Not of Kardal. Nor of his power or his possession.
He released her, then ran his palm along the length of her hair. His dark eyes glittered. “You asked about another man.”
“We were discussing the air force. Rafe is in charge of security and getting the whole thing off the ground, so to speak. I didn’t think inquiring as to whether or not he would be coordinating it for the city was out of line.”
Kardal urged his horse to take a step away from hers. “I see.” His voice was tense. “He is an American. Many of the women find him attractive.”
Sabrina stared at him. “You can’t be worried I’m going to do anything with Rafe. Kardal, I’ve avoided men and romantic entanglements all my life. Why would I give in now?”
He shrugged. “I do not know. We will speak of something else.”