He tossed his reins to her without a word and rounded his horse to

spot me as I swung off Zephyr then, when my feet were on the ground, he did the same to an already dismounting Diandra. Once the girl had the reins of all three horses, Zahnin stalked to the cham flaps and slapped them aside, entering.

Diandra and I followed.

When we got inside and my eyes adjusted to being out of the sun, I noticed instantly that Zahnin’s tent was not like Feetak and Narinda’s nor Bohtan and Nahka’s (which was slightly grander than Narinda’s). It was nearly like Lahn and mine. Bigger bed (not quite as big). Silk on the bed and pillows. More trunks (not as many as Lahn and I had). Nice furniture. Many candlesticks and tall candleholders. And also there was the smell of incense, the scent of musk and bergamot. It smelled lovely and I instantly decided I needed to talk to Teetru about incense.

I decided this as I watched a girl scoot with some alarm off the bed. So much alarm, she toppled over the head of the bed and landed on her ass. Then she shot up and quickly backed away, her eyes glued in fear to Zahnin, her body shaking.

I studied her.

Yep, this was why Zahnin was in such a bad mood. Three weeks and she was still like this? Not good.

I looked at Zahnin and he was watching his bride and he was not happy. So not happy, he looked extremely pissed off and that look on a huge, savage Korwahk warrior was fearsome.

Okay, it was clear Zahnin needed a few lessons in romance but I needed to focus on the girl first.

I looked back at her to see she hadn’t torn her frightened eyes from her husband. I also recognized her as one of the women in the pen who I thought was like me. She had been visibly terrified back then and she was no less terrified now.

She was, however, as Zahnin had described her, quite beautiful.

Light brown hair, green eyes, a pixie-pretty face and very petite. Her ass and breasts were not much to write home about but her skin was

peaches and cream all over and there was something delicate about her, something graceful even as she stood still. Something that many men, not Zahnin (I would have thought before that moment), would be drawn to in a protective way.

But clearly I was wrong about Zahnin.

Nevertheless, this would not help Zahnin. He was not as tall as Lahn but he was still tall and extremely muscled. Lahn dwarfed me and I was average height. This girl was small and Zahnin must seem like a giant to her.

I stepped forward and her eyes shot to me before going back to Zahnin.

“Hello,” I said quietly in English and her gaze moved quickly back to me, “I am Circe, Queen of Korwahk.”

She stared at me.

I took another cautious step forward and went on softly, “We’re here to help; you’re safe.”

I watched her swallow then lick her lips but she did not speak.

Another step forward and then I said, “Can you tell me your name?”

She blinked at me, bit her lower lip and then quickly she said something in a language I recognized with one of the words being,

“Valearian.”

She was speaking French.

Shit.

I took French in high school for two years but that was high school. It had been ages. I recognized it but there was no way in hell I could speak it.

“She is Fleuridian, my dear,” Diandra whispered to me. “A language I do not know.”

Great, they didn’t call France France and Diandra didn’t speak Fleuridian (or whatever).

Shit again!

“Uh…” I began, pulling up my high school French, “bonjour,” I tried. “Je m’appelle Circe.”

Her eyes grew big, then they grew wet, then her hands came up clasped in front of her and she shot rapid fire French at me all the while her eyes slide back and forth between me and Zahnin.

I didn’t catch a lick of it.

Shit, shit, shit!

I smiled at her, lifted my hand, she stopped speaking and I turned my head slightly to Diandra, “Is there anyone in the Daxshee who speaks her language?”

“Yes, Circe, several and I know of someone who will be happy to help. She, like me, has been here many years,” Diandra answered and turned to Zahnin and said in Korwahk. “Have one of your slaves find Claudine, wife of Veenuk.”

Zahnin scowled at her but jerked his chin then slapped out of the cham.

As he did, I watched the girl relax.

Not good.

I took another step to her and asked softly, “Comment tu t’appelles?” and she looked back at me, her eyes soft, her manner relieved.

“Sabine,” she whispered.

“Okay, Sabine, ma erm… Fleuridian no c’est bon, uh… but we’re getting help.”

She blinked at me then she nodded in a way that I knew she understood what I said in her language but not in my own.

Boy, I hoped Claudine lived close.

Zahnin slapped back into the tent and grunted something to Diandra and Sabine grew instantly tense.

I approached Zahnin, his eyes came to me, he still looked pissed, that look was still scary but I sucked it up, stopped close to him and whispered in Korwahk, “Your wife’s name is Sabine, did you know that?”

His head jerked so slightly I could convince myself I didn’t see it, same with a flash that flared in his eyes. But I didn’t miss the angry look slightly fading from his face as his head turned toward his bride and he murmured, “Sabine,” in his deep, rough voice making a pretty name even prettier.

He didn’t know his wife’s name but he was clearly glad to know it.

I pulled in a calming breath.

I could work with this.

I turned to Sabine who had wary eyes on her husband. I waited until they flitted to me and I smiled. My smile didn’t alleviate the fear shadowing her entire frame and I knew this was because Zahnin was in attendance.