She dragged him at once into a bookseller and then to a spice shop, its wares spread out in baskets to catch the eye, the colors dazzling. He pulled her into a silk shop, but she only glanced at the fabrics and then was out and into the rug shop next door. Discreetly, he accepted the gift of a prayer rug for her in pale pink and gold, arranging for it to be delivered to the palace. She started for a tea shop nearby, its scents strong and alluring, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him into a narrow alley, up a flight of stone stairs, and into a darkened room.
"What is this place?" she asked.
An ancient woman stepped from an arch that led deeper into the house. Arif gave her a bow and then waved to Christine. "Nadira, may I make known to you Christine Harper."
The old woman fixed her dark eyes on Christine and smiled. "Ah, the one has arrived?"
Christine stiffened, but Nadira was already moving to a brass table, where a pot with cool mint tea and colored glasses stood. As she poured, Nadira asked, "Have you come to set a date?"
Arif ignored Christine's raised eyebrows and guided her to a seat on a low couch. "We have." Leaning closer to Christine—close enough to catch the scent of honeysuckle from her—he whispered, "Nadira is the most skilled astrologer in Zahkim."
A laugh sprang to Christine's eyes. She covered a smile with her hand and whispered, "I don't be—"
He cut off her words by pressing a finger to her lips. "We must honor our elders."
Christine pressed her lips tight and folded her hands in her lap. Nadira poured tea for them, then pulled out paper and pen and ink. She started to ask Christine questions—where exactly she was born and when. Christine gripped her glass of tea, but gave polite answers. Nadira smiled and nodded.
"Ah, March the tenth—Pisces, a good match for our Taurus prince." She drew the charts with deft hands and handed the results to Arif. "A full moon is auspicious for the sensual mermaid. The equinox is a date for the earthly Taurus. Between those dates look for fortune to smile on you." She turned to Christine. "A caution, child. In trying to walk the path of another, you will never find your own way."
Arif stood and put down his tea. Christine copied him. He said a few words to Nadira to assure her that he held her in esteem and payment would be forthcoming, and then he led Christine from the astrologer's house.
They had not even reached the street before Christine turned to face him. "I can't believe you're that superstitious. You seem a rational man. And what was all that about paths? Typical vaguely worded mumbo-jumbo. It's that kind of ploy that pulls people into believing this nonsense."
Skin heating, Arif pulled her with him, out of earshot of Nadira. "There is more to this world than can be seen. And you would do well to think on her words. Nadira has advised kings and has seen much in her life. She is respected by world leaders, and her advice has been invaluable to the royal family."
He stopped at the mouth of the alley and let go of Christine. She faced him, chin up and a frown in place. Throwing his arms wide, Arif asked, "Why is it so difficult for you to believe in fate? That the stars guide us?"
She turned away for a moment but then looked back. "I don't think fate had much to do with my mom dying of cancer. The problem was she didn't get checkups. And I don't think fate has much to do with my dad now fighting the same battle. Damn cancer. Science will find a cure—eventually. And that's not fate either."
Her voice broke, and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. Arif forgot his irritation with her. He knew what it was to lose loved ones—his parents had died far too young in a car accident, a huge one that had taken a dozen lives in a smashup caused by a sandstorm on the only highway in Zahkim.
Shaking his head, he touched a finger to Christine's face. "I am sorry. I have no right to push my views onto you. You believe what you will."
Her shoulders sagged. "No, I should apologize. I…I have no right to step on your views either. Pax?" She held out her hand.
He took it and kissed the inside of her wrist. Under the press of his lips, her pulse jumped. He smiled and linked her arm with his.
"Come. Let us do something we both agree is wonderful. Let me take you to the Forum."
She had no idea what to expect from the name. The Forum could be anything from a nightclub to a school. She was not expecting Roman ruins.
The structures lay just south of the main city, off a two-lane highway that became an unpaved road. Arif parked his fancy SUV, got out, and came around to her side, but Christine was already out, shading her eyes. With the sun blazing overhead, tourists seemed to be intent on avoiding this barren stretch of desert, with its broken pillars and half-buried foundations. Christine was both entranced and ready to cry at the crumbling structures.
She narrowed her eyes, a lump in her throat and her heartbeat rapid. "This needs excavation work done. And restoration."
They walked into the ruins, the columns soaring up into the stark blue sky. A hawk soared overhead, crying out. A few lean cats, dusty colored with the angular faces of the cats in Egyptian art, glanced at them and then disappeared into the ruins.
Arif put a hand on one of the pillars that still stood, its lines elegant, the stone almost golden in the sunlight. "We do what we can to preserve it, but it is hard. Most of the structures date back to 30 BC, but we have remnants of Greek as well as Babylonian influences."
"It's…amazing," she said, barely able to get out the words. "To think this is still here after all these centuries." She leaned against the pillar. The hot stone warmed her back. "It's not my area of expertise—I specialize in texts—but have you ever thought about applying for grants to do a full dig here?"
He gave a laugh. "I adore that your mind always turns to the practical." Reaching up, he brushed the strands of hair the wind was pushing into her face. "My Christine." His voice dropped as he spoke those words, and a shiver ran through her.
She tipped her head back so she could see his face. "What is it like to have roots this deep? This old? To be part of a country where the history goes back to before memory?"
He leaned closer. His scent washed over her, along with the dry desert wind. Sweat glistened on his skin. "You know…for you belong here as well."
"I don—"