Moths danced over the flickering flames, casting shadows against the canvas walls. Amarisa had gone for her bath. Kesar helped her disguise so that no one could recognize her.
When my beloved wife returned to the tent, I swaddled the crystal stone in a silk cloth. Then I locked it inside a wooden chest. Amarisa called out to me.
"Nikita?"
"Yes?" I said.
"What are you doing?"
"Waiting for you to come to bed with me," I said with a smile. Amarisa beamed shyly. Her eyes shimmered under the lantern light. She sat down beside me. But her eyes narrowed on my face. I saw her mind working, fitting tiles into a picture of suspicion.
"Are you alright?" Her gaze found mine as she spoke. "You seem quite agitated."
"I'm fine, love," I said with a shake of my head. "I'm just thinking about the wa
