future possible. With Zara going to London, being home

  would be a battle from the moment they arrived. Their life

  wouldn’t be impossible in Marrakech, but it’d be perfect back

  in New Orleans.

  “Because I know you. I know your heart, and I also know

  what you’ve said about your mom. The future is ours, and I’m

  not giving it up.”

  “I’m so glad you stepped into my classroom that day. It’s

  because of you that we’re here.” For whatever came next, she

  had Levi’s love, and nothing had ever been so right.

  ✥ ✥ ✥

  “Where are you?” Cristian asked.

  “I’m on the coast of France. Levi’s grandmother has a

  family home here, and it’s remote. We drove through town and

  have camped out on the cliffs.” Graham looked through his

  binoculars but couldn’t see Levi and Yasmine. “She’s here

  with the two Hassani sisters and her grandparents.”

  “Is there any sign of Baggio’s men?”

  “We helped them lose them in London. It’s going to take

  some time to find them, but they’ll get here eventually. Here,

  though, they won’t be able to hide.”

  “Try to stay in the shadows, but in this special case, we

  might have to eventually come out in the light. They deserve

  to continue the hunt, and it might be easier if they know

  someone is on their side.”

  Graham nodded and sighed when he saw the two women

  walking back toward the house holding hands. “We’ll try to

  abide by our rules of no violence. I want them to succeed.

  Tonight we’ll try to get closer to the house and keep an eye out

  for any threats.”

  “Good. You have our permission to deal with whatever

  issues there might be, as you did in London. We’ve also gotten

  some word that she did have a significant find in Choupick, of

  all places. It might have something to do with why she’s

  there.”

  He saw Levi stop and turn Yasmine toward her. The kiss

  they shared was much different from what he’d witnessed so

  far, and it reflected their deepening relationship. “We’ll keep

  digging from our end, and I’ll call if we find anything.”

  “They’re lucky to have you,” Cristian said.

  “Thank you. You’ll be happy that your favorite student

  might have found someone special in Dr. Hassani. They seem

  close.”

  Cristian laughed. “I loved you in the classroom the same

  amount I did Levi. Together you’ll make an awesome team,

  even if she never knows you exist. You have been a gift,

  Graham.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’ll talk to you soon.” He ended the call

  and kept watching the women on the beach. He envied how

  comfortable Levi seemed in her skin. “Have you noticed any

  security on the property?”

  “We might be able to get a few thousand yards closer, but

  that’ll be it. Look,” his colleague said, pointing to a spot in the

  yard. Security sensors meant there would be no close-up

  opportunities.

  “We’ll take what we can get. Once it’s dark, we’ll move.”

  He scanned the water and the area behind them. There was no

  way he wanted someone to get the jump on them. “Anyone

  who comes here with a gun needs to be eliminated.”

  “It’ll be our pleasure, sir.”

  “Yes, that it will be.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Dinner was a family affair, with Yasmine and Zara helping

  Jane in the kitchen while Levi and her grandfather looked on.

  The afternoon on the beach had left Levi buzzed, and she was

  still giddy from Yasmine’s admission that she loved her.

  “You look happy,” her grandfather said.

  His voice broke her gaze in Yasmine’s direction. “I am.”

  There was no denying it, but she had to get her head back in

  the game. “This has been a wonderful summer.”

  “I do believe it has, and I’m happy for you. We’ve waited

  for you to get struck by that rock that hits us all in the head.

  There’s no cure from what it does to us. I doubt you need any

  input from this old man, but she’s beautiful. Beautiful and

  smart will keep you on your toes, bear. Don’t screw it up.”

  “I’m planning to be a good partner, not to worry.” She

  laughed, and Yasmine glanced in their direction. That smile

  made Levi want to send everyone to their room so she could

  take Yasmine to bed.

  “I doubt I’ve ever told you how proud your granny and I

  are that you’re our grandchild. You’ve been such a joy, but it’s

  time for you to get ready for another generation.”

  “Great-grandchildren?” The thought would’ve sent her

  running a few months ago, but now she thought about all those

  things that made a family.

  “Exactly, and what beautiful babies you two will make.”

  “I don’t need to explain biology to you, do I?” She laughed

  but stopped when Yasmine brought them both a fresh drink.

  “Thanks, honey.”

  “What are you two whispering about over here?” Yasmine

  combed her hair back and rested her hand on Levi’s shoulder.

  “We’re hoping you’re not too tired to finish the first

  volume we found,” Percy said.

  “I’m sure that meal would revive the dead. Jane is an

  excellent cook.” Yasmine played with the hair at Levi’s neck,

  and Levi put her arm around Yasmine’s hips. “Your

  grandmother said there’s an excellent wine cellar under this

  place. Want to hunt for something to go with steak?”

  “You haven’t seen the wine cellar? You’re missing out.”

  Any plans for kissing Yasmine disappeared when Zara

  came down with them. Yasmine moved away from her a little,

  but hopefully the smile on her face meant she wasn’t ashamed.

  It would take time for Yasmine to be fully comfortable, and

  that was okay.

  “This is amazing.” Zara impulsively hugged Levi when she

  saw the wine cellar. “You’re the best thing that’s ever

  happened to us.”

  “Thank you,” Levi said, laughing.

  “Promise me one thing,” Zara said, letting her go.

  “If I can I will.”

  “Don’t ever hurt my sister. You two were meant to meet,

  but I’ve heard about your women and good times. All that

  ends now. From now on you have one woman, and she’s the

  only good time you need.” Zara was completely serious.

  “I promise she’s safe with me, and I’m going to love her

  until my heart stops beating.”

  “That was rather poetic. No wonder she fell in love with

  you.”

  “Um…how do you know?” Yasmine asked.

  “Please,” Zara said, rolling her eyes. “It’s written all over

  you. Going home should be interesting. If you crumble under

  the onslaught, I’ll never forgive you.” Zara turned and kissed

  Yasmine’s cheek. “I’m happy for you both, so stop trying to be

  careful. Everyone in this house is thrilled for you.”

  They selected a few bottles, returned upstairs, and ate the

  steaks Levi grilled. As they ate, each of them gave their take

  on the story, but none of them had a clue where it would lead.

  Farah was a good writer who had laid the groundwork of how

  she and André met, but the group could only follow what she

  gave them to find out what came next. Levi was sure of where

  they ended up—they’d fallen in love, meaning André

  would’ve had to give up his calling to take a wife.

  “Are you ready?” Levi asked as Percy poured them all a

  brandy. Dinner was over and they were back in the library.

  “If I said no I’d fear for my life. Zara would be the first to

  take a shot at me.” Yasmine was ready to finish the book

  they’d started earlier too.

  “I’ll keep you safe, but the three-year-old that lives in me

  can’t wait.”

  Yasmine leaned against Levi and began to read.

  ✥ ✥ ✥

  “Come back to me.”

  My grandmother ordered me to gather certain herbs

  and to be quick about it. I had to get some of them from

  the other women, and they wished me well. It was as if

  they all knew what I could not admit until I saw him

  close to death. When I returned, the stick was out of his

  chest and he was still breathing. For the moment, he

  lived.

  I took his hand and pressed it to my cheek. My

  grandmother mixed the herbs I’d been sent for and

  hummed as she worked. There was a blanket covering

  André’s chest, and I had the urge to lie next to him in

  the hope he would feel me and come back.

  “My beautiful girl,” my grandmother said. “You

  love this man?”

  “I care for him.” It was the only answer I wanted to

  verbalize. Something held me back even though I knew

  myself and what I felt.

  “Caring will not bring him back. He is special.”

  The words made me look at my grandmother. I was

  named for her, and she’d been teaching me the work of

  an archivist. She chose to marry but lost my

  grandfather young. Her strength had held our family

  and village together for years, and she had always

  spoken the truth to me even when I would have been

  happier not to hear it.

  “He is kind, and he listens to me. Would I

  disappoint you if I told you I love him?”

  “I would be disappointed if you lie to me. Tell me if

  you love him or go out and let me finish.”

  “I love him,” I said softly. At my admission she

  lifted away the blanket that covered him, and I didn’t

  know how to process what I was looking at. My sweet

  André, who had encouraged me to give my opinion and

  who was jealous when he thought I was promised to

  someone else, was a woman. This man of his god, a

  warrior for his faith, was no man at all. I fell back on

  my heels and let go of his hand. How could I have not

  known?

  “He is still the person you love. To say what he is

  will mean his death at the hands of the infidels he is

  with. If they do not kill him, your father will call for his

  head. My son is quick to dismiss what he does not

  understand, and he is quick to anger. If he sees this as

  an insult to you, your love will not live out the night.”

  What my grandmother said was true, but I could not

  understand what my eyes stared at. “Why are you not

  calling for the same thing? You approve of me loving

  André?”

  “He is a changeling, and you will tell me his story

  while we bring him back to the land of the living.”

  My grandmother worked while I spoke of all the

  things André had shared with me. I felt it a betrayal of

  his trust, but my grandmother only nodded as I spoke.

  “He told me his father raised him to be a sacrifice. I

  think if he did as he wished, he would go home and be

  happy in his fields.”

  “He is a product of the failure of a holy man. His

  father picked a woman over his god, and the child was

  proof of his indiscretion. He used that failure to punish

  what was left behind when the woman died. André was

  raised to erase his mistake while trying to appease his

  god. His destiny was supposed to be dying here, but

  then he met you.” My grandmother’s words were soft

  but strong.

  “So, you do approve of my love?”

  “The men of our village will never make you

  happy, my little flower. You must give him something

  to live for. I believe his honor will make him carry out

  what his father wants, but dying on a battlefield should

  not be his fate. Give him hope, or bid him farewell and

  we will watch him die.”

  My father sent word to the jackals’ camp that we

  would take care of André until he was well. He did not

  object when my grandmother assigned me to care for

  André, and I thought I would never be able to ask my

  questions because of the fever. I worked with my

  grandmother to cool him. On the third day he finally

  opened his eyes, and I was lost.

  It mattered not that he was not the man I thought.

  All that mattered was that he had come back to me. She

  had come back to me.

  ✥ ✥ ✥

  “What?” Zara said with her hands up. “What the hell?”

  “I could’ve gotten some of it wrong, so I might have to go

  back and make sure I didn’t just tell you a story that wasn’t

  true at all,” Yasmine said, carefully closing the book. She

  glanced back at Levi, who had stayed quiet. “What do you

  think?”

  “I think a woman was raised to be a Templar, succeeded in

  being admitted, and preached the word of God. She gave

  communion, heard confessions, and acted in accordance with

  her vows.” Levi flattened her hand on her stomach and bit her

  bottom lip. “I believe that, but something doesn’t make sense.

  This isn’t something the Church will be happy to hear, but

  André couldn’t have been the only one. It’s not the kind of

  scandal that you hire thugs to hunt people down for.”

  “Then what is it?” Yasmine asked.

  “It’s got to be in the other three books or in the other things

  we’ve found so far. We need to figure out what the key is, if

  there is a code. If Farah spent all that time with André, she

  knew how to hide things in her writing.”

  “We’re not going to figure it out tonight, so let’s go to bed

  and start again in the morning,” Jane said. The books were on

  the table, but Percy picked them up, as well as the one

  Yasmine had read from.

  “Do you not trust us to move ahead without you?” she

  asked, joking.

  “I trust you with my life, sweetheart, but the bastards who

  attacked you are another story,” Percy said. “It’s best we keep

  everything locked up when it’s not in our hands.”

  Yasmine followed Levi up and kissed Zara good night. She

  wanted to lie down and absorb what Farah had written. The

  story was in no way like hers and Levi’s, but Farah had

  possessed the strength to accept the gift of love.

  Yasmine smiled when Levi stepped behind her and

  unzipped the capri pants she’d put on after their time on the

  beach. They were naked a moment later and in bed. “What do

  you really believe?” Her head was on Levi’s shoulder, and she

  was so comfortable she hoped not to fall asleep.

  “I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this.”

  Levi yawned and held her tighter.

  “You, of all people?” She laughed at that.

  “Trust me, finding that André was a woman is like finding

  a friend, but I’ve had a picture in my head of who they were.

  It’s going to take a little adjustment to my thinking. That

  shouldn’t take any time at all, since this makes for a much

  better story. Don’t you think?”

  “It’s like finding us, but with less drama.” Yasmine was

  tired, but the feel of Levi’s skin reminded her again of all the

  things she’d put off for so long. “The other difference is I

  knew exactly who you were from the very beginning. You

  made quite the first impression, but I still noticed this

  gorgeous face.” She rose high enough to see Levi. “I wanted to

  be angry, but you made me crave more.”

  “It’s a good thing. I saw you and tried to find ways to make

  you want to spend time with me. That night we talked on the

  phone when I was in Choupick, I felt like I was in high school

  again, fumbling for the words to make the pretty girl like me.”

  Levi took advantage of her position and cupped Yasmine’s

  breasts. “I like that we got to know each other before we ended

  up here. Things you build with care and time last forever.”

  “I love the way you talk to me.” Yasmine moved on top of

  Levi and spent a long while kissing her. “I love the way you

  make me feel.” She bit Levi’s lip when she reached between

  them and touched Yasmine. “And I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  The passion that Levi was able to build in Yasmine was

  amazing, and the more they made love, the more she wanted.

  “I’ve got you.” Levi held her after she came, and she

  slumped against her, not having the strength to move.

  Yasmine slipped into sleep without remembering it and

  woke when the room was filled with light. It was morning but

  she didn’t want to move. Levi was behind her with her arm

  around her waist. Waking up like this was better than anything

  she’d ever experienced. She turned slowly, trying not to wake

  Levi, and gazed on her face.