Chapter 18

I’m worried about Tubal-Cain.” Emzara paced across the floor and peeked out the front door of the beach home. “It’s getting pretty dark, and he should’ve been back by now.”

“He’ll be fine. Besides, looking outside repeatedly isn’t going to get him here any sooner. There are better ways to pass the time.” Noah patted the cushion next to him on the bench. “Come here.”

She closed the door and leaned against it, folding her arms in front of her. Scrunching her face, she considered his invitation before slowly making her way to him. She paused, grabbing a piece of cloth from the table.

“So here’s what I drew,” she said as she sat beside him. Her fingers gracefully smoothed the fabric piece over his lap. The clear lines she had sketched caught the moment of impact. Looking at the colliding animals, he could almost hear the crash of skull meeting skull. “I feel like this often lately.” She pointed to the smaller one on the left. “He’s the few little pleasures left in life.” She shifted to the larger creature and Noah saw the detail in the hardened features about the face. “And he’s the pain. Even when they meet, everything hurts.”

Noah held her and massaged her head. His insides warmed as she melted in his embrace and a tiny smile appeared on her lips. He tilted his head back, and with his eyes, he followed the wooden trim near the ceiling to the closest wall and then toward the hallway. Nice craftsmanship. The house easily outsized their own place, but it was not as grand as Noah had anticipated, based on the king’s dwelling in Havil. Other than a couple of small woven tapestries on the front wall, the space was rather bare.

“So tomorrow is when we get Garun’s family?” Emzara asked.

Noah’s focus returned to his wife. “That’s the plan, unless Tubal-Cain has something else in mind.” A faint, yet familiar voice from outside arrested his attention, but he furrowed his brow when it was joined by an unrecognized female voice. “Speaking of Tubal-Cain, I think he’s back, but it doesn’t sound like he’s alone.”

The woman’s words grew louder as she neared the house, and Emzara stiffened. “That’s not Naamah, is it?”

Noah placed a reassuring hand on her knee and shook his head. “Doesn’t sound like her.”

A couple of rapid knocks hit the door before it opened. “I’m back.” Tubal-Cain stepped inside and located Noah and Emzara in the meeting room. “I didn’t plan on bringing someone with me, but if anyone can help us, she can.” Tubal-Cain held his hand out and welcomed his guest into the room.

“Hello, Noah. It’s been a long time.” The woman pulled the wrap away from her head and let it drop down her back, revealing her long black hair. Her face was oval with pronounced cheekbones, giving her a refined and dignified appearance. A lone freckle graced her left cheek.

Noah stood and leaned forward as he struggled to recognize her. “Hello, it’s good —”

Emzara leapt to her feet. “I’ve seen you before. You sat in front of me at that ceremony.”

The woman smiled at Emzara. “Yes, I remember you.” She spoke in low tones, even and confident. “You were the pretty girl looking around for your husband.” She dipped her head toward Noah. “It looks like you’ve found him.”

Emzara grabbed Noah’s arm. “I did.” She released Noah and stepped toward their guest. “We were never introduced. I’m Emzara.”

The woman tilted her head forward slightly. “And I’m Adah. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Adah? Noah shot a look at Tubal-Cain. “Adah? Queen of Havil?”

She sighed. “Please, just call me Adah. There’s no need for formalities here.”

Tubal-Cain closed the door and held a hand toward Adah. “She’s my father’s second wife.”

Noah raised his eyebrows as he stared at Tubal-Cain.

The blacksmith held up a palm. “Don’t worry, we can trust her.”

“Tubal-Cain has told me briefly why you three are here.” She blinked twice and opened her mouth as if to say something else, but then closed it.

Emzara brushed Noah’s forearm reassuringly and looked at Adah. “Can I get you some water?”

“No, thank you, dear, I’m fine.”

Noah and Emzara returned to their spots on the bench while Tubal-Cain moved two chairs across from them.

Once everyone was seated, Tubal-Cain gestured to Adah. “She’ll be staying here for a few days just as if she were on a small retreat, and I’ve asked Kenter, her personal guard and my friend to keep watch. We haven’t had a chance yet to talk many specifics, but I think you’ll find what she has to say interesting. Adah?”

“So you want information on Lamech?” She placed her hands elegantly in her lap, all emotions masked.

“Why don’t you start with what you noticed when he got back,” Tubal-Cain said.

Sitting perfectly upright, Adah said, “He was a little frustrated about your council rejecting his trade proposal, but he didn’t seem all that upset — not nearly as angry as I would have expected since things didn’t go his way. Usually when he’s rebuffed, he completely loses his temper.” She glanced at the floor. “I thought he might’ve calmed down on the long trip, but Kenter told me something else.”

“What was that?” Emzara asked.

“It seems that Lamech bragged to Zillah — Tubal-Cain’s mother — that he’d carried out a bit of revenge before leaving the city.”

Noah moved to the edge of his seat and his heartbeat raced. Aware of the pain rekindling in both him and Emzara, Noah pushed onward. He needed to know. “Did he specify what that revenge was?”

Adah took a deep breath and let her gaze drift toward the ceiling. “He killed two people, a troublemaker and someone else who was just in the way.”

Tubal-Cain sat up straighter. Obviously, this was news to him, too.

Emzara put a hand to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Baba.”

Noah embraced her, and his neck and head grew hot. He had expected a stream of emotions if he discovered the identity of the murderer, but he was not prepared for the anger that flooded his mind. He imagined the king slipping into Ara’s house with a team of guards to carry out their attack. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply and focused his thoughts on Adah. “Those people were my best friend and my father-in-law.”

“How could you marry such a monster?” Emzara glared at Adah.

Adah shook her head softly, saying nothing. Finally she offered Emzara a sympathetic expression. “I’m sorry to hear it was your father.” She turned to Noah. “And your friend.”

“How?” Emzara buried her head in her hands.

“It’s not what you think.” Adah rubbed her forehead and looked down. “I didn’t have a choice. I already had a family. One night, a group of raiders attacked our village. They killed all the men, including my son. And I still don’t know what happened to my daughters. They were tied up and led away. I assume they were sold into slavery.”

Noah held his head in his hands and shuddered. “Did you get your daughters back? How did you meet Lamech?”

“He led the group that attacked the village.”

Emzara’s jaw dropped momentarily. “And you married him?”

Noah winced at her tone, and the queen’s eyes flared with long-simmering anger. “Not all weddings come from love. I was forced to marry him. It was marry him or die.” Adah’s gaze slid out of focus, and she stared blankly at the wall behind them. “At that point, my only thought was to stay until I could find out what happened to my girls. But my plans changed when I gave birth to twins.” She gave a bitter laugh, and Noah’s heart clenched as he recognized a strong sense of resignation and self-loathing that he had recently caught glimpses of in Emzara.

When Adah continued, her smooth voice had changed, carrying a hiss of rage as she spat out the words of her story. “And I’ve hated nearly every moment of it. If it weren’t for my boys, I would’ve run long ago. But I’m afraid of what they’ll become with him as their father.” She sighed. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be free of him.” Her voice grew quieter. “He even bragged about murdering the young man.”

Noah felt his heartbeat quicken. “Excuse me. Did you say that he bragged about killing a young man?”

She nodded. “Isn’t that what I mentioned earlier?”

“No.” Noah shook his head. “You said it was a troublemaker and someone who got in the way.”

Adah lifted her head in understanding. “Oh, well yes, the troublemaker was the young man. Kenter specifically told me that Lamech boasted about killing a young man who had injured him. I didn’t know what he was talking about because he didn’t have any injuries when he came back.”

Emzara’s eyebrows scrunched together as she faced Noah and mouthed, “What?”

“Are you sure?” Noah asked.

“That’s what Kenter said.”

Emzara’s gaze flicked from Noah to Adah and back again to Noah. She spoke softly. “So Baba wasn’t the target.”

“No, that would mean that Aterre was,” Noah said. “But what did he . . .”

Adah leaned in and tilted her head to one side. “What did you just say?”

“I was just confused because we were sure my father-in-law was targeted, but it sounds like they were after my friend instead.”

“Yes, but what did you call your friend?”

“His name was Aterre.”

Adah sank back in her chair. “I thought that’s what you said.” She forced a smile. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time. That was my son’s name too.”

Noah’s mouth dropped open as memories tore through his mind. Aterre’s village was attacked and so was Adah’s. His mother and sisters were taken. Aterre slashed the face of the man who grabbed him, and Lamech has a huge scar on his face. And Aterre’s accent was the same as Adah’s.

Noah steadied himself and turned to Adah. “When you first met Lamech, did he have that scar on his face?”

Adah drew back at the strange question. “No, it was a fresh wound.” She paused and her lower lip quavered. “What are you saying?”

Noah trembled as he took in a breath through his mouth. “My best friend was also your son.”

Sobs rocked the queen’s body. All of her austere mannerisms fled. “No!”

Tubal-Cain paused before putting a hand on her shoulder, but Emzara hurried around the low table between the bench and the chairs and knelt beside Adah, reaching for the older woman.

The queen bent down and welcomed Emzara’s embrace. She composed herself after several moments and faced Noah. “So Aterre survived the night our village was attacked?” She dried her cheeks with the shoulder portion of her gown. “How did he ever run into you since you live so far away?”

Noah thought back to his first encounter with Aterre and smiled. As Emzara held Adah’s hand in support, Noah recounted some of his favorite memories with Aterre, with Tubal-Cain and Emzara adding details along the way, and the queen laughed and wept throughout.

When Noah finished talking about Aterre’s relationship with Jitzel, Adah said, “I’m so glad to know that he escaped that night and met all of you. As you said, he always was full of mischief. Did he ever mention us?”

“He always wondered what had happened to you and his sisters,” Noah said. “In fact, after his wedding, he was planning to come here to look for you. He even asked the king about help . . .” Noah clenched his jaw and slammed his fist on the table.

“What is it?” Emzara asked.

Noah’s breathing increased and his face flushed. “That’s how Lamech figured it out.” Noah pointed at Adah. “Aterre asked about his mother and sisters at the council meeting. The king even talked about recognizing his accent.”

Having recomposed herself, Adah held onto her placid, stately demeanor, but her shaking hand reached to clutch Emzara’s.

Noah scrambled to his feet and paced the room. “What a wicked . . .” He grabbed a cushion and threw it against the wall and yelled in anger. “He needs to pay for what he’s done.”

He turned back to the women to find Emzara staring at him with wide, sympathetic eyes. Tubal-Cain moved toward the door and waved his hand to instruct Noah to join him. “Let’s get some air. I have an idea.”

Noah followed Tubal-Cain a short distance from the house. The cool, fresh air greeted his lungs, and he took it in greedily. Suspended just above the treetops ahead of him, the nearly whole moon lit up the evening. The dew-drenched grass soaked Noah’s feet as he walked. “So what’s your plan?”

Tubal-Cain stopped and faced Noah. “The annual Serpent ceremony is in two days. What if we told the crowd that my father murdered two innocent people in Iri Geshem?”

“How would we do that?” Noah pointed to the house. “Emzara won’t let me go near the city.”

Tubal-Cain stroked his beard. “I can do it. I could interrupt the beginning of the ceremony. I’m sure the people would be surprised to see me and allow me to speak for a few moments.”

“You would openly stand against your father?” Noah crossed his arms. “I appreciate your desire to expose his evil deeds, but you might end up dead too.”

“I don’t think it would happen.”

“Why not?” Noah asked.

“Because I think the crowd would turn against him if they knew what he was really like.”

“And what if they didn’t?”

Tubal-Cain blew out a breath. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“You need to think about Adira now, too. What would she do without you? And what do you think she’d do to me if I came home without you?”

“She’d probably kill you.” Tubal-Cain slapped Noah’s shoulder. “See, it’s a good plan.”

Noah laughed and sensed some of his anger settle. “Do you really think the people of Havil care what he did? They seemed quite willing to follow him the last time I was here.”

“Yeah, but not if they knew what kind of man he really is. They believe that he’s just a man who helped expand their city, but I don’t think they would put up with him murdering innocent people — especially when they find out he killed the son of his second wife.”

“I know I wouldn’t follow him.” Noah stared at the ground. “It still seems quite risky.”

“That’s because it is.” Tubal-Cain adjusted his wrap. “But do you have any better ideas?”

Noah tried to come up with another strategy to turn the people against the king. “Are there others who would stand with you?”

“You mean besides you?” Tubal-Cain chuckled but let it fade when Noah remained quiet. “I know this is serious. You and Zara don’t have to take part. I’m sure we’d have the support of the guards Garun talked about, along with Adah. And I’ve got several friends in the city who would join us and tell others too.”

“I don’t think Emzara and I can lose another friend right now.”

“Look, maybe this will work, maybe it won’t. But I’ve got to try something. As much as I’d like to deny it, he’s family and so I’m partly responsible. I may be the only one who can stop his evil influence.”

“What if this crazy plan of yours succeeds, then what? Would you take over as king?”

Tubal-Cain drew back. “Whoa. I never even thought of that. I don’t have any interest in ruling.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, thinking it through. “I’d probably appoint a group of trustworthy elders to run the city.”

Noah sat on a nearby stump. “Look, we still have a day to think this over. It’ll give us something to do on the way to Garun’s.”

Tubal-Cain took the spot next to Noah. “That’s right. I almost forgot about that. If we do this, I’ll need to go into the city again tomorrow, and you can go to Garun’s.”

“Okay. Obviously, I’d like to see what Em thinks.”

“Definitely. I’m open to other ideas, too.” He looked in the direction of Havil. “We just need to be careful who hears about it. I don’t think my father would go easy on anyone conspiring against him.”

Noah looked over his shoulder at the house. “Maybe Adah will have some ideas. She certainly doesn’t seem to care for your father. I’d imagine she’s contemplated turning against him.”

Tubal-Cain nodded. “Let’s find out.”