Chapter34—WhatWasLeftBehind
ThenewsreachedKharunbeforesuhemessengerhadbarelysteppeddownfromhishorsebeforetheentirecampkheYounisKhanwasdeadandthepalacehadburned。MuchoftheKhanshouseholdhadbeenlost。
AndPrincessSuyuan—
Nooneknew。
Thatlastpartwaswhatmadethesilenceworse。
Khasarstoodoutsidehistent,listeningwithoutsayingaword。Themessengerrepeatedthereportcarefully。
"Xiansoldierswereseenleavingtheruins。Theirgeneralcrossedtheborderbeforedawn。"
Khasarsjawtightened。"Didtheyfindher?"
"Wedontknow。"
Helookedtowardthedistanthills,hehadspentdaysbelievingSuyuanwasfinallysafebecauseshehadleftYounis。
Nowhewasntevensureshewasalive。Tarkanstoodseveralstepsaway,hehadntspokensihemessengerarrived。Hisfacehadgonepale,hehadgrownupinYounis。HeklywhattheKhanspalacemeant。Ifithadtrulyburnedaspletelyasthemessengerclaimed,therewouldbelittlelefttosearch。
ButSuyuanwassupposedtohaveleft。
ShewassupposedtobeontheroadtoKharunwiththem。
Shewassupposedtobestandinghere。
Instead,Yulawas。
Tarkanlookedtowardthewomensquarters。
"Shemustknewsomething。"
Khasarglahim。
"Yula?"
"Sheknewsomethingwaswrong。"
Khasarsaidnothing。
hermanwaosaythethoughtthathadalreadyenteredboththeirminds。
WhatifSuyuanneverinteoleaveYounisalive?
---
YulawassittingquietlywhenKhasarentered,herbridalorshadalreadybeenremoved。Shelookednothinglikethefrightenedgirlhehadexpectedtofindinsteadshewascalm。
Khasarstoppedseveralstepsaway。"Tellmewhatyouknow。"
Yulalookeduptohim。
"Suyuanellmewhatshewaodo。。。。ButshebelievedmeandTarkanwouldbesaferherethaninYounis。"
Khasarsexpressiondarkened。
"Andyouagreed。"
"Yes。"
Therewasationinheranswer。
Khasarstudiedherface。
Yulaloweredhereyes。
Notafarewellnoranexplanation,shejustadoorquietlyleftopenforsomeoneelse。Yulatinued,"Shedidntaskmetocarryhersecrets。SoIwontianswersforyou。"Khasarlookedatherforalongmomentbeforehenodded。Yulalookedtowardthedoorway。"Butifshesalive,shellneedsomeoolookforher。"
Khasarseyeshardened。
"Illfinditout。"
---
TarkanwasalreadyoutsidewhenKhasarcameout,herofthemspoke。
Afterawhile,Tarkanfinallysaid,"Ifshesalive,thenshesalonenow。"