Page 35 of A Warrior's Heart

Malik said nothing, but he stayed by my side for the rest of the day.

The sun made its journey across the sky as we moved through the forest. The trees shaded us for most of the hike, but the humid air clung to my skin and made me feel sticky. Even with my thin layer of clothing, I was burning up and miserable.

“Let’s camp here for the night,” Malik said when there was only a little bit of light in the sky. Shadows had crept over the land, though the orange glow of the sun still shone on the horizon.

The clearing had a stream of fresh water running through it and trees on all sides. It was the perfect place for us to wash and rest after a long trek through the wilderness. Rising above the trees was the mountain. We would reach it early the next day, according to Malik.

“I’ll hunt for our dinner,” I said, unstrapping my bow. “I saw deer tracks not far from here.”

“I’ll go with you,” Shar said. “You’ll need help carrying back whatever you catch.”

Malik glared at the golden-haired assassin.

Why was he so irritated?

“I’d appreciate the company,” I told Shar before glancing again at Malik, who had grumbled something and turned away from me. He was so confusing.

I set off back into the woods with Shar by my side. The assassin force had a reputation for being cold, heartless, and driven only by the need to kill, however, Shar gave off a warm aura. Kind, even. He was different than the others.

“Malik is very protective of you,” Shar casually said.

“He’s watched over me ever since I was a child.” I stepped over a fallen branch and stared up at the darkening sky through the tops of the trees. “He can be too overprotective at times. And stubborn. To him, I’m a weakling who can’t take care of myself. He didn’t want me to come on this mission to begin with.”

“Want had nothing to do with it, I’m sure.” Shar drew his sword and sliced at a thorn bush blocking our path. “When you love something, you protect it. He wants you with him, but he worries over your safety too.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I recognize that look in his eyes.”

“What look?”

A light chuckle rumbled in his chest. “For someone so clever, you can be awfully daft when it comes to matters of the heart.”

I remembered the night on the ship as Malik and I stood under the stars, when he’d gripped the side of my neck and stared deep into my eyes. I had felt a spark between us, a warmth that had quickly set my blood on fire.

“I do see you. I haven’t looked away in four years.”

Four years. That’s when things had really changed between us. Each embrace lasted a little longer, each gaze lingering.

I stopped walking and looked at Shar. “Are you saying Malik cares for me in a romantic way?”

I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“I know very little in the ways of romance, my boy,” Shar responded. “But Malik watches you like a hawk. It’s like you’re the sun and he’s the plant seeking your light. But you don’t have to take my word for it. I’m nothing but a whoremonger who’s never settled down a day in his life.”

“Do you fancy my sister?” I asked as we continued walking.

“Your sister is a remarkable young lass.”

“But?”

He glanced over at me. “But she’s not the one for me.”

I thought on his words. “What about Nereus?”

“Nereus,” Shar said, as if testing the name on his tongue. “Is he the heavy footed one afraid of snakes?”

I grinned. “That’s him.”