Page 43 of The Moon's Fury

Scowling, she turned her face away, but he easily hauled her against his side with a muscled arm, practically into his lap. He held the teacup in his other hand, blowing cool air over the top,sending ripples dancing across the bright, purple surface. His hazel eyes shone with affection as he brought the cup to her lips.

She pinned him with a glare, vicious tendrils of jealousy still writhing in her belly. Undeterred, he patiently waited with quirked lips until she finally took a sip. Before she could register the bitter taste, he stole a kiss from her, lips insistent. His tongue swept in, plundering her mouth and stealing her breath. A surprised “Oh!”escaped her as they parted.

He pressed the teacup to her lips for another sip, and again kissed her so soundly afterward that she barely noticed the foul taste.

He repeated this—sip and kiss, sip and kiss—until half the tea was gone. Setting the cup aside, he cradled her face.

“Yes, I’ve madesilpharoontea before,” he admitted. “But that was because I didn’t trust my partners to drink it on their own. With you, it’s out of a desire to care for you. Because I amin lovewith you. And I can assure you, in the past, I never bothered with honey. I never held anyone in my arms, pressing a cup to their lips. And I certainly never kissed away the taste.”

“But you were with them. And you refused to be with me. For months,” she said, her voice quiet.

He sighed, and so much sorrow flitted through his eyes that she almost regretted her words. “Layna, Icouldn’tallow myself to be with you—not when I didn’t know if I’d lose you. Every time I left your chambers, I lay awake for hours, fantasizing about all the things I wished I had done.” He glanced away. “But more often than that, I imagined what I’d do if you married someone else. I would have killed him. I had it planned out, even. I would have never let you move on and live your life.

“Layna, the way I feel about you, I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s an all-consuming need to protect you, to be with you, to claim you. You could be the deadliest poison, and I would happily gulp you down and ask for more with my dyingbreath. You could be a burning hot coal, and I would keep you right here”—he pressed a hand to his heart—“until you melted through my skin, until my flesh healed around you and you became a part of me.” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “Sometimes, I can’t fathom how you could love a man like me. I am wholly, utterly unworthy of you. But I swear to you, Layna—I am yours. I would burn this world to ash if it meant keeping you safe, keeping you mine. I would follow you to the ends of this realm and beyond, even if all I could ever touch was your shadow. Do you understand?”

A lone tear slid down her cheek, quickly kissed away. A watery laugh escaped her, and she nodded, unable to form words deserving of his declaration.

The bedsheet had fallen to her waist during his impassioned speech. His eyes trailed over her, and despite the warmth of the room, her bare skin pebbled under his hungry gaze.

“Finish the tea, then get on your hands and knees,” he growled, his eyes dark with desire.

Layna couldn’t gulp it fast enough.

Hours later, she stood under the lukewarm spray of the shower. Her skin still tingled with the remnants of pleasure—they had remained in bed until it became impossible to ignore the rumblings of their bellies. Zarian had left to buy food, and she had taken the time to freshen up.

The pulsing thrum of her powers had buzzed loudly since, as if angry to be parted from him.

Turning off the water, she secured a towel around herself and walked out. She had only taken a few steps when the door opened and Zarian entered, bags of food in hand. He froze, his eyes raking a searing trail over her body.

The dull pulsing quieted in her ears.

Within seconds, he’d tossed the food on the table and strode across the room. Crowding her against the wall, Zarian fell to his knees before her. Impatient fingers tugged at the towel, and it pooled around her feet.

By the time they made it to the table, the food had long since gone cold. She settled into one of the chairs, Zarian close behind. He set down one plate and two forks.

She shot him an inquisitive look. He gave her a tentative smile, tugging her chair until it slid right next to his, throwing his arm over the back.

“I thought we might share a plate?” he asked, a hopeful expression on his face. It was so endearing, her heart skipped a beat as if to remind her it had chosen him. She watched as he heaped generous portions of crispyfalafel, fluffy pita bread, and a bright red sauce onto their plate.

They ate in contented silence until he asked, “Ready for a conversation?” She had been dreading it, wishing they could remain in this peaceful bliss for a while longer.

She set down her fork, steeling herself with a shaky breath.

“I’m sorry for what I said. About your father and brother. It was cruel and unkind, and Ineverwant to hurt you, Zarian. I regretted it the moment it left my lips. I was angry with my mother and—”

“It’s all right,” he murmured, squeezing her shoulder. “Tell me what happened while I was gone.”

“My mother kept pushing Nizam into my path.” A muscle tensed in his jaw, and she feathered a kiss over it. “I avoided them as much as I could, but the night before Nizam left, I metwith her and Ebrahim. That’s when she told me—she sent you to the border to keep you away from me. I was so furious, I could barely think. And then—it just happened. Before I even knew what I’d done, light shot from my hands. It hit Ebrahim and sent him flying. He was all right, but Zarian … they were terrified. I can still see their faces—the sheer terror. Ofme.” She looked at him, then, afraid of what she’d find.

His face was pained, as if her words had wounded him. He held her tightly to his chest and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “I never should have left you,” he murmured.

“I never should have driven you to leave,” she whispered.

Zarian was silent, contemplating her words. “Who knew about your powers?”

“Mama, Ebrahim, and Soraya, of course.” She racked her brain. “Burhani was there when my light blasted Ebrahim. And Lady Mirah and Lord Saldeen were in the council room when I had that splitting headache. I don’t think my fingers were glowing, but I can’t be sure. And…”

“And?” he prompted.