Page 12 of Wild Flame (Wild Bond #2)
Chapter Twelve
A s I made my way out into the city the following night, I couldn’t help but feel again like I was being watched. But every time I looked around, I couldn’t see anything suspicious amongst the revelers. Part of me wondered why I had even bothered sneaking out this time since Malik already knew—not that I had been doing it to avoid him specifically, but . . . But the thought of having my guards trailing my every move and potentially reporting my visit back to my father or my mother or Leif . . . It all just sounded exhausting. I would be fine on my own and would only be gone for a few hours. No one would be the wiser.
Shrugging off the feeling of being watched, I made my way to the small theater where a particular performance I had wanted to see was taking place. It was a lighthearted play that I had heard some people discussing a few nights before. When I arrived, it was standing room only, so I found a place towards the back to watch. The show got underway, and I had only been enjoying it for a few minutes when a familiar voice spoke behind me.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
I turned in shock to find Malik standing close at my back.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed.
“I followed you,” he admitted with a grin.
I guess I now knew who had been watching me.
His clothing was nondescript, though still of fine make. A swath of fabric had been pulled up over his head, much like the cowl of a cloak, the sides trailing back over either shoulder. If you weren’t looking too closely, the man before me could pass for an average, though wealthy, Zehvitian. No one would have any idea their prince was among them. And the look worked for him, emphasizing his sharp cheekbones and darkly masculine features. The man was a chameleon—one of the fascinating creatures that could change its appearance at will that I had first seen in one of these very markets—changing his clothing and adapting his persona to fit any situation.
“Where is your dragon?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice down so as to not interrupt the performance.
“Nearby.” The crowd pressed close in the small space, and he was now so close he was nearly molded to my back. “It would be hard for me to truly enjoy the delights of the city with Azrun dogging my heels, letting every passerby know my identity. He is quite hard to conceal.”
“Don’t want your people to see you out amongst them?”
“Not at all,” he replied. “But I wanted to follow you and finally see where you sneak off to every night. I could hardly do that with a contingent of guards or the eyes of my people constantly on me, now could I?”
“You could just mind your own affairs and leave me be,” I offered.
“Oh, but I so enjoy seeing you all flustered and watching that furrow appear between your brows.” He made to touch it, and I waved his hand away with a scowl. That infuriating grin widened. Then, after a moment, he said, “Does that friend of yours that doubles as a statue know you’re here?”
I glared at him. “His name is Leif, which you very well know, and he’s not a statue,” I protested.
“He is,” Malik argued. “He’s large, silent, and has the personality of a rock. So . . . a statue.”
“He does not have—ugh,” I bit back my response and turned away, refusing to be drawn in by another one of his baiting comments.
He made a noise that was a mixture between a scoff and a chuckle that rumbled against my back. I pretended to ignore him and watch the performance.
He flashed me a skeptical look I caught out of the corner of my eye. “He’s in love with you, you know.”
Surprise lit through me at his ridiculous statement, quickly followed by disbelief. I turned to glare at him. “Leif is not in love with me,” I stated emphatically. “Why would you ever think such a thing?”
He just looked at me. “Because it’s the truth. Anyone can see it. Any man, anyway. He wants you. And I would vow to the Nine themselves that the only reason he hasn’t acted on it is because you are his king’s daughter.”
“You’re wrong,” I said vehemently. But even as I denied it, I thought back on my interactions with Leif over the years and especially since coming to Zehvi. Lingering looks I had dismissed, or at least seen in a different light until now, things he had done—said . . . No. I refused to believe it. Leif didn’t see me as anything other than his princess and friend. Nothing more.
“I’m not wrong,” Malik replied, that familiar arrogance making an appearance once again. “You may not want to see it right now, but it is the truth.” He shrugged, his eyes returning to the performers on stage. “Though it makes no difference. He won’t be an obstacle, no matter how he feels.”
I stared at his handsome profile, trying my best to ignore the sandalwood and amber scent of him. “And what is that supposed to mean?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice quiet after someone shot me a disgruntled look. “Obstacle to what?”
His gaze returned to mine then, and there was a flash of something like heat in his eyes. But it was gone in the next flicker of light, and I was left to wonder if I had seen it at all. “As I said, it makes no difference.”
Rolling my eyes at his non-answer, I turned back to face the stage. I really should just leave. I hadn’t been able to take in much of the performance since Malik had shown up. And there was no way I could concentrate now.
I was considering this when the man in question leaned down and murmured in my ear, “I like seeing you in Zehvitian garb, Princess. You could almost pass for one of us, save for this lovely pale skin,” he stroked his warm, rough fingers down the side of my cheek, “or those distinctive violet eyes of yours.”
“They’re not violet. They’re gra—” My breath caught as he turned my face to meet his, our mouths suddenly mere inches apart. I glanced down at his lips for the briefest of moments and then back to his eyes. They were studying me, as if waiting. Waiting for what, though, I wasn’t sure. I swallowed, suddenly having a hard time breathing. It took all of my iron will to force my body and thoughts back under my control.
“I think it’s time I go,” I murmured, nearly against his lips.
He said nothing, and for another infinite second, neither of us moved. Then I spun away, moving swiftly out of the crowd and out of the theater. I fought to calm my racing heart as I strode back out onto the lively street and began heading in the direction of the palace.
“I did not mean to cut your evening short,” Malik said, coming up beside me.
Of course, he had followed me.
“Stay,” he pleaded. “Surely there is something else to hold your attention a little longer. A different performance, perhaps?”
I ignored his question and kept walking, trying and failing miserably to lose him in the crowds. Why had the Nine cursed me with such blasted short legs and this blasted . . . tyrant with such incredibly long ones?
After several moments, he huffed out, “Fine. If you insist on going back, I will accompany you.”
“I don’t need you to accompany me, Your Highness,” I hissed under my breath, but he was close enough that I knew he’d heard me. “By all means, stay and enjoy the celebration. I don’t want or need your protection or company. I am perfectly capable of returning to the palace on my own.”
To my utter irritation, he completely ignored what I said and mentioned with a hint of amusement in his tone, “That reminds me. It is rather impressive that you managed to leave your rooms without the statue or your guards noticing. I’m guessing they don’t know about your rather impressive climbing abilities?”
We were steering into dangerous waters with this line of questioning, and the man at my side looked all too intrigued waiting for my answer.
“I’ve spent my entire life going unnoticed and being underestimated by those around me. I’ve learned a few things.” And that wasn’t a lie.
I glanced over and hated how much I liked it when his face softened. “Siren—” he began, but was cut off by a guard.
“State your business,” the man said, looking us both over skeptically. We had reached the palace gate.
A muscle in Malik’s jaw ticked as he continued to stare at me for a moment before turning to the guard. He simply pulled down his head covering. “Good evening, warrior.”
The man’s eyes grew comically wide. “M-My prince!” he stammered with a hasty bow. “My apologies, Sire. I did not realize you were out and, ah—” The man finally took a second glance at me. “My lady.” He gave me a slight nod.
Malik put the poor guard out of his misery. “If you could let us in, please.” He said this with a raised brow, and I could have sworn that even in the darkness and with the man’s complexion, his cheeks darkened.
“O-Of course, my prince. Yes. Right away.”
The guard moved aside, and Malik and I strode up the road to the main courtyard at the palace entrance. I was glad I had remembered to veer in this direction at the last moment rather than toward my usual path. The last thing I needed was for Malik to see how I normally got in and out of the palace grounds. Though he had been following me, so who knew what he had seen or had been reported to him before announcing his presence earlier?
The hour was such that we encountered no one except a few stationed guards on our way into the palace and back up to my room—guards who didn’t even bat an eye at seeing their prince attired so, and with me of all people.
Neither of us spoke as he escorted me through the labyrinth that was this palace until we reached the corridor where my chamber was located.
As we approached my door, the two guards stationed there froze in surprise when they recognized me. One glanced toward the closed door, then back at me. “Your Highness, when—how did you—"
We came to a halt outside my door, and Malik shot my guards a scathing glare. “Your incompetence is astounding. If you were one of my warriors, I would have you mucking out stables for a month for this. Her Highness is fine, no thanks to you, but I suggest you take better care of your charge in the future. Now go stand at the end of the hall.”
The two men looked first to me and then back at Malik.
“Now!” Malik barked, and the guards complied.
I turned to face him only once they were out of earshot. I thought briefly about scolding him for what he had said to them, but then thought better of it. He hadn’t been wrong. I had taken advantage of my guards' incompetence for years, after all.
“I would say thank you for escorting me, but it really was unnecessary,” I said, once again forcing myself to ignore the persistent flutter in my belly as I looked at him.
“It was necessary.” His tone took on a more serious edge. “Even during the Rites, the streets of Taveran are not safe for a woman out alone at night.” Those eyes—a mix of swirling chocolate and amber framed by thick, dark brows—were like two lures pulling me in with their intensity as he leaned close and added, “Especially one as beautiful as you.”
A jolt of pleasure ran through me at the compliment, but then it was ruined by his next words.
“Promise me you will not go out into the city again without someone to accompany you.”
“I have been exploring the city on my own since I got here and haven’t had a problem.” I wanted to add that I was perfectly capable of defending myself. But he knew that. He knew I had training—just not to what extent—and he was still concerned.
His gaze traveled to my hair and then my eyes. “Promise me , isholet ,” he insisted, his slight accent more pronounced as the foreign word rolled gently off his tongue, almost as if he did not mean to say it.
We were standing close again—very close—close enough to kiss. Now, where had that thought come from? I had no business thinking something like that. No matter how tempting the man before me was. I was also very aware that Leif was sleeping in the room across the hall, only a few feet from where we now stood. Shaking off my runaway thoughts, and trying to ignore the thrum of awareness in my body, I whispered, “I can’t promise that.”
His jaw hardened in frustration. “ Siren. ”
I shook my head. I refused to give up my newfound freedom. I was willing to take the risk if it meant I could enjoy my time here fully before I had to return to Halmar and that cold, unfeeling existence that awaited me. “Who are you to demand such a thing? I am a Princess of Halmar. You aren’t my king, my father, or my husband. You are my host, and nothing more.”
Something flared in his eyes at that. His scorching gaze caressed my skin, and I could tell he wanted to protest further, but he didn’t. His jaw flexed again, and he simply nodded.
Regaining my composure and softening my voice, I murmured, “Goodnight, Malik.”
“Goodnight, Princess,” he replied.
Stepping away from him, I reached back and opened my door, intending to go inside, but my name on his lips stopped me.
“Leida?”
I met his gaze once more and found a softness there I wasn’t expecting.
“You have a flame . . . a spirit inside you . . . I noticed it that day in the throne room. And its beauty and power are too great to ever go unnoticed or be forgotten.”
I was so stunned by his words that I could think of nothing at all to say in response as he nodded once and strode back down the hall.
“I heard you had a late evening last night,” Leif said the next morning as I was eating my breakfast. We were in my rooms, and I had invited Leif to join me. He sat across from me, his dragon curled at his feet.
I glanced up after taking a sip of the delicious fruit juice I had come to love here. “Did you?” I kept my tone light. Two guesses who he had heard that from. One of my useless guards had talked.
He stared at me, that stoic face giving nothing away. He had always had the patience of a saint, even when we were children. “Leida, what happened?”
I shrugged, again keeping my tone nonchalant. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a stroll in the gardens.” It was not a complete lie. And the guards had only seen me returning with Malik. They didn’t know I had been out in the city.
“And if you were only taking a stroll in the gardens . . . why not just take your guards with you?”
“Is it a crime to want some time to myself?” I tried deflecting.
“It is when your safety is at risk.” He placed his callused hand on the table before him and Wormoth shifted agitatedly at his feet. “Princess Zara was nearly assassinated not two days ago, and you decide it is a good time to be going out at night alone?”
He was starting to sound like Malik. “I was the one who stopped the assassin,” I reminded him.
“That is beside the point.” When I said nothing, he stroked a hand over his beard, then stared at me. “And Prince Malik?”
Realms! “What about him?”
“He just happened to be in the garden as well?”
Leif might be surprised to know how often I actually had run into Malik in the gardens. “We ran into each other, and he felt obligated to escort me back to my room.” Again, not a total lie.
Leif regarded me for a moment, and I could have sworn I saw his eyes darken. In frustration? Annoyance? For the life of me, I couldn’t put a name to the emotion. “You have to be careful, Leida. He is a man—a Zehvitian man— and they . . . you can’t allow yourself to be taken in.”
“Taken in?”
Leif shifted slightly obviously uncomfortable to be discussing this. “He might be charming, but Prince Malik has . . . a reputation , and you have little experience with—"
“Stop,” I commanded. My face flushed with anger or embarrassment, I wasn’t sure. “Just stop. My experience, or lack thereof, had no bearing on last night. Nothing happened. Not that anything that happens between Mal—the prince—and I is any of your concern.”
“It is my concern.” His voice was measured. “Because I am your friend, and I care about you, and I would be remiss in my duty to your father if I did not caution you against—”
“I don’t need to be protected from Prince Malik,” I interrupted him. “And I certainly don’t need you to caution me against him .”
We stared at each other as silence reigned in the room. Then Leif glanced away and shook his head once before he stood and dipped his head formally to me. “As you say, Princess. If you will excuse me.”
His use of the formal address stung, as did the fact that he didn’t look back as he turned and left. Wormoth following behind him.
I pushed my plate away and stared out the window into the gardens. Frustration boiled through me. I knew Leif’s heart was in the right place, but I had spent nearly my entire life being told what to do. And now that I was experiencing a slight taste of freedom, I resented being admonished like I couldn’t make my own decisions. It reminded me too much of what my life was like in Halmar. And maybe that terrified me a bit—the thought of losing the small bit of self that I had gained since I had come here.
Glancing back at the breakfast table, I began running my finger through the condensation at the side of my now weeping glass.
And if I was being fair, when it came to Malik, Leif truly hadn’t been that far off the mark. Nothing had happened with him last night, but it almost had.
And you wanted it to, I thought. Had I? I wasn’t sure. Mostly because I had no idea what it would mean. Malik was all but promised to another, and yet he was spending so much time with me. Did he simply like teasing me? Was Leif right, and he was simply playing me? I truly had no idea. I had little experience with men and courting, but part of me still seriously doubted that he was pursuing me with any real intent. Why would he? My father would have more to gain in the event of a marriage alliance than Zehvi would, so I doubted it was for political reasons. And there were plenty of other women here—riders even—who were beautiful and who were eager for Malik’s attentions, while I rebuffed him at every turn.
And yet . . . my mind drifted once more to last night and the look in his eyes when he nearly kissed me. My heart started beating faster at the mere memory.