Page 8 of Wild Flame (Wild Bond #2)
Chapter Eight
A s I pushed open the large double doors to the library a few nights later, I had to hold in my gasp as I took it in. The high ceiling above was at least three stories tall, and the walls were filled with shelves and shelves of books. Curved stairs off to one side led up to the higher floors. Desks and chairs of dark wood and elaborate scrollwork designs were scattered amidst the shelves. Large windows let in faint moonlight. Though glass-covered lanterns had been lit around the space, they had to work hard to dispel the shadows.
The scent of dust and aged parchment hit my nose, and it felt like coming home as I stepped inside. It always amazed me that no matter where you were in the world, a library—and books—always smelled the same. I found comfort in that.
I motioned at the two guards trailing me to stay by the doors. The quiet around me was absolute, save for my footsteps as they echoed on the stone floor. No one else was about that I could see, and I was grateful.
Running my fingers along the spines of the books on the nearest shelf, I scanned the titles. Almost all were written in the common tongue, only a few I spotted on higher shelves were in ancient Zehvitian. These all appeared to be encyclopedic texts having to do with flora and fauna, so I made my way further into the stacks. I wandered for a time with no real direction in mind, random titles catching my eye, A History of Queen Lethara’s Reign, A Collection of Fanciful Tales , and an entire section dedicated to dragon anatomy. Eventually, I came across a book entitled Tales of Forbidden Love & Love Lost.
Pulling out the old tome bound in red leather with faded gold lettering, I quickly realized that it was a collection of romantic Zehvitian tales. I decided to find somewhere to settle in to read.
Turning, I made my way down the aisle in the opposite direction from which I had come, towards a pool of warm light. Assuming its source was just more lanterns, I was nearly startled out of my wits when I stepped around the end of the aisle to find someone sitting there.
A small shriek escaped me before I covered my mouth to halt the sound.
None other than Prince Malik sat there lounging back on a thickly cushioned divan with a book open in his lap, and his dragon, Azrun, curled at his feet. At my scream, the red dragon’s long neck rose, and those too-intelligent eyes took me in while I fought to calm my racing heart.
Malik’s features betrayed no surprise at seeing me, other than a raised brow. His dragon had no doubt heard me and had alerted him to someone else’s presence.
“Are you all right, Princess?” he asked, getting to his feet, a twinkle of humor in his dark eyes.
“Fine,” I assured him, lowering my hand from my mouth. “I-I didn’t think that anyone else was here. My apologies for the outburst and for disturbing you.”
“You aren’t disturbing me,” he assured. “I often come here when sleep eludes me. And though you may have woken the Nine themselves with your screaming, I assure you my heart can take it.”
My pulse calmed somewhat at his teasing. If I had been less on guard with this man, I might have even smiled a little. “It gladdens me greatly to know your heart will go on beating, Your Highness.” My tone was drier than the Daazi Desert. Internally, I castigated myself for such a sarcastic remark. Realms! I couldn’t say such things to him. He was Zehvi’s future king. Why did my mouth always run away from me when I was around this man? I couldn’t help but feel . . . provoked .
Luckily, he didn’t seem offended. Instead he—
Just then, my two guards came dashing around a bookshelf. “Is everything all right, Your Highness?” one asked, eyeing the prince and his dragon warily.
“Fine,” I told them. “I was just startled, that’s all. Please go back and wait for me. I won’t be long.”
After only a moment’s pause, they did as I bid and shuffled off.
When I turned back to Prince Malik, he was frowning after them. “You need better guards.”
“I hardly see why that is a concern of yours.” I raised a brow. “Where are your guards, Your Highness?”
His gaze returned to me, and he nodded at Azrun.
Which I suppose was answer enough.
Then he took a step closer to me and said simply, “Malik.”
I blinked. “Sorry?”
His smirk turned into a full grin. “I give you leave to call me Malik. When we’re in private, at least. You are royalty yourself, after all. Surely, we should be able to call one another by our given names.”
“I don’t recall giving you leave to call me by my given name,” I argued, refusing to acknowledge the warmth that had spread through my chest at his words.
His eyes twinkled, as if my response delighted him.
Strange man.
“Then I shall have to continue calling you siren . The name is much more fitting, anyway.”
I fought my blush at his reference to our less than dignified encounter in the garden. Thank the Nine no one else had seen. “No! That’s not what I— ugh !” I nearly felt like stomping my foot in frustration. “You can’t seriously intend to keep calling me that.”
He shrugged those very broad shoulders. “Of course I can.” He peered down. “What are you reading?” Before I knew it, the book I was holding had disappeared from my hand and was in his. “ Tales of Forbidden Love & Love Lost ,” he read aloud. His gaze assessed me. “I would not have taken you for a romantic, my lady.”
Stepping forward, I snatched the book back, and he didn’t resist. “As previously discussed, there is a lot you don’t know about me, Your Highness.”
“Malik,” he corrected.
“And if you must know,” I continued speaking as if I had not heard him, “I happen to love such things. Even if they are frivolous.”
“I never said it was frivolous.”
He was right. But his teasing had come too close to an old wound. “It’s what my mother always called anything that she deemed impractical.” My voice softened somewhat. “Anytime I wanted to read anything of the sort, I would have to hide it from her, or she would take it away from me. Eventually, she had anything fictional removed from the keep completely.” I wasn’t sure why I had shared that detail with him. It had just come out.
“That hardly seems fair,” he murmured.
I snorted. “If you knew my mother, you’d know fair doesn’t factor into it.”
His brows drew together, and something close to sympathy flickered in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I bristled slightly at his words and shrugged. “It’s fine. My sister got really good at sneaking books to me whenever she could, and I got really good at hiding them.” I had learned at an early age never to show a preference or love for anything around my mother. It would become just another tool she would use against me.
His head tilted slightly, and those eyes of his never left me as I spoke. It was kind of unnerving to be the object of such a stare. It almost reminded me of a dragon’s, intent and focused as it was.
“You’re close to your sister?” he asked.
“We’re twins,” I said in answer.
His lip twitched. “I see.”
Feeling suddenly vulnerable, I clutched the book to my chest. “Well, then . . . I will bid you goodnight.”
“Nonsense.” He gestured to another divan across the low table from his. “Please, sit.” The spot looked warm and inviting, and I had no doubt that if he weren’t here, it would have been the exact place I would have chosen for myself to read the night away.
But he was here.
“No, thank you,” I insisted. “I really should get to bed.” Reluctantly, I placed the book on the table.
But before I could step away, he picked it up and handed it back to me. Our eyes met. “You are allowed to take books from the library, siren.” Our fingers brushed briefly as I accepted it, clutching it to my chest. “Though your invitation to join me here is always open.”
Unexpected warmth suffused me at the gesture. This man kept surprising me. He was both exactly—and not at all—what I expected, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. It was a moment before I remembered myself and nodded before murmuring, “Goodnight, Malik.”
“Goodnight, Princess.”
His words, spoken in that rich tone, followed me down the aisle, out of the library, and all the way back to my darkened chambers. It was only after I had changed and climbed into bed that I realized I had called him by his name.