Page 100 of Wild Flame

I was only a few minutes from the palace now and I quickened my pace as I turned down an alley and nearly walked straight into Leif.

“Hello, Leida,” Leif greeted.

I froze, then scrambled back several paces. Shock ran through me, followed quickly by the instinctive need to flee. Leif—Leif was here. But he couldn’t be here—couldn’t see me— I thought briefly about running, escaping back down the street I had just come from, but then I noted Wormoth standing at Leif’s feet and I knew there was no use. I couldn’t run from a dragon.

Still, I forced myself to straighten and face Leif head on.

“When I realized someone was listening, I sent Wormoth to investigate. Imagine my surprise when he told me it was you. He would recognize you anywhere, just as I would, even if you have no scent.” His sharp gaze took in my outfit in the dim light. “You’ve been keeping secrets, Leida,” he observed darkly.

“I’m not the only one,” I replied, trying and failing to keep the accusation from my tone as I did.

He tensed, but his expression was almost tired. Resigned. “What you heard . . . it’s not what you think.”

“It’s not?” I challenged. “So I didn’t hear that you are working with Nilfren to help him cover up his involvement in the Fleshfire trade? And that Fleshfire had something to do with the attack on Unari?”

Leif shook his head. “Leida, there are things you don’t understand. Nilfren is working for someone. Someone powerful. I haven’t been able to find out who, but—"

“I understand plenty,” I said, cutting him off. “I understand that you knew. You knew all along and said nothing. Why? Why not just come to me or Malik the minute you discovered what Nilfren was doing?” I couldn’t stop the small note of hurt in my tone.

I knew he heard it by the slight twitch under his eye. “I had no other choice,” he finally admitted, more emotion in his words than I had ever heard before. “I was protecting you, protecting Halmar. When I discovered what Nilfren was doing, I wanted no part in it.” Leif’s face hardened and his dragon shifted agitatedly at his feet. “I helped him cover it all up so our country—your father—wouldn’t be implicated. Soyouwouldn’t be implicated. I knew there would be no forgiveness, especially not after the attack. Not when Fleshfire or at least some form of it was to blame.”

“He’s not the man you think he is, Leif. Malik would have listened.Iwould have listened.”

Leif looked at me with pity. “Yourhusbandwould not have shown mercy.He would’ve blamed Halmar for all of it. There would be another war. I couldn’t take that risk.”

“Do you truly believe he is so merciless? There would have been repercussions and severe and probably violent retribution,” I allowed, “but against those responsible. Malik is rational. He would not blame Halmar if they were not found to be behind it.” I stared at Leif. The man who was—or that once had been my friend. “Why are you so determined to hate him?”

Leif didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. He finally met my eyes, and the raw emotion in them nearly halted my breath. My next words died before they could reach my lips. For the first time, I saw that Malik had been right. Leif was in love with me, or at least he cared for me enough to act rashly. My heart panged at the realization.

“You know why,” he finally murmured.

“Leif—“ I began, not even sure what I was going to say.

“Don’t, Leida,” Leif cut me off, releasing a bitter laugh. “Just . . . don’t. You’re in love with him, and what I feel for you doesn’t change that.”

I bit my lip as my eyes stung with tears and my heart broke just a little.

“Does he know about this?” Leif asked, gesturing to my clothes.

I shook my head.

“It was Silvanus, wasn’t it?” Leif stated coldly, as if he was just now putting the pieces together. “All that time. He wasn’t just training you, was he?”

I didn’t respond.

We just stared at each other. There was so much happening behind his eyes. So much he wasn’t saying—thatweweren’t saying.

Finally, I could take the silence no longer.

“Come back with me,” I pleaded. “We can talk to Malik. Explain. You can help us.”

Leif shook his head emphatically. “It’s too late for that now.”

“I’m not keeping this from Malik,” I told him. “So, unless you are planning to silence me, you’ll have to run—"

“I would never harm you.” He looked angry that I would even imply such a thing. “You know I wouldn’t—”

“Do I?” I countered. “Apparently, we don’t know each other as well as we thought we did.”

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