Page 109 of Wild Flame

I halted when his hand touched my chin and gently turned my face so he could see the cut there. I didn’t have to be looking at his face to know that he was furious. I felt it in the way he stiffened and the air suddenly turned electric around us.

“Who did this to you?” he demanded in a lethal tone that made a shiver race down my back.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, swallowing hard. I couldn’t bring myself to admit what had happened. That it was my mother who had struck me. Somehow, having to admit that to him made it even worse. Shame and humiliation washed over me.

Malik looked at my guards.

“Who did this to her?” he repeated in that same deadly tone.

“It was her mother, my king,” came Selasi’s stiff voice. “They were speaking in the gallery. We were stationed at the door, so we did not see it happen.”

“Do not be angry with them, Malik,” I said in a small voice. “Who would think that she—that a mother—would . . .” I bit my lip as it trembled, hating myself for my loss of control, for giving that woman any more of my tears.

Without another word, Malik took my hand and led me away. Before I knew it, he had ushered me into his office. It looked the same as it had before, only now there was no one else in the room. Azrun must be outside the palace.

The guards stationed themselves outside the door, and before Malik closed it, he ordered, “Fetch Queen Petra and bring her here. Now. Do not take no for an answer.”

“My king,” was the murmured reply before Yesh bowed and left.

Malik found a cloth from somewhere and pressed it gently to my bleeding cheek. He said nothing as we waited, but there was a storm of emotion in his eyes.

We didn’t have to wait long before there was a knock. The door opened again, and my mother stepped through.

She looked cool and collected as she entered and gave nothing away as she took in Malik’s murderous expression and saw me standing a few feet behind him.

The door had scarcely closed behind her before my mother began, “Your Majesty, I—"

“How dare you lay a hand on my wife!” Malik thundered, and my mother froze. “How dare you lay a hand on the Queen of Zehvi!” His voice was like ice, and angrier than I had ever heard it as he glared daggers at her.

My mother’s face was as cold as usual, but I saw her spine stiffen. “She is my daughter. I will treat her as I see fit.”

“Raising a hand to your child in anger is never acceptable, no matter their age. And Leida may be related to you by blood, but it is my understanding that you have never treated her as a mother should, and therefore have not earned the right to call her your daughter.”

Her eyes flared. “Earned the right?"

Malik’s voice was more level now, full of quiet fury. “If you were not Leida’s mother, and a queen yourself, I would even now be watching as my dragon sliced your body to ribbons and burned your remains until they were nothing more than a black mark on the stone.”

“Is that a threat?” she demanded. She truly appeared stunned by his words.

Malik continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “But you are a queen, Petra, and therefore you should have considered that, if I so choose, what you have done today could be considered grounds for war between our two kingdoms.”

I stifled a gasp and saw a flicker of fear pass over my mother’s usually stony expression as what she had done slowly began to sink in.

“I . . . well,” she sputtered, “surely you wouldn’t . . . She is my daughter.”

“No,” Malik retorted, “she is my queen. And she is a fierce and beautiful woman who has never once deserved your hateful treatment of her. She could have been a caring daughter to you and an asset to your kingdom, but instead, you chose to belittle and neglect her.” He glanced at me, then back to my mother. “It is your loss.”

For once in her life, my mother appeared speechless.

Malik continued to glare at her. “For Leida’s sake, I will not pay back the grave insult you have shown her, and by extension me, by retaliating against your kingdom. But I will forbid you from approaching her or contacting her in any way from this day forward, unless she herself seeks you out. Am I understood?”

My mother swallowed hard. “But the wedding—"

“Whether you attend the wedding any longer is up to Leida. Am I understood?”

She didn’t spare me a glance as she straightened her spine and murmured, “Yes.”

“Good,” Malik replied. “Now get out.”

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