Page 21 of Wild Flame

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 theNine 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 bymygiven 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 yousiren. 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.

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