Page 83 of Wild Flame

“Malik’s mother. . .” I said, my voice suddenly rather faint as I absently plucked one, staring down at it. I thought back to that night when Malik had followed me into the city, then back to the palace. How we stood in front of my chamber door, and how he had taken in my hair and eyes in the faint torchlight—my reddish hair and violet-gray eyes—and then first whispered the endearment. The same night I had stared back into his penetrating eyes and felt truly seen for the first time in my life. And nearly every day since.

“Are you all right, Leida?” Zara asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” I replied in a small voice, reaching out to stroke the delicate velvety texture of the petals, feeling something in my heart squeeze and refuse to let go. “Yes, I’m fine.” My mind whirled. All this time.Isholet. Hidden flame.That he had thought of me that way . . . called me that, even back then. And knowing what it meant to him.His mother’s favorite.

His mark. The flaming flower on his arm.

I sucked in a breath at the realization, only now recognizing I had been holding it. I stared at the flower. And a strange sense of urgency overtook me.

I had to go. I had to go find him . . . or . . . thank him. I needed—

“I have to go,” I said aloud.

Zara blinked. “Go? Now? Where?”

But I didn’t take the time to answer her. Instead, I spun and strode up to Selasi. “Where is Malik right now?”

His brow pinched. “He was preparing to leave for Henevar, my queen. He’s probably in the main courtyard, if they haven’t already left. Wait! Where are you going?”

Again, I didn’t answer, and I didn’t stop. Even when Zara called after me, and I could feel my guards following. In fact, I didn’t stop until I found myself taking the stone steps down to the wide courtyard several minutes later.

Relief washed through me when I saw that Malik and his men hadn’t yet left. Dragons in their minor and natural forms filled the space, but I hardly took notice as I made my way over to where Azrun stood near the center of all the activity. I was so used to seeing him in his minor form that sometimes I forgot how massive he was. A small thrill went through me when I saw Malik standing near him. He was surrounded by his men as he listened to something one of them was saying. Harun and Taj were among them, as well as another member of the Fangdar,Sumal. I had not had any real interactions with him since his duties were mostly in other parts of Zehvi. They were all clad in dragonscale armor and if I wasn’t so focused on my goal of reaching him, I might have taken note of how magnificent Malik looked.

As I approached, Taj noticed me first and said something to Malik. Malik’s eyes snapped to me. His dark brow furrowed, and he immediately came striding over.

“What is it, Leida? Is something wrong?”

I wondered why he would assume something was wrong, then realized I had never sought him out like this before.

“No, nothing is wrong. I simply wanted . . . to um . . . to tell you that . . . that I . . .” I trailed off as I glanced around, becoming aware of all the attention on us. His men kept a respectful distance, but I could still feel their curiosity and concern. And now that I was here and staring up into those warm golden-brown eyes filled with questions, my nerve wavered, and I suddenly felt unbearably . . .shy.

When I said nothing further, he stepped closer. “Leida, what is it? We need to leave—"

“I came to tell you that I know,” I finally blurted, a little too loudly, considering how close he stood.

“You know?” he repeated, watching me closely, trying to assess what had me so worked up.

I swallowed hard, clutching the flower in my hands as I explained, “I know what it means.”

His gaze dropped to the flower in my hand, then back to my face.

I reached slowly forward and ran the tips of my fingers ever so delicately across the binding mark on his wrist.The flower.I met his stare. “I know what it means.”

I watched comprehension dawn.

That infernal blush came over my cheeks at that look, and I glanced down. And for perhaps the first time in my life, I found myself blabbering. “We were in the gardens, and I saw this, and Zara told me what it meant . . . and then I had to see you, and I just sort of found myself here, and I—”

Warm fingers tilted my chin. My gaze shot up to his as he leaned down, so we were now eye to eye.

We stared at each other.

The flower dropped to the ground as my arms encircled his neck and I crushed my mouth to his. He responded instantly by wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me up with him as he straightened to his full height. My feet dangled in the air, but he held me securely against his body.Realms!Ilovedhow big he was.

I nipped at his bottom lip until he growled. I was so wrapped up in the moment—in him—that I hadn’t noticed the men around us whistling and cat-calling. I pulled back and glanced around at the grinning riders and then hid my face in Malik’s neck in complete embarrassment.

What was I thinking? Kissing him in public?

When I finally pulled back, Malik brushed my nose with his. “Do not be embarrassed, siren. They are simply happy to see their king is happy with his queen. It is good for our people to see such things.”

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