Page 44 of Damned and Broken Gods
Leelaissoft, but she isnotweak. There is a quiet strength inside her.
Justice runs in her veins.
Honor rides her every breath.
Leela is a queen who needs no crown, and yet…she deserves one.
But her heart will betray her.
Her empathy will undo her.
And now those weaknesses have been exposed, the Asura will use them against her.
But if I can teach her to?—
What am I thinking? I’m lying with the enemy, contemplating protecting the very crown that I’ll have to wage war against one day.
A dull ache lances through my chest, and my throat pinches as I imagine us on opposite sides of a battlefield.
Knots form in my belly.
To be forced to strike her down…
But not if I can make her see my truth. Not if I take her with me. To be bymyside. Mine…
I reach out to touch her, fingers lingering in the air above her cheek. Mine…
I curl my fingers into my palm and breathe. These intense, all-consuming feelings…This desire to crawl into her skin and become one with her…
It’s the bond.
I must not lose sight of that.
Of my mission.
Of my goal.
I mustnotlet Leela be my downfall.
Chapter 16
Into The Thick Of It
LEELA
“You must eat something,” Araz said. “Even if it’s just some porridge.” He placed a bowl in front of me, and my stomach cramped.
I’d never been this nervous for anything in my life before, not even having to go into school knowing I’d be bullied.
This feeling, this sick, hollow yet full sensation made me want to curl up and shut out the world.
“I can’t. I’ll throw up.”
Araz sighed and lowered himself into the seat beside me at the dinner table. I looked up at him, bathed in morning sunlight, his warm brown skin glowing as if lit from within.
“You’re so pretty.” I pressed my lips together and groaned. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure why I said that.”
“Because it’s true,” he said. “I’m a delight to look at.” He arched a brow, the corner of his mouth lifting.
