Page 127 of Storm of Desire
He should have tried this daysago.
She scowled. "Be careful or you'll undo all your goodwork."
A surge of dark laughter went through him. Drawing the sword he wore at his belt, he stabbed it into the earth to make it clear he came in peace, before striding forward to the top of thehill.
"Wait!"
She caught his arm, and Siriuspaused.
Wind blew strands of Malin's brown hair across her forehead. Those rosy lips parted, her eyes wide, as she fought to say something andfailed.
There were a thousand unspoken words left betweenthem.
"Thank you," she whispered, her thumb stroking over the vambrace on his arm. Malin's dark lashes fluttered as she slowly looked up at him. "I will tell the prince everything you've done forme."
He felt the hot stroke of her hand as if it were on his naked skin, and every single muscle in his stomach locked uptight.
"Don't make me out to be a hero. Rurik knows who Iam."
"Maybe," she whispered, her brown eyes so very large. "I thought I knew too. But now I'm not sosure."
Pressing her hand to his chest, she lifted up onto her toes, and Sirius's breath caught in his chest. He turned his face sharply, just as she went to press her lips to his cheek. Their mouths met instead, a spark of lightning jolting through him at the unexpected contact. Malin's hand trembled against his chest, and while she didn't draw back, she didn't press forwardeither.
Instead she hovered there, her eyes very wide as their breathmingled.
It was all he could do not to capture her face and kiss her properly. Thedrekibeat its wings inside him, demanding one lasttaste.
He might never see heragain.
He hoped he'd never have cause to see heragain.
But then she slowly lowered herself onto her heels, her palm sliding down the center of his chest, and her cheeks flushed with warmdesire.
The moment to press forward wasover.
His lips stilltingled.
"Don't get yourself killed.Please," shesaid.
"You'll be safe here," he told her roughly. "Whatever else might fall between Rurik and me, he has my respect. He's an honorabledreki."
Silence.
Her hand slowly withdrew from hischest.
Malin's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't say that if you believed he'd had anything to do with his father'sdeath."
Sirius's teeth snapped together. The moment was definitely gone, but his head was still in the clouds, to be so careless with hiswords.
"Your father said he did. Your aunt said he did. But youknowhe didn't kill his father." The words held a question behind them. "Why would you be socertain?"
"Malin—"
"Why would you be so certain he was honorable?" sherepeated.
He glanced up, at the visibly largerdrekiflying toward him. The storm was coming. A whirlwind of secrets threatening to tear his world apart. "Because I know whodid."
Malin gasped, capturing his hand in hers. "Sirius! One word from you, and the entire court would know their prince was innocent of the charges. You have to tell them." She caught her breath, spots of red blooming in her cheeks. "They would overthrow the queen and your father if they knew. Rurik could return. We could be—" She broke off. "Thecourtwould be a place of light and laughteragain."
