With that, he crashes his lips into mine and kisses me hard, his mouth commanding, his body crowding me in the most possessivelydelicious way. He kisses me so senseless that I forget to argue. When he pulls away, I’m seeing starsinsidemy fuzzy brain.
“Don’t do anything rash,” he whispers.
And then he’s gone, disappearing around one of the walls in the crate maze, and I sink to my knees, trying to collect myself. A residual shiver coasts across my skin, and I bite my bruised, swollen bottom lip, wondering what had gotten into him.
Maybe he did it because we’re probably going to die in the next thirty seconds.
Literally a kiss of death.
A wild snort leaves me as sweat trails down my back, and I rise back to my feet to see if I can spot him.
“You there,” a voice barks from behind me, nearly making my heart burst out of my chest. “State your business.”
Palms high, I turn to see a hatchet-faced officer holding me on the business end of a crossbow, and I swallow my immediate jolt of panic. I try to look as young and as innocent as possible. “I’m supposed to be... on, ah... loading duty, but I think I got the wrong place. I’m new and kind of lost.”
His eyes narrow with suspicion, and the weapon doesn’t budge. My oblivious act is not going to work, not with this man, and not now with the entire fortress on full alert for intruders. “You look familiar. Wait, you’re that girl from the bounty...”
Greed flares in his stare as he trails off. The bounty on my head must be enormous. I don’t hesitate for a second more. I sink back into the countless exercises I’d done with Aran and reach deep. It’s me or him. Imagining my magic like a sticky web, I throw it out.Please work, please work, please work.
In the seconds it takes for him to inhale, bands of light from my palms have flared out, encircled, and immobilized him.
By the everlasting stars! I’m doing it!
My light flickers, and I suck in a breath, focusing hard. The greedylook in his eyes shifts to shock and then fear when he can’t move a muscle, even his tongue, and all I can do is hope that no more soldiers are patrolling with him. It’s taking all my concentration not to melt his body into a human puddle, but at least my control is holding.
For now.
At that moment, Roshan appears around the corner. He stops short, staring from me to the man. He doesn’t say a word, only gives me a stunned nod. The officer’s eyes widen, though with something other than fear—relief, maybe—as I release the web, and Roshan moves to stand behind him.
“Sir—”
But Roshan’s strong forearm cuts the rest of the man’s words from his mouth, and within seconds, he is slumped unconscious. The prince lowers his body carefully to the ground.
Relieved, I stare down at the sleeping officer. “Why did he call yousir?”
“Probably because of my uniform,” Roshan replies.
Belatedly, I notice that he has changed into an ebony uniform with gold bars on the sleeves, complete with a long official-looking purple cape, one that goes to the heels of his polished boots. He shoves a half-helm over his head that obscures the upper part of his face. I gape at him in awe—he looks even fiercer and more formidable than usual.
And absurdly hot.
Sex-on-a-stick Captain Roshan tosses a sealed bag at me. “I have a plan. If we can blend in, we can get across.”
Opening the package, I let out a curse at the soft, sheer fabric within. “What in the flaming sands is this?”
“A Kaldarian noble’s ceremonial dress.”
I narrow my eyes at him as I finger the sheer silk of the extravagant gown that probably costs more than a soldier makes in a year. “I’m not putting this on. I’ll look ridiculous.”
“It will buy us some time. Please, Suraya, trust me,” he says urgently.
“How about I just magic-web everyone?” I suggest with a confidence I don’t feel.
His lips flatten. “And then what? We just stand here holding them indefinitely?”
“Then you could put them all to sleep like that man. Piece of cake.” Literally anything would be better than dressing in this scrap of silk. “Besides, how do you expect me to run in this thing anyway without displaying my goodies to all and sundry?” I add, holding up a fistful of the voluminous fabric, irritated at the petulant note in my voice.
“I’m partial to your goodies.” He gives me the crooked smirk that I love, and I studiously ignore it because I’m too aggravated. “You’re wasting time. I’m dressed as a senior commanding officer of the Dahaka. It will be easier for us to get across if you look like a dignitary from Kaldari whom I’m escorting elsewhere.Trustme.”
