Without hesitation, I flung myself into his arms, the overwhelming relief robbing my knees of strength.
“You’re alive!” I sobbed out, my words verging on hysterical. “I thought…When I heard they’d found a body, I thought…And I wasn’t with you today. You could have come down into the city on your own and…”
His strong arms circled me, holding me tight against him, steady despite my failing legs.
“I’m fine, Aria.” His reassuring murmur washed over me. “I wasn’t here when it happened. You’d mentioned coming to this market today, so I was heading in this direction when the shouting started. I followed the crowd the rest of the way.”
“You’re really unharmed?” I sniffed against his chest, and he tightened his hold.
“As you can see.”
I tried to draw back so I could get a proper look at him, but he didn’t loosen his hold. My gaze jumped to his face, catching there at the expression in his eyes.
“Zak.” My voice came out shaky, not yet recovered from the intensity of my panic.
“Aria,” he breathed back, his eyes dropping to my lips.
He swayed toward me, and I could think of nothing beyond my all-consuming relief that he was alive and well. I had told myself pretty words about friendship, but what I felt for Zak was much stronger than that, no matter what self-deceptions I employed. Despite all my attempts at caution, I had fallen headlong into love with him.
And the Shrouded Mage hadn’t found him. He was alive.
Strength returned to my legs, and I lifted my heels off the ground, closing the distance between us and pressing my lips against his. Fire raced through me as I forgot all about the crowded street or his mage status.
Zak was alive, and he was holding me in his arms.
“Aria!” A furious cry gave me half a second’s warning before someone grabbed my arm and ripped me violently away from Zak.
I cried out, stumbling and nearly falling as I was pulled sideways away from his warm grasp. Zak growled, stepping toward us and reaching for me, but I got a look at my attacker.
“Anson!” I gasped, the blood draining from my face. “What are you doing here?”
“Half of Corrin is here.” His narrowed eyes didn’t leave Zak’s face, not even glancing toward the covered body.
“Please, Anson,” I pleaded. “You don’t understand.”
Zak, who had looked ready to wrench me from Anson’s grasp, hesitated at the obvious familiarity between us. He threw me a questioning look, and I mouthed the words,my brother.
Zak’s expression changed, an almost guilty look creeping into his eyes. He cleared his throat and stepped back, giving us space.
“You promised, Aria.” Anson’s voice was implacable. “I was clearly a fool to trust you.”
He dragged me down the street, pausing only briefly as we passed Zak. “Mage or not,” he said in a threatening undertone, “don’t play with my sister.”
“I wasn’t—” Zak’s attempted response was lost in the noise of the crowd as Anson pulled me inexorably on.
The crowd parted before Anson’s angry expression, watching us go with curiosity, although no one attempted to intervene once they got a look at my resigned face. I could have pulled free—they knew it and I knew it. But I was already going to be in big trouble at home, and I didn’t want to make it worse.
I’m sorry,I mouthed at Zak over my shoulder, but I wasn’t sure if he’d seen me.
As soon as we’d made it through the crowd and were no longer at risk of being separated by the throng, I pulled my arm loose, nearly jogging to keep up with Anson’s fast pace.
“It wasn’t Zak’s fault.” My shoulders slumped. “He didn’t do anything.”
“It looked like he was doing plenty to me,” my brother growled.
“It was me.” I forced the words out, despite the humiliation sweeping over me. “When I heard there had been another murder, I was terrified it might have been him. When I saw him alive and well, I was so relieved that I…I got carried away.” I finished awkwardly.
At the time I had been convinced Zak was leaning toward me—that I was only finishing what he had begun. But walking beside Anson, it was all too easy to believe I had been mistaken. Caught up in overwhelming emotion, I had practically attacked Zak!
