“I’m not giving any feedback on any disgusting pet names you have for each other,” Zafir replied, his voice clipped and harsh.
I smiled sweetly up at Julian. “Hmm, I like it. Starshine.” I leaned into him. “Say it again.”
“Starshine,” Julian purred, delighted.
The chain jerked taut as Zafir hurried to stride ahead of us, making me stumble a half step before I caught up.
Julian clicked his tongue. “So touchy, isn’t he? Honestly, the way he glares, you’d think he was jealous. Shame no woman is interested in him.”
I felt a jolt of protectiveness for Zafir. “He just doesn’t want to lose his apprentice.”
Julian slid me another sidelong look, his grin widening. “We made quite the picture tonight, didn’t we? Everyone was staring. We were the envy of the whole revelry.”
“Obviously.” I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “You were there.”
“They were staring,” Zafir muttered, “because Alia was nearly set on fire and you didn’t do anything about it.”
I tilted my head. “Correction, Idazzledthem.”
Julian chuckled. “Exactly. And just imagine, Starshine, what we could do together once this chain comes off.” He flicked the golden links connecting me and Zafir. “You won’t need your shadow then. I’d be more than happy to keep you company instead.” We had arrived at the palace steps. “And speaking of company,” Julian went on, “Zafir, I need you to get lost so I can give Alia a proper farewell.”
Zafir’s eyebrows contracted so much that it looked like they had joined into one long unibrow. “For how long?” he asked through gritted teeth.
Julian smiled at me and placed his hand on the small of my back. “As long as you’ll give me. I don’t need an audience for this.”
Zafir threw me a tight look, as if he expected me to say something, but I simply raised my hand and made a shooing motion at him. This was what the flirting lessons had been for, after all, but there may as well have been fire leaping from Zafir’s eyes with the blazing look he gave me before turning his back and retreating behind a pillar.
I couldn’t help but feel annoyed with Julian. He was onlydoing this because he knew it would irritate Zafir, not because he had any genuine feelings for me. But nevertheless, this was the only plan we had. I needed to at least try.
Now, what had Zafir said to do during our lessons? I placed my hand on Julian’s chest. “Thank you for the evening,” I told him. “It’s been wonderful.”
“I was glad to have you.” Julian tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You always provide excellent company.”
A cool breeze played across my face. I waited for the heated passion to overwhelm me like it had when I’d kissed Zafir, but nothing happened. I tried to conjure up an image of being locked into a passionate embrace with Julian, but there was only boredom at the thought. If kissing was supposed to have such a powerful effect, why was I so uninterested in repeating what I had craved so intensely before? Unbidden, Zafir’s face replaced Julian’s in my mind, and the burning within my chest burst back to life.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to see each other again soon,” I told Julian, trying to bully my brain into forgetting about the stupid, overly stoic vizier.
“I hope so as well.”
Julian leaned in, his hand pressing more firmly at my back, guiding me closer until I could smell his cologne. His eyes were half-lidded, lips parting?—
The chain was yanked so violently that I was jerked backward several paces. Julian, pulled off-balance, lurched forward with a grunt, his head whipping around. Zafir had returned, wrenching on the golden links so I was forced closer to him.
“Time’s up,” Zafir said. “I do need to get to bed before dawn. I, unlike some others, have work to do in the morning.”
“You’re as cheerful as a wet scorpion, you know that?” Julian said, sounding rather agitated.
“Don’t mind him.” I swooped around to peck Julian on the cheek. “Thank you for the evening. I enjoyedyourcompany.” I placed extra emphasis on the wordyourand smiled at him, then turned to shoot a dirty look at Zafir.
“Do you want me to find you different accommodations this evening?” Julian asked me.
“Maybe,” I said at the same moment that Zafir snapped, “No.”
Julian raised his eyebrows.
“She’smyresponsibility,” Zafir growled, his eyes blazing. “I’lltend to her needs.”
“And you report toParliament,” Julian reminded him firmly, then lowered his voice. “You may have been able to exile my friend, but you’ll find that I always get my way. Now, I strongly suggest if you want to keep your position advising my father, you’ll never speak to me that way again. Have I made myself clear?”
