“I must find her,” Siraj breathed. “I don’t know where she is.”
Tariq nodded. “We won’t be far. When you find her, we will perform the ceremony.”
Siraj didn’t wait any longer. Ripping open his door, he hit the sand running.
Eleven
Yasmin yelped when the door to the weaving carav ripped open, rocking the carriage from side to side. Siraj leapt in, his chest heaving from his harsh breaths. His eyes seemed drawn to hers, snaring her with his hardened gaze.
The man was stunning, standing there with the light of the sun draping across his shoulders, clothing him like his fine golden robes. His royal power exuded from him, reaching her from clear across the carav. Yasmin shivered and stood, still keeping her back against he slats.
Without a word, Siraj slammed the door and made a gesture. The short pulse of magic in the air told her he’d sealed the door.
They would not be disturbed.
She swallowed hard when he slowly advanced, and for the first time in her life, Siraj brought unease into her heart. His thoughts were guarded, but she could read the anger, the fear, the desperation, rising off him in waves.
For the life of her, she didn’t want him to catch her.
Yasmin began inching away, stepping around the looms, yet keeping him in her sights.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice deceptively calm.
“The Viper is here.”
Siraj arched a brow, but continued after her, as if she was a horse he didn’t wish to spook. “That he is.”
“I cannot marry you, Jackal.”
Siraj seemed to mull over her words. “So you chose to hide from me rather than find out why the Viper’s caravan is here?”
That stopped her. Biting the inside of her cheek, she fidgeted with her hands. “I…”
Siraj’s eyes narrowed. “You thought I would see the Viper’s visit as a sign from the gods.”
Yasmin gasped and contemplated lying to him. His ability to read her thoughts was getting better, damn him. She doubted she’d be able to deceive him. She doubted she ever could.
“Perhaps you are right,” he said, continuing to advance. “But Tariq came to warn us. His princess has seen a vision.”
“You shouldn’t say his name to me,” Yasmin replied, her voice wavering. She tripped over a basket of thread, but was able to regain her footing. Siraj smiled.
“Sabine has told me some disturbing news.”
“Siraj, don’t!”
“What she has told me,” he continued, as if he hadn’t just revealed the names of two royals, “has made me come to a conclusion.”
Yasmin backed into a corner. Damn! She groaned and banged her head against the slats. Had she backed herself into it? Or had Siraj herded her there? She was willing to bet he’d been more than aware of what he’d done.
With one lunge, he trapped her, placing his hands on the walls by her head. He eased in close, to make sure she couldn’t duck under his arms.
“Please don’t,” Yasmin whispered, turning her head to avoid his eyes.
“You must marry me.”
“I cannot.”
“You must.” His gentle fingers grasped her chin and turned her gaze to his. “Yasmin.” The soft timbre of his voice had her pussy instantly wet for him. Her eyes stung and her vision swam. She wasn’t going to be able to resist the Jackal for long. “Sabine has told me the ghost will overcome you. I will not let that happen. Marriage to me is the only answer.”
Yasmin sucked her breath in sharp pants. She desperately willed herself not to cry. Terror at his words sluiced down her spine.
“Siraj,” she cried, sniffling as a tear fell down her cheek. “I must leave you. I can’t stay here! Gods above, if that vision comes true, I’ll…”
“Stop. Right there.” His eyes shot sparks. “Don’t you dare talk to me about leaving my caravan.”
“But—”
“No!” The force of his voice shook the carav. “I have spent the better part of my reign thinking of you. Looking for you. Dreaming of you. You are mine, Yasmin. And I mean to claim you.”
Siraj’s mouth cut off any more words she wanted to say. His attack forced her lips apart before he stabbed his tongue deep, swallowing her cries. But it didn’t take long before her hands were on his shoulders, wandering up his neck and threading through his hair.
She tugged, just hard enough to cause a little pain. Siraj pulled back with a grunt, but his eyes refused to let her go.
“The ghost is too dangerous,” she whispered. “I cannot risk the safety of your people.”
“The safety of my people is for me to decide,” he replied. “And I know that my god will protect you.”
“But…the Viper Princess had a vision!”
Siraj framed her face with his hands. “When I was seventeen, I saw a vision too, of a lovely young girl with amazing eyes. She saved me from the brink of death. I asked my god if he would see fit to give her to me. And he did. The god of Jackals did not fail me. The god of Jackals will not fail me. He will not fail us.” Siraj gave her a gentle peck on the lips. “Trust me, Yasmin. I want to give you a home.” He gave her another peck. “And a last name.”
If there were any doubts she was in love with the Jackal Prince, Siraj had just laid them to rest. Twin tears fell from her eyes as she stared at him, trying hard to calm her raging emotions.
“I don’t want to leave you,” she confessed.
“Then stay.”
“I’m so scared.”
“I will protect you with my very life.”
She released a single sob. “I want to be your princess. I want to stay with you. I want to ride the dunes and be…normal.”
He swept her tears away with the pads of his thumbs and gave her a slow grin. “Then marry me. Warm my bed. Bear my children. Fulfill my life.”
“Promise me, Siraj, please? I need you to promise you’ll keep me safe.”
“My dear girl,” he whispered, his breath hot upon her lips. “That is what wedding vows are for.”
Yasmin’s will crumbled. Siraj’s faith was infectious. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps his god would protect her as the Jackal Princess. She needed to trust that stability, and finally stop spinning out of control.
Yasmin caressed Siraj’s face with her palm and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Then make me your wife,” she said, taking that leap. “I want peace, Siraj. I want a place to belong.”
He closed his eyes and grinned broadly. His relief was palpable. “You belong with me.”
Suddenly his arms surrounded her, sheltering her from her own emotions. Resting her forehead on his shoulder, she breathed deeply, inhaling his clean scent and turning her face toward the skin of his neck. She hugged him back, unwilling to ever let him go.
Twelve
Yasmin shivered as the sun sank low. Siraj and the Viper had made preparations for the wedding, but she willed the ceremony to begin. The sooner she was under the full protection of the god of Jackals, the better. Siraj wanted her to wear a special robe, one his own mother wore years ago, and handed it to her once they’d returned to his royal carav to ready themselves for the ceremony.
He could barely remember his own mother, but what he could remember were happy times. At some point during Siraj’s childhood, his father had quietly cast the woman aside. All Nestor had wanted was for her to bear him an heir, and she’d fulfilled her purpose. Siraj had known ever since he was a child that she had been killed.
He’d never forgiven his father for it. His mother’s death was one of the main reasons why Siraj had never loved or followed his father. His plan to overthrow his father, then the sitting Jackal, had been hatched when he was ten years old.
His plan finally came to fruition when we was fifteen with the help of the Viper, the Scarab, and the Falcon. Now, the Viper had readied himself to marry them, waiting beyond the caravs, where both of their peoples had gathered.
“Will you wear this as well?” Siraj asked, turning with t
he purple clea blossom in his hand, the one he’d searched his oasis for to match the color of her eyes.
“Of course I will,” Yasmin replied, reaching out her hand to accept his gift.
Siraj shook his head. “Allow me,” he whispered. With his strong fingers, he tucked the flower behind her ear and leaned back to admire his handiwork. “Lovely.”
Yasmin blushed and bit her lip.
“Are you ready to become the Jackal Princess?” His gentle smile made her breath catch in the back of her throat.
“More than you know,” she answered.
“You have been my princess since the day we met, Yasmin. We may not have been bound by vows, but we were bound by magic.” He held up the Jackal armband and her eyes widened. “I will finally claim you tonight. With this.”
“Do not make me wait any longer.” Her soft voice snapped something inside him. Without another word, Siraj took hold of her hand and led her out of the carav. They walked together up the caravan line, and didn’t stop until they stood before the Viper Prince, who gazed at them with understanding in his eyes.
After the people had settled around them, Tariq began the ceremony with a prayer to the gods to bless their union. Yasmin didn’t hear a word. Her entire world focused on the man before her, the one who gazed back at her with a slight grin, making her breath leave her lungs in a rush.
Siraj was such a beautiful man, and becoming his wife was a dream come true. She couldn’t remember how many times she’d dreamed of this very moment, thinking herself pretentious for even wondering what it would be like to be with the one man who made her heart race within her chest.
And now, she’d made love to him. She was to be his princess. A few tears burned in her eyes.
“Siraj Pramtash, Jackal Prince of the Golden Desert,” the Viper said, his voice booming. “You stand before me with your intended. You have chosen Yasmin of Neviann to be your Jackal Princess. Do you pledge to serve her for the rest of your days, to give her children and protect her with your very life?”
Siraj took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. She’d forgotten he still held it. His own eyes shimmered, and a myriad of his emotions filled her. Elation, exhilaration, but above all, relief. It wasn’t until that very moment Yasmin understood the depth of Siraj’s feelings for her. He would indeed fight every last demon of Kaldaeron to keep her by his side.
“I pledge it,” he said, his voice wavering.
“By the law,” Tariq said, handing Siraj a small dagger, “you must pledge by blood.”
Siraj accepted the knife and made a small incision on the pad of his thumb. He held it up to Yasmin’s mouth and took a deep breath. His emotions bubbled within her, and a lone tear escaped her countenance.
Opening her mouth, Yasmin suckled his thumb until no trace of his blood remained. Siraj closed his eyes and bit his lip. Now another emotion raged within her. Lust.
The Viper grinned and Yasmin caught a snippet of his thoughts. He knew exactly what it was like to shudder with need for the woman he loved. Gods, did Siraj love her?
Yasmin tried to probe his thoughts, but the Viper was speaking again, shattering her concentration.
“Yasmin, of the tent city Neviann, you stand before me with your intended. You have chosen Siraj Pramtash to be your Jackal Prince. Do you pledge to serve him for the rest of your life, to give him children and love him until your dying day?”
She nodded vigorously. A few chuckles rose from the people. Her breath rattled in her lungs. “I pledge it,” she managed to say. Even Siraj grinned widely at her response. Yasmin blushed.
“By the law, you must pledge by blood,” the Viper said, gesturing for Siraj to give her the dagger.
With trembling hands, Yasmin cut her thumb until a bead of blood appeared. She held it up to Siraj’s lips. He opened his mouth and the warm wetness of his tongue surrounded her thumb. She swayed on her feet and groaned as her nipples pebbled. Siraj arched a brow and pulled her thumb from his mouth with a loud pop.
More chuckles erupted from the crowd. Even the Viper tried unsuccessfully to hide his mirth. “Now, the Jackal must claim his princess.”
Siraj didn’t waste any time in grasping Yasmin’s right arm and taking the Jackal armband to place it around her bicep. The gold seemed to hum before squeezing her arm, fitting perfectly. Yasmin gazed at the trinket in wonder. It was magical. She’d had no idea!
With wide eyes, she glanced back at Siraj, only to see him grinning at her like a fool.
Once again, the Viper’s voice boomed. “With the gods’ blessings, Siraj and Yasmin, you are married. Go, and rule your caravan with firm hands and gentle hearts!”
Yasmin’s new husband curled his arms around her and kissed her soundly, demanding she open her mouth to accommodate his tongue. Her tears flowed freely now as she clutched onto him, overwhelmed by becoming royalty—the Jackal Princess.
“Gods woman,” Siraj whispered into her ear. “I love you, Yasmin Pramtash.”
She shuddered at the sound of her new name and clutched him tighter. Finally, she had a home. Finally she belonged.
Finally, she was loved.
“Don’t let me go, Siraj,” she pleaded.
“I will never let you get away from me.”
Just as the sun set behind the dunes, a deep chill hit the air. Every hair on Yasmin’s skin stood as something seemed to clutch onto her heart with icy fingers. She leaned back to gaze into Siraj eyes with a mixture of shock and fright. Something had changed. Something wasn’t right.
Her husband looked over her shoulder just as the people around them cried out in surprise. Thick black clouds rolled in at an ungodly speed, threatening the desert with their ominous appearance. A sudden wind picked up, stinging them with a spray of sand while thunder rolled across the desert.
“Gods,” Siraj whispered. His arms tightened around her, hurting her with his strength. But Yasmin didn’t care. The fear within her grew until it overflowed.
“It’s found me. Siraj!”
He set his jaw and opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, an ear-piercing screech echoed across the dunes, and one by one, the caravs in the Jackal’s caravan went flying into the air.
The Sentinels shrieked as they flew up with the caravs, only to crash back down to the sand with tremendous force. Yasmin couldn’t watch. She couldn’t bear to witness the destruction of Siraj’s caravan, knowing she was responsible.
She was the one the demon wanted.
But Siraj didn’t let her bury her face in his chest for long. Before she could gain her bearings, he was towing her behind him, running across the sand like a man possessed.
“Do not stop, Yasmin!” he yelled against the wind. She wanted to tell him it was futile—they couldn’t outrun the entity behind them—but her terror stole her breath and her heart threatened to explode within her chest.
All she could do was hold on tight and pray that her marriage to the Jackal Prince was enough to protect her from the one who wanted her soul.
Thirteen
Siraj had no idea where he was going. He’d just witnessed…something…destroy more than a few of his caravs. He couldn’t risk bringing that thing to the Viper’s caravan as well, not when Tariq’s sons were somewhere amongst them.
He prayed fervently to the god of Jackals that his own people were unharmed as he led Yasmin into the open desert. His heart ached and his lungs burned, but he couldn’t afford to stop. The screeching behind them had grown louder, and the rushing howl of the winds pushed on his body from every side.
“Siraj!” his new wife yelled. “Stop. Stop!”
He couldn’t. Something within him wouldn’t allow him to slow down. Not when Yasmin’s life was at stake.
But he hadn’t put much thought into the fact that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with his long strides. Yasmin fell, releasing his hand with a cry. Siraj turned back and rushed to help her stand, but the scene behind him froze his blood.
A giant whirlwind, from sand
to sky, churned in the dunes. It sped toward them with a speed unparalleled, easily eating up the ground he’d gained by fleeing on foot.
“Get up, Yas, get up!”
“I can’t!” she screamed.
Siraj glanced at her face and saw for himself the horror in her heart. His decision made, he merely scooped her into his arms and took off running once more. But with the sweet burden in his arms, he had no hope of outrunning the thundering wind behind him.
“Gods help me!” he cried a moment before he dropped in the dirt. With his large body, he covered Yasmin from head to toe, intent on taking the brunt of the demon’s wrath himself.
Within seconds, the winds were upon him. They tossed him with the ease of a young girl casting aside her ragdoll. He had no idea how far the winds had thrown him. All he knew was that Yasmin was now at the wind’s mercy as it howled all around them.
“No!” he shouted, attempting to stand. Something pushed him back hard.
“Siraj!”
“Yasmin!” He would not be conquered. With a grunt and the taste of blood in his mouth, he stood once more, railing against the fury. “You cannot have her!” he screamed. “She is the Jackal Princess!”
Something answered him with a primal yell. The sound of it shook the foundations of his soul. This was no demon of Kaldaeron. This was no ghost. This was something else entirely, and for the first time in his life, Siraj’s faith in his god was shaken.
Battling the wind, he could just make out the form of his wife a few paces in front of him, standing with her arms outstretched, as if trying to cast in the middle of the storm.
A flash of light blinded him for a split second and he cowered back, only to shiver at the cold shards of ice in his blood. Yasmin was screaming.
He tried to run, he tried to reach her, but something held him back, something stopped him. No. He would not be stopped. Reaching inside his thoughts, he grasped for anything that could help Yasmin, and clutched on to the one thing he knew he could do.
His thoughts could manifest.
He thought about walking freely within the whirlwind. No longer did it hold him. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t see Yasmin through the stinging sand.
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