by Genna Love
“We’re going to take it back,” the woman cut in, earning a sigh from the man. “We just needed some capital to get us going.”
She was the worst thief Eli had ever met, though he could only imagine how much she could get away with her beauty if she wanted to.
“And what does a woman like you need to steal for anyway?” he asked.
Her lips pressed together in a frown. “What do you mean?”
“My father taught me that being observant is the most important skill in life.” He dipped his chin toward her hands. “Your nails are perfectly trimmed and clean. And I would bet all the money in my pocket, if you turn them over there won’t be a single callous.”
The man covered the woman’s hands with one of his own. “She doesn’t owe you any answers. If you plan to turn us in, be our guest.”
“I’m not here to get anyone in trouble.”
“No?” the woman asked as her eyes traveled behind Eli. “Oh no.”
He turned to see a group of guards enter the pub. One held a parchment in his hand, which he unrolled and showed to a man leaving the building. They were looking for someone.
Fear stirred in Eli, which made no sense. He had no feud with the law. The guards definitely weren’t there for him. So, why had his chest tightened and a boulder formed in his stomach? As he searched the feeling deeper, an invisible thread led straight from him to the woman.
When turned back, she clung to the man’s arm. “We have to get out of here.”
Were they worried Eli had actually turned them in?
“I didn’t tell anyone what I saw,” he said, wishing to ease her fear. This had only been something to pass the time and curb his curiosity.
She met Eli’s eyes and spoke frankly. “If they find me, I will hang.”
Whatever it was she had done, it was something far worse than stealing a few coins from a merchant.
Eli should have wanted to know more before doing what he was about to do, but the urge to protect her overwhelmed him. “There’s a back door on the other side of the room. Get out of here, now. Then I’ll meet you on the side of the building and I will help you hide.”
The woman reached across the table, offering her hand. “Can we trust you?”
Eli stretched as far as he could, barely able to touch his fingers to hers. “Yes.”
The woman grabbed the man’s arm and they bolted in the opposite direction of the guards.
Eli grabbed the other gambler’s empty mead cup and sat there until a guard tapped his shoulder.
He stood and turned, pretending to stagger, and said, “Hello, sir.”
The guard unrolled a piece of parchment and flipped it around for Eli to see. “Have you seen this woman?”
Eli took the drawing into his hands and dramatically squinted his eyes. “No, I don’t think I have.”
Which was nothing but a bold-faced lie, because the woman in the drawing was, without a doubt, the woman he’d just promised to help. Below her picture was an offer for a one thousand gold coin reward for any accurate information on her whereabouts.
“What’s she wanted for?” he asked as he handed the parchment back to the guard. Clearly, whatever it was was something major. Even murderers rarely earned that heavy a reward.
“That’s the crown’s business,” the guard snapped. “If you see her, you find a city guard, got it?”
He nodded, then set the empty mead class on the table. “Yes, sir.”
When the guard moved on to the bar, Eli hurried out the front door. Depending on how drunk the other gambler at their table was, he might realize the woman in the drawing had just been sitting in the pub, which meant they needed to get out of the area right away.
Eli was half expecting the pair to have fled when he rounded the corner of the building. But they were standing there, waiting for him as he’d instructed.
He continued to them. “Why do the guards want to catch you?”
The man gently placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “You don’t have to answer that.”
“She does if you two want my help,” Eli said. “I won’t turn you in, but if I’m going to risk my life to aid you, I need to know why.” Truthfully, he wasn’t sure he could just leave the woman. But if he knew why she was running, maybe he could figure out why she had such power over him.
“I’m Princess Zarah,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yesterday, I burned the face of the visiting Prince of Cardasia, a man I was supposed to marry.”
“You burned him?” He hadn’t seen that coming. And even if he’d predicted her nobility, her being a princess was far more than he would have ever guessed.
The other man squeezed her shoulder.
“It was a mistake, but one that will not be forgiven,” she said. “I need to get out of here, now. With or without your help.”
For someone with such a title to fear being hung, there must be more to the story than she was sharing. Had she tried to murder the man? And if so, why?
He took in her hazel eyes and full lips. Her likeness to the queen was uncanny. He wasn’t sure how he hadn’t seen it before. Although he didn’t know her, his intuition told him that whatever reason she had done what she’d done had been deserved.
As illogical as it was to trust a stranger he’d just witnessed steal something, he couldn’t live with himself if he left the woman there and went on with his day like he hadn’t met her. “Follow me.”
Zarah
Despite Taariq’s objections, Zarah trusted the man.
There was something about him that intrigued her. She was sure he’d followed them to the gambling pub on purpose, but he hadn’t turned them in to the merchant. And when she’d told him who she was and at least part of what she’d done, he’d still helped them.
They followed him three blocks to a two-story corner townhouse on a long row of other connected dwellings. When they were all inside and free from the view of any of the city guards, the man led them to a sitting room in the center of the house.
“I’m Eli.” He bowed to Zarah. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.” His ash blonde hair was cropped short, which only accentuated the bright color of his eyes. He towered over her by at least ten inches, and she was not a short woman. His broad-shouldered build made her wonder what it would be like to be held in his arms, a thought she quickly pushed away since she’d only just met the man. Now wasn’t the time for such daydreaming.
“Please.” She raised her hand. “Call me Zarah. Thank you for your help.” When Taariq didn’t offer his name, she added, “This is my friend, Taariq.”
Taariq let out a sound that fell in between a grunt and a huff. He didn’t hold back his dislike for Eli. She couldn’t imagine that he ever held back his opinions, though. Although she’d only known him a day, she sensed he was a man who, like her, wore his emotions outwardly and didn’t often filter his words.
“Please, have a seat,” Eli said. “Would you like some tea?”
“That would be lovely,” Zarah answered as she fixed the back of her dress and sat on the velvet couch.
Taariq hadn’t been wrong when he predicted that Eli was wealthy. Exquisite decorations filled the room they now hid in. Paintings of epic landscapes and stunning botanical life hung on the walls. But the most interesting piece of artwork hung above the mantle. A woman stood naked except for a thin piece of sheer fabric draped over her most private of parts. Long, blonde hair fell in waves as she looked away from the artist.
Every detail of the room was perfect, from the wool rug covering the space in between the couch and two chairs, to the smooth glass vases set on each side of the fireplace. Had Eli picked all of this out himself?
Being hidden out of view from any guards on the street relaxed Zarah. Growing up, she always found her way into situations where she didn’t want to be caught. It was the only way to make her boring life a little interesting. But she never feared the repercussions of anything she’d ever done as she feared now.
Still, she did her best to keep calm. Until the guards started going door-to-door, she would be safe inside a house. Panicking would only make everything worse than it already was.
When Eli returned, he carried three cups of tea and a kettle on a tray with a plate of dried bread. “I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer to eat as I’ve just returned to Lyria.”
Zarah took the cup he handed her, her fingers brushing against his. “You’ve been traveling?”
Taariq grabbed his cup from the tray and plopped down next to her. Ever since Eli had walked into the pub, Taariq had been in a foul mood.
“Yes. I travel around the continent, trading with locals and bringing merchandise back to Lyria to sell.” Eli sat in one of the high-back chairs across from them made from the same velvet material as the couch. “Lately, I’ve focused my efforts on finding unique, high quality fabrics.”
Taariq slurped his tea. “Seems like a lucrative business.” He glanced around the room. “Why would you risk it by helping us?”
“I… don’t know, actually.” Eli set his tea on the side table next to his chair.
“Well, that’s confidence boosting.” Taariq stood. “Come on, Zarah. We should leave. Anyone this wealthy only has his own interests in mind.”
Eli rose and stepped toward Taariq, towering over him by a few inches. “That’s an interesting assumption, coming from a thief. Please explain to me why you’d bring the princess into your criminal activity when she’s already in danger?”
Zarah opened her mouth to speak. They were acting like she wasn’t even in the room. But before she could get out a single word, Taariq continued, “We were going to return the money, which isn’t exactly stealing.”
“No? And what if you’d have lost it all?”
Taariq clamped his jaw. “Then I would have figured something out.”
As they argued, a sharp pain shot through Zarah’s head. She brought one hand to her temple and dug the nails of her other hand into the plush couch seat.
“Zarah,” the two men said in unison.
She opened her eyes to a flame burning on the couch beneath her hand. The fire didn’t burn her skin, but it was ruining the delicate fabric.
On instinct, Zarah lifted her hand and water poured from her palm, quenching the flames until they had disappeared, a black spot left in their place.
She looked at Taariq, who seemed just as confused as she felt. He was a fire mage, not a water mage. Two days ago, she had no access to magic. Now, harnessed fire and water in the matter of seconds.
Zarah glanced at Eli, her eyes wide with fear that now he would kick them out. She hadn’t lied to him before, but she hadn’t told him the truth of how she’d burned the prince.
He stared at her, but there was no anger in his gaze. If anything, he seemed fascinated.
“I wasn’t completely transparent before…” she started. She needed to reassure him that she wasn’t some evil mage or whatever thoughts might be swirling around in his mind. “I know it’s hard to believe, but up until two days ago, I’d never produced even an ounce of magic.”
Taariq remained silent as she spoke.
How could she be completely truthful with Eli while leaving out any mention of Taariq’s power? It was one thing to admit what she had done, but it wasn’t her place to share his secret, too.
“And you can access both fire and water?” Eli asked.
If what they predicted was true, then Zarah had somehow pulled the fire magic from Taariq. Something about his touch had triggered something in her. Although they had no proof that this was true, it was the only thing that could explain the sudden onset of power. So for her to use the power of water, she had to have touched someone with the gift. But the only people she’d touched today were Taariq…
…and Eli.
“You’re a water mage?” she asked, still trying to find some other answer.
He swallowed, his arms clinging to his side. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because I can absorb people’s magic. Or, I think I can,” she said. “Which means, someone I touched today has the gift of water. And the only options are you and Taariq.”
Eli glanced at the seared spot on the couch then to Taariq. “And he is a fire mage.” He nodded as he processed what she’d just told him.
Well, fuck. She hadn’t meant to out Taariq’s gift, but there was no taking back what she’d said. If he couldn’t accept their magic, then they’d just have to leave and hope they could get away without the guards finding them.
Eli sighed then he reached out his arm and faced his hand up. Droplets of water rose from his palm, floating magically into the air.
How was this possible? In the matter of three days, Zarah had met not only a fire mage, but a water one as well, somehow absorbing some of both of their powers. Her gaze shifted between the two men.
She felt drawn to both of them, like a two-way current existed between her and each man. She’d only just met them, and somehow, she had no doubt she trusted them both with her life.
“Let’s all sit again and talk. Calmly,” she added, sensing that there was more to the animosity between the two than just her.
They each narrowed their eyes but obliged. Once everyone was seated, she spoke. Now that all their magic had been revealed, there was nothing to hide. “Two nights ago, Taariq saved me from being assaulted by a guard. I know a secret pathway out of the castle, and sometimes enjoy sneaking away for a few hours for a small breath of freedom. This time, I was attacked. Taariq used his fire to save me then he helped me up and I ran. The next day, I was spending time with my betrothed and, without trying, wound up burning him with nothing more than my hand. It was the first time I accessed magic.”
Time had never moved as slow as it had the last three days. Her life was spinning out of control and she had no idea what to do to slow it down or stop it.
“The guards had your picture drawn on their parchments, offering a thousand gold coin reward for information on your location,” Eli said, matter-of-factly. His deep voice exuded calmness, despite the reality of his words.
If they were offering that large of a reward, she wasn’t safe anywhere in public.
“And we’re supposed to trust that you didn’t make some deal with the guards before you led us here?” Taariq asked, his arms crossed in front of his body.
“Have you seen any guards barge through this door?” Eli asked. “Would it not have made more sense just to lead them to you back at the pub if I’d planned on betraying you? Plus, I’m a mage, too. I’ll hang with the both of you if anyone finds out.”
“Stop it,” Zarah commanded, the authority in her voice reminding her of her mother. “Both of you have had plenty of opportunity to hand me over if that was your intent, but I know you won’t.” It was silly to have such confidence with no way to explain it. But she did. “Can we please agree to get along?”
The men glanced at each other and nodded, then focused their attention back on Zarah.
She folded her hands in her lap. “If either of you want to back out of helping me, now’s your chance. I will understand.” When neither of them took up her offer, she relaxed.
Eli lifted his ankle to his opposite knee and leaned back in his chair. “You both are free to stay here in this house until we come up with a plan to get Zarah out of the kingdom.”
“You mean, leave Lyria?” Zarah wasn’t sure why she was so stunned at the suggestion. A part of her had known since the moment she’d burned Prince Marius’s face that her life as she knew it was over.
“At least Penrith,” Eli said. “The more people the guards show your face to, the less safe you are.”
Hadn’t she just said as much? Why did it sound so much harsher coming from his tongue? “Where will I go?”
“Where will we go,” Taariq cut in. “I’m with you, Princess.” He tilted his chin toward her, the intensity in his eyes sending a heatwave surging through her.
“We will come up with an ad
equate plan with time.” Eli finished his tea then stood. “There are two guest rooms upstairs. Let me show you each where you will stay then I will go to market and return with some food. After some sustenance, we’ll be better able to plot your escape.”
Zarah didn’t miss the skepticism in Taariq’s face when Eli mentioned leaving the house, but if they didn’t want to starve to death, he would have little choice but to trust him.
Eli led them up a set of stone stairs to the upper floor. He showed Taariq his room first.
Next, Eli escorted them to the second room, where Zarah would be staying.
Before Taariq and she followed Eli in, she grabbed his hand. “We can trust him. I feel it the same way I’ve known I could trust you.”
“I’ll try,” he mumbled.
It would have to be enough for now.
This room was the same size as the one he’d given Taariq, but this one overlooked the backyard. Tall trees rose from the ground like giants, protecting the assortment of flowers and hedges below and lining the tall fence separating Eli’s property from the neighbors.
“It’s gorgeous back there,” Zarah mused as she stepped away from the window.
“I enjoy gardening when I’m here.” Eli hovered in the doorway behind Taariq, who had taken only two steps into the room. “I’ll allow you two to settle in and be back shortly.” He bowed once, then disappeared from her view.
It wasn’t a castle, but Zarah was grateful to have a comfortable place to stay until she could figure out what her next move was.
“You’re really going to come with me?” she asked Taariq, gratitude swirling in her stomach.
In two strides, he closed the distance between them. “We’re connected. I can feel it.” He cupped her cheek with his palm.
She covered his hand with her own, his warmth pressing into her skin.
With so much uncertainty in her future, knowing she wouldn’t have to face it alone filled her with relief. She didn’t know how, but she had to believe they could escape the city and start fresh somewhere new. Together.