fingers in the hair curling off the back of his head. We breathed the same air, our chests moving in unison as our lips mingled.
We reluctantly broke apart. I pecked his bottom lip and he leaned in, crushing me against him, taking my lips fully against his. I didn’t breathe. I didn’t need to. My body had all the life it needed in Mark’s arms.
He pulled away, gently rubbing the back of my neck with his thumb.
“We don’t have time for this now, do we?” he asked, a smile escaping his lips. I smiled back, stupidly unable to do anything but grin. I shook my head.
“More later?” I asked. “When life is boring?” My fingers played with his curls as I gazed into his eyes.
“I wouldn’t exactly call that boring,” he said, his eyebrows arching.
“I didn’t mean…” I started to say, but his lips caught mine again in a quick kiss.
“I know exactly what you meant,” Mark said. He dropped his arms, lacing his fingers with mine. “Right now we need to find out what Alia is doing. And why.”
“And who she’s working with,” I said. “She can’t be doing this alone.”
“I agree,” Mark said. “It’s just one more reason I need to get into the palace with you tonight. I need to find out who else has secrets.”
“We all have secrets,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of walls in my head.”
His eyebrows fell. “I’ve never read you, Reychel. I didn’t think it was right.”
“But how did you know you could trust me?” I asked. “I could have been just as awful as Ivy.”
“Some things don’t need to be guessed, Reychel. I knew you were wonderful the moment I met you.” He laughed. The glimmer in his eyes shined as he let his guard down. “Why else would Johna have hidden you under the counter? You were the true prize, the one worth treasuring.”
A rustle in the leaves caused us to pull apart. Alia must be back. I looked in the forest, hoping it was Alia. I couldn’t handle another problem.
“We have to hurry,” Alia said as she pushed through the branches. In her hands was a dress. I could see strands of my wig poking out the sides. She tossed the bundle to me. “You need to change as fast as possible.”
Mark turned his back to us so I could change. Even though the Southern Kingdom were warm, the night chilled me as I pulled my slave robe over my head. I stuck my head and arms into the silk dress Alia brought, yanking it down to keep the chilly air from hitting my bare legs. I grabbed the slippers Alia hung from her fingertips. I tried not to think too much about her deception. Instead I concentrated on getting back into the castle without suspicion.
“Did anyone see you?” I asked as I pulled my wig on. I tapped Mark on the shoulder so he knew it was safe to turn around.
“I don’t think so,” Alia said, straightening my wig for me. “I slipped in with no problem. None of the other slaves care too much about where I’d been. No one even asked or said a word to me. It was when I first entered the hallway to your chambers that I was almost caught. I saw Jada and Krissin leaving your room. They were arguing. Krissin was very angry. I waited for them to exit the other end of the hallway before I ran to your room.
“What was Krissin upset about this time?” I asked, knowing it could be anything, but sure it had something to do with my disappearance.
“She said it was just like you to run off when we needed you most. That you couldn’t be trusted. Jada was ignoring her, like she does most of the time. But the point is that they know you’re gone. We need to get back before they become suspicious or send out the guards after you.”
I stepped back from Alia and turned to Mark. “How do I look?”
“Every inch the Prophet you are.”
I sighed. I couldn’t wait until I could grow my hair back out again and live a boring life. With Mark.
“Shall we go, then?” I asked, lacing my arm through Mark’s offered arm. “Which way out of here?” I
We reluctantly broke apart. I pecked his bottom lip and he leaned in, crushing me against him, taking my lips fully against his. I didn’t breathe. I didn’t need to. My body had all the life it needed in Mark’s arms.
He pulled away, gently rubbing the back of my neck with his thumb.
“We don’t have time for this now, do we?” he asked, a smile escaping his lips. I smiled back, stupidly unable to do anything but grin. I shook my head.
“More later?” I asked. “When life is boring?” My fingers played with his curls as I gazed into his eyes.
“I wouldn’t exactly call that boring,” he said, his eyebrows arching.
“I didn’t mean…” I started to say, but his lips caught mine again in a quick kiss.
“I know exactly what you meant,” Mark said. He dropped his arms, lacing his fingers with mine. “Right now we need to find out what Alia is doing. And why.”
“And who she’s working with,” I said. “She can’t be doing this alone.”
“I agree,” Mark said. “It’s just one more reason I need to get into the palace with you tonight. I need to find out who else has secrets.”
“We all have secrets,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of walls in my head.”
His eyebrows fell. “I’ve never read you, Reychel. I didn’t think it was right.”
“But how did you know you could trust me?” I asked. “I could have been just as awful as Ivy.”
“Some things don’t need to be guessed, Reychel. I knew you were wonderful the moment I met you.” He laughed. The glimmer in his eyes shined as he let his guard down. “Why else would Johna have hidden you under the counter? You were the true prize, the one worth treasuring.”
A rustle in the leaves caused us to pull apart. Alia must be back. I looked in the forest, hoping it was Alia. I couldn’t handle another problem.
“We have to hurry,” Alia said as she pushed through the branches. In her hands was a dress. I could see strands of my wig poking out the sides. She tossed the bundle to me. “You need to change as fast as possible.”
Mark turned his back to us so I could change. Even though the Southern Kingdom were warm, the night chilled me as I pulled my slave robe over my head. I stuck my head and arms into the silk dress Alia brought, yanking it down to keep the chilly air from hitting my bare legs. I grabbed the slippers Alia hung from her fingertips. I tried not to think too much about her deception. Instead I concentrated on getting back into the castle without suspicion.
“Did anyone see you?” I asked as I pulled my wig on. I tapped Mark on the shoulder so he knew it was safe to turn around.
“I don’t think so,” Alia said, straightening my wig for me. “I slipped in with no problem. None of the other slaves care too much about where I’d been. No one even asked or said a word to me. It was when I first entered the hallway to your chambers that I was almost caught. I saw Jada and Krissin leaving your room. They were arguing. Krissin was very angry. I waited for them to exit the other end of the hallway before I ran to your room.
“What was Krissin upset about this time?” I asked, knowing it could be anything, but sure it had something to do with my disappearance.
“She said it was just like you to run off when we needed you most. That you couldn’t be trusted. Jada was ignoring her, like she does most of the time. But the point is that they know you’re gone. We need to get back before they become suspicious or send out the guards after you.”
I stepped back from Alia and turned to Mark. “How do I look?”
“Every inch the Prophet you are.”
I sighed. I couldn’t wait until I could grow my hair back out again and live a boring life. With Mark.
“Shall we go, then?” I asked, lacing my arm through Mark’s offered arm. “Which way out of here?” I
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