face.
“Damn,” she said as she struggled to sit up. “I wish that would stop happening.” She looked down at Nikura who cocked an ear forward.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “It is not my fault.”
Karma swung her legs off of the sofa and a wave of dizziness swam through her head. She swallowed hard and lowered herself back to a prone position.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I think the dizziness intends to remain a few more minutes.”
“You were unconscious far longer yesterday,” King Rhobar said. “However, you also held a connection with Techu Samyi longer than you did with Nikura. Shall we call for a physician?”
“No, thank you,” Karma said weakly. “I believe I just need some rest. I feel tired is all. If you will give me a moment, I will get up and return to my room.”
Neither the Prince nor King Rhobar were surprised when Karma’s eyes closed before she finished speaking. It was clear within moments that she was sound asleep.
“I will call someone to take her to her room,” King Rhobar said.
“No, I will do it,” Prince Zakiel said, much to his father’s surprise.
“You?” he asked doubtfully.
“Do not worry, Father,” Zakiel said. “In spite of my behavior toward her, I would never harm this woman, nor allow her to be harmed. Nor shall I allow another to carry her, whoever it may be, so long as I am able to do it myself.”
King Rhobar held his face to stillness, but inwardly he was shocked. And pleased. Zakiel had never shown interest in a woman before and he had begun to wonder if his son’s outward coldness went deeper than even he suspected. He watched as Zakiel lifted Karma into his arms as carefully as if she were made of spun glass. The expression of tenderness on his son’s face nearly brought tears to his eyes.
“Will you hand me the Ti-Ank, please?” Zakiel asked.
King Rhobar did not want to touch the Ti-Ank, but he could not very well refuse either. He bent down and picked the staff up from the floor where it had fallen and handed it to his son.
“Thank you,” Zakiel said as he took the object into one hand while still supporting Karma with his arms. He then turned and crossed the room, Nikura at his side.
Chapter 5
After leaving Lady Techu in the care of her personal attendant, Prince Zakiel left the palace, crossed the quad and entered the Hunter’s compound. As he walked he attempted to force the image of Lady Techu’s large gray eyes from his mind, along with the memory of her soft body in his arms.
Never in his life had he felt the way he felt whenever Lady Techu was near. From the moment he had first seen her with Captain Singer and King Rhobar on the day Kapia had been abducted, he’d been unable to get her out of his mind. He’d never seen a woman like her. And it wasn’t just her appearance, though she was undoubtedly beautiful with her soft gray eyes that shone with silver stars when her emotions were high, her long, shiny dark hair, and expressive brows. He loved her mouth, particularly her full bottom lip which had a tiny dent right in the center of it. But he was not going to think about her figure. Or her soft skin. Or the way she walked. Or the soft, husky sound of her laugh that touched something deep inside of him on the two occasions he’d been lucky enough to overhear it. Or unlucky enough, he wasn’t sure which.
He shook his hands a little, trying to dispel the lingering numbness he’d felt since sparring with her that morning, smiling to himself as he thought about it. Her power and speed with the staff was phenomenal. No matter how hard he’d tried, and he had tried very hard , he had not been able to break through her guard. When his hands had become numb from the power of her hits, he’d called a halt to the contest, knowing that in another moment he would have been publicly bested in front of all the Hunters in the practice yard.
“Damn,” she said as she struggled to sit up. “I wish that would stop happening.” She looked down at Nikura who cocked an ear forward.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “It is not my fault.”
Karma swung her legs off of the sofa and a wave of dizziness swam through her head. She swallowed hard and lowered herself back to a prone position.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I think the dizziness intends to remain a few more minutes.”
“You were unconscious far longer yesterday,” King Rhobar said. “However, you also held a connection with Techu Samyi longer than you did with Nikura. Shall we call for a physician?”
“No, thank you,” Karma said weakly. “I believe I just need some rest. I feel tired is all. If you will give me a moment, I will get up and return to my room.”
Neither the Prince nor King Rhobar were surprised when Karma’s eyes closed before she finished speaking. It was clear within moments that she was sound asleep.
“I will call someone to take her to her room,” King Rhobar said.
“No, I will do it,” Prince Zakiel said, much to his father’s surprise.
“You?” he asked doubtfully.
“Do not worry, Father,” Zakiel said. “In spite of my behavior toward her, I would never harm this woman, nor allow her to be harmed. Nor shall I allow another to carry her, whoever it may be, so long as I am able to do it myself.”
King Rhobar held his face to stillness, but inwardly he was shocked. And pleased. Zakiel had never shown interest in a woman before and he had begun to wonder if his son’s outward coldness went deeper than even he suspected. He watched as Zakiel lifted Karma into his arms as carefully as if she were made of spun glass. The expression of tenderness on his son’s face nearly brought tears to his eyes.
“Will you hand me the Ti-Ank, please?” Zakiel asked.
King Rhobar did not want to touch the Ti-Ank, but he could not very well refuse either. He bent down and picked the staff up from the floor where it had fallen and handed it to his son.
“Thank you,” Zakiel said as he took the object into one hand while still supporting Karma with his arms. He then turned and crossed the room, Nikura at his side.
Chapter 5
After leaving Lady Techu in the care of her personal attendant, Prince Zakiel left the palace, crossed the quad and entered the Hunter’s compound. As he walked he attempted to force the image of Lady Techu’s large gray eyes from his mind, along with the memory of her soft body in his arms.
Never in his life had he felt the way he felt whenever Lady Techu was near. From the moment he had first seen her with Captain Singer and King Rhobar on the day Kapia had been abducted, he’d been unable to get her out of his mind. He’d never seen a woman like her. And it wasn’t just her appearance, though she was undoubtedly beautiful with her soft gray eyes that shone with silver stars when her emotions were high, her long, shiny dark hair, and expressive brows. He loved her mouth, particularly her full bottom lip which had a tiny dent right in the center of it. But he was not going to think about her figure. Or her soft skin. Or the way she walked. Or the soft, husky sound of her laugh that touched something deep inside of him on the two occasions he’d been lucky enough to overhear it. Or unlucky enough, he wasn’t sure which.
He shook his hands a little, trying to dispel the lingering numbness he’d felt since sparring with her that morning, smiling to himself as he thought about it. Her power and speed with the staff was phenomenal. No matter how hard he’d tried, and he had tried very hard , he had not been able to break through her guard. When his hands had become numb from the power of her hits, he’d called a halt to the contest, knowing that in another moment he would have been publicly bested in front of all the Hunters in the practice yard.
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