Return of the Warrior by Kinley MacGregor

quite a handful for any man.
    He wiped his soggy brow with his arm before he tossed the cloth back to the washing bowl. Most likely he should go after her and apologize, though to be honest there was nothing to apologize for. He’d done nothing wrong. He’d only been truthful with her.
    Honesty is for weak-minded fools, especially when it involves charming a maid.
    That’s what Ioan would say, but then his old friend was unique in his views of the world.
    Sighing, Christian turned over and forced himself to think of other matters. Winning back hiskingdom would take all his concentration. The last thing he needed was to allow Adara to distract him while he was leading so many men.
     
    Adara had no real destination in mind as she stalked from the dormitory where Christian’s cell was. She wanted his blood, but there was nothing to be done for it.
    “My queen?”
    She turned at Lutian’s voice.
    “You shouldn’t be out here while the Sesari are after you. They could be here in the yard even now, observing us, waiting for a moment to strike.”
    He was right. She headed back toward him immediately. “I was so angry that I wasn’t thinking.”
    “We all do that from time to time.”
    Adara paused by his side. Her precious Lutian. He’d been with her for so long. Always her friend, her confidant. Not once had he ever betrayed her.
    If only he could have been noble-born…
    “You are a good friend to me, Lutian. Thank you.”
    His eyes blank, he inclined his head to her. “Ever my pleasure and honor to serve you, my queen.”
    She patted him on the shoulder before she returned to the shelter of the dormitory and headed to her own cell without ever knowing that Lutian watched her longingly as she vanished from his sight.
    “You’re in love with her.”
    Lutian turned sharply at the deep, raspy voice that came out of the darkness surrounding him. He had no idea where Phantom was, any more than he’d known Phantom could see him with Adara. “Do you always make it your habit to sneak about?”
    “They don’t call me Phantom without cause.” Phantom stepped out of the shadows to his left. Indeed, the man appeared to just move out of the wall itself.
    Lutian glared at him. “I thought the Elgederions executed you for murder.”
    He gave a wry smile. “They tried. Obviously they failed.”
    Lutian started back inside.
    “Have you ever told Adara how you feel about her? That you love her?”
    A tic started in his jaw as pain swept through him. “She is unreachable to me, and well I know it. If I told her, I would lose her.”
    One corner of Phantom’s lips quirked up. “I knew you weren’t the fool you are playing. Tell me, how is it a thief ends up as companion to a queen?”
    Lutian gave him a dry stare. “I suppose the same way the son of a prince ends up a legendary thief and assassin. The hand of fate ever schemes to keep us on our toes.”
    “Hmm,” Phantom said thoughtfully.
    Lutian was uncomfortable under that cold scrutiny. “What?”
    “I’m only wondering what lengths you would go to, to possess your ladylove.”
    The underlying tone of his voice was dubious. Accusatory. “What is it you accuse me of?”
    “How is it her guards were killed and you escaped? For that matter, who killed her guards?”
    Angry over his presumption, Lutian started back for the dormitory.
    Before Lutian could take more than two steps, Phantom grabbed him and ripped the sleeve from his tunic to bear his upper arm. Lutian cursed and tried to shove him away, but Phantom held tight.
    There in the moonlight, Lutian wasn’t sure whose face was palest as Phantom saw the mark on his biceps. He knew it wasn’t the mark Phantom was expecting to see.
    “I am not Sesari,” he snarled as he covered the elaborate vine-shaped brand that marked him as a slave. “Nor did I kill her men. I was born property and I stole in order to live after I found the courage to run away from my abusive owner. I hid when the Sesari arrived at