Kavin shrugged but didn’t turn to look at him. “You talk about love as if you know. And being with you these last few days, I know you’re not a monster. Not like the highborns would have me and everyone else believe. You don’t like the killing. And yet you do it.”
Surprise rippled through him. That she was so easily able to see to the heart of him when no one else ever had. Not even Talah.
“So who was she?” Kavin asked softly.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he trailed his finger up her bare arm, then back down again. He’d never told anyone about Talah. Not even his brothers. But he didn’t want to keep anything from Kavin. Not now. “A caregiver. She worked with children injured and orphaned in the wars. Helped rehabilitate them and find homes.”
Kavin was silent beside him, the only sound the gentle push and pull of her breath while she waited for him to go on. And the fact she wasn’t pushing spurred him to continue. “We got word Ghuls were heading toward her village. I was being sent out with the army to meet them. I told her to go to the castle—that she’d be safe there. She agreed, reluctantly, but said she needed to arrange for someone to take her place at the infirmary. I wasn’t happy about her delay but agreed to give her the time. I left a guard with her and resumed my post. She never made it to the castle.” His throat grew thick as he stared at a mole on her shoulder. “A band of Ghuls we didn’t know about attacked from the north before she could get away.”
Her hand closed over his against her arm. “I’m so sorry.”
Talah’s face flashed in his mind. Smiling and waving as he left, her long dark hair flying behind her in the wind. Rolling her eyes at what she considered his overprotective nature. Never knowing it would be the last moments of her life.
“It wasn’t your fault, Nasir.”
Kavin’s breath against his cheek brought his eyes open. She’d turned to face him, her eyes warm and shining with unshed tears, her hands resting gently against his chest. Emotions stole through him. Emotions that were so much stronger than he’d felt with Talah they took his breath away.
“I don’t fight to avenge her death,” he said in a thick voice. “The Ghuls who manage the pits are not the ones who killed her. I fight—I fought—because it was all I had left. Until I met you.”
Her entire face softened. And those eyes that before had simply glistened, now filled with tears.
He kissed the tip of her nose. Kissed the teardrop that slipped from the corner of her eye. Kissed his way down to her mouth, then finally pressed his lips against hers. Softly. Gently. Hoping she could feel every emotion stirring inside him.
He wrapped his arm around her, dragged her body closer, then rested his forehead against hers. “It’s crazy—all of this. But in a few short days, you’ve changed everything for me. You made me remember who I was. You gave me a reason to want to live. I’m not going to let them hurt you. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
Her mouth closed over his so forcefully it tore a groan from his chest. She pushed him to his back, climbed over him, kissed him again and again and again as if she couldn’t get enough.
The sheet fell away, leaving her bare and beautiful. He trailed his hands up her hips, positioned her so she was rocking against his cock, right where he wanted her most. Eased up to kiss her deeper. “Mine,” he mumbled against her lips. “You’re mine.”
“Show me,” she whispered, lifting then lowering to take him so deep they both groaned. “One more time. Show me that I’m only yours.”
Chapter Thirteen
Nasir waited until Kavin fell asleep again, then gently eased out from under her.
His body still vibrated from the most amazing orgasm; his heart pounded hard at the things she’d whispered as they’d made love. But it was what he had to do next that left a hole the size of a crater in the bottom of his stomach.
He pulled on his pants and crossed soundlessly toward the door. Once there, he rapped on the hard wood once, knowing the guards were out there keeping watch.
“What?” a voice called from the other side of the door.
“I have a request,” Nasir said quietly.
The small rectangular slot in the door opened, just enough so Nasir could see the guard’s dark eyes. “What kind of request?”
“I want to meet with the female’s master. Before my fight.”
The guard turned to look toward his companion, just out of Nasir’s line of sight, and relayed the message. When he turned back, he said, “He’ll not agree.”
Nasir ground his teeth. “If he wants the fire opal around my neck, he’ll agree.”
Surprise reflected in the guard’s dark eyes. His gaze snapped to the opal at Nasir’s throat. After several long seconds of silence, he harrumphed and closed the window with a snap.
They hadn’t said no. Nasir turned slowly and looked toward Kavin on the bed. This was his only shot. They had to take the bait. All the highborns wanted the opal. They’d tried to take it from him when he’d first arrived but hadn’t been able to remove it from his neck. None knew where it came from, but they lined their sahads up to fight Nasir in the ring because the one who killed him would then own the mysterious opal. So far, none had been successful.
He crossed back to the bed, sat beside her, and brushed the curls back from her face. She lay on her stomach, her arms up near her head, her eyes closed in deep sleep. He hated to wake her, hated to start this day that would likely be his last. But he didn’t want her master to find her naked in his bed. Didn’t want to give the son of a bitch any reason to hurt her more than he already had.
“Kavin, wake up.” He ran his hand down her hair, across the smooth skin of her back. “Wake up, princess.”
He’d like nothing better than to make her his princess. But that was another life. Not this one. The best he could hope for was that once she was free, someday she could find happiness. And maybe remember what little time they’d been able to spend together, even if it was in a hellhole.
She grunted, stirred, finally blinked and looked up at him with that sleepy, sexy, so-damn-erotic look, he wished he could see it again. Tomorrow morning. And the morning after that. Thousands of mornings after that.
He forced a smile. “Good morning.”
Her eyes widened, then she jerked up on her hands and looked toward the window above them. “It’s morning?”
She knew what this morning was going to bring. He just hoped he was able to stop it.
“Kavin, we need to talk.”
She flipped to sitting and pulled the sheet up around her, her wide, very aware eyes looking all around the room.
He picked up her dress where they’d dropped it last night and handed it to her, trying like hell not to let his own fear show. “I’m fighting today.”
She stopped her frantic movements with the dress around her neck. “What?” Her gaze dropped to his side and the wound that was still red and irritated, but, thanks to her, closed. “You’re still weak from your injury. They can’t make you fight yet. They—”
“They can do whatever they want.” He helped her pull the dress down. “I’m a slave, remember?”
“But—”
He captured her hands before she could push from the bed. “It’s my job, rouhi.”
Her eyes hardened, and he watched determination creep across her perfect features. “Then kill them. Kill every single one they throw at you.”
Allah, he loved this female. It wasn’t even a question anymore. And it didn’t matter that she was Ghul and he was Marid or that they’d only known each other a few days. He loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone before. And he knew, without a doubt, that he was making the right choice. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“What?” she asked quietly.
He drew a deep breath, one he hoped would give him strength, but realized in the silence between them he didn’t need. He already had it, because of her. “If something were to happen to me, Malik will take possession of the fire opal. Wh
atever happens then, do as he says.”
“I don’t understand.”
No, of course she wouldn’t. And he couldn’t tell her. Because if she knew, she’d try to stop him. He tightened his hands around hers. “Just promise me you’ll do as he says.”
“Nasir—”
Footsteps echoed out in the hall, followed by voices. Several.
Nasir’s pulse sped up. He was running out of time. The one commodity he’d had more than enough of up until now.
He leaned in, kissed her when her frightened eyes darted toward the door, then rested his forehead against hers. “You were right, I hate the fighting. More than anything about this place. But I’ll do it for you. I’d do anything for you. I can’t ever thank you enough for bringing me back from the brink.”
Tears welled in her eyes as the voices grew louder outside. She ran her hand down his cheek. “Oh, Nasir. I—”
He didn’t let her finish. He closed his mouth over hers as keys rattled in the door and kissed her one last time. Drew her deep into his mind and heart and soul where she’d live forever. Then gathered every ounce of strength he had left and pushed from the bed to cross to the far side of the room. Away from her. Away from probing eyes he didn’t want to witness their last moment together.
He watched as she swiped the tears from her cheeks, then squared her shoulders and stared at the door in silence. And he remembered what she’d told him last night. How she’d sacrificed herself for the slave girl that son of a bitch highborn had threatened.
She was stronger than he’d given her credit for that first day. In so many ways—in all the ways that mattered—tougher than him, because he knew whatever happened, she wouldn’t lose herself the way he had. Awe rippled through him. Awe and wonder and pride that curled one side of his lips. He had nothing to offer her, and she had no reason to want him, but she did. And he was the luckiest son of a bitch for having known her.
The door pushed open, killing his smile. The guard moved out of the way, then bodies filled the space. His mu’allim. The slave girl who’d repeatedly come for Kavin. And finally, the piece-of-shit highborn who owned her.
The highborn’s hard gaze snapped from Nasir, leaning against the wall near the bath, to Kavin. And when he took in her rumpled hair and the indent on her cheek from a fold on the sheet, a malicious grin spread across his disgusting face.
“Take her back to the harem,” he said to the slave girl.
Kavin didn’t speak as the girl slowly approached the bed. But their eyes met. And something Nasir couldn’t read passed between them.
She pushed up on shaky legs. Every instinct said to reach out for her, but Nasir held his ground and resisted. Because if this didn’t go as he hoped, he didn’t want to do anything to give the highborn any more reason to punish her.
Please, please, please let him take the bait.
The highborn watched her leave the room, and when he looked back at Nasir, victory flashed in his dark eyes. A victory Nasir wanted to smash to ruin with his fists.
The highborn smirked. “It doesn’t look like I need to ask if she finally completed her test. Tell me, was she good? All that fire inside her, I bet once you finally got a piece of her, she was a mighty fine fuck.”
At his side, Malik shifted his feet, clasped his hands behind his back in clear discomfort, but didn’t so much as utter a sound.
Nasir ground his teeth to keep from popping the dickhead right between the eyeballs. He could take this fucker out in ten seconds, snap his neck, save their realm from his torment, but if he did, he’d be condemning Kavin. And nothing was worth that. “I’m willing to make you a deal.”
The highborn snorted and turned for the door. “I don’t make deals with slaves.”
“You’ll deal with this slave. I’m offering you the opal.”
The highborn paused at the threshold, glanced back over his shoulder with curious eyes. “What kind of deal?”
He had him. Relief filled Nasir’s chest. Now he just had to hope Malik backed him up. “I’m scheduled to fight the Shaitan today. The one that arrived last week. If you can arrange it so I fight your Infrit instead, I’ll guarantee your sahad’s victory.”
“Sahad,” Malik muttered in warning. But Nasir and the highborn both ignored him.
Interest flared in the highborn’s eyes as he turned back to fully face Nasir. “Why is the great champion suddenly suicidal? What’s in it for you besides death?”
“Peace of mind.”
The highborn’s eyes narrowed. “How so?”
“If you arrange it, the fight is yours. And the opal. But only if you grant the jarriah’s freedom upon my death.”
“By Allah…” Malik muttered.
The highborn stared at him so long Nasir wasn’t sure what he was thinking, then a slow, shameless smile spread across his face. “She got to you. I knew she was of great value the first time I laid eyes on her. You did too, obviously.”
Nasir wasn’t about to discuss Kavin with this prick. He clenched his jaw without answering.
Take the deal. Take the deal. Take the fucking deal…
The highborn rubbed a hand across his chin. “What guarantee do you have that I’ll hold to my half of the bargain? Once you’re dead, the opal belongs to me anyway.”
“Not exactly. My master is one of great power. In her stead, my mu’allim has the final say in all matters pertaining to me. The opal’s bound to me by magic—and only he has the power to give it to you once I’m dead. As soon as he has confirmation the jarriah is free of you and this city, he’ll hand it over to you.”
The highborn turned to Malik. “Is this true?”
Malik’s jaw clenched. And anger brewed in his gaze as his eyes held Nasir’s. “Yes,” he said without turning toward the highborn. “It is true.”
The highborn didn’t look pleased when he faced Nasir again. “So I arrange the change to the fights, you die in the arena, then I free the jarriah, and the opal is mine.”
“And the glory for taking out the great champion,” Nasir added, knowing that would seal the deal. “Imagine the envy you’ll be amongst the other highborns.”
He hadn’t meant to sound as if he was mocking the son of a bitch, but he was, and the highborn knew it. His eyes narrowed and filled with contempt.
Take the deal. Take the damn deal…
Seconds drew out in silence. Long, agonizing seconds in which Nasir held his breath and waited. And hoped. And prayed.
Finally, the highborn said, “Fine. You have a deal. Just make your death look good. If you go down without a fight, our deal is broken. Die like the champion you are, or I’ll fuck that bitch a hundred ways to sundown.”
He turned for the door.
“Don’t touch her,” Nasir said in a hard voice. One that stopped the highborn’s feet. “If you or anyone else does before I’m dead, the deal is off. And I’ll find you from the grave. I guarantee it, you prick.”
The highborn didn’t turn. Didn’t look Nasir’s way. But the tightening of his shoulders told Nasir he’d heard the threat loud and clear. He stomped out of the room without another word.
When the highborn’s footsteps could no longer be heard echoing from the corridor, Malik barked to the guards, “Out. Both of you.”
The guards hesitated, but when Malik shot them a hard glare, they scrambled out the door and closed it at their backs.
In their wake, Malik’s eyes blazed. “What the fuck was that? Are you mad? What the hell are you thinking?”
Nasir sagged back against the stone wall, his heart racing with the remnants of an adrenaline rush that was now leaving him weak. And hopeful. “The only thing I can do.”
“The Infrit hasn’t been trained yet. He’s no match for you on a good day. He’s insane, I’ll give you that, but you could take him down with your eyes closed.”
Nasir ran his hand through his hair, remembering Kavin’s fingers doing the same last night. He drew a deep breath, knowing he was doing the right thing, and m
et Malik’s hard eyes. “I’m saving the female I love. I know you would have done the same if you could.”
Malik’s jaw tightened. Then he muttered, “Motherfucker. She’s a Ghul. You barely know her.”
His mu’allim wasn’t changing his mind. “You saw the same strength in her I did. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have helped her.”
Malik’s lips thinned. But behind the spark of fury in his eyes, Nasir saw he agreed. “She won’t let you do this.”
“She’s not to know.” Nasir straightened from the wall. “I want her out of this hellhole, Malik, and I’ll do anything to set her free. But I need your help. This will only work if you agree. I know you don’t want what happened to your female to happen to her.”
Malik’s eyes were as hard and cold as Nasir had ever seen them. Everything hinged on his support. If he was pissed Nasir hadn’t consulted him about his plans, if he’d lost his compassion after all these years as a slave, Kavin was lost.
“She wasn’t just my female,” Malik finally said in a low voice. “She was my wife. And yes, I’d have done anything to free her, even give up my own life for her, if I’d been able to.”
Nasir’s pulse pounded hard as he waited. As he hoped.
“I’ll help her,” Malik said softly.
Relief was as sweet as wine, zipping through Nasir’s veins. He reached out and clamped a hand over Malik’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He nodded at the opal around Nasir’s throat. “That thing is bound to you by magic. I don’t know if I’ll be able to direct it.”
On this, Nasir knew he was safe. When I’m dead, the chain will release. It binds me to a sorceress, one of great power.”
“A sorceress?” Malik asked in surprise.
Nasir nodded, not about to get into the hows and whys of how that had come to be. “Whoever wears it will be bound to her will, as was I. I don’t know why she’s waiting, but at some point, she’ll call the opal back. And with it, the bearer.”
A slow smile slinked across Malik’s weathered face. One Nasir had never seen. One that lit up his eyes and made him look years younger. “Clever move, sahad.”