Page 60 of Sands of Atonement

My hands slammed into his chest, but his hands encircled my wrists before I could pull them back to me. I rammed a knee between his legs so quick, Ezra doubled over with a grunt. Before I could get out of his arms, he twisted me against the wall in the same motion.

His body crushed against mine, the scent of leather filling my senses. His face was between my shoulder and neck.

It warmed me, and I hated that I liked it.

“You’re insufferable, and if you do this again, I won’t hesitate to use more… unorthodox methods to sedate your demons.”

Remember who he is to you, Eshe.

“I hate you,” I muttered.

His face reappeared in front of mine. His eyes were cold and distant.

“I don’t give a damn. The fact that you think or feel anything for me amuses me.”

“Get off me.”

“You say that, but you haven’t even tried pushing me off.”

I shoved him off, and he let go. Heat flooded my cheeks as I stormed away. I barely heard Ezra’s low, all-knowing chuckle over the sound of my thundering heart.

Eventually, I found Norrah and didn’t let her out of my sight the rest of the night.

We walked in silence back to my bedroom. “What did Ezra want from you?”

Norrah slowed her steps and looked at me with wide eyes. “Mara… I… he is trying…” Her eyes fluttered to the floor. “I can’t say…”

I placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Norrah, you can trust me. It hurts that you don’t know that.”

She swallowed, and after a moment she said, “There is a man who is searching for me.”

She looked up as if she expected a reaction. A few guests from the celebration staggered between us.

My mind was racing. “Is this man named Gabriel?”

Her mouth parted, and she nodded slowly. “Yes. Gabriel Halim. I am betrothed to him. I am to be married to him. My father sold me to him like I was some prized horse, but Mara, I don’t want him.” Her eyes glistened in the candlelit hallway. “Something isn’t right about him.”

Her hands flew to her face to stop the tears that were flowing down.

My muscles tensed seeing her in this way. “Norrah, I had no idea. Is he here now?”

She shook her head furiously. “God, no. I wouldn’t be standing here if he were. I had to beg Ezra for protection when he found me in the desert, and he agreed to it as long as it was kept secret. Please, you have to promise⁠—”

“I won’t breathe a word.”

She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Ezra just told me that Gabriel has been seen around the city walls. He’ll find me—I know he will.” Her eyes went distant for a moment. “I’d met him once, and he felt so… I… I don’t know what to do.”

Though it was strange for me to do so, I held Norrah until she stopped crying. I wanted to find this man and hurt him for causing my friend pain. I was more than surprised to learn that Ezra had promised to protect Norrah from this man. What was he doing in the affairs of Brestan and women who weren’t in his harem?

I had more questions and not nearly enough answers.

Chapter 16

Ezra

The morning sun had just risen by the time I showed up for my training. I placed some obstacles in the arena to increase the challenge. I needed to blow off some steam from last night’s mess. The sight of Eshe dancing for one of my men drew me to hell, and I wanted to burn the entire palace to the ground. He had no right to look at her the way he did, and I almost cut his eyes out for it. Eh, I still might. I didn’t hesitate to remind him of his position and what I would do if he so much as breathed near her. If it were anyone other than one of my men, they would have urinated themselves from my charged threats, but my men weren’t weak. But he wanted what he could not have. He wanted what was mine.

Eshe was mine.