Page 40 of Thief of Hearts

I saw Levern, and while he had finished in the top ten of the racers, he hadn’t beat me. I held up one finger at him, reminding him of our bet and how I was well on my way to winning. Which I had done despite his best efforts to stop me.

He yelled and kicked an amphora over.

Another racer said to him, “Are you throwing a fit because you lost to a woman?”

“She’s not a woman,” Levern said. “She’s a Thracian. A whore.”

Zain pushed people out of his way to stand in front of Levern. “Apologize.”

“No.”

I was about to tell Zain it was fine, the Epirian wasn’t worth it, and I’d heard worse. But Zain had grabbed Levern’s arm behind him, turning his wrist hard. Levern tried to suppress his grunt of pain.

In a matter of moments, Zain got him onto the ground and dug his knee between Levern’s shoulder blades, still holding his arm back while twisting his wrist. “I said, apologize.”

The Epirian started cursing and tried to free himself but stopped when Zain increased the pressure.

“I’m sorry.” Levern spit the words out like they were a poison he wanted to expel.

Zain released him and returned to me, his expression grim.

My heart began to rise in my chest with each step he took. When he reached me, I couldn’t stop myself. “No one has ever done anything like that for me before.”

“Why not?” He sounded incredulous. “Unless you’ve gone through your life without being insulted.”

“No, I’ve been insulted countless times.”

“Then it is a shame that no one in your life has stood up for you.”

They knew I didn’t need them to stand up for me. That I could protect myself. But he had touched something deep inside me by being willing to step into the breach to defend me.

“Are you enjoying your applause?” he asked.

I had forgotten the stadium audience. But they were still standing and cheering. “I’m surprised by it. I thought they would boo me.”

“They wouldn’t boo you. They’re probably thanking their god that they were allowed the privilege of watching you run.”

I wasn’t sure if he meant because I’d done it naked or because I’d done it well.

He cleared it up for me. “It’s not often people get to see someone race so fast. Or someone so beautiful.”

He had meant both, then.

“You don’t know how many fortunes you caused to be lost today,” he said.

If people had wagered on the outcome of this race, then he was right. I couldn’t imagine that anyone in Sagaris would have bet on me to win.

Foolish mistake.

“Between that and you gracing the track with your perfect body—you probably drove most of the men in this stadium mad with lust. I was worried I might have to help you fight your way clear, and I hate fighting.”

“You hate fighting?” I repeated. I’d just watched him with Levern but realized he’d only subdued the Epirian. He hadn’t fought him.

“There are much more pleasurable ways to spend my time than fighting.”

His deep voice made me imagine all sorts of pleasures with him. I was so glad I was wearing clothes. Because I could feel the blush starting in my cheeks, traveling down my neck, and spreading across my chest.

I felt . . . silly, for lack of a better word. I was behaving like a green novice, off to fight her first battle or bed her first lover. He made me feel flustered, even if I was pretending to be confident and calm.