Page 47 of Thief of Hearts

We were both lost in thought as we returned to the barracks. He once again let me go first to change. The modesty seemed a little silly now, given that he had seen every bare inch of me already, but I was glad he did it. I needed the separation to keep my impulses in check.

I changed and opened the door for him. He once again walked in and began disrobing, and much as I longed to watch, I climbed into my cot, lay down, and turned away from him.

The room grew darker with each torch that he snuffed. I closed my eyes and he got into his bed.

“Thank you for today,” I said. It had been kind of him to treat me to dinner.

“No, thank you for today,” he responded. “It’s not a sight I’ll soon forget.”

I sighed and he added, “I can hear you rolling your eyes.”

“My eyes are closed.”

“You can still roll your eyes even if they’re closed.”

“Go to sleep, Zain.”

He chuckled and I listened as his breathing became slower and deeper. Dagger nestled against my legs again. Moonlight poured in through the open window. I turned over to look at the dog. He was snoring and was sprawled on his back with his legs straight up. His legs looked broken but I knew that was just how they bent. I rubbed Dagger’s wiry belly and he made a happy sound in his sleep.

I glanced over at Zain and my hand stilled.

He hadn’t bothered with a sleeping tunic tonight. His blanket was on his waist and the moonlight danced across his chest, giving me a perfect view. It was like he’d been hewn from the smoothest and strongest stone. He shifted and turned on his side, facing me.

It had caused his blanket to shift slightly.

My eyes followed the deep vee of his hips, and to my dismay, the blanket covered everything farther down. I wouldn’t have minded giving him a belly rub on his chiseled stomach and then moving down to his impressive—

“Good night, illora.” His voice was laced with laughter.

Embarrassed at getting caught, I quickly turned away from him, dislodging Dagger in the process. The dog made muttering noises before settling again. My heart felt like a wild bird trapped in a cage, hammering against the bars in an attempt to get out.

My feelings confused me. I wished there were someone I could talk to about it. Having someone else as a sounding board had always helped me to make decisions.

Before I drifted off to sleep, my last thought was that I hoped he wouldn’t tease me about this in the morning.

I had the same dream as the night before—the same place with the same players. Invara again told me to win. I tried to speak to her but it was as if my lips had been sewn shut and I couldn’t talk.

My dream shifted and changed and I was back in Ilion at the picnic.

Only this time, Zain was there. He was making Xander and Thrax laugh while Minha and Kyra played with the rings on his fingers.

He belonged; he was part of the family.

What was that supposed to mean?

“Who is that?”

I turned to see Lia watching the scene in front of me. “That’s Zain. What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I felt this draw, like the goddess was telling me to seek you out. So here I am.”

“Are you responsible for this? Is Zain really here? Did you bridge our dreams?”

It was one of her aspects.

“No. It’s just you and me here. He’s a figment of your imagination. And if it’s an accurate one, he’s very handsome.”

“It’s worse in person,” I admitted to her. I was glad she was here. I had wished for someone to talk to and here she was.