Fire in the Heart : The Princess and the Bandit (9781629020112) by Slaughterbown Page A

Elijah thought about getting his princess back to the palace. No sooner had he thought that, Natalia said, “Oh goodness, I have to be heading home.”
    Rasha pouted. “Oh, no. You can’t!”
    “I am so sorry,” sighed Natalia.
    “Promise you will come back! Promise!” Rasha had truly changed that night, and it was all because of the princess.
    “I will,” replied Natalia, beaming. “You have my word!”
    Natalia gave Rasha a big hug. Their tender display of emotion warmed Elijah’s heart.
    Bayan was also deeply moved. “Please don’t forget us, Your Highness, Natalia.” He was so distracted with her presence that he hadn’t eaten anything in the last hour.
    The princess’s laughter again filled the room. “I won’t, Bayan, and Natalia would do just fine.”
    “Yes, Your Highness, Natalia.” Bayan made everyone laugh. Elijah and Karim shook their heads and as they watched his face turn red.
    Firas wasn’t bashful in the least. “Take care, Natalia! Hope to see you soon!”
    Natalia replied, “Yes. You too, Firas!”
    She smiled as she turned. “Goodbye, Natalia,” Karim said.
    “See you soon, Karim!” As soon as Natalia had said good-bye to him, Elijah took her arm and pushed the hanging rug aside.
    Alone and unrestrained, Natalia leaped toward Elijah and gave him a long, tight hug. “Thank you so much, Elijah! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
    The innocent man held her tightly. “Thanks? For what?”
    She replied, “For accepting me into your world and letting me experience all of it. I never had any friends, and today, I made four in one night! Four of them, Elijah!”
    They remained in the tender embrace. “Don’t worry. You’re still my favorite,” said Natalia.
    Slowly, Elijah drew in a deep breath, his thoughts lost in her presence. “Well…I better be.”
    She gently laid her head against his chest as Elijah reached his large hand up and placed it against her soft hair. She hugged him even tighter. Elijah did not want this to end, but realized that it must. Her soft words floated up to his ears. “I don’t want to go home.”
    “I don’t want you to go either.”
    Natalia looked up at the huge, round moon, rising in the night sky, and seemed to go into a daze. As Elijah took in her beauty, chills ran up and down his spine. He couldn’t believe how many deep emotions he had for her in such a short amount of time. As he stood there, admiring her loveliness and beauty, his stomach fluttered. Love had struck him somewhere deep in his soul, and he was completely captured by its embrace. He had never before seen her in this light. She was so captivating and gorgeous. Tonight marked the beginning of his journey of love. His mind reeled with endless possibilities of how he would help her escape from the lap of luxury into his own, but these thoughts were quickly brought to a halt. “You ready?” No, of course not , were his very next thoughts. But he knew that he had to get her back home, to the palace, a place forever far from his own little, hidden world. He sadly replied, “Unfortunately.”
    She turned and said, “Let’s go!” and started to walk away.
    For a second, he didn’t budge. He gazed at her as she walked across the flat roof, again lost in a thousand thoughts. Then, he broke from them and turned to look back at the hideout. It was then and there that he saw Isabelle and Nizar, standing by the doorway. Isabelle was leaning against the wall, with her eyes fixed on Elijah. Nizar, with crossed arms, was clearly defiant in his glare.
    Then, a movement, off to his left, made Elijah turn his head and peer into the darkness. Across from him, on a neighboring rooftop, he saw the shadow of a man, lurking in the darkness. It was impossible to tell who it was. As quickly as he noticed him, it was gone.
    Elijah turned away from Isabelle and Nizar and walked up to the princess as she stepped over the first low wall. Hand on her back to steady her, he couldn’t help but glance