Taken by Storm (ROMANTIC REALMS COLLECTION) by M.J. Schiller Page B
Authors: M.J. Schiller
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she remembering the awful things that had happened to her the night before?
Tahj picked his way over the uneven ground to where the horses stood dozing. He pulled off the other blanket, which was rolled and tied to the back of the saddle. He stood for a moment, one hand on the horse, the blanket tucked under his other arm, and watched her. She was unaware of him, absorbed in her own thoughts. She was completely enchanting, magic in the firelight, intriguingly as fragile as she was strong. The holes he found in the cool distance she tried to maintain, the moments when she dropped her guard enough to let him in, fueled his desire to tear away all boundaries between them. He walked slowly back to her side, but she still jumped when he drew near.
Without speaking, Tahj knelt in the dirt, unrolling the blanket to lay it out by the fire. He lifted his eyes to hers. Bashea watched him guardedly, perhaps wondering if he expected her to join him in the bed he made. She glanced nervously in Radeem’s direction, but he was still crashed out, snoring incessantly. It was as if she was measuring the odds, determining if she could fight Tahj on her own if she had to, or if Radeem would help him to subdue her, and do…whatever else to her.
Tahj rose and stalked to the edge of the clearing. He couldn’t stand to see the pain in the girl’s eyes, knowing, in a roundabout way, he had caused it. Sure, he didn’t order the raid on her village, but it was undertaken to play a joke on him, so he felt some of the blame was his. As a leader, he hadn’t won over his troops, and this was the result. She didn’t trust him, and why should she? Her thinking poorly of him hurt. At the same time, it angered him that the men had acted out of hate and lust, and the pure evil dwelling within them.
These thoughts led him to others, thoughts of his father, whose body lay broken upon the bed, blood poured out upon the tiles Tahj had crawled over as a baby. And even as he saw this face, another one was superimposed over it—Kadeesh’s, his dear brother. Boltar had taken Tahj’s entire family away from him, and the need to avenge their deaths burned in his heart. But there was nothing to be done tonight, and he needed first to right things with the girl.
Tahj turned back to the camp. To his surprise, he found Bashea curled up where she had been, lying on her side against the tree he’d lugged out of the woods, the blanket abandoned. He headed silently toward Bashea, careful to avoid any branches that might snap and wake her. He retrieved the blanket, and, bending down next to her, noted how tightly she was curled up against the cold, how her hands lay clenched by her face. Tahj stretched out the blanket over her small body, being sure it covered the injured shoulder. He paused a second more, soaking in her face, and then unconsciously reached out to run the back of his hand down a soft cheek.
He felt a slight quiver under her skin. She had flinched at his touch. She was awake then, only pretending to sleep. He understood now—she was afraid to face him, afraid of what demands she imagined he would have. He drew back his hand and retreated to the other side of the fire. But, through the night, he continued to watch her as she slept. The moon traveled over the sky before he finally fell asleep, curled up on his side as she was, feeling suddenly very, very alone.
CHAPTER SIX
He was standing over the fire, mere feet away, with his back to her, gnawing on something, when the girl woke with a start. He heard the sharp intake of her breath and turned, holding a greasy finger to his lips. Radeem squatted down in front of her. “The prince is still asleep.”
Straightening, he spun to sit next to her, too close, causing her to sit up and draw the blanket around her more tightly, though he pretended not to notice. He was staring at Tahj thoughtfully. Tahj lay on his side, head on his folded hands, with no pillow, no blanket, curled up against
Tahj picked his way over the uneven ground to where the horses stood dozing. He pulled off the other blanket, which was rolled and tied to the back of the saddle. He stood for a moment, one hand on the horse, the blanket tucked under his other arm, and watched her. She was unaware of him, absorbed in her own thoughts. She was completely enchanting, magic in the firelight, intriguingly as fragile as she was strong. The holes he found in the cool distance she tried to maintain, the moments when she dropped her guard enough to let him in, fueled his desire to tear away all boundaries between them. He walked slowly back to her side, but she still jumped when he drew near.
Without speaking, Tahj knelt in the dirt, unrolling the blanket to lay it out by the fire. He lifted his eyes to hers. Bashea watched him guardedly, perhaps wondering if he expected her to join him in the bed he made. She glanced nervously in Radeem’s direction, but he was still crashed out, snoring incessantly. It was as if she was measuring the odds, determining if she could fight Tahj on her own if she had to, or if Radeem would help him to subdue her, and do…whatever else to her.
Tahj rose and stalked to the edge of the clearing. He couldn’t stand to see the pain in the girl’s eyes, knowing, in a roundabout way, he had caused it. Sure, he didn’t order the raid on her village, but it was undertaken to play a joke on him, so he felt some of the blame was his. As a leader, he hadn’t won over his troops, and this was the result. She didn’t trust him, and why should she? Her thinking poorly of him hurt. At the same time, it angered him that the men had acted out of hate and lust, and the pure evil dwelling within them.
These thoughts led him to others, thoughts of his father, whose body lay broken upon the bed, blood poured out upon the tiles Tahj had crawled over as a baby. And even as he saw this face, another one was superimposed over it—Kadeesh’s, his dear brother. Boltar had taken Tahj’s entire family away from him, and the need to avenge their deaths burned in his heart. But there was nothing to be done tonight, and he needed first to right things with the girl.
Tahj turned back to the camp. To his surprise, he found Bashea curled up where she had been, lying on her side against the tree he’d lugged out of the woods, the blanket abandoned. He headed silently toward Bashea, careful to avoid any branches that might snap and wake her. He retrieved the blanket, and, bending down next to her, noted how tightly she was curled up against the cold, how her hands lay clenched by her face. Tahj stretched out the blanket over her small body, being sure it covered the injured shoulder. He paused a second more, soaking in her face, and then unconsciously reached out to run the back of his hand down a soft cheek.
He felt a slight quiver under her skin. She had flinched at his touch. She was awake then, only pretending to sleep. He understood now—she was afraid to face him, afraid of what demands she imagined he would have. He drew back his hand and retreated to the other side of the fire. But, through the night, he continued to watch her as she slept. The moon traveled over the sky before he finally fell asleep, curled up on his side as she was, feeling suddenly very, very alone.
CHAPTER SIX
He was standing over the fire, mere feet away, with his back to her, gnawing on something, when the girl woke with a start. He heard the sharp intake of her breath and turned, holding a greasy finger to his lips. Radeem squatted down in front of her. “The prince is still asleep.”
Straightening, he spun to sit next to her, too close, causing her to sit up and draw the blanket around her more tightly, though he pretended not to notice. He was staring at Tahj thoughtfully. Tahj lay on his side, head on his folded hands, with no pillow, no blanket, curled up against
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