Page 72 of Wicked Curses
And it was directed at her. It should be illegal for any man to look at a woman like that, never mind one as handsome as him. Sahira’s heart slammed against her ribs as her mouth went dry and unexpected desire bloomed in her belly.
Sahira gulped and straightened her shoulders before striding forward again. She was here to wash clothes, and that wasall.
She told herself this, but that look had awakened another hunger inside her. It was one she’d have to keep under control… somehow.
CHAPTERFIFTY
Her fingers brushedone of the branches on the trees, and she felt a small stream of life flowing through their leafless limbs. She didn’t know if it was from the tree or the earth it was rooted in.
The trees weren’t tall. Most were only five or six feet, but some were only three or four. Their branches didn’t stretch to the sky but bent toward the ground like a weeping variety. Their roots ran above the ground, creating a tripping hazard in the thick grass.
“If Lexi was here, she might be able to wake them,” Orin said.
The mention of her niece was an unexpected knife to Sahira’s chest. For a minute, the reminder of her family nearly brought her to her knees as she stopped breathing.
Since arriving here, she hadn’t allowed herself to focus too much on Del or Lexi. She couldn’t think about how they were doing, fear they might be in trouble, or let herself miss them.
If she did, she’d realize there was a chance she’d lost them forever. She might start sobbing and never stop. But his casual reminder of all she was missing was so unexpected she hadn’t prepared for the blow of grief.
“Are you okay?”
Sahira couldn’t respond as she tried to breathe through her sorrow. Eventually, she felt strong enough to meet Orin’s curious stare, but more than curiosity shone in their crow-black depths…
So didconcern.
Is it real?And that was the question. Even after he helped her with Radagast, it wasalwaysthe question with him.
He’d told her that she was nothing more than a game, one he intended to win, so she had to questioneverythinghe did. She hated this whole dynamic between them. Not being able to trust him sucked.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“You miss her.”
“Of course I do; don’t you miss your family?”
“I do.”
Though he played many games, that was true. He was… complicated, to say the least.
“Why did you fight against your father and brothers in the war?”
She hadn’t expected to ask that question; she was curious, of course, but it had popped out before she thought of voicing it. When Orin started walking again, she fell into step beside him.
Careful to avoid the roots she could barely see through the grass, Sahira tried not to faceplant as she waited for an answer she doubted was coming. He surprised her when he replied.
“Because we needed to make a stand against the Lord.”
“But Cole, Brokk, and your father were secretly fighting against him; I now know Del was too.”
“That wasn’t enough for me.”
“Is anything?”
He stopped walking and tilted his head in that cute yet soul-penetrating way he had of studying her. It was as if he somehow saw more of her than anyone else, but that couldn’t be possible.
“Not yet.”
With that, he started walking again. She stared after him before following; she’d never been curious to learn more about Orin, but she was suddenly fascinated by this gorgeous, enigmatic, exasperating, and mostly soulless man.
