Page 21 of Wynter and the Stone Dragon

Khalid pursed his lips and looked over Giaf’s shoulder to where his other two personal guards, Hagar and Habanamru, stood in silence. He knew now that Farid and Mousa would probably have already briefed them about what they saw in the courtyard.

“Who else knows about this?” he asked as he wearily rubbed the back of his neck.

Giaf paled when he didn’t deny the claim. “Adham, me, your guards, and I think Doctor Baqir suspects. There are others that were in the courtyard and saw the gouges in the wall,” he answered.

“I… will brief you, Adham, Doctor Baqir, and my guards in one hour in the conference room. Until then, I ask that you make sure that nothing else is said.”

Giaf nodded in agreement. “I’ll let the others know.” He glanced down the corridor. “And the girl… woman? What about her?”

Khalid gazed at the double doors at the end of the corridor. Behind those doors was the most precious thing in his life. He would do whatever he must to protect her.

“She is mine, Giaf. That is all you need to know,” he said before turning and walking away.

At the end of the corridor, he opened the door to his living quarters with a murmur to Habanamru and Hagar to remain outside. Both guards cast a wary look at each other and then at him before reluctantly nodding. He stepped through the door, closing it quietly behind him.

He froze, taking in the sight of Wynter’s bemused face as she listened to Dhat-Badan. He had requested the Wise Woman’s presence. He knew she would want to see Wynter again, and the moment she discovered that the strange child had returned, she had eagerly agreed to come.

“Pow-pow only eats dirt, rocks, and such? How can he live on such things?” Dhat-Badan was asking.

“He’s a rock dragon. Why would he want to eat anything else?”

“Are there other types of dragons?” Dhat-Badan asked.

“Oh, yes. There are many others,” Wynter replied.

Dhat-Badan finished braiding Wynter’s hair before looking up and smiling at Khalid. Wynter turned, her eyes widening at the sight of him, and a faint pink color rushed to her cheeks. Her eyes skimmed his face before settling on his lips. Khalid’s body immediately reacted to the darkening green in her eyes.

“It is wonderful to see you, Dhat-Badan. We would be pleased to have your company again tomorrow,” he said.

“It has been a pleasure, Your Highness,” Dhat-Badan acknowledged with a bow of her head.

Khalid stepped away from the door as Dhat-Badan passed him and exited the room. He stood still, drinking in the glow of Wynter’s beauty and the fact that she was real.

“You’re still here,” he said.

He cleared his throat when the words came out with a slight croak. She laughed and stood up. The movement was graceful, like a ballerina. She was dressed in one of Aethon’s traditional robes.

“Yes. Dhat-Badan has been telling me about the major events of the past few years,” she said.

He met her halfway across the room, enveloping her in his arms and capturing her upturned lips. It had been practically impossible for him to think of anything but holding and kissing her again. She returned his kiss, opening for him like a desert blossom receiving its first rainfall.

Heart pounding, his body aroused in a way he had never experienced before, he wanted to touch her all over. He slid his hands up her body and captured her face, tilting her head so he could kiss her deeper. She slid her hands down his arms to his wrists and broke their kiss to gaze up at him with a look of wonder and confusion.

“What is it, Khalid?” she asked, tenderly caressing his brow as he breathed heavily.

He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. “Nothing is wrong. I just missed you,” he said.

Her expression softened, and she leaned forward, kissing him again. This kiss was soft… gentle. She chanted words he didn’t understand, and the tension headache that had been throbbing with a dull ache faded.

“You need time to clean up, eat, and rest,” she gently reproached.

“I need you,” he replied.

ChapterNine

Wynter’s heart melted at the slightly vulnerable note in Khalid’s voice. Warmth filled her and a powerful emotion surged inside her. She was falling in love with Khalid.

His touch awakened the power inside her, touching her on a level she had never experienced before. Tiny charges of electricity swept through her when they touched, and his unique scent—sandalwood, spice, and the fragrance of the desert—made her want to crawl all over him.

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