Page 34 of The Moon's Daughter
Their duel was punctuated with moments of stillness, filled only with the sounds of their breathing. In these fleeting pauses, their eyes met and held. Layna tried to read his expression, but he remained impenetrable, a stone fortress made flesh.
In a moment of respite, Layna demanded, “Who are you, really?”
Zarian returned her steely stare. “I am a prince, a Medjai, and now your trainer.”
Frustrated, she channeled her emotions into the next bout, lunging with a series of aggressive strikes, each blow more forceful than the last. Zarian parried her thrusts effortlessly, barely breaking a sweat. His movements were practiced and controlled, a sharp contrast to the fury driving hers. Their swords clanged loudly in the night, mirroring her mounting frustration as she struggled to gain the upper hand.
He gave her a wide, teasing smile.
“You know, Layna, you don’t need to be the best at everything.”
Layna aimed her sword for Zarian’s arm, but he easily deflected it with his own.
“What do you mean?” Layna panted. “I know that.” She thrust her sword at his chest this time, and again he easily blocked her strike.
“Are you sure? You seem quite upset that you’re not winning,” Zarian teased. With a skilled motion, he knocked her sword out of her hand, and it landed on the ground with a dull thud. He took a step back and grinned at her.
Layna’s anger flared. She wanted to wipe the arrogant smirk off his face.
And she knew exactly how to do it.
She quickly retrieved her sword and resumed her stance.
“I’ll admit you’re quite skilled,” she said casually, lunging at his chest again. “Almost as good as Bilzayn.” Zarian’s smile faded quickly, though he still easily evaded her sword.
“Who is Bilzayn?” His sword crashed against hers, this time with more force.
“My last instructor. I miss him,” she said wistfully. Zarian was silent. A muscle feathered in his cheek. Layna panted as she struggled to block his strikes. “He said I was his favorite pupil, so strong, so motivated—” Layna paused, ducking to avoid Zarian’s sword. “And so beautiful.”
Her words hit their mark. Zarian’s jaw clenched so tightly she thought his teeth might crack. His eyes flashed dangerously, and she could practically feel the jealousy radiating off him.
She felt powerful, and it was intoxicating.
“I learned so much from him. He had a veryhands-onapproach.” Layna smirked as she watched Zarian’s composure crack before her eyes.
With a low growl, Zarian swiftly crouched and swept Layna’s legs out from under her. Her sword fell to the sandy earth. In the next heartbeat, he had pinned her to the ground, their bodies pressed closely together.
“Is this hands-on enough for you, Princess?” he demanded, his voice low and angry in her ear.
Instinctively, she bucked her hips and pushed at his chest. “Get off me!”
He groaned, a deep rumble in his chest. His eyes snapped shut.
“Stop. Squirming,” he bit out through clenched teeth.
Layna writhed harder, but he captured her wrists in one large hand, locking her arms above her head and covering her legs with his own.
She had no choice but to lay still, breaths coming in heavy gasps. Their faces were inches apart, eyes locked in a fiery gaze.
He braced himself on one forearm, and she sucked in a deep breath, filling her lungs, her chest heaving against his. Zarian’s eyes drifted down to Layna’s parted lips. He inched closer, the space between them narrowing to a sliver.
Layna froze, heart pounding frantically in her chest. His eyes were stormy, desire and rage swirling in their depths.
He edged even closer still, his lips just a hair’s breadth from hers. Layna’s eyes fluttered closed in anticipation, breaths quickening with each passing second. Her lips parted slightly.
And then his weight on her was gone.
Confused, she opened her eyes to find him towering over her. After a long, charged moment, he extended his hand and helped her up, his firm grip leaving goosebumps in its wake.