Chapter 15

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Zahir found himself in the strangest circumstance. He was actually telling someone about his day, the frustrations of being in charge of the Wands District and how the Wolf Mage continued to vex Arkon.

Zahir realized that he didn’t really have unnecessary conversations with people anymore. They were either giving him information or he was passing on orders. It was strangely refreshing to just talk to someone. Especially when that someone was the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, no matter how much he tried.

Mid-conversation, Zahir had produced some alcohol-free cocktails. Ezra was sober again, but she wasn’t less open or interesting. He found her mind and wit sharp and scathing, and he liked it immensely.

"So how old are you anyway?" she asked, propping her head up with a hand.

Zahir thought about it. "Old enough to remember what Solomon’s temple was like when it was freshly built and when your people would dance with the djinn long into the night. You didn’t hate us then, and the world seemed so full of wonder."

"My father had a saying, ’When you can do nothing else, you dance.’ In retrospect, it was one of the wisest things he said to me,"Ezra replied.

Zahir smiled. "Wise indeed. What else did he tell you?"

She gave him a cryptic smile. "To stay away from the djinn and to never speak your name in case you hear me."

"You’re serious?" Zahir tilted his head back and laughed. "I’m too old to care what people say about me. I suppose it would depend on how you said my name, as to whether I paid any attention. If it was a kind of breathless little moan, I might be more interested."

Ezra shook her head in despair. "You are incorrigible. Do you ever stop flirting?"

"I can’t help it. I want to kiss you, and it’s very distracting."

"You want to kiss me?" Ezra said, frowning like she didn’t believe him.

Zahir nodded. "Badly."

"Huh. What’s holding you back?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Last time I did, you shut me down. Despite the rumors, I don’t have a harem with a revolving door, and I don’t go where I’m not wanted," Zahir replied. He was being honest, a rare thing when he was interested in bedding someone. Ezra deserved better than deception. He genuinely liked her. It was going to be problematic in the future, and he still couldn’t stop.

"It’s not that you weren’t wanted," Ezra mumbled so softly, he almost missed it.

Zahir grinned. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"The hell it was. Stop pretending you don’t like me. It’s very annoying, and it’s starting to hurt my feelings," Zahir huffed. She threw a cushion at him, and it bounced off his face.

"The disresp—" he began when she threw another. He grabbed it out of the air, tossed it over the side of the building, and pounced on her. Ezra let out a giggling squeak of surprise before Zahir kissed her like it was his last night on earth. Ezra melted underneath him, one leg curling around his and drawing him closer.

Thank the Creator. He slid his tongue along her lips, and she opened for him. Zahir had been craving her taste, the mysterious myrrh scent of her, the hot hiss of her power against his. He had stopped wondering what it was about her that drew him in. It didn’t matter. Only having her mouth on him did.

Ezra moaned softly, and he flicked his pierced tongue into her mouth, stroking her own tongue languidly. Her hands threaded into his dark hair, giving it a gentle tug that had him hardening.

It’s just kissing. Don’t scare her, he tried to tell himself.

Ezra pulled back and blurted, "I’m not fucking you on the rooftop."

"Did I ask to fuck you, little sparrow?" he said, raising a brow.

"Isn’t this... Aren’t you here because of these?" Ezra asked, lifting her arm where her marks were.

"No. I’m here because I want to be." Zahir shook his head, and then a horrible thought occurred to him. "You’re not kissing me because you feel obligated to because of them, are you?"

"No! God, no. I was enjoying the moment. I didn’t know if you felt the same," she said. She covered her eyes with her hand. "Fuck, I’ve just ruined it, haven’t I?"

Zahir moved her hand away and kissed it. "Not at all. You’re right to question my motives. I would remove that part of the bargain if I could, but it’s impossible now. It’s not an obligation to have sex with me either. I wanted those nights to spend time with you to convince you that djinn aren’t terrible. You have the power to control us if you wanted to. I wanted to try to…win you over, I suppose."

Ezra placed her hand on his chest, and his heart skipped. "I’d never hurt any of you. I can’t help having this magic in my head, but I would never use it."

"I know." Zahir stroked her cheek, delighting in its velvety softness. "But just so we are clear, if you want to have sex, you wouldn’t regret it."

Ezra laughed, and her cheeks turned pink. "Is that so? You’re old enough that I suppose you should be good at it by now."

"Should be?" Zahir brushed his lips over hers. "Oh, little sparrow, I don’t even have to touch you to get you off."

"Wow. The arrogance." Ezra rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, my king."

"You want proof?" Zahir said, his hand slipping around her throat. "Your heart is suddenly racing. I think it means you want proof."

Ezra bit her lip, and his dick hardened. "Go on then. If you think you can."

Zahir moved off her before he never moved again. A chair appeared on the other side of the rugs, and he sat, facing her. He wasn’t going to miss a second of this.