More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“A heart in love can be a vulnerability for a queen,” her mother once said, her voice laced with decades of wisdom.
Queen Hadiyah stopped and took Layna’s hands. “Love is a powerful force, my child, one that can inspire and empower. But as queen, your first duty will always be to your people. The luxury of following your heart is not yours to claim.”
Layna glanced up at the moon, hanging brightly in the star-speckled sky. The cool breeze carried a soothing touch, as if the moon itself was wrapping her in an embrace, offering comfort for her wounded heart.
“The birth of a girl under the moon’s blessed light, the rare celestial alignment on the eve of the equinox, and now the impending eclipse,”
The breeze carried their laughter away into the depths of the desert, immortalizing the moment within the eternal, infinite sands.
Their gazes locked, and the desert itself held its breath.
It was a constant struggle, an inner turmoil that drained her. She knew she was walking a tightrope, one as thin as a single strand of hair, where one wrong step could devastate not just her, but her entire kingdom as well. She could not fall.
The moon kept its watch over Alzahra, over a prince and princess whose destinies were becoming ever more intertwined.
In the quiet of the night, with the moon as his witness, Zarian made a silent vow. He would stand as the shield against any storm that threatened Layna. For her, he would walk through fire. To hell with the balance.
I am yours. I am yours. I am yours.
But instead of kissing her, he traced the curve of her cheek with his nose, slowly drawing it up to her temple. His touch was reverent and feather-light, as though he feared she might disappear if he held on too tightly.
The desolation in his stare was so profound, it felt like her heart yearned to escape her chest and beat in his, just to share his burden.
No matter what the future held, he was completely, irrevocably hers. In her, he found his home. He chose her. He could only hope that she, too, would choose him.
He leaned in, his lips tenderly brushing her forehead, then gliding down to caress her nose, before finally capturing her lips in a kiss so soft, so filled with love, that it washed away all trace of her frustration.
His eyes shone with a love so fierce, so powerful, that he would let his own kingdom, the entire world, the very balance burn away into nothingness for his beloved.
“Don’t. Say. Her. Name,” Zarian snarled through clenched teeth.
