She grimaced. She’d heard about that because no one, especially warriors, could keep their mouths shut, and she’d been sick of the sidelong glances after a few days and grabbed Niko to ask him what the hell was going on. Malin had been unrepentant. “Can you tell me why I would want to convince Malin to accept a political marriage–which will be expected to produceheirs?”
“I already said. As a favor to your Prince. You aren’t the first Princess who had to accept a sisterwife.”
“Come on, Geza, can’t you be serious foronce?”
He sat up with a scowl. “I shouldn’t even be asking, you know. I could just make it a command. I didn’t give permission for your mating–and certainly not for amarriage.”
“And you won’t give that command,” Surah said, “because that just might be the command which tips Malin right into the hands of therebellion.”
Because it was now very open that a faction of nobles and their warriors wanted Geza off the throne, replaced by his elder brother, Malin, the original Prince, before his condition forced him to abdicate. The condition Surah was on the verge ofcuring…
…if people would just stop calling her during working hours. This was why she’d started working at night, but now that she lived with Malin, she didn’t want to keep missing evenings with her lover–they had so much lost time to make upfor.
“If he marries the woman I’m supposed to marry, doesn’t that make his claim to the throne more legitimate?” Geza askedcannily.
Surah stared at him. “What in the hell are you upto?”
The Prince snarled, narrow dark eyes glinting with temper. “Goddamnit! I can’t stand that female. She’s so…quiet.Boring.”
“Please don’t tell me you said that to her face, in front of her father and the Council.” The silence was all the reply Surah needed. “Geza, you can’tdothings like that. It’s why people are trying to kick you off the throne. They think you’re too immature, unstable. This marriage is the thing you need to prove that you have some potential to behave like anadult.”
“I’ll marry,” he replied, jerking a shoulder in a half shrug. “Just not someone they choose for me. I'll choose my ownbride.”
“Let me know how that worked out for you once Malin is on thethrone.”
“Are you supporting him againstme?”
“I’m not involved in this at all. It's between the two of you. I’ve said that before, and I’ll keep saying it. Work itout.”
“He won’t talk to me.” Geza’s mouth turned down. It was little disconcerting that a powerful, handsome warrior could still pout like a little boy. She bet his ladies adored it. At least for awhile.
“Maybe because the last time you spoke you threatened to pin his wings to the wall of the thronehall.”
“He threatened to cut off my fingers if a Mogren went after you again!Andthat was after he stole you from your rightful betrothed. Do you have any idea the concessions I’m being hammered with because of theinsult?”
Surah snorted. “Geza–grow up. I’m not asking Malin to marry another female.” She disconnected the call before her brother could say anything else, carefully pushed the cell out of the way, and proceeded to bang her head against thedesk.
It feltgood.
* * *
“Surah?”
She lifted her head from the desk, grimacing as she discreetly swiped moisture from the side of her mouth. She met Malin’s knowing dark eyes. He stood in the threshold of her office in human form. Surah's heart skipped one painful beat, then resumed. Despite the male's exotic beauty, olive-gold skin satiny over sculpted muscles, slashing facial bones contrasting with a sensual mouth and nearly shoulder length dark hair, Surah hated that it was displayed only in humanform.
It was night. He should have stood before Surah in the pearlescent-gray skin, gleaming fangs and magnificent wings of his species. But until she and Cole perfected the serum he would be confined to land forever to avoid enduring excruciatingpain.
Pain that was Surah'sfault.
Oh, intellectually, Surah knew she hadn’t caused it–but her continual failures in the lab haunted her. She ignored the fact that research of this kind generally took years, decades. She wasn’t a genius with an unlimited budget ofnothing.
“It's late,” Malin said softly, deep voice a smooth rumble filling the room. He took a step in and the office shrank, eclipsed by the sheer presence of thePrince.
“I work better at night,” Surahreplied.
“Of course. You’re half-gargoyle. But you still seem tired,Surah.”
She rose, moving her shoulders and flexing her fingers. Several hours at her laptop every day–she credited her gargoyle genes with the fact she didn’t have carpal tunnelyet.
