Leah's Hero - Miranda Martin Page 0,23

Order?”

Mick says the question that’s at the forefront of my own mind and probably the others too. Can we trust him? Are we going to be turned over to the Order if we go with him? If we don’t, what are we going to do? This place is going to flood, I’m sure of it, which severely limits our options.

“I trust him,” I say.

His gaze shifts, and then he’s looking at me. Every inch of my skin flushes warm and itches. His eyes are soft, gentle, but there’s a fire burning deep inside. My mouth is dry, and my heart is palpitating. What did I just say?

“And?” Mick asks.

“Look,” I say, anger overriding rationality. “You can hate me all you want. I don’t care, but we don’t have a lot of options, and he’s giving us one. If you want to stay here and drown, then more power to you. I’m going with him!”

Shock widens her eyes, her mouth drops open, then she shakes her head.

“I don’t hate you,” she says, her voice soft, barely above a whisper.

If the room weren’t so silent you could hear a pin drop, I probably wouldn’t have heard her at all. Instantly I’m a jerk and I feel terrible. I’m the absolute worst. Great going, girl, open your mouth and make everything worse.

I want to cry. I want something to eat. I want to hide. I want someone, anyone, to say something and take all the attention off me.

“We can’t,” Riley says. “The storm outside is bad.”

“Not safe,” Rakstan says, or that’s what I understand of what he said.

“We can’t stay here,” Ziva says, pointing at the rising water which is already up to the ankles of the Zmaj men.

Thunder rumbles again. Wind is whistling and making a roaring sound of its own, almost overriding the sound of the rain pelting the room. As if on cue a drip of water lands on my face and I yelp in surprise.

Urukol moves so fast I don’t see him close the distance between us. He’s there, his body touching mine, looking for a threat.

“Nothing,” I say, shaking with something so much more than fear. “It was nothing.”

He looks down, staring into my eyes, then he pulls back. The space is empty where he was, aching, demanding to be filled, and I wish he were still there. I can’t say that, not out loud, in front of everyone, but the desire is there.

“We’re going to have to make a decision,” Mick says. “One way or another, if we’re staying, we need to figure out a way to pump this water out.”

“That’s a lot of water,” Michael says.

“Urukol is hurt, he’s not going to be able to travel out there,” I say.

“You said you were going with him,” Allie says.

“I know, but listen to that,” I say pointing at the roof. “That’s one heck of a storm.”

“Rainy season,” Angota says, shrugging.

Of all of us he seems the most calm, as if this is any other day. No big deal, house is flooding, but you know, let’s be cool about it.

Rakstan says something, and then the three Zmaj are debating again, talking too fast for me to follow. I pull my knees up to my chest and hug them to myself, hiding my face in them. I have nothing to contribute because I don’t know. I’m not able to sort out my own feelings about any of this, much less give advice on what we should do.

“We’re going,” Angota says, cutting into my circling thoughts.

“We are?” I ask, looking up.

“Pack,” Angota orders. “Fast.”

When I slide off the table, the water is onto my calf. Yeah, this place is flooding. Great, so we’re going to fight our way through one heck of a storm outside, because the other option is to stay here and drown. God, I hate this planet.

8

URUKOL

I don’t know how the others are going to react, but I can’t leave her here. None of them really, but if it weren’t for her, would I push this hard?

Being honest with myself, no, I don’t think I would. I would probably offer, but I wouldn’t argue the point as I have. These males can make their own decisions after all. Except they weren’t going to decide to save her.

The ache in my core is deeper than my bones. It’s an ache in my soul. I wish, with all that I am, I could be worthy of her. I’m not, broken as I am, but the dragon wants her. The