Free Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin Page A

stomach.
Lady
help her, indecisiveness and hesitancy were so unlike her. Lips thinning, she dropped her amulet and lifted her head in Varian’s direction. For the first time, she was going to heed her heart. Taking a deep breath, she prayed her choice would be the right one.
    Only one question remained: Was Varian ready to hear what she had to say? Unease churned in her stomach like a meal of spoiled stew, but Kymora dug deep for the courage to share her truths.
    “Do you remember the first time we met?” she asked.
    “Yes, in the Temple, you were praying at the altar after your duties for the day were concluded.” Varian’s tone was cautious, as if he was wondering what direction their conversation would take.
    “I was unprepared for your swift attack. Pinning me to the wall frightened me.”
    Varian cleared his throat. “I’m not proud of how I handled that situation.”
    “I’m not berating you, just making a point.” A small smile curved her lips at the memory. “You could have retaliated when I struck out at you. Instead you used your strength to contain the blows. You threatened me with words, you threatened my life with a knife in the Council chamber when the warriors drew their weapons, but not once did you ever follow through or hurt me.”
    “I’m a blessing because I threatened but didn’t hurt you?”
    She poked his chest at his obtuse statement, too aware of the warmth of his bare skin under her fingertip. It was a strange conversation to be having while sitting naked on the floor of a cave.
    “I’m not finished. Just listen to what I have to say without interrupting.” A grunt was his only response. “I’ve talked to Lisella, Zaune, some of the other scouts…. They’ve told me how you spent days looking for another safe place for them to live so the
Na’Reish
wouldn’t discover you, about how hard you drove yourself and pushed them when you fled
Na’Reish
territory, following Annika and Kalan to Sacred Lake.
    “I’ve listened to you play with the children, teach them to hide and track, instruct and discipline them when they argue. In meetings your opinions are measured, logical, sometimes impassioned, but not once have I witnessed a careless response.
    “My point to all this—” A part of her registered the hard slab of muscle beneath her palm as she spread her fingers across his chest. She’d expected to feel a soft mat of hair, but his skin was bare and smooth. Another trait shared with the
Na’Reish
. Blinking, it took a moment to recall what she’d been saying. “Looking from the outside in, I see a compassionate man who knows the meaning of honor and duty, a protector with a generous soul.”
    “I’m not a saint….” His hard-edged reply came as no surprise.
    She shook her head. “I know that. You’re surly, abrupt, antisocialmost days, you speak your mind so plainly sometimes it offends. You’re hard on your scouts, you demand the best from them, you drive them into giving more than they believe possible, you’re sparing in your compliments….” Beneath her hand his muscles tightened. Knowing her point was made, she halted her catalogue of flaws.
    Trailing her fingers from his chest to his shoulder, she searched for and found the raised
Na’Chi
markings along the side of his neck. They continued up the side of his face, curved over his brow and into his hairline, the spots varied in size and shape, a pattern unique to each
Na’Chi
. The tactile sensation of them thrilled her, made her wish she could spend more time exploring all the places they adorned his body.
    “These don’t interfere with my getting to know someone, not like everyone else,” she stated, unable to hide the huskiness of her voice. “I sense your heart. It’s in your voice, against my skin; I analyze your actions and words.”
    She took another deep breath, her stomach churning as if she stood on the edge of the escarpment again ready to jump into the river, wondering at the wisdom of