Free Reluctant Prince by Dani-Lyn Alexander Page B

your eyes.” He guided her head back down and massaged her temples, his warm, gentle touch easing some of the strain the day had brought.
    “Thank you.” She closed her eyes, tried to relax, tried to let go of the stress plaguing her. She wanted so badly to trust him, but his story was too far-fetched. If she hadn’t had that small glimpse into something beyond the world she knew, she’d have dumped him somewhere already.
    “Are we in danger?” She had to protect Mia at all costs. If something threatened her…well, she’d keep an open mind.
    His hands lowered to her neck.
    They were magic, working the knots out, soothing the taut muscles, bringing her a much needed sense of tranquility.
    “I’m not sure. There’s so much to tell you about, so many decisions to be made.”
    She opened her eyes in time to see him shake his head. “What?”
    He blew out a breath. “There’s something we should talk about before Mia comes back.”
    She sat up, lowered her feet, and turned to him. “Is Mia in danger?”
    “Actually, I’m not sure where Mia figures into all of this. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t, and yet…she must.” He grabbed a chair, turned it around, straddled it, and shoved his hands back through his hair.
    How could he look so good? She’d seen him in the burning building, yet he wasn’t covered in soot as she and Mia were. He’d fought…something…but he wasn’t disheveled as she’d have expected. Blood matted the back of his hair, but other than that he was surprisingly unmarked. His dark eyes remained alert, clear, dangerous.
    He pulled a crumpled ball of paper from a satchel at his waist, opened it, and smoothed it on the table. He turned it toward her.
    Her breath caught. She tried to tell herself there was a reasonable explanation. Some perfectly valid excuse why he would have a picture of her she’d never seen crumpled in a ball in his bag.
    “I’m a Death Dealer.” He paused, searched her expression. “At least, I would have been.” He heaved a sigh, winced.
    She remained quiet, allowed him the space to share his story in his own time, his own way.
    “I was to be ordained a Death Dealer and take my place as advisor to the king. Technically, I’m next in line to ascend the throne if anything happens to my father.” His laugh held no humor. “At this moment, I should be second in command. And yet…”
    He stared at her picture, repeatedly tracing the outline of her hair with his finger.
    “And yet what?” She held her breath. Would he answer? Did she want him to?
    “My final test was to retrieve the human Elijah had seen in his most recent vision. A young girl, who should have given me no trouble at all.”
    “Retrieve?” She swallowed hard.
    “Kill, Ryleigh.” His eyes met hers, held them. “I was sent to kill you and transfer you to Cymmera so you could take your place in our realm and fulfill the prophecy.”
    Her blood ran cold.
    His self-deprecating smile did little to warm her.
    “What about Mia?”
    He must have realized her discomfort, because he sat up straighter. “Don’t worry. Mia’s perfectly safe. So are you actually.” He shrugged. “From me anyway.”
    “Why me?” Confusion battered her. Questions ricocheted through her head, increased the throbbing pain that bombarded her.
    “In the vision, Elijah saw you surrounded by light, which is unusual. It’s never happened that way before. Then again, he’s never seen a woman before. In the past, it’s always been warriors we’ve been sent to collect.” He started to reach toward her but thought better of the idea and folded his arms on the back of the chair. Resting his chin on his arms, he studied her. “There must be something special about you, something unique, besides the obvious of course.”
    His smile stilled the erratic drumming of her heart.
    He sat up, rested his elbows on the chair back, and folded his hands. “But, whatever the difference, I couldn’t take you. I saw you beneath