Free Urden, God of Desire by Anastasia Rabiyah

eyes wide. Something shimmered in her field of vision, an aura of sorts, some strange remnant of the Gifts she inherited in her mother’s blood. She let go of her escort and stepped forth, ignoring the ropes’ reminder not to pass and the sharp remark from the woman behind her.
    Collin’s voice blubbered and rambled. She couldn’t understand a word he said as she unhooked the clasp and stepped over the boundary. She had to touch them, had to understand…
    Melia reached out, her fingers splayed, her mind ensnared. She traced Urden’s inner thigh and then Nimmet’s. A surge of heat rippled through her body. Her nipples peaked. Her skin prickled. Between her legs, heated moisture seeped, readying for a lover. She blinked. Colors in the room swam around her. Dizziness pressed on her control. Strong arms caught her, and Collin’s voice reverberated in her mind. She wanted to grip the back of his head and force a torrid kiss against his mouth, taste him, pull down his pants and—
    “Darla?” His face looked hazed. A guard hurried toward them. The other tourists gathered around her, their voices droning on.
    “Get me back to my room,” she mumbled.
    The shuttle ride was a blur. Collin carried her through the hotel lobby, held her close on the elevator and in his room, laid her on the bed. Confusion stirred in her senses as every nerve in her body sent off a pleasant jolt. Melia felt afire, or at least electrocuted. “The statues…” she began, but it was difficult to finish any one thought, any one sentence. She closed her eyes and drifted between waking and dreaming.
    “Enrue,” she whispered, waking herself. Collin’s fingers remained in her hand, a steady reminder that she wasn’t alone.
    “Feeling better?” he asked, running a hand over the side of her face. “After I brought you to bed, you kept…” He cleared his throat and glanced away. “I mean, I knew you were different because of your eyes, but you…”
    “Shifted?” She sat up slowly, her head pounding. Never before had the Gift acted without her will.
    “Yeah. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say.”
    She tried to read his expression. His face was grim, his mouth a tight line while he stared at the open window overlooking the bustling city. Night had come. Stars twinkled outside, and Melia suddenly remembered she had a meeting with Enrue to get to. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I understand if this changes things between us.”
    “I thought all the shifters were dead.” He stood and crossed the room to turn on the light. “Last year there was a special on the nature channel about the massacre, how the Empire wiped them out because…well, because they could be used...”
    “Right. Well, I’m only half, and don’t believe everything you see on TV, especially about the Empire.” She pushed off the bed and started for the door. “I’ll leave you alone to think. I didn’t mean to frighten—”
    “Can I see you tomorrow?”
    His request surprised her. Most men were put off when they found out what she was capable of, given all the rumors about shifters as decoys, assassins, and imposters for political targets. For an instant, she wondered if she ought to leave or remain with him. He was a nice guy, had a job that would keep him away for long periods of time—a job that would allow her privacy. The thought of a companion, a lover she didn’t have to terminate, appealed to her. She stopped at Collin’s back and ran her fingers over his shoulder. “You’re sweet,” she said and left him. She should have killed him for what he now knew. It compromised her position. But she didn’t feel like killing at the moment.
     
    * * * *
    The palace guard escorted Melia past the statues, both shadowed due to the lights being off in the grand showroom for the day. He led her through one of the side doors, up a short flight of stairs, and into a metal tunnel. Every so often, monitors flanked them.
    Enrue had promised no harm would come