Free Daughters of Lyra: Heart of a Mercenary by Felicity Heaton Page B

course away from Aksel and straight
towards him. Miali ran in front of him, trying to block his
way.

    “ Wait, father,
it’s not like that.” Miali pushed against his chest and then looked
over her shoulder at himself.

    Kosen waved his hands in
an attempt to tell her not to speak. If her father asked her
anything that would make her think about the things that had
happened between her and himself, then no matter what answer she
gave him, her body would tell the truth.

    “ He’s not your
lover?” her father stopped and scrutinised him.

    Kosen frowned at him and
had a change of heart as he wondered why it would be such a bad
thing if he were Miali’s lover. He was a good man who could easily
make something of himself. He had been honest with Miali throughout
their time together and she liked him. So there was that little
fact that he had played a part in her kidnapping, but he had surely
cancelled that out by helping her?

    He was about to ask
whether her father objected on the grounds that he was Minervan
when the man stepped up to him, sandwiching Miali between them.
When she backed into him, Kosen placed his hands on her upper arms,
holding her.

    She was
shaking.

    “ Father, I can
explain. Kosen helped me escape those men. He was the doctor on
their ship.” She held her hand up when her father’s look turned
deadly and he opened his mouth to speak. “Was, father. Was. He
helped me escape. Now I want to help him. I need money.”

    “ Money? Lovers?
What in Iskara’s name is going on?”

    Kosen had the distinct
impression that this wasn’t going well, especially when her two
brothers came up behind their father, flanking him and drawing
their weapons.

    “ He kidnapped
you. He’s one of them. Step aside, Miali,” Taelis said, taking aim
with his laser gun.

    Kosen swallowed hard and
stared down the barrel of it.

    Miali stretched her arms
out across him and shook her head.

    “ No,” she said,
her voice shaking as much as he could feel her body was. “Kosen
saved me. I promised that I’d help his sisters. He needs money to
buy them back from their master. Please, father?”

    “ Answer
something for me, Miali.” Her father’s look softened and a tiny
flicker of hope ignited in Kosen’s heart. Perhaps he wasn’t going
to die today after all.

    “ Anything.”

    “ Is he your
lover?”

    Kosen couldn’t help
looking at her as she struggled for an answer. Her silver hair
shifted and she frantically pushed it back down. It seemed to be
the only answer that her family needed.

    “ A Minervan?”
Taelis grumbled and shook his head.

    Miali whined and then
said, “What does it matter if I’ve fallen for a Minervan? Aunt
Terea is Minervan and she’s the queen of Lyra!”

    All three men pulled faces
that clearly expressed that they couldn’t deny that. Kosen joined
them. It was true. Her family had no right to complain about her
choosing a Minervan when they were under the rule of a Minervan
female.

    His eyebrows
rose.

    Wait.

    Choosing a
Minervan?

    He stared at Miali but her
hair obscured her face. He turned her to face him when frustration
got the better of him. He had to see her when he asked
this.

    She dropped her head
forwards, looking at her feet. He cupped her cheek and raised her
head up until her eyes met his.

    “ Fallen for a
Minervan?”

    Her cheeks
flushed.

    “ No one you
know,” she said and tried to turn away. He held her. She was a
spirited little thing now that she was free and safe, even more
than he had expected, but she couldn’t deny it.

    “ Miali,” he
whispered and she looked up at him through her lashes.

    Her eyes widened as he
dipped his head. He captured her lips, not caring about the fact
that her father was likely to tear them apart and throw him in the
cells, if he didn’t kill him outright.

    She made a small noise of
protest and then melted into him, her hands pressing against his
chest as he wrapped his arms around her. A quiet moan escaped