Free A Magic King by Jade Lee Page A

grabbing her arm to keep her with him. "There's a condition."
    "I knew there was a catch," she grumbled, but she waited for his terms.
    "You must stay with me at all times. And don't spend a sora without my help."
    She cocked her head. "Well, of course. How else would I do it? I don't speak a word of the language."
    He chuckled, the sound a teasing pulse along her spine. "You will find these merchants don't require anything but your money. The last thing they want to do is talk."
    She echoed his laughter, her own voice high and free for the first time since she'd arrived in this strange world. "I guess merchants aren't that different wherever you go."
    She started to run off again, but he tugged her back, his hand a warm band of steel around her wrist.
    "What now?"
    "Nothing," he said, dropping a light kiss on her lips. "Only that I will pay for our meal."
    She gazed up into his eyes, more golden now than blue, and felt joy slide through her veins. Could he really like her? Maybe a little?
    Then they were jostled from behind and the moment was broken. "Come on," he said. "I find myself ravenous for meatpie."
    She pulled back, and he turned, his expression questioning.
    "He's long gone. Besides, who wants meat pie when you can have lasagna?" She pointed at another booth where a woman ladled red sauce over what she hoped was dough and cheese. She turned back to Daken who promptly threw up his hands.
    "Lead on. But be careful of your stomach. Red canatas are hotter than you think."
    Red canatas, or whatever he called them, were definitely not lasagna. They were more like hot peppers wrapped in spicy dough covered with chile sauce. They were delicious.
    Daken ate a meat pie. Jane stole a bite from him and decided she liked those too.
    In fact, she tried a whole lot of foods. It seemed the worst thing about the marketplace was that there were so many things to taste, she didn't have enough room in her stomach to fit them all. Although she definitely tried.
    "Aren't you full yet?"
    She had just finished the first thing that had actually tasted like what she thought it ought to—a delicious, New York hot dog.
    "I'm still looking for a hot fudge sundae."
    "A what?"
    "Dessert."
    He groaned, weighing his purse, pretending it was very, very light. "Had I known you could eat more than a Zenian levon, I wouldn't have been so generous with my offer to feed you."
    She turned, her laughter floating around her. "Too bad, King. You can't go back on your word."
    He stopped, gently pulling her back from another food stand. "Where did you ever get that idea?"
    She blinked. "Aren't kings supposed to be honorable? Never lie, cheat, or steal? Always follow through on their promises, that sort of thing?"
    "Yes."
    "Well, then," she turned back to the stand, but he pulled her back again.
    "Who said I was a good king?"
    She knew he was just teasing her, but his eyes darkened and the laugh lines around them dropped away until they looked more like pain etched in a face too young to bear the scars. A part of him, she realized, really doubted he was a good king.
    "You're a good king, Daken. I said you were, remember? When you told me about leaving your carriage behind, after your horse was killed." She playfully tapped the end of his nose.
    He smiled and caught her finger in his mouth. Blushing, she withdrew it and captured his hand as she looked around for her next destination.
    They'd been doing a lot of that today—touching whenever and wherever they could. None of it was sexual, not even the brief kisses they'd given each other. They walked holding hands, or he brushed crumbs off her face, or she tugged on his arm. They were practically inseparable, which was just how she liked it.
    She might enjoy shopping, but wandering alone through a fair this large when she didn't speak the language was too daunting a task for even her. So they ran through the marketplace together, or rather, she ran dragging him, and they laughed like children unexpectedly