EscapingLightning Read Free Page A

meal out to ridiculous ends.
    “Why are you pursuing your cousin? It doesn’t seem like she wants you in her bed.”
    Mekar sighed and told the truth. “My cousin is the strongest psychic my people have seen for decades. Her mother was the last one and if my idiot uncle hadn’t killed her, there would have been more daughters to choose from.”
    Onari’s blood turned to ice.
    “Psychic? How so?”
    Mekar took a gulp of wine. He was in his sixth cup. “She controls the seasons. When she is calm, everything is fine, but under stress, she can even call lightning down.”
    Iro nodded. “Those worthy talents indeed. Any others?”
    “Not that are documented.”
    “I see. No wonder you want to get her back. Well, your folk have been over the palace nine times, the city twenty. She isn’t here. You would do better to concentrate your efforts elsewhere.” The steel in Iro’s tone came through, even to Mekar’s addled senses.
    Onari watched the prince stagger to his feet and leave with his embarrassed guards in tow.
    A murmur of amused tones rippled through the crowd and Iro finished his dessert. When his plate was clear, he grabbed Onari’s wrist as she reached for it.
    He murmured to her, “We need to talk.”
    She nodded and made her getaway while he got to his feet and left the dining hall.
    Onari breathed deeply once she was out of his sphere of influence. The wind howled outside and she controlled herself once again.
    Mistress Welks came toward her and eyed her with concern. “You don’t look well.”
    “I am not. Is there a place outside the palace where I can hide for a week?”
    “I can look into it.”
    “If you would. I can’t pay you now, but I will as soon as I can be myself again.” She was trembling all over.
    “I know the timing is horrid, but the king wishes to see you in his study.”
    Onari concentrated on nodding. “I will go immediately.”
    “You haven’t eaten.”
    “Thank you, but I am not hungry.” She straightened her shoulders and went to meet her doom.
    The guards at the entrance to his study stood straight as she passed them. They did not challenge her and that worried her in and of itself.
    The outer room was empty, and when she knocked on the inner room, a voice answered, “Come in, Onari.”
    She opened the door and at his gesture, closed it behind her.
    She walked up to his desk and stood still, looking down at the rich wood of the desktop.
    “Why won’t you meet my gaze?”
    “It isn’t seemly, Your Majesty.”
    “Seemly or not, show me those eyes.” His demand was implacable.
    Slowly, she raised her gaze to his and the heavy pulse in her loins started again. “Satisfied, Your Majesty?”
    He grinned, showing a hard jaw with an impish sense of humour. “Not hardly. I was rock hard after lunch and I told you what would happen if you aroused me again.”
    She blinked and blushed. “I didn’t mean to.”
    “Your scent does it. I have been catching whiffs of it for weeks, but could never find the female it could be traced to. I don’t seduce my staff either, so that has presented a problem until I looked through the palace files to find out that you are not actually my staff.”
    She tried to play innocent. “What do you mean? I am a good worker, really I am.”
    “And yet, you don’t exist and certainly don’t draw a salary. In fact, you appeared on the palace rosters less than an hour after a certain Lanar princess disappeared from under her guards.”
    Onari raised one eyebrow, “Coincidence?”
    “You are the missing princess.”
    “I am not really missing. I know where I am. More like, the runaway princess.” She let a little more of her personality show in her eyes. His silver orbs widened and a grudging respect came into his gaze.
    “Why the early winter?”
    “Medication.”
    “What?”
    “I was on medication and froze my season, so the season froze. I am not sure how it works, but that is what happened.”
    “What was the medication