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"Liliana," he said from the doorway

A soft shten in painful ways, and yet it was a pain he craved "I heard your footsteps," she said "What have you got?"

"Nothing for you to see" If she knew of it, she ht decide to do the task herself "Turn your head to the wall"

Only the slightest of hesitations before she did as he co in his belly at the chance to touch this woman who spoke to him in ways no one else ever had, and who see in hian as he poured Jissa’s pretty-s and one princess They were na as his hands worked the lotion into Liliana’s tangled locks, the sharp points of his ar retracted themselves

" - Dayn, Breena and - "

" - Micah," he found hi in her hair "The third prince must be called Micah You will do this"

Liliana went motionless "Yes" A whisper "His naest prince of them all"

One of his hands brushed Liliana’s nape as he unclenched theh it was obviously too cold for her He liked the feel of her skin It was different from his own, more delicate and smooth "Where did they live?" he asked to distract her so he could continue to explore

"In a kingdom," she said, her voice husky "With their father andand queen But this is not their tale This is the tale of how the four siblings once sunified"

Wonder blazed through hie "There is a watch in the roo a secret with her because she was his prisoner and would tell no one, "if I needed sleep"

"A watch?"

Made of opals, emeralds and precious metals, it was his oldest treasure "It has a unicorn on the face" A noble creature, as regal as any ruler

Liliana sucked in a breath "May I see it?"

"If I’m pleased with you," he said, because she was even softer now, her er stiff Itnaked for hio loose and li open to the caress of his fingers His body grew hard, engorged

"The watch is beautiful but broken," he said, sche hoouldeven further "The hands move so slow, I can never catch the ht" An extraordinary watch, that showed dawn, noon, evening and emstone

"There aren’tto look at him over her shoulder, those eyes of no particular color suddenly piercing "Before er, he traced a pattern on the skin of her nape, h her hair as he did so "Tell ain "My lord - "

"There is soap there," heit away" Not a lie Of course, he’d put the soap there

"One day," she began, and he was certain she arched a fraction into his touch, "when Micah was very young and his siblings full-grown, his brothers were teasing hi that they could summon a unicorn and it was a pity he was so s, or they’d show hinore his brothers, but Micah demanded they prove their boast, and so the four of thereat poithin the land"

"I bet they didn’t expect Micah to hold theue so shed "Shall I duck my head under the water?"

He looked at the bubbles in her hair "Yes, then I will untangle your hair further"

When she ducked under and rose back up, all slick and sweet sled, but he poured h, thick strands while i the same to the body hidden beneath the steamy water Next ti "Tellway to the Stone Circle, and Micah was but a babe - "

He scowled "Micah wasn’t a babe siest"

"That’s what Micah is said to have said," Liliana told him, "but finally Nicolai - as rumored to be a sinful s with the fierceness of the hunting lions that roao faster if Nicolai carried hi in his e of a warrior with bronzed skin and silver-colored eyes streaked with gold "Where did you hear this tale?"

"The cook toldthe soap over her ar and queen"