Black Keys (The Colorblind Trilogy #1) (30 page)

“Uh, Princess?” the prince called from behind me and I turned to look at him. “I think it’s better if I go first.”

I frowned, then finally remembered I was actually in his shirt, that made it only to the middle of my thighs, and given that I was on a rock that was higher than the one the prince was standing on….

Oh, my God!

My face went red as the blush covered it and I bit my bottom lip, embarrassed and shy and not really knowing how to react or what to say.

The prince must’ve seen the look on my face because he continued, “I just want to lead the way.” I really hoped that he was telling the truth, and it wasn’t the fact that he was able to see up my nightie and shirt, and was just trying to be a gentleman. But then I thought, maybe he really couldn’t see anything after all and was telling the truth. He was a total pervert when it came to things like that and liked to tease me about it.

Well, I liked that thought better.

I nodded and let him lead the way.

By the time we made it to the top of the mountain my legs and thighs were aching a bit–not so much that I couldn’t handle it, but not as if I had done nothing. I made a mental note that I should go back to working out often. Well, if I ever found the time for it, that is.

“Wow!” was all I could say. The sight from the top of the mountain was better than anything I’d even seen in this kingdom: it was the kingdom itself.

Not better than the sight of the prince with Salma and Thunder, but still…

From my spot, I was able to see the tiny lights of the city in the very far distance, the city that I knew to be the capital of the kingdom. It was an amazing view; all I could see were organized lights and neat buildings that looked so tiny I could fit them between my thumb and pointer finger–but it looked fantastic nonetheless.

“Come here, Princess,” I heard the prince saying, pulling me away from my haze and making me aware of my mouth hanging widely open.

I moved to where he was standing and he took me by the hand to a place a few feet away, in the opposite direction to where I had been standing. “No way!” I said excitedly as I went toward the object he was leading me to. “A telescope?”

“Enjoy yourself,” he smiled.

And enjoy myself I did. There was some sand stuck to the lens and I buffed the heck out of it until it was clearer. I looked around, here and there, smiling at the really nice view in front of me, perfect buildings and almost empty streets. A minute later, my smile dropped as my eyes settled on something I couldn’t believe I was seeing. A huge pang of familiarity and longing hit me hard on the chest at the sight. I was sure I was imagining it, but more staring told me I really wasn’t. But how could it be?

“Uh…is that…” was all I could say.

“Is that what? What are you looking at?” the prince asked.

“Is that a cross?” I finally said.

“Where?”

I moved a little to show him and he placed his head where mine had been, looking through the telescope himself.

“Yep. That’s a church.”

“Seriously?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, there are like twenty or something around here.”

“Twenty? Really?”

He nodded, frowning a little.

“Why?”

“Why what, Princess?”

“Why do you have them? Who goes there?”

I bet it’s empty.

“People go there!”

“Why would you build churches for ‘people’? Don’t you have like Muslim churches or something?”

“Er…that’s a mosque or
masjed
for you, not
‘Muslim churches.’
Christians would prefer to pray in churches instead of
masjeds
, don’t you think?”

“Christians? You mean the ones who come to visit or whatever? But why build so many for them?”

“Oh! I think you’re not aware of the fact that twenty-three percent of my country’s population are Christians, Princess?”

“What? You mean like…natives?”

The prince chuckled. “Yes. ‘Natives.’ Christian-Arabs. What? You thought that Arabs could only be Muslims?”

I didn’t reply, only gaped in disbelief.

“We have several religions in the kingdom, Princess. The majority are Muslims, yes, but still.”

“Huh!”

“Enjoy the sight,” he smiled and walked back a few steps, then sat down on the ground.

I gazed at the church again from the telescope, trying to take in what he’d said. I’d never really thought about it before and I was kind of shocked to learn that Arabs could be something other than Muslims. Though when Joseph had told me about Janna, I’d hoped that somehow she would be Christian. But then again, I had already admitted to myself that I barely knew anything at all about Arabs or Muslims, for that matter. It was really…I didn’t even know.

Sometime later, I walked back to the prince and sat beside him on the ground. He was now resting his back against the mountain so he was half-sitting with his hands folded behind his head, his eyes focused up.

“What are you looking at?” I asked him dumbly.

“The sky.”

I sat back a little and watched it with him, the same beauty I’d noticed from the sunroom; if it wasn’t a crazy thing to consider, I would’ve said the full moon looked bigger from here.

I rubbed my arms with my hands a bit when the weather started to become a bit uncomfortable, and the prince sat up. “Are you cold?” he asked.

“A little,” I replied honestly, and it seemed to upset him.

“That’s why I wanted you to wear the
abaya
: it was the thickest thing I could find. I knew this was going to happen.” He stood up and motioned for me to take his hand.

“Where are we going?”

“Back home, you’ll get sick if we stay any longer.”

“I feel fine. Please, I don’t want to go back yet. Please, let’s stay for just a few more minutes,” I begged.

“It’s cold and
will
get colder.”

“I’m fine, it’s not so bad. We can sit closer to each other or something.”

The prince sighed in defeat and I held back a squeal
. I won.

He sat closer to me and put his arm around my shoulder, but as the minutes passed, I found myself sitting between his legs and resting my head on his bare chest. He was holding me from behind, warming me with his closeness like nothing else could ever do.

I was very relaxed and comfortable; his breath near me was comforting and his touch along my arms was soothing. I liked it a lot, and for a minute, I wanted to forget everything and pretend, just pretend, close my eyes and pretend. Pretend that everything was fine and just let myself have a good time–because, indeed, I was really having a very good time.

“No matter how many times I’ve looked at this view, I can never get enough,” the prince spoke quietly into my ear, his nose nuzzling my hair the slightest, or so–for some mysterious reason–I wanted to think.

“I like the stars,” I said to myself more than to him. I admitted it.

Shining little star…

“I like them, too. The moon and the sky…”

“I don’t like the sky,” I said. “
This
sky is so dark, it scares me.”

“It’s the same sky you see in the daylight, or everywhere around the world.” He told me softly. “And you wouldn’t enjoy the stars if it weren’t for the dark sky, Princess.”

I turned my head to look at him. Surely he didn’t know about the small talk I’d had with myself
in my head
in the sunroom a few hours ago. How could he say those things, and make them touch me so deeply? How was he able to do those things to me? Why was he able to make my heart tingle and my stomach flutter this way? What was his deal?

I found no answers to any of my questions. The prince was a mystery to me. My own emotions were a mystery to me.

When I looked at the prince, his head was turned my way, looking at me, too. And just like when we were standing in Thunder’s room, we were so close this time, too. So close his breath was fanning over my cheek and his eyes looked even greener than I’d ever seen them, greener even now under the full moon’s light.

The prince’s eyes moved to gaze at my lips for a moment and then looked up to my eyes again. I started panting. Not only was I shocked that he was begging me with his eyes…but because I found myself
wanting
it, too.

His eyes weren’t asking me to kiss him; they were begging me to ask him to kiss me.

My breath tangled and my heart beat faster and faster–scared, needing, afraid, longing, refusing but wanting.

I couldn’t. I stood up. Too many emotions jumbling around inside of me. Too. Many. I had no idea what to do. My mind was going everywhere, and my heart was going to
one where
. But I couldn’t…not right, not right,
not
right.

His hand touched mine, making me aware of him standing next to me, and my breath settled the tiniest bit. He held my hand fully in his and pulled me, forcing me with tenderness to look at him. I turned to face him but couldn’t look into his eyes–they did things to me.

“Don’t,” he whispered, and I had to look in his eyes, a big mistake I was aware of but couldn’t control. “Don’t run away from me, Beautiful Princess.” His hand gripped mine tightly, and his other moved hair away from my face, brushing softly over my cheek and settling on my neck, where his thumb rubbed my jawline with the sweetest of touches.

His eyes were intense as they looked into mine: searching and waiting, hungry and careful, begging and pleading, but never demanding.

Our faces were getting closer to each other, closer by the second. The only sounds I could hear were our breaths and my heartbeat. The only thing I could feel was his thumb over my jawline, his grip on my hand and the fire inside of me. The only thing I could see was…green. All green. Eyes wanting, bouncing between lips and eyes. Begging with a look that was louder than any words in my ears. It was almost as if it was...praying.

Our lips touched, and my eyes closed. Our lips touched, and my head spun. Our lips touched, and my chest tingled. Our lips touched, and my knees buckled. Our lips touched, and my body melted.

His lips were intense, warm and loving. His touch was soft, hot and caring. His hold on my hand was tight, firm and kind.

There were sparkling lights behind my closed eyelids, and a tingling inside of my chest. There was fire everywhere I could feel and everywhere I couldn’t.

There was
life
.

His lips moved in perfect rhythm with mine, and I was lost in another world that shone with softness and comfort. I was lost in a sea of warm hearts and caring touches. Lost in a sky that was dark but glittered with little stars.

Dark sky…

I pulled back and turned away, panting and shaking slightly. My gaze wouldn’t meet his, and my mind wouldn’t admit what my heart felt.

His hand didn’t leave mine and he pulled me to face him again. This time our chests were touching immediately, and our cheeks were pressed together as he breathed into my ear. “Don’t, please. Don’t run away. Don’t.”

I swallowed thickly. “You, don’t,” I whispered.

“Don’t what, Beautiful, Beautiful Princess?” His other hand found my neck again, this time holding it tighter than before, his thumb under my chin as he raised my face up with it to look at him, his gaze darkening and his breaths shallow. “Don’t do this?” he asked before his lips met mine again. This time it was firmer, this time it was hotter, this time it was soft sucking and tongues touching. It was gasps and soft moans I’d never known I could make. It was a tight grip leaving my hand and settling on my hip, kneading and setting my body on fire underneath it. This time it was my hands touching a hard chest and tight muscles. It was waves of want and need, waves of more and never-stop.

But when breaths were greatly needed, we pulled back, panting and dazzled. Lightheaded and closed-throated. Heart working one thought, and mind working a hundred. A voice in my head screaming at me with what I felt I was: