Jala's Mask Read Online Free Page B

walked through the crowd with her head high. Her mother tried to pull Jala to her side, but she ignored her. Her heart was still pounding, and her stomach was twisted up into a knot. She wasn’t sure why she bothered pretending. Dignity was important for a queen, and she had no chance of that now.

Azi sat in the Bardo guest room and stared at the wall. How had everything gone so wrong, so fast? His head pounded and his muscles ached from trying to keep up with Lord Mosi. The old man moved so fast, and Azi has been glad to escape and dance with Jala. What were you doing, kissing her like that? You made a promise. You swore. Even as he berated himself, a part of him knew he would have kept on kissing Jala if he could. Even now the thought made the blood pound in his ears. That definitely wasn’t helping his premature hangover.
    Will you still love me now that you’ll be king? The words had been with him as he visited each of the four families, running through his head each time he danced with another would-be queen. Before, it hadn’t even been a question, but now . . .
    What was he thinking? That he could love this Bardo girl? It was ridiculous. He’d only just met her. He couldn’t really feel . . . whatever it was he thought he felt. Why did I kiss her like that? He shouldn’t have. He shouldn’t have told her all those things about being king, about Jin. He’d even almost told her about Kona. He was tired of this whole thing. He just wanted to be home again.
    He tried not to think about Jala. About the way her hips moved when she danced with him. About the way she smiled. The way her chest and stomach pressed into him when they kissed. The way she said surprising things that made him laugh or stop to think.
    A banging on the door startled him. “Azi, open up,” his uncle shouted.
    â€œAll right, all right, keep it down,” Azi said as he stood and unbarred the door.
    Lord Inas shut the door behind him, then took hold of Azi’s shoulders and laughed. “You did your uncle proud today, boy. You should have seen Mosi’s face when he heard about his daughter. Can’t say anything when we turn him down, now, can he? I don’t know when you got it into your head to try a scheme like this, but I’m glad you did.”
    Azi pulled away from his uncle and turned to face the window. A few fires still burned, and some of the drummers kept on playing even though the celebration was supposed to be over.
    â€œIt wasn’t on purpose,” Azi said. “I didn’t mean to get her in trouble with her family. What does it matter anyway, when you planned for me to marry that Rafa girl even before we started this trip?”
    â€œWell, whether you meant it or not, it’s happened,” Lord Inas said with drunken cheerfulness.
    â€œWhat will happen to her?” Azi asked. Why do I care what happens to her? There was just something about the way she’d kept arguing with him, the way she’d kept forgetting to act subdued in front of him. She wasn’t even the most beautiful girl he’d seen traveling, but she couldn’t hide the fire in her eyes.
    â€œOh, she’ll probably marry some rich lord as soon as we’re gone. Nothing we need to worry about, eh?”
    â€œWhat if I want to worry about it?” Azi said. “What if I don’t want everyone saying I tricked her?” What if I don’t want to marry a quiet girl who’ll do whatever I say? Or is that whatever you say, Uncle? “What if I want to marry Jala? What would you say to that?”
    Lord Inas laughed again. “I’d say you’re a fool.”
    Azi clenched his fists. “I’m king, aren’t I?” he whispered. “If I want to marry Jala, then I’ll marry her. It’s my decision, and hers. Your hatred for Lord Mosi isn’t mine, and I won’t ignore Jala because of it.” He thought of the look on her