The Daughter of Time (Ace of Queens #6)

Ch.11 For Hire

Chapter 11

Maya felt the warm blood soak up into her hair as it trickled down her neck and onto the floor. The sides of her rib screamed in excruciating pain as the metallic taste of blood filled the back of her throat. With watery eyes, Maya's vision struggled to focus on their pair of brown eyes gazing at her.

"You stupid little girl," Heyder said, his voice almost a whisper.

Maya struggled to breath as she laid on the floor gasping. She watched Heyder's hand reach out with deliberate slowness and caution. His long finger touched the edge of Maya's face as he crouched beside her. Maya shifted her eyes from his hand to his face.

A blissful comfort and warmth suddenly came over Maya. She felt the feeling begin in the pit of her stomach before it started to spread like ripples on the surface of still water. Her chest rose off the floor like a balloon being filled with air.

"Why did you do that?" Heyder asked, shaking his head. His finger traced along the edge of Maya's face before he came it came to rest upon her chin. Maya let out a small gasp as he took her chin in between his slender fingers. His thumb pressed onto her bottom lip before he ran it over her skin, sending a thrill down Maya's spine.

"You always have to do that, don't you?" Heyder asked, searching Maya's face as she stared up at him in confusion. Her big blue eyes swam in a sea of questions.

Maya slowly raised her hand from her side to touch the jinn's face. But a shrilling cry froze her.

"Get away from her!" Gemma screamed.

Heyder didn't even bat an eyelash as Maya's family ran into the room. His eyes stayed locked with the girl laying on the floor in front of him as Exton ran forward and pulled him away. For a few brief seconds, Heyder didn't move. But as Owen joined in and both he and Exton pulled, Heyder was dragged away.

Maya opened her mouth in a silent plea as the queen's guards marched into the room. Within a matter of seconds, they had Heyder kneeling on the floor with his hands behind his head. All their piping hot iron spears were pointed at him. The glowing tips of their weapons hovered in the air, ready to pierce into the jinn if he dared to make any move.

"Maya!" Rye ran over to where the girl laid on the floor. "Are you hurt?"

"No, she's auditioning for a role in a horror film," Heyder said. "She'll make the perfect dumb blonde cheerleader, don't you agree?"

"Somebody shut him up," Rye said over her shoulder as she began to examine Maya.

Exton stepped forward and flew his fist across Heyder's face. Maya let out a small whimper in protest.

"What did you do to her?" Exton demand to know as he grabbed the jinn by his collar and shook him.

"Maksim, Adeline," Mavi said in anger as she turned to look at the two. "In my office."

"Piggy, we-" Adeline took a step forward but stopped immediately as Mavi shot her a deadly glare.

"Now." Mavi's voice boomed.

"Oof," Heyder chuckled. "The lioness learned to roar."

"Xavier," Rye called her husband. "Pick her up. I need to get her to the infirmary."

"Is she okay? What's wrong?" Gemma began to cry as she hovered over Rye's shoulder. "Why isn't she speaking?"

"She's choking," Heyder said calmly from where Exton had dropped him on his knees. "Check her lungs. Sofia dear had her flying through the air like a rag doll."