The Daughter of Time (Ace of Queens #6)

Ch.16 Granddaughter

"I don't know how she's here," Heyder said with a sigh. "I'll have to fi-"

"She's here because of me," Maya stopped him. "I fucked up."

"What do you mean?"

"My traveling to the past disturbed the time veil. There have been mini ripples and tears. I'm guessing it got worse and she just fell through. But then again.....that's only my theory. She could be something totally different."

"She could be," Heyder agreed.

"But you would know," Maya looked up at him. "You would know if your Fiza was not who she said she was."

The corner of Heyder's mouth turned up slightly as he tried to hide a small smile, "You're jealous."

"Observant, aren't we?" Maya threw his own words back at him from earlier in the day.

"And you're not even trying to hide it."

"Why should I hide it?"

"Most people would," Heyder stated.

"That's their problem," Maya turned her face away to look at the fireplace. She felt Heyder's eyes linger on her face as his gaze heated up her cheeks.

"Maya," he called her after a while.

"What?"

"I do love you."

"I thought jinns can't lie," Maya frowned as she turned to look at her mate.

"I love you because I know who you are," Heyder explained. "I love you because I know we are meant to be, because I always find you. But I'm not in love with you."

"How sweet," Maya snorted.

"I think it would be unfair to you if I were to be in love with you because I loved Fiza or Diana or Willow," Heyder ignored Maya's remark. "I want to be in love with you because you are Maya. I want to love little things about you and not your past selves."

Maya dropped her gaze to her fingers as she picked at her nail. Her heart was split into two as it ran in circles. She was starting to understand what Heyder was getting at, but she was also very impatient. She wanted to skip all the parts in the beginning and arrive at the moments in their relationship where he saw nothing but her.

"So what do we do?" Maya looked up as she let go of the breath she was holding.

"I would like to get to know you," Heyder smiled. "Find out what makes you tick. Discover all the ways I can annoy you."

"And how will we do that with your wife in the other room?"

"First of all, she's not my wife," Heyder smirked. "And second of all, she's not staying."

"She's not?" Maya was surprised.

"No," Heyder shook his head.

"I thought...."

"She doesn't belong here," Heyder rubbed the five o'clock shadow that was starting to appear on his face. "How will it even work when we break the curse?"

"It will break for her since you kissed her," Maya said. "We haven't kissed yet, so therefore I am still un-cursed."

"I guess," Heyder said quietly.

"Don't you want that?" Maya felt her heart shrink a little in her chest. "You could be with her here once you break the curse."

Heyder's brown eyes lifted as he looked at Maya through his thick dark lashes. His jaw tensed as Maya took a shaky breath.