Sixteen
When he’d seen Leila running in terror, barefoot in the sand, her long hair a stream of black silk behind her, a rage filled Malik like none he’d ever experienced before. Yes, he’d known that Omar al-Tariq must have her, and yet the reality of her situation had not come home to him until he appeared on the beach and caught sight of her desperate flight from her captor. Thank God she’d been close enough to run right to him, so he might protect her. And although the fury that pounded through his veins made him want to reach out and rip al-Tariq limb from limb, Malik forced himself to some measure of calm. There was a correct way to do this, one that would satisfy the laws of his people.
“You will face me now, Omar al-Tariq,” he called out. “You ran from this fight before, but you w
