The warm sound of her laughter stole through Khalid's skin, heating the coldest reaches of his soul.

Where were you?" Shahrzad tried to control the tremor in her voice.
"Not where I should have been."
"This morning and last night."
His breath fanned on her skin as he bent toward her ear. "This morning, I was not where I should have been. Last night, I was not where I wanted to be.

Do you know why I adore roses?" Shahrzad untied the knot of his tikka sash with deliberate slowness. "I've always loved them for their beauty and their scent, but--"
"It's because of their thorns." His muscles tensed at her touch. "Because there's more to them than first meets the eye.

As always. As ever. As a rose to the sun.

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

You are ridiculous, Khalid Ibn al-Rashid. I am just one girl. You are the Caliph of Khorasan, and you have a responsibility to a kingdom.”
“If you are just one girl, I am just one boy.