A Kiss in the Wind by Jennifer Bray-Weber Read Free Book Online Page B

and sloshed it onto the flames. He jumped at the liquid crackling and popping, and then the water disappeared as if the fire drank it away.
    “Lansky!”
    The baker turned and followed Blade on his heels, out the back and into the alley.
    The foursome stopped at the street, dust clouds settling around them as they coughed.
    “That was close.” Blade smacked at the bland paste in his mouth. “Any longer in there, and we would’ve been baked into crispy meat pies.”
    He patted at his clothing in a futile attempt to remove the layers of fine grain. As he waved away another wafting drift, he heard giggling. Marisol covered her lips with both hands, making a miserable attempt to conceal her laugh.
    Her giggles aggravated him. Given that they barely escaped with their lives, she should be quaking in her boots, not tittering like a schoolgirl. Blade glanced back to the open door. Smoke rolled upward then caught on a breeze. Eluding another brush with death ’twas nothing to him, but to the lass…he should watch for signs of hysterics. Maybe she’d already cracked.
    “What?”
    Without removing her hands, she said, “I was just thinking you look as if you fell in a vat of King Louis’s makeup.”
    Lansky began to chuckle, as well.
    Blade looked at them. They were as white as bleached sails. Flour clung to their clothing, matted to their skin and dusted their hair. What a sight. He reached for a sprinkled strand of Marisol’s wayward hair. Smudges of white smirched across her high cheeks from where she rubbed at her watery eyes. Her smiling lips were rosy from licking them wet and clean. “And you could pass for a tasty tart.” He couldn’t resist the tease. She looked good enough to eat when she laughed.
    “But I assure you, I’m sour on the inside.” She winked.
    “You couldn’t be any worse than Lansky,” Blade replied. “He looks like a battered chicken leg.”
    “Aye, and a skinny one at that,” the baker retorted, making Marisol burst into more laughter. Blade couldn’t help but join in.
    Turning to Sam, their laughter died. His stern, annoyed countenance bore no indication that he shared in their humor. The white powder starkly contrasted with his dark skin. The wrinkles around his eyes and mouth grossly outlined his features. The flour stuck in the dark hairs of his beard served to bring to mind terrible table manners and accentuated his deepening frown.
    “You got a little something right there.” Blade pointed to Sam’s chin.
    “Humph.”
    Blade clapped him on his back and Sam broke his caked mask, smiling and joining in the mirth. Fine mists of flour billowed all around them.
    A quick shift in Marisol’s movement during the distraction alerted Blade to her attempt to flee. He snatched a broom leaning nearby on the wall, smashed it across his knee breaking it in two, and threw it at her feet. Her legs tangled upon the dowel causing her to crash to the ground in a most ungainly fashion. Skin and skirts lay exposed. Glory be! If she wasn’t tantalizing off her feet.
    “A courageous effort, chit.” He didn’t hide his amusement as he pulled her up, even as she glared at him.
    A bloodcurdling scream pealed from down the street. A bullet ricocheted off the wall behind them. Blade threw up a protective arm and pushed Marisol back into the shadows. Chaos rampaged, pouring from doorways and darkened crevices. Running, screaming villagers barreled toward them, and clashing armed men made their way out into the open. Fires flared, destroying buildings and plunderers carted off armloads of goods and valuables.
    “A raid.” Marisol voiced the obvious on a breath of excitement.
    “Aye,” Blade replied. “Carrion.”
    Her brow knitted. “Huh?”
    A crackling pop diverted her attention. But not before Blade caught the expression of perplexity skip across her face.
    Flames burned from the roof of the bakery beside them, licking down the walls and closing in on the alley in which they stood.
    “I’m