A Kiss of Fire: A Kiss of Magic Book 2 by Jacquelyn Frank Read Free Book Online Page B

occasional Saren over autumns past before the wars. Why wouldn’t they have some more blonds and even some redheads? Were their traits just that dominant?
    He led her to a copse of trees then after raising a brow, he turned his back on her. He was close enough to her to hear everything she did and that made her blush. He was also close enough to catch her if she should decide to flee. She thought they were far enough away from the others that she could burn him and then make a run for it…but that would be silly. She was on foot and they were on horseback. She was but one woman and they were a band of men. And even if she could burn them all to a crisp, she had no idea where she was. There was nothing but fields and a forest for as far as the eye could see. Where would she go? How far was it to the nearest sign of civilization? She could walk for days without coming into contact with someone without knowing where she was or what direction to go in. And what of Mariah? She could keep warm, but Mariah could freeze to death if the temperatures dropped much lower. The sun was shining now, but soon snow would come. It was due any day. Even more likely the further north they went toward Kilt.
    No. She had no recourse here. She had no choice but to let them take her where they would.
    “I’m glad you realize that, my lady,” the Jadoc said.
    Angry and frustrated, she went about her business. When she was done she drew abreast of the Jadoc and they walked back toward the carriage.
    “Mariah will grow cold in that huge metal coffin,” she said bitterly. “You must give her a coat or blanket.”
    “We have blankets. There are warming stones on the floor of the carriage. Surely you can heat them up for her feet.”
    She flushed. She had not noticed the stones. “Yes. I can.”
    “You can share your body warmth with her as well. You can generate more body heat than most.”
    “I can. But if she should want to lie down…there isn’t room enough for two of us on the seat.”
    “I will get the blankets.”
    “What is your name?” she asked.
    “Lindo.”
    Yes. That was it. She had been racking her brain and simply could not come up with it.
    “Thank you, Lindo.”
    “You are most welcome, my lady.”
    Lindo then took a shivering Mariah out to the little copse and brought the girl back quickly. Mariah’s teeth were chattering when he brought her back and Ariana immediately drew the girl to her body, warming herself to near feverish levels. She couldn’t keep it up for too long without making herself sick, but she could do it long enough to warm Mariah considerably. Then she would lower her body warmth to normal and they could remain cuddled together sharing warmth that way. Lindo tossed several blankets into the carriage before locking them in there again. Ariana warmed two of the warming stones and placed one at Mariah’s feet and one in her lap for her hands to rest on. Before long Mariah said, “That’s much better. I’m nearly warmed through now.”
    “Good,” Ariana said, lowering her body temperature to normal. She leaned into the corner of the bench and made sure they were covered well as Mariah curled up against her. They hit another rut and were jounced roughly.
    “Two weeks of this,” Mariah said grimly.
    She had not thought of that. It would be hard going. There was no mistaking that. She felt for Mariah more than anything. She could put up with it, she had made long journeys before, but Mariah had not had opportunity to travel with her in the four autumns of service she had given Ariana thus far. Mariah was a young, sheltered girl who had been looking for the adventure of being lady maid to a grand and famous woman. She had wanted to travel with her far and wide. It was just that, for the first autumns of her service they had been at war and travel had been unsafe. For the first autumn of peace there had been much too much responsibility at home to deal with the fall out of the land deal they had