Cursed by Ice by Jacquelyn Frank Read Free Book Online

could not help herself.
    At least the wound on her shoulder was healing well, thanks to Garreth’s talented mem. She might be an old crone, but she clearly knew what she was doing. And even though she could not heal the wounds on Sarielle’s belly, she had provided an anesthetic cream to apply to the wound to take the edge off the pain. It worked only a little, but it was good enough. Hopefully it translated on Koro’s end as well.
    He looked different when he entered the room. He was fully out of armor and lacked any accoutrements of war, save the sword and dagger at his belt. The same sword and dagger that had so terribly wounded Koro. She had noticed that the smallest wound on her belly, presumably made from the dagger, was knitting together nicely and starting to heal. She could only assume that the dagger was not god made and thereforeKoro was able to heal from the injury. But the other … a gleaming deadly black weapon … Yes, indeed it was god made. You could tell just by looking at the thing. It was as though it had a soul of its own.
    “I see you are on your feet,” he said as he walked up to her. “I will presume that is a good—Whoa!”
    He barely had time to catch her when she suddenly fell forward against him. She didn’t know what happened. She was fine one minute, and the next everything inside her simply went weak. She pushed at him in frustration, tried to gain her feet, but her body would not behave, would not act in accordance with her wishes.
    He bent to put an arm behind her legs and suddenly swept her up into his arms, carrying her to the bed.
    “Let me go! I can walk on my own!” she said angrily.
    “Clearly you cannot. Will you stop fighting me for one second and take a moment to relax? To rest? Perchance to heal? This cannot be good for you or for Koro.”
    “Do not talk about him as if you care for his well-being! I know you only want his power for yourself!”
    “That is what you keep claiming is my goal,” he said as he put a knee on the bed and laid her down on it gently, despite her struggles. “But I have never said that was my intention. Nor have I done anything to support your beliefs.”
    “Give it time,” she snapped, trying to push him away from her.
    But suddenly he was encasing her head between his large hands and forcing her to look into his eyes, which were as green as the Faspin Sea.
    “I am not your enemy,” he said to her intently. “If you would but give me a moment to prove it—”
    “Ha! What a joke! Not my enemy! You just laid wasteto the city I call my home! How does that not make you my enemy?”
    He seemed to think on that a moment. “A very good point,” he conceded. “But I did not lay siege to this place to rape it of its valuables and leave it torn asunder and helpless. I am merely the changing of the guard. I will run this city to my own liking and hopefully to the better benefit of
your
people. There are no slaves where I come from,” he said quietly as he held her gaze.
    That gave her pause. She could not believe such a claim. No slaves? Who then did the dark and dirty work? How were the nobles supported? How did they gain their luxuries if not on the backs of others?
    “So … since you are here … the scourge are no longer slaves? Is … is that what you are trying to tell me?”
    “Yes,” he said softly.
    He was too close to her, she realized in a sudden panic. He had seated himself on the bed facing her, his arm bridged over her, his body leaning toward her, and his face mere inches away from hers.
    “I do not believe you,” she said.
    “You will,” he assured her. “But before we worry about that, we need to look after your health. You must tell me where to find the wyvern. If we do not heal him, you could die, and I do not wish to see that happen.”
    “Why? Why should you care?”
    “How could I not care?” he asked her. “I have never seen anything like what you share with this creature. It is an amazing thing. A