Cursed by Ice

Cursed by Ice by Jacquelyn Frank Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Cursed by Ice by Jacquelyn Frank Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jacquelyn Frank
truly magical connection. One I wish to learn more about. It is blessed by the gods for certain.”
    She snorted. “The gods had nothing to do with it,” she said.
    “The gods have everything to do with everything,” he promised her.
    “The gods aren’t even real. That’s probably not even a god-made sword. Weaponry like that is just a myth!”
    “Oh, the gods are real. I have seen them for myself. And have a care for what you say because you never know which god is listening to you and when.”
    “Seen them yourself?” She scoffed at him. “Now you make grandiose claims. Why would gods make themselves known to the likes of you?” she asked him.
    “You don’t really want to know the answer to that question,” he said evasively. “Suffice it to say, the gods are real. Weysa is real. And this city has fallen to her glory and will now sing her praises and pray in her temples.”
    “We have no temples for Weysa here,” she said in a hard tone.
    “Then we will build them as we rebuild the city.” His gaze drifted away from hers and dropped to her mouth. “We will all pay tribute to her.”
    “Will you lay me out upon the altar? A spoil of war? Offer me up to your killer goddess?”
    “Enough!” he said sharply. “Watch your words, Sarielle. You do not wish to incite a god’s wrath, believe me.”
    “Believe you? I do not believe you. Not a word you say.”
    “How shall I convince you, then?” he asked her, his study of her mouth lasting a long time … until she began to get uncomfortable. His intense stare made her feel somehow warm inside. Her belly felt all swirly, and she suddenly felt very aware of her breasts. She swallowed hard, trying to banish the strange sensations through the force of her will. He must be using some kind of sorcery, she thought frantically. But no … that wasn’t possible …
    “Let me go. Let me walk off into the darkness, never to be seen again.”
    “Alone?” he asked with an arched brow. He reached toward her with a single finger, his thumb, letting it settle on her lower lip. It slowly brushed from one side of her mouth to the other.
    She hesitated. She cleared her throat.
    “You have loved ones here you would not leave behind, I think,” he said keenly. “Will you not tell me who they are? Or should I discover this from the bennesah?”
    “He holds them even now,” she hissed. “You think you control me, but you do not. You have no power over me. He has it and he knows I know it. He has no doubt hidden them away by now, ready to use them against me when the moment is right.”
    “Which ‘them’ are we referring to?” he asked.
    She growled low in her throat. “My sisters! Twins! Young girls barely ten full turnings old. So, what will you do now? Find them for yourself and ensure your power over me?”
    “I have told you before. I am not your enemy and I am not seeking power over you. To prove it I will procure your sisters from the bennesah and bring them to you.”
    She burst out in wild laughter. “You expect me to believe that?” she said.
    “Damn me, woman, but you are stubborn!” he said, taking her shoulders between his hands and giving her a good hard shake. “If I bring them to you, will you believe me then?”
    “And only then!” she hissed, her eyes flashing with defiance.
    Again his attention fell to her mouth. He frowned deeply, let her go, and pushed himself away. He stood up and stared down hard at her.
    “I will bring you your sisters and then you will bring me to the wyvern.”
    Alarmed, she sat up. “I never said I would!”
    “You have no choice,” he said, his tone low. “You’lldie if you don’t and so will he. I’ll bring you the girls and you will trust me to help care for the wyvern.”
    She lifted her chin. “Fine. I can make the promise because I know the bennesah will never let you have the girls.” She bit her lip. “You shouldn’t even try. He might … I don’t want them hurt because you are trying

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