Ice Burns by Charity Ayres Read Free Book Online Page B

the cats in the yard would occasionally groom their fur and realized that the motion was very similar.
    Chandra opened the book in her hands and stared at the random lines and marks on the pages without any comprehension. Some time and several eons later in history, Chandra put down the book and eyed Frostwhite, who had settled himself into her napkin as if it were a next of the softest material imaginable. She could not help but smile at the strange creature’s odd behavior. He looked like a giant chicken in a nest, though she was certain his beak would do more than give her a nick if he snapped at her.
    “Don’t get too comfortable,” she told Frostwhite as she stood and brushed away the crumbs in her lap. “I’m not going to be comfortable sleeping with you in the room. You’re going to have to find a different roost for the night.”
    No sooner had she finished the sentence than the bird was up and flying out the window. Chandra stared after it with her mouth open. He had flown away as though he understood her. Chandra's brain froze as she grasped for conclusions.
    Movement. Of course. I startled him when I stood.
    She had risen from the table, and the movement had startled the bird away. That’s all that had happened. It wasn't as though a bird could understand what a human said. Even the hawkers had used sounds and gestures to make their birds understand them.
    She crossed the room and tried to reach the window casement to close it before half climbing on the windowsill and swinging at it. The window closed most of the way, but she couldn't reach the latch. She decided that it would have to do.
    If Frostwhite comes back to kill me in my sleep, at least I won't have to deal with Master's disappointment again.
    Chandra doused the lantern and turned to her bed.
    And if I'm still here tomorrow, I will read every book Andre will bring me until I can figure out some way to tap my powers, whatever they may be and however limited.
    No more distractions.
    Chandra pulled the blanket over herself and tried to get comfortable around the stress and anxiety that squeezed her to the bone. She heard the night sounds again and attempted to focus on nature's music as a lullaby to put her to sleep. No matter what she did, though, it was hard for her to ignore the lingering feeling of regret that the bird was gone.
     
    The next morning dawned hazy and dark. A bruised storm of purple and blue was moving quickly across the desert. Jagged slashes of lightning tore across the sky, but no rain fell over the dunes that reflected the sky's rage back at it. It was as if a seam were being ripped open to show a glimpse of stark, bright world behind the curtain. The air was alive with the excitement of the storms.
    Chandra's hair reflected the sky's levity by sticking out at every angle possible. She closed the awning and wedged the chair against her wardrobe so she could almost climb fully on the ledge to shut the casement. She even managed to latch it with the tips of her fingers after several attempts.
    "Who built this place? Giants? A race of tall angry people who wanted to make sure no one would ever be comfortable in their home once they left?"
    Chandra was flushed and panting from the efforts when she climbed down. Her mirror reflected a madwoman with wild hair, glowing green eyes in contrast to the rough purple of her cheeks and her mouth open as it tried to fill her lungs.
    "Apparently, I don’t get enough exercise, or this mirror is intent on only showing me the worst views of myself," she muttered as she fought her hair back into a braid, barely winning the fight.
    Chandra stood at the closed window for a moment before opening the awning a tiny bit. She watched in awe as black clouds flew across the sky as if being pursued by demons. The wind scraped at the star curtains and across the barely-open awning as though demanding entrance suitable for such an elemental force. It called in a whistled sound that was steadily growing