Kindling Flames: Granting Wishes (The Ancient Fire Series Book 5) by Julie Wetzel Read Free Book Online

hand into his, rolling their fingers together.
    “I’m sorry about your waffles.”
    A soft smile turned to corner of her lips. “It’s all right.” Cathren’s eyes dropped to Patrick’s forearm and the tattoo of the shamrock he had. The center leaf was filled with a brilliant green, but the two outside leaves were empty. She rolled his arm to get a better look at the oddly positioned artwork. “Why did you only get the one filled in?”
    “What?” Patrick looked down as the mark and laughed. “And I thought waffles would be the easy wish.” He reached up and rubbed the clover.
    “What do waffles have to do with your tattoo?”
    He looked up and smiled wryly. “It’s not a tattoo.”
    She gave him a confused look and got closer to the mark. Clearly, someone had drawn a three-leaf clover on the inside of his arm and filled in one of the leaves. “Then what is it?” She rubbed it, trying to remove the ink, but it was definitely set under his skin.
    Reaching out, Patrick pulled her hand away from his arm.
    Cathren looked up from her investigation as he held her hands.
    “It’s a gealltanas,” Patrick explained. “A vow.”
    She cocked her head, considering his words, but not fully grasping their meaning.
    Seeing she was lost, Patrick went on. “That mark represents your wishes.”
    The memory of him pulling his sleeve back and showing her bloody fingerprint hit Cathren hard. Her eyes dropped back down to the mark. It had been after she had wiped the blood away to reveal the clover that he had told her she had three wishes. But the leaves had been empty at that time. “Why is one full?” she asked.
    Amusement filled Patrick’s face. “It means that wish was granted.”
    “Granted?”
    “Yes.” He nodded. “That leaf was your second wish. Happiness.”
    She sat up straighter in surprise.
    “Apparently, sometime within the last week, I’ve brought you happiness.”
    She could not deny that he had made her happy. Right now, she was feeling especially good with him holding her hands across the table. That thought sobered her up slightly, and she released his hands to pull them back to her side of the table. She took up her cup of coffee to give her fingers something to do.
    Patrick drew his hands back from the table.
    Cathren sipped at her cooling coffee. “The leaves of the clover fill up when you’ve granted a wish?”
    Patrick nodded. “As do the charms on your bracelet.” He pointed to the golden chain on Cathren’s wrist.
    She looked down to find one of the gold clovers looked as if it had been enameled in green, swirling paint. It was beautiful. “Wow!” She held it up to see it better. “How’d you do that?”
    Patrick just shrugged. “It’s part of the magic.” He wrapped his hand around his cup and toyed with it. Any further explanation was killed when the waitress came with their food.
    ***
    “We really need to get going.” Cathren said as she looked around the IHOP. She and Patrick had spent the last few hours chatting and laughing over coffee.
    “True.” Patrick pushed his cup towards the center of the table. “I think I found out what I needed to know.” He slid out of the booth and held his hand out for Cathren.
    Looking at his hand, her heart dropped. She had been having such a wonderful time with Patrick that she had forgotten this entire evening was to gather enough information to find her a true love. Sliding out of the booth, she forced a smile onto her face as she took his arm. At least she could enjoy the walk back to the mall. If he had a capable suitor in mind, this might be the last time she got to spend with him. “When this is all over, will you still be my friend?” Cathren asked as Patrick held the door open for her.
    “Of course.”
    “Good.” She took his arm again as they started across the parking lot. “I had a really good evening,” she admitted.
    Patrick placed his free hand over where she was touching his arm. “So did I.” They walked on in