The Ice Diamond Cuff (Custodian Novel #4) by Alison Pensy Read Free Book Online

thrust out her hand to King Derian for
him to shake. A perfectly formed liquid eyebrow twitched at her
gesture, and Faedra found Savu's fire to be an immediate problem.
Her cheeks burned red, and her whole face felt like it was on fire.
She was obviously not doing this whole
greeting-rulers-from-other-realms thing the way she was supposed
to. At least, if the being before her did decide to take her hand,
she was relieved by the fact that she couldn't burn him.
    Derian's look of confusion turned to one of
amusement. He leaned forward and took Faedra's hand, turning it
over to bare her knuckles to him. As soon as he did, there was a
loud sizzle with steam rising from where their fingers touched.
Faedra wanted the ground to swallow her up when she saw the
startled expression on Derian's face. She retracted her previous
thought. She may not be able to burn him, but, at this rate, she
could probably evaporate him to death.
    Faen and her Father took a step forward.
    "Oh, God," Faedra whimpered, her expression
tortured. "I'm so sorry." She tried to tug her hand away from the
visitor's, but Derian held fast. The steam hissing between them was
doing nothing to quell the Custodian's rising panic, which, in and
of itself, was making the matter worse. Derian held up his free
hand to halt the king and Faen in their tracks, not taking his eyes
off the fear-filled ones of Azran's princess. He tilted his head,
the startled expression giving way to a look of consideration. A
smile tugged at his lips. He leaned in to kiss her on the knuckles.
Steam hissed from his lips and wafted up from either side of his
face. Faedra's eyes widened in disbelief. What was he doing? Didn't
he value his life? But even as she thought the questions, she could
feel a cooling sensation around her hand. Her brows creased. What
was happening? Whatever it was, she certainly hadn't experienced
anything like it since absorbing Savu's powers. The cool sensation
continued up her hand over her wrist and along her forearm. It felt
icy hot, like one of those balms athletes rub on sore muscles after
a workout. The sensation traveled up her arm, along her shoulder
and made its way to her face. The burning in her cheeks ebbed and
her head felt cool for the first time in a long time.
    Faedra closed her eyes and reveled in the
coolness of Derian's touch. All propriety went straight out the
window as she let her head drop back. "Ahh," she murmured, "That
feels so good." The flow of Derian's cooling energy had made its
way across to her other arm and was now snaking its way down
Faedra's torso. She could almost visualize the flames inside her
being doused by water.
    Somewhere deep in the back of her mind, she
registered someone clearing their throat. She ignored it. A second
later the same sound penetrated her brain again, this time it was
much more urgent. Faedra's subconscious shook her by the shoulders.
Her eyes opened and she was greeted by Derian's warm smile, his
eyes flickering with the merest hint of amusement. Faedra was still
holding his hand. Oh, how embarrassing. He had somehow extinguished
her heat so her cheeks no longer had the ability to flush.
Thankfully.
    She turned to look at her father, whose eyes
flashed with disapproval. Faedra's heart sank. Her very first
diplomatic greeting and she had screwed it up big time. She felt so
ashamed.
    She shot Derian a sheepish smile and tried to
pull her hand away, only to have Derian grasp it even tighter.
Faedra's eyes widened at Umor's king. Why wouldn't he give her hand
back? Derian's smile was still warm, reaching all the way to his
eyes.
    "You have a formidable power there, young
princess," he said. "When I let go of your hand, the effects of it
will come rushing back. I just want you to be prepared. Do you
understand what I am saying to you?"
    Faedra looked at him in stunned silence. For
the first time in nearly two years, there was no roaring furnace
raging in her ears. Her head was at peace, her body was not
fighting to