The Reawakened by Jeri Smith-Ready Read Free Book Online Page A

eyes, his short, spiky hair. Everything but his face, which was rapidly reddening.
    “Sorry.” He glanced back at the place he’d just come from, as if a different person had stood there. “Didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
    “Hear—” Sura cleared her throat. “Hear what?”
    A corner of his mouth twitched, and her heart squirmed in her chest.
    “Right.” He winked. “Sura?”
    “Yes? I mean, yes. I’m Sura. And you’re Dravek.”
    “I am. Dravek.”
    They stared at each other for several long moments, and she thought she saw him swallow.
    She replanted her feet to maintain her balance. “Would you like some help moving the wood?”
    He didn’t speak or move, just stared at her, absorbing her with his dark gaze. She had the sensation of being tasted, sipped like an unfamiliar but enticing drink.
    “Are you sure you’re a Snake?” he said finally.
    “I’m sure.”
    “Etarek said you haven’t been Bestowed.”
    “Do you think I’m lying?”
    “I can’t tell without touching you.”
    She stepped back, her stomach quivering. “What do you mean?”
    “When people lie, sometimes their hands get cold, but it’s not foolproof. Sometimes it just means they’re afraid.”
    “Afraid of you?”
    He opened his mouth a fraction of an inch, and she could see his tongue run over the inside of his bottom teeth. “I’m a Snake, aren’t I?”
    She let out a deep breath and smiled. Someone who knows what it’s like to be me.
    He set the wood down on a pile to his right. “There’s a bit more to gather. Come on.” He held out his hand. “Watch your step.”
    She lurched forward, as if drawn by an invisible cord, completely failing to heed his advice. The first rock she stepped on turned over. She lost her balance and pitched forward.
    With inhuman speed, he reached out and caught her arm before she could fall. A flash of heat danced around the place where they touched, flaring back and forth between them.
    She blinked hard, trying to clear her head, as he raised her to her feet. Dravek took her other arm, more gently, and the hot sensation flowed stronger, smoother, like a river unfettered by twisting banks. She stared down at his gloved hands, then looked up at his face.
    The forest seemed to darken around her. His black eyes reflected the sunlight, flickering like a torch. She wondered if they lit up like that in the dark.
    “Come here.” He drew her up and over the ridge of the trench with him until they passed outside the fire ring onto level ground. Still gripping one of her wrists, he tugged off one of his gloves with his teeth and tossed it away. Then he motioned for her to do the same.
    She wanted to put her free hand behind her back, so his flesh couldn’t touch it. But something told her that if she didn’t give it to him, Dravek would seize it, anyway.
    Without taking her eyes off his, Sura put the tip of her middle finger in her mouth. The glove tasted of pine pitch and mink oil. She withdrew her hand easily, then without hesitation, took Dravek’s.
    The heat spiked, and flames leaped behind her eyes.
    She gasped, and the glove fell from her mouth. “What just happened?” She felt his gaze sear hers but feared to turn away, lest it burn another part of her.
    “I don’t know.” His voice shook. “Maybe it’s because we’re Snakes.”
    “I’ve never met another one since I had my powers.”
    “Me, neither.”
    Their fingers intertwined, and their palms pressed together. She had to concentrate to keep her breath even and slow.
    This was her Spirit-brother. She should feel as much desire for him as she would a member of her own family. But for the first time in months, every inch of her skin felt alive.
    A long moment passed, empty of words.
    Finally she whispered, “Now what?”
    His arm tensed, as if to pull her closer. Then he blinked rapidly and let her go. “Uh.” He brushed his bare hand over his shirt, then put his glove on. “Help me. That is, you can help me put