Warrior Queen (Skeleton Key) by Shona Husk, Skeleton Key Read Free Book Online

have the magic to weave each life, but each life has the power to make its own pattern. Without the gods there would be no magic. No magic, no life.”
    “And the temple and the priests are where the magic happens.”
    She smiled. “Exactly. It is important to use the magic all around us. To ignore it would mean turning away a gift. You are a gift from the gods. I have yet to decide how best to use you.”
    Keleti tilted her head and the light caught the curve of her pointed ear, reminding him that he wasn’t on Earth anymore and that he could take nothing at face value.
    “You don’t practice human sacrifice do you?” He tried to make his voice light.
    She gasped. “The Telsila are not some barbarian tribe from the south. Is that common among your people?”
    “No…I just…I don’t know what to expect here.” I need to know how expendable I am. “You could drop me over the cliff and no one would be any the wiser.”
    “One doesn’t drop a gift from the gods over a cliff. That is reserved for the worst kind of criminal. But I don’t know if I can trust you.”
    “You have the key, my only way home. I’m not going to run.”
    She finished what she was eating and licked her fingers. “You are here, and we don’t know why. You want to get home. We are on the same side, I think. If you help me, you may have your key.”
    “Help you do what?”
    “We are at war.” Her expression suggested that the rest of the answer was obvious.
    He didn’t know how to fight a war. “And if you lose?”
    “Then we will all be enslaved.” She stood up. “The choice is yours, Bryce. But I warn you, if you do betray my trust or try to steal the key, then I will drop you over the cliff and call you a test from the gods.”
    Bryce found his lips curving despite the threat. She wasn’t a woman to mess around with. “I think you’re right. If the door doesn’t open, I need to do something before it will. I’m willing to find out what that it is—as long as it doesn’t involve dropping me off the cliff.”
    “Good.” She unwound the cloth and was naked again. Her body was lithe and golden. She was magical and it seemed to radiate from her. It was no wonder she was called the Heavenly.
    He looked away before he could be caught staring.
    “You do not like what you see? Or does your tribe find the body shameful?”
    “People generally keep their clothes on unless they are about to sleep together.” Now he could feel his cheeks burning. He was feeling like a fourteen year old boy getting caught with a lingerie catalogue under his bed.
    “Your people are odd.”
    “Yeah.” But he still didn’t look at her.
    “Sit on the cloth and I will carry you back up.” She walked toward the cave entrance. “Make sure you get close to the edge.” Then she jumped.
    His stomach lurched. He was never going to get used to seeing that.

Six
    K eleti sat and read messages while Bryce was bathed. Water was already being rationed in preparation for the siege, so instead of a bath, there was a bowl of water and two attendants with cloths and soap. A night in the cave had done nothing for Bryce’s odor—nor had the night prior to that drinking. His clothes had been sent for washing. They were quite curious, especially the metal fastening on his pants. Southerners wore pants, but not like his. The fabrics were also different from anything she’d ever seen.
    Aside from the attendants there was also the messenger. This was her private bathroom. She could have sent him to the public baths under guard, but she wasn’t ready to let him out of the palace.
    Nor did she want him in the servants’ quarters.
    She wasn’t ready for people to be talking about him, and she didn’t know how to explain his presence. She would need an explanation or people would create their own. No, the reasoning behind his sudden appearance had to be carefully crafted to be in her advantage.
    He kept a hand over his genitals as though uncomfortable being naked