him.
Grabbing hold with two hands and dragging it to his mouth, making loud munching sounds as he chewed.
“You sound like an animal”—Gerda’s nose turned up in a derisive gesture—“and look like one too.”
Again she laughed, which only caused Kai to growl at her, snapping his teeth when she tried to reach for his hunk of meat.
Luminesa’s stomach rumbled. She’d only eaten a few berries, but truthfully she’d been surprised she’d even been able to do that. What’d happened to her leg bone was what typically happened to any food she handled. It iced over immediately. Which was why she’d stopped eating real food ages ago.
Her tongue still tingled with the sweet essence of snowberries. She’d managed to put down four of them before her magic took over and iced them over.
Fingers bunching into the fabric of her gown she wished she knew how she’d managed not to freeze the food when she’d first handled it. Something strange was definitely happening to her body.
“Both of you, quiet!” Alador snapped, his voice big and booming and loud in the now unnaturally quiet confines of the dining chamber.
Alador’s stern warning snapped Luminesa from her reverie.
The children both looked at him with wide, shamed eyes. Gradually Kai dropped his hands, setting the chunk of meat onto his lap.
“Now”—Alador nodded once he was certain he had their attention—“not a one of you thanked our hostess for the beds, or this wonderful meal set out before us.”
Gerda squared her little shoulders, looking directly at Luminesa with a timid and shy grin. “Thank you, Ice Queen.”
Her voice was small and nothing at all like the teasing tone it’d been with Kai.
Luminesa felt a little awkward since she’d neither asked nor expected their gratitude, but nodded all the same. “You’re welcome, but please, let’s not stand on formalities, here, I am only Luminesa.”
“Mistress Luminesa,” the girl said with a hushed little whisper of sound, before breaking out in a smile that caused her blue eyes to sparkle with laughter.
And something inside Luminesa’s heart quivered. A brief flicker of warmth that discombobulated and astounded her all over again. It hadn’t been her imagination last night after all—that she’d begun to feel real emotion again.
It was little more than a glowing ember of it. But even the mightiest of fires were birthed from the tinniest of sparks.
Her lips wobbled and she realized she was actually trying to smile. It was so bizarre she momentarily forgot what she was about to say.
It was in that pause that Kai spoke up.
“Thank her for what?” He glowered down at his lap; his voice was low, but rigid. “She’s the reason we were snatched from our homes in the first place. I want to go home.”
He punctuated his words with a flick of his fingers on the edge of his robe.
It was only once Alador opened his mouth—no doubt to chastise the boy—did Luminesa’s tongue come unglued from the roof of her mouth. Holding up a hand toward the centaur male, she shook her head.
“No, the child is right. This is my fault. And for that, boy...” She waited until he looked up at her. His pretty green eyes were so captivating in the sweet lines of his chubby little face. No doubt there was a mother and father in mourning for this little one. And again, Luminesa felt that strange bump bump tangle up her heart. “I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Kai’s little jaw dropped. In fact, Luminesa was sure that if she looked at the other two they’d be wearing similar looks of shock on their faces.
One of her ice maidens suddenly came running through the doors of the hall, panting heavily and clinging to her chest, her pale blue eyes wide in her pale blue face.
“Mistress! Antigua’s dead!”
Alador was the first to rise. Clutching his fists tight by his side.
Luminesa had only just designed the maidens yesterday, she’d not yet learned their names, but they were built to
Grabbing hold with two hands and dragging it to his mouth, making loud munching sounds as he chewed.
“You sound like an animal”—Gerda’s nose turned up in a derisive gesture—“and look like one too.”
Again she laughed, which only caused Kai to growl at her, snapping his teeth when she tried to reach for his hunk of meat.
Luminesa’s stomach rumbled. She’d only eaten a few berries, but truthfully she’d been surprised she’d even been able to do that. What’d happened to her leg bone was what typically happened to any food she handled. It iced over immediately. Which was why she’d stopped eating real food ages ago.
Her tongue still tingled with the sweet essence of snowberries. She’d managed to put down four of them before her magic took over and iced them over.
Fingers bunching into the fabric of her gown she wished she knew how she’d managed not to freeze the food when she’d first handled it. Something strange was definitely happening to her body.
“Both of you, quiet!” Alador snapped, his voice big and booming and loud in the now unnaturally quiet confines of the dining chamber.
Alador’s stern warning snapped Luminesa from her reverie.
The children both looked at him with wide, shamed eyes. Gradually Kai dropped his hands, setting the chunk of meat onto his lap.
“Now”—Alador nodded once he was certain he had their attention—“not a one of you thanked our hostess for the beds, or this wonderful meal set out before us.”
Gerda squared her little shoulders, looking directly at Luminesa with a timid and shy grin. “Thank you, Ice Queen.”
Her voice was small and nothing at all like the teasing tone it’d been with Kai.
Luminesa felt a little awkward since she’d neither asked nor expected their gratitude, but nodded all the same. “You’re welcome, but please, let’s not stand on formalities, here, I am only Luminesa.”
“Mistress Luminesa,” the girl said with a hushed little whisper of sound, before breaking out in a smile that caused her blue eyes to sparkle with laughter.
And something inside Luminesa’s heart quivered. A brief flicker of warmth that discombobulated and astounded her all over again. It hadn’t been her imagination last night after all—that she’d begun to feel real emotion again.
It was little more than a glowing ember of it. But even the mightiest of fires were birthed from the tinniest of sparks.
Her lips wobbled and she realized she was actually trying to smile. It was so bizarre she momentarily forgot what she was about to say.
It was in that pause that Kai spoke up.
“Thank her for what?” He glowered down at his lap; his voice was low, but rigid. “She’s the reason we were snatched from our homes in the first place. I want to go home.”
He punctuated his words with a flick of his fingers on the edge of his robe.
It was only once Alador opened his mouth—no doubt to chastise the boy—did Luminesa’s tongue come unglued from the roof of her mouth. Holding up a hand toward the centaur male, she shook her head.
“No, the child is right. This is my fault. And for that, boy...” She waited until he looked up at her. His pretty green eyes were so captivating in the sweet lines of his chubby little face. No doubt there was a mother and father in mourning for this little one. And again, Luminesa felt that strange bump bump tangle up her heart. “I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Kai’s little jaw dropped. In fact, Luminesa was sure that if she looked at the other two they’d be wearing similar looks of shock on their faces.
One of her ice maidens suddenly came running through the doors of the hall, panting heavily and clinging to her chest, her pale blue eyes wide in her pale blue face.
“Mistress! Antigua’s dead!”
Alador was the first to rise. Clutching his fists tight by his side.
Luminesa had only just designed the maidens yesterday, she’d not yet learned their names, but they were built to
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