A Kiss of Fire: A Kiss of Magic Book 2 (20 page)

So. One of them was a Weath shaman, controlling the weather. If he was a shaman, then it might be just as likely that the others were shaman too. Well, he could fight shaman. All but the insidiousness of a Jadoc shaman. He had powerful guards protecting his mind, but he would be nothing against a Jadoc of any advanced skill.

“I see you’re beginning to realize the danger you’re in if you don’t obey our commands,” the leader said confidently.

“We will obey and give you the horse, but you will not touch my woman.”

“More demands? You truly do not appreciate the situation,” the Weath said just before he reached up and grabbed Ariana by her thigh and her arm, yanking her out of the saddle and onto the ground. All of Sin’s control vanished in that instant. Instinctively knowing Ariana could take care of herself, he focused on the man with the gun and called fire to his hand. He sent a searing stream of flames over the distance between them and over the man’s horse’s head. The stream hit him dead in the chest just as the gun went off, it’s report cracking loud in the still winter air.

Sin felt the bullet strike his chest hard. The impact was shocking but surprisingly not painful, at first. Which was a good thing because he didn’t want to lose his focus or concentration. His first stream of fire had hit the leader dead on and he was on fire, screaming as his horse reared, screamed and bolted out from under him. The man fell in a smoldering heap to the ground. Sin’s horse fared no better as another bolt of lightning shot out of the heavens and struck the ground right at Sin’s horse’s left flank. The horse bolted and Sin, injured as he was, could not keep his seat. He fell out of the saddle and hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud. Now his chest began to hurt and he couldn’t draw in a breath. He knew he had to do something—anything!—to protect himself and Ariana, but he couldn’t move. He could only watch as she turned on the man who held her and let flame explode down her body, immolating herself, letting the flame cover every exposed inch of her. The man who held her jumped back in shock and let out a terrified shout of surprise. Then, while she advanced on the one on the ground, the third pulled his weapon and aimed directly at her head. He fired.

“No!” Sin cried out.

He blew a fireball into the man’s head, hearing him scream as his hair caught fire and his skin began to melt and crisp from his face. Sin struggled to get to his feet, but then there were soft, warm hands pushing him back down to the ground.

Her hands.

She was alive! And uninjured.
The gun’s sights must have been off,
he realized with relief. He wished he could say the same for the gun that had fired at him.

“Protect yourself!” He gasped as pain burned through his chest with every word, every indrawn breath.

“There is no one left to be protected from,” she assured him, coming to take his head in her lap and soothing him with hushing whispers. “Let me see your wound.”

She burrowed past the layer of his clothes until she had exposed his chest to the frigid air. That was when he realized that, as she leaned over him, her skin too was completely bare. She was naked in the freezing cold, her clothes having been burned away by her self-immolation. He reached for the tie of his cloak, unfastened it, then struggled to try and sit up and give her the protective fabric. Her majic ability would keep her from freezing to death, but it wouldn’t protect her from the eyes of others. And there was only so long she could keep up the act of warming herself before she grew weary. How long that was only she knew, and he wasn’t of a mind to find out for himself.

“Take my cloak,” he commanded between staccato breaths. He groaned as every little movement burned through his chest.

“Stay still!” she cried. “Oh my God I can…I can feel the bullet!”

She was right, he realized as he looked down at his chest. The ball of the bullet was beneath his skin and resting against his breastbone. It had not penetrated his chest wall or entered his lungs. But the pain was still excruciating, so it was clear something had been injured inside of him.

“We need a horse,” he croaked.

“Well, they’ve all gone. Fire and horses don’t mix well,” she pointed out needlessly.

“Then we have to walk.” He struggled as if to get to his feet, but she easily pushed him back down onto his back.

“No. You stay here. I will find one of the horses.”

“Take my cloak,” he demanded of her.

She did so, but he was almost certain she did it to comfort him, rather than to protect herself. That was when he realized she was furious. Her normally serene amber eyes snapping with fire and temper. Was she angry with him? He had left the house unarmed, thinking he was more than enough firepower if anything should happen. But he had to admit he hadn’t been thinking about coming across human created trouble. He had been more concerned with wild animals. He should have known better. There were many scavenging Kiltians since the war had been won. The thing was, none of them would normally dare to approach him or the blossoming Temple City. It tended to be too civilized for men living off the land and off of others. Such men preferred to bully in small groups, to intimidate lone travelers, rather than go somewhere where they might possibly be outnumbered and brought to justice.

They had come out far from the civilization of the town and he had exposed them to danger. He had been so preoccupied with her that he had ignored their safety. Was that why she was angry?

“I’m sorry,” he said bitterly. “I should have protected you better.”

“I am more than capable of protecting myself!” she snapped sharply. “You should never have provoked him into shooting you!”

“They were going to hurt you!”

“Only in their dreams,” she huffed. “No one touches me without my consent. I should think you of all people would know that.”

He looked at her with surprise as he realized her temper had turned to teasing him. Then she sighed and bent to kiss his chilled lips.

“Let me find a horse. You’re getting cold and I don’t know how able you are at warming yourself when you are in this much pain.”

She was right. It was hard to concentrate on warming himself, and doing so while injured was going to take a great deal of energy out of him. Energy an injured body could not afford to lose.

She got to her feet and he lay back on the cold ground. He heard her footsteps leaving him and closed his eyes against the rapidly falling snow.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when she was suddenly by his side again, lightly slapping his face to wake him. He was frozen through, his loss of consciousness keeping him from warming himself. He tried to focus to warm himself, but she was there, laying her hands on him, thawing him with the touch of her hands. Her palms and fingers stroked over his entire body as she warmed him. The only good thing about nearly freezing was the numbness that had accompanied it. Now that he was thawing his teeth were chattering and his whole body hurt with every shiver.

“I’ve gotten our horse,” she said, lifting his head so he could see his horse over her shoulder. “He didn’t go far.”

“I was afraid in his fear he would have headed back for the safety of the stables. I didn’t think you would find him.”

“Well I did, and he’s here. Let’s get you in the saddle.”

It was easier said than done. He could barely move from the excruciating pain in the center of his chest. Mounting his horse took their combined effort and even so he almost overshot the mark and tumbled off on the opposite side. But by some miracle he kept his seat and Ariana mounted in front of him.

“Rest against me. Try and relax. I will bring us home.”

“I can do it,” he insisted, reaching to take the reins from her hand.

“Do not argue with me,” she said. “Sit up against my body and keep warm. We will be home as quickly as we can manage without jarring you too much.”

She reined the horse around and started them back toward the temple. The ride was slow and agonizing. He saw the temple appear in the distance and was so relieved tears almost came to his eyes. She would be behind its walls soon. She would be safe.

She called for help as they rode into the courtyard and assistance came out of the woodwork. He was aware of being taken from horseback and hauled bodily into the temple.

The next thing he knew he was in his bed in his room.

Chapter Twenty

Ariana began to punch out commands with a brisk, no nonsense tone of voice. She acted strongly. Confidently. As though she were in complete control of the situation.

She never once let anyone know how terrified she really was.

She couldn’t explain the fear to herself. She had not been afraid of the men. In fact, there were very few people who inspired fear in her. She was much too powerful to be easily frightened. Even when Sin had captured her and dragged her leagues away from her home she had not been afraid for even a second.

But now she was scared. Even though she and Sin had dealt with the men so decidedly and they were all three dead…burned to death by either him or her…she couldn’t shake the panicky feeling settled onto her bones.

“Get me my lady maid, Mariah. Have her bring me some clothes,” she said to Mordol whose lascivious eyeing of her naked form beneath the cloak went by unremarked. She could care less. She had more important things to contend with. “Fetch a physician and bring him here as quickly as possible.”

“We can take it from here, my lady,” Mordol said almost snidely. “We don’t need you. Best I take you back to your cell—I mean
room
.”

“I’ll not be going anywhere,” she said firmly. “I am going to tend to your master. And if you don’t want your master taking it out on your hide once he is well, I suggest you adjust your way of speaking to me.”

Mordol hesitated and she knew she had struck a nerve of fear.

“This don’t change nothing,” he sneered. “You’re still just his caught piece on the side. He’ll get tired of you soon enough…just like the rest. Then you’ll wish you’d been nicer to me.”

And so he struck a nerve in return. What did he mean “just like the rest”? Had there been others before her?

Of course there had been others, she scoffed at herself. He was a skilled lover and he had gotten those skills somewhere. Just as she had gotten hers elsewhere. Although, none of her past lovers could hold a candle to Sin. His endurance alone was something to be marveled at. While there were times when things were quick and heated, there had also been times when they had spent an hour or better indulging in each other’s bodies.

Mordol’s claims that he would weary of her preyed on her deepest concerns. She tried to tell herself she was prepared for just such an occurrence, but the truth was she wasn’t. That left her at a disadvantage. It left her vulnerable. This whole situation was making her vulnerable.              

However that was then, she told herself. This was now. And right now she had to be concerned with only one thing.

Sin’s well-being.

“Get the physician. Then I suggest you steer clear of me from now on,” she said dangerously.

“I don’t take my orders from you,” Mordol said insolently. “We’ll see what the raj has to say about this.”

Mordol turned on his heel and left the room. Ariana did not waste time pulling another servant to her. She repeated her instructions and this time was obeyed. Then she set about making Sin as comfortable as she possibly could. She had a servant help her undress him and they put him to bed naked. He was nearly insensate with pain and she couldn’t understand where the damage was. She could see the bullet beneath his skin. It had not penetrated deep into his thorax. Where was the pain coming from?

Mariah arrived with her clothing and she skimmed into the skirt and blouse without bothering to clear the room. There was a small privacy screen in the room and she stood behind it and dressed while others were standing about trying to figure out what to do next. Ariana realized this was fear within them. Their raja was injured severely. They were afraid to see him brought low. He was a figure of strength for their people. She understood their fear because she was feeling it too. Only hours ago he had been strong and vital inside of her body. Now he was in bed and groaning from pain.

The physician arrived just as she was stepping out from behind the screen. She hurried over to him and rapidly explained what happened. The doctor examined the bullet with a stern frown on his aged features.

“He is very lucky. An inch in either direction and there would have been nothing I could do for him. As it is the breastbone stopped the bullet. However, the sternum has been broken by the impact. Cracked. Likely in more than one place. It was dangerous for him to ride back. It would have been better had he been carried in a litter.”

“It was too cold to leave him there,” she said. “He was in too much pain to warm himself.”

“I understand. Well, there is nothing that can be done except to remove the bullet and let him heal in his own time.” The doctor removed a sharpened blade from his satchel. “You may not want to watch.”

She didn’t want to watch. She didn’t want to see him suffer any more pain.

“I have seen much worse,” she told him. She wasn’t going to leave Sin’s side for a second. She had been a political ruler for too long not to be savvy to the implications and dangers that came with Sin being incapacitated. He would need a protector and a voice and she would be that voice until he told her to do otherwise.

The physician removed the bullet with a growl of agony coming from his patient as he was cut open without so much as a sip of liquor to dull the pain. She wondered if they had laudanum in Kith. She figured not, otherwise the physician would have used it, wouldn’t he? The use of the opiate as an anesthetic was a relatively new practice amongst Sarens, so perhaps it had not traveled to the Kiltian medical community.

The doctor stitched closed the wound left by his knife and Ariana could see the livid bruising that was beginning to spread up and down Sin’s breastbone. Every move he made, every breath he took to expand his ribcage must be excruciating. Her chest ached in sympathy.

Once the doctor was done she demanded that the room be cleared of all but herself, Mariah and one of the temple servants. This servant she used to fetch her things like water and clean bandages. It wasn’t long before Raj Vich swept into the room.

“What is this I hear of my brother being ill?” he demanded. His carriage was held with self-importance and she could see the avarice in his eyes. If something happened to Sin, this man would be prince of all his peoples. It must be a heady feeling indeed to face being so close to such a possibility.

“Injured,” Ariana corrected. “He has been shot.”

“Shot! What is being done for him? Can he assume his mantle of power?”

She supposed she should be grateful Vich asked after his well-being first before his follow-up question.

“He will be bedridden for quite some time. You will need to rule in his stead for the duration of his convalescence.”

“This I will do for my brother,” he said grandly. But it was clear to Ariana who would be served most by this assumption of power.

“I will stay by his bedside and care for him myself,” Ariana said. “If this is all right with you.”

Vich nodded and waved the matter off. “You may do so. Only ask for anything and it will be given to you.”

“Make certain that is clearly known,” she said, thinking of Mordol’s insolence.

“It shall be known. All will be done to aid my brother or there will be an answer to me.”

Vich then swept out of the room and grandly as he had entered it, not bothering to try and speak to his brother or to spend time at his side.

When Fatima arrived it was a different matter entirely. Fatima was shaken to see her son brought so low. Her hands shook as she sat beside his bed and took his hand in hers. Ariana perched on the arm of the chair Fatima had pulled up to the bed and rubbed a soothing hand over the raji-mother’s back.

“Thank you for bringing my son back to me,” Fatima said once she had had Ariana relate the story of what had happened. “My people need him. Raj Vich would not be good for this realm. He is far too selfish. But I think you know this already.”

“I wouldn’t presume…” Ariana said hesitantly.

“No. It is all right. I know my sons well. I know their weaknesses and their strengths. Vich chafes under his brother’s shadow. He cannot be content with his lot in life. He covets that which could be his if only his brother were not alive.”

“You…don’t think he would make an attempt on Sin’s life do you?” Ariana was aghast. But even as she said it she knew it was not outside of the realm of the possible.

“Without a wife and an heir, my son is in a precarious position. He is aware of this, but he doesn’t think his brother would go so far. As Vich’s mother, I would like to think my second son is not so mercenary that he would harm his elder brother for the sake of assuming his mantle. However, I know Vich well. He lives to undermine his brother. To make himself appear the better ruler. Sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he does not. I think Sin tolerates him for my sake…and for the fact that there are no other heirs to this throne other than Vich and his sons.”

“There are no cousins? I would have thought with the rulers being allowed so many wives there would be no shortage of relatives.”

“Disease was a terrible curse of our people before the end of the war. We were all packed in so tightly together that if one fell ill almost all others fell ill. It wiped out nearly all of the family one wet spring when plague came and ravaged us. The only cousins left are women. No. Sin and Vich and their sons are all that is left of the royal line. Why do you think I have pressed my son all these years to find a wife?”

“I don’t understand why he has not done so before now,” Ariana said, her brow furrowed with concern for Sin’s bloodlines.

“My son is, I think, a romantic at heart. He wanted what his father and I had. One good, true love. I think he has found it at last.”

Ariana flushed and looked away. “Do not get your hopes up, Fatima. I will not be staying.”

“Do you not love my son?” Fatima asked, surprised.

“I…I do not. We are lovers, but no more. I do not have the depth of feeling you or your son are seeking.”

Fatima regarded her silently a moment. “I see,” she said softly.

“Mother.”

Fatima gasped and looked at her son. They had been speaking and had not realized he had been listening. Ariana had thought him caught in a stupor of pain. For some reason she felt guilty. She didn’t know why.

“My son. You were fortunate today,” Fatima said, bringing her sons fingers to her lips and kissing them repeatedly.

“I was fortunate to be with a woman who can not only care for herself, but has the strength to see others through as well.” Sin stared at Ariana steadily. “I have chosen well.”

Sin groaned and tried to shift in his bed.

“You must remain still,” Ariana said hurriedly, choosing to ignore his personalized comments.

“I do not do well with stillness,” he said grimly.

Ariana could see how that would be. He remained active, be it mind or body, constantly. He was going to make a terrible patient.

“I will remain still only if you get into my bed with me,” he said, gazing hard at Ariana.

“Nonsense. You do not need me sitting beside you making you even more uncomfortable than you already are,” she said.

Sin let go of his mother’s hand, grabbed the covers and threw them off of his body. Ariana gasped as he exposed himself to his mother and moved as though to rise from the bed.

“Stop! Please get back into bed!” Ariana begged him.

“My son, Ariana is right, you cannot move about in this condition.”

“The doctor said you weren't to move at all!”

“Get into this bed with me and I will be still.” He held her gaze, challenge in his eyes. She knew without a doubt that he would get up if she did not agree, no matter what it cost him in pain.

“Very well,” she said on a harsh sigh. “If you must be held like a child then I will hold you.”

He chuckled and let his mother tuck the covers back across his body. Ariana circled around to the opposite side of the bed and gingerly climbed in beside him, trying her best not to disturb him too much. He blew her efforts to hell when he lifted his arm and draped it about her shoulders, drawing her into his side with a grunt of pain. She took hold of his arm and undraped it from her shoulders, settling it down between their bodies.

“I’ll stay only if you rest and take care of yourself.”

“I promise you that I will. But I will need you to entertain me.”

He grimaced and groaned and she bit her lip.

“Don’t you use laudanum here? It would reduce the pain.”

“And it would reduce my capacity to think clearly,” he said with a frown. “The ability to be here for my people. As it is I will be stuck here for a few days.”

“Weeks,” Ariana corrected.

“Days,” he shot back. “There is no way I am staying here for more than a week.”

“Do not worry, Ariana. His body will reduce his bravado over time.”

As if on cue, Sin groaned soulfully and placed his hand against the wound on his chest.

“Damn. I have never felt pain like it. Every breath burns. Movement is excruciating. It is almost more than a man can bear.”

“Then that is why I should not be here,” Ariana argued, making to move from the bed. He quickly grabbed her hand, though the fast movement cost him in pain.