Read Lord of the White Hell book Two lotwh-2 Online

Authors: Ginn Hale

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Lord of the White Hell book Two lotwh-2 (3 page)

BOOK: Lord of the White Hell book Two lotwh-2
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And suddenly Kiram felt very worried. He had been prepared for Javier's most biting remarks, even secretly hoped for them, so that he could just hate Javier and be done. Now he had no idea how he could inure himself to Javier's charms.

And Javier did not relent throughout the meal. He was unerringly funny and pleasant. He didn't lavish his attention upon Kiram, rather, he complimented Kiram's work as his squire in an easy, offhanded manner. He bantered with Morisio and Elezar and very casually allowed one of his long legs to brush against Kiram's calf. A spark of sharp desire flickered through Kiram's body at the small contact.

It required nearly all of Kiram's attention to ignore Javier's appealing presence. The food hardly made any impression upon Kiram and more than once he had to ask Nestor to repeat himself.

"You seem a little distracted this evening, Kiram," Nestor commented at last.

Javier gave him a knowing smile. Kiram could feel a flush rising but he refused to acknowledge it.

"I've been thinking about Scholar Donamillo's mechanical cures," Kiram replied.

A vexed expression flickered across Javier's face.

"They're fascinating, aren't they?" Morisio commented. "I've been studying them myself. I even built a few miniatures but powering them is the real trick."

Morisio went on and Kiram tried to concentrate on his freckled face, but the light sensation of Javier's calf against his own obsessed him. He could feel the warmth of Javier's skin radiating through his stockings and he remembered the weight of Javier's bare body against his own and the heat of his mouth. Kiram hardly heard Morisio's continuing ruminations on the key to Scholar Donamillo's unprecedented success. "I can't help but wonder if there isn't something more than pure mechanism behind it."

At this Genimo darted a glance to Kiram and Kiram realized that Genimo already knew that Scholar Donamillo used blessings and spells as well as mechanically-generated power for the cure that protected Fedeles. The knowledge that only he and Genimo shared the scholar's secret lent an uncomfortable sense of fraternity to his normally cold regard of Genimo.

"I can't help but wonder if you realize that no one cares a pig's tit about Scholar Donamillo's mechanisms," Elezar told Morisio. In response, Morisio just threw a hunk of bread at him. Elezar leaned back and caught it in his mouth.

"If your fortunes ever fail, no doubt you'll have a place in some circus," Javier told Elezar.

"You're one to talk." Elezar tossed a golden plum at Javier. Javier caught the plum and spun it on the tip of his finger. Then he rolled it between his hands. White sparks of light flickered between his fingers and suddenly the plum appeared to vanish. All conversation at the table quieted as the Hellions watched in fascination.

Javier held out his empty hands, displaying his palms, then with a flourish he reached across the table and caught Kiram's hand in a gentle grip. A conspirator's warmth flashed in his smile. As he pulled his hand back, Kiram felt the plum drop from the cuff of Javier's sleeve into his palm. Hellions hooted and clapped at the seemingly magical reappearance. Students at other tables gawked.

Kiram couldn't help but be delighted-not just with Javier's ingenuity but also at being included in the sleight of hand. He had no doubt that Javier had conceived the gesture hoping that it would charm him but the knowledge did nothing to diminish Kiram's pleasure.

Elezar's demand for another plum brought normalcy back to the table. Atreau needed notes from Holy Father Habalan's lecture on the conquest of the Labaran Dynasty. Genimo offered his. Elezar complained about Nestor's engagement and Nestor grumbled responses.

Kiram ate the sweet, tender plum and wondered with a terrible sinking dread whether his resistance or Javier's persistence would fail first. He wished he could feel happy at the prospect of either. wpter

Chapter Two

A
s weeks passed, the weather grew colder and the days shorter.

After so many months of climbing out of bed early to ride with Javier, Kiram now found himself waking hours before sunrise. He always glanced to Javier's bed, but more often than not found it empty. Kiram rarely returned to sleep. Instead he lit a lamp and busied himself with schoolwork. Every Primiday he heated his medallion as Alizadeh had instructed, watching the lotus turn luminous white while the golden metal remained strangely cool in his hands.

He hoped that this small ritual would be of some use to Alizadeh, since he'd been able to glean precious little concerning the shadow curse. Being Haldiim, he was banned from the chapel grounds and the few times he'd lingered at the gates Holy Father Habalan had come squawking and flapping at him like an infuriated brown hen.

He considered enlisting Nestor to aid him but then decided against it as far too dangerous. Nestor was a good friend and brave, but far from practiced in deceit or spying.

Javier would have been the best man to turn to but Kiram was already finding it nearly impossible not to be moved by the mere presence of Javier's strong body and knowing smiles. Entangling their relationship further by making Javier his conspirator would only make matters worse. And they were already rather bad.

On the coldest, darkest mornings he wandered to Javier's empty bed and pulled the blankets around his shoulders. He imagined that he could still feel the warmth of Javier's body and smell his skin. From time to time he picked up Calixto Tornesal's diary and flipped through the strange pages, wondering what it was that Javier read within them.

He knew that lying in Javier's bed was not the best way to put his desire behind him, but he couldn't seem to help himself and as long as Javier didn't know, he supposed that it wouldn't matter.

Already Javier's flirtations were growing rare. The few times he did steal a caress or even a quick kiss, he withdrew easily, Kiram's constant rebuffs having worn him down. Kiram wished that he could take some pride in this triumph over Javier, but instead he felt like the lowest kind of liar. And worse, he yearned desperately for Javier, stealing the scent of him, the feel of him from his belongings every morning.

One such morning Kiram leafed through the diary, studying twisting images, some resembling script and others tangled as tree roots, when he noticed something white fluttering past the window.

Snow.

He went to the frost-laced panes and stared out. Huge white flakes tumbled down. There seemed to be so many that the sky itself turned pale. Kiram watched in fascination as the academy grounds transformed from dark shadows to soft white masses.

Snow rarely fell in Anacleto but here in the north it settled in white swaths that blanketed the entire countryside. Soon Kiram learned that it was not some passing rarity but a condition he could expect to endure for the rest of his term.

He found the icicle-laden trees and snow-covered hills beautiful, but he was not prepared for the penetrating cold of the northern winter. Even wearing two jackets under his coat could not keep the cold at bay. He slipped constantly on patches of ice.

Once, when Javier caught him, it had been so relieving that Kiram had to fight his desire to simply lean into Javier and accept his strength and warmth. But that would only lead him back to another night like the one he had endured at the Goldenrod, so he had thanked Javier and stepped away.

To his chagrin he'd fallen on his ass almost immediately afterwards. Javier hadn't laughed but Kiram could tell he'd wanted to.

The next Sacreday, while the rest of the Hellions attended chapel, Kiram cobbled together a pair of spiked metal plates, which he strapped to the soles of his boots. The devices were not lovely, being assembled from the remains of bridles, old nails, broken forks and anything else Kiram managed to lay his hands on; but they worked. At last his feet stayed where he put them on the damnedable ice.

He bundled up in his jackets and coat and marched out to meet the Hellions as they sauntered from the chapel grounds. Other students poured out of the iron gates but the wide berth they gave the Hellions allowed Kiram to find his friends easily within the crowd.

Javier and Elezar shared some joke, Elezar roaring with laughter and Javier appearing to be amused by his own wit. Kiram marveled at the two of them standing knee-deep in snow drifts, wearing only their academy uniforms. Elezar's jacket even hung open as if cold could not penetrate the sheer mass of his muscular body. Morisio, Atreau and Nestor followed close behind Javier and Elezar. Nestor offered Morisio and Atreau glimpses of sketches that he'd scribbled in his prayer book. Behind them Fedeles swayed and sang out the names of his favored horses as if they were holy psalms. Genimo trailed behind him, chewing something and looking bored.

As usual, Javier noticed Kiram first, meeting his gaze and saying nothing. Then Nestor waved at him. Kiram strode forward, planting his steps proudly as he walked across the icy flagstones.

"What are those on your boots?" Nestor hurried closer and Kiram happily demonstrated his new inventions.

"That's really clever!" Nestor declared. Javier appeared more amused than impressed and Elezar just shook his head.

"You think they'll actually keep you from falling on your skinny ass all the time?" Elezar asked.

"Hope so," Kiram replied. "I don't think I could fall on my ass any more than I already do now, anyway."

"True," Elezar agreed.

"What's this?" Atreau stepped closer, inspecting Kiram's boots. "You've made yourself crampons, Kiram."

"I have?" Kiram asked.

"Yes. Back home in the mountains people wear them when the winter gets wet and all the roads turn to sheet ice." Atreau studied the contraptions for a moment longer, then glanced to Kiram. "You've never seen a pair before?"

"No," Kiram replied. "I had no idea."

"I don't think they're normally made with forks but otherwise yours look pretty close."

Kiram smiled at that, pleased that his design at least resembled something people really used.

"We should have him make his own skates," Elezar suggested to Javier, but Javier shook his head.

"Let's not. Otherwise Kiram will spend the next week in that frigid little shed and come back every night snotty from the cold and reeking of machine oil." Javier's gaze seemed to soften for just a moment. Then he turned from Kiram and headed towards the dormitory. The rest of the Hellions followed him like dogs in a pack and Kiram moved with them, taking up his usual position behind Javier and next to Nestor. When he felt a hand ruffle his hair, he knew it belonged to Fedeles and accepted the affection, as all the Hellions did, with good humor.

"You haven't been ice-skating before, have you?" Nestor asked when they reached the dormitory.

"No, but I've read about it." He recalled scrutinizing a small woodblock image of couple holding hands as they balanced on odd- looking shoes. "Is that where you're all going this afternoon?"

"Indeed." Javier glanced back at him. "That's where we're all going. You included."

"Me?" Excitement and nervousness filled him. "I don't know how to ice skate. I don't even have the…shoes."

"Skates," Atreau supplied. Kiram felt a little embarrassed, because he was sure that he'd known the right word; it had just slipped his mind momentarily.

"And you do have skates, actually," Nestor told him. "I helped Javier find a pair for you at the fair during the tournament. They're nice. Double-lined deerskin and probably warmer than those thin boots you're wearing now."

And that settled that. Minutes later Nestor had retrieved his own skates and Kiram's. The other Hellions gathered their skates as well as scarves, caps and gloves. Javier tossed Kiram a woolen cap and a pair of fur lined gloves.

Then all of them made their way through the snow-covered apple orchard. They followed the frozen stream to an open meadow where the waters pooled into a glassy pond. They weren't the first students to arrive.

Several youths raced from one of the wooden bridges, spanning the stream to the far end of the pond and back. Groups of younger students stumbled and linked arms to spin like dancers out across the ice. Falls seemed common and were generally accompanied with shouts of surprise and laughter.

Kiram eyed the long thin blades of his ice skates as he pulled them on and laced the supple leather tight. He couldn't imagine how anyone could balance on such a thin edge. And yet many Cadeleonians did so easily. Already Javier and Atreau had joined in on a race. Fedeles spun in amazingly fast circles and even jumped from one foot to the other, landing as easily as if he were barefoot.

Kiram watched Nestor. He shoved off from the bank of the pond and glided in a slow circle, brushing snow off the back of his pants and coat. Then Elezar pounced down from the bank onto the ice. He snatched Nestor's cap from his head.

"Hey! Give it back!" Nestor demanded.

"Catch me and I will." Elezar pushed off from the toe of his skate and went hurtling across the frozen surface with Nestor in dogged pursuit.

Kiram stepped gingerly out onto the ice. He felt his skate begin to slip from under him and clutched at the bank to keep from falling. Hanging there, he kicked his feet out attempting to find some kind of footing. Then he felt a firm, steadying hand against his back.

"Stop thrashing around," Javier said. "You look like a startled colt. Relax. I won't let you fall."

Kiram calmed down and discovered that his stability did improve, though he didn't trust it enough to completely release his grip on the bank.

"Good." Javier smacked a thick clump of snow off the front of Kiram's coat. "Now take my hand."

"I'll fall and you'll just come right down on top of me," Kiram responded.

"Only if you pull me down after you. If you start to go down, let go of me. I'm sure you shouldn't have any trouble doing that." There was an edge to Javier's tone, but Kiram wasn't sure if it sounded more bitter or amused.

"Maybe," Kiram suggested, "I should just go back to the academy and finish up my work on the engine."

"Come, Kiram, you know you want to learn how to do this. It's fun and next winter you'll be able to whip past all the first years." Javier gazed at Kiram and it seemed that his mere physical presence drew Kiram. "Come, take my hand."

Kiram watched the other students, spinning and racing across the ice. He did want to join them. Slowly he released his grip on the bank and accepted Javier's hand.

He expected other students to stare, or at least make some comment about the two of them skating hand in hand, but then he saw several of the first-year students offering each other similar support. Atreau swept up beside two of the clumsiest youths- one in particular seemed only able to remain upright in an odd squatting position-and pulled them along by their belts while disseminating advice on proper form.

"You have to relax." Javier pulled him farther out from the bank. "Just push off of the ice and then allow it to slide away beneath you. If you tense up and fight it, you'll fall."

"I'm going to fall no matter what." Kiram tried to emulate Javier's fluid movements with his own jerky ones.

Javier smiled. "True, but you won't get as badly hurt if you give into it."

Kiram did fall numerous times, often on patches where stones and submerged reeds roughened the ice. But he always managed to release Javier and he never hurt himself badly. Between the falls, a wondrous sensation washed over him, a feeling like flying. With just a stroke of his blades he slashed across the ice and giddy delight rushed through him at the novelty of such effortless speed.

He joined Javier in several races, and when Fedeles caught his hand, Kiram allowed himself to be whisked away. Fedeles showed Kiram several tricks, spinning and jumping, which Kiram could never hope to emulate but loved watching. Where Fedeles leaped across the ice, Kiram managed to land a small hop. Still the accomplishment emboldened him.

When a game of tag started up, Kiram joined in, racing and laughing as some bulky third-year student sped by and tagged him. He managed to tag Nestor and Elezar, but was taken utterly unaware when Javier swooped up on him, moving so fast that upon contact, Javier's momentum carried them both away. Their two bodies pressed close as they flew across the ice. Kiram felt the slight stubble of Javier's jaw against his cheek. Javier's hand caressed his hip. Instinctively he leaned into Javier, aching for nearness.

The response startled Javier enough to make him miss his footing. But even falling, he didn't release Kiram. Instead he held him tighter and the two of them tumbled into a deep bank of snow. Kiram landed on top of Javier. From behind them Atreau whooped and Morisio laughed.

"Looks like Kiram took you out, Javier!"

"Looks like he did," Javier agreed but his expression was one of triumph. Kiram pulled himself up, a confusion of emotion roiling through him. The pleasure of embracing Javier tangled up in both his fear of being caught and his embarrassment at being so easily seduced.

Kiram brushed snow from his coat and refused to look at Javier; instead he glanced up at the clear blue sky and narrowed his eyes against the slanting sun.

"I should get back to work on my project while the sun's still up," Kiram decided.

Nestor looked disappointed. "Can't it wait a day?"

It could have, but Kiram simply shook his head. The weeks that he'd spent hiding from Javier's flirtatious smiles and arousing caresses had served his steam engine well. Now it stood complete. Kiram needed only to test it and fine tune his design.

"Let him go," Genimo called. "That steam engine isn't going to build itself."

Kiram didn't remember telling anyone but Javier and Scholar Donamillo that he was building a steam engine. But then Genimo spent much of his time with Scholar Donamillo and he knew that Genimo often cranked the mechanical cures for Fedeles' treatments. Of course he would know what Kiram was building and for what purpose.

Genimo gave Kiram a cold smile and flicked his hand as if he were shooing away a bird. "The work of a genius is never done."

BOOK: Lord of the White Hell book Two lotwh-2
2.93Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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