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The evening had been a blur Fleeing Mathias and the Anarki had been harrowing All that cli down inside bushes had been unnerving … but markedly less so with Ice’s protective presence beside her Thankfully, her plan had worked His relief when she reappeared within the half hour had been foolishly intriguing Did he actually care about her beyond his own survival? With that question swirling in her mind, they’d slipped away fro few syllables, Ice directed her southwest, just over the Welsh border to Mon stone bed-and-breakfast Very out of the way, and Sabelle had used soer that they had reservations for the night and had paid in advance
Once inside, they’d locked all the doors and s, and she’d ringed the place with her ical securities Ice had done the same As far as they could tell, no Anarki had followed the covered in ickind soerous, he had put both her safety and co he hated Braot near Ice, his body told Sabelle that he wanted her
Quickly, she’d showered and settled Brae’s two bedrooms The smoke around her brother looked thicker, darker, than before Cloying, choking The labored sound of his breathing terrified her His… which meant his life would soon follow if they couldn’t find a way to break Mathias’s terrible spell
Frustration eating at her like a disease, Sabelle sla her brother die weighed her doith a sense of being powerless
Taking Bram’s hand in hers, she crouched at the side of his bed and bowed in prayer, her forehead touching his unresponsive hand This was not her brother Braure she’d ever really had Lord knew her selfishwith Merlin’s blood in her veins orth Losing Brain to describe her loss She’d envisioned hirew older They’d laughed and fought and helped each other Their bond, always strong, had becoickind of the cancer the evil wizard spread through society was Bram’s most passionate cause Sabelle didn’t kno she’d finish that ithout hiain Exhaustion and fear overtook her defenses Two , then put on her brave face Ice would want nothing to do with her tears They had no time for foolishness
Suddenly, the door to Bram’s bedroom whooshed open and bounced off the wall beside him There stood Ice
Sabelle leapt to her feet with a startled gasp, aware of hot tears burning her cheeks--and her stare glued to his body Wearing nothing but a towel, he scanned the rooer ild eyes Rivulets of water caressed their way down his corded neck, over his bulging shoulders that ate up the door fra a bus, and along the ridges of his six-pack abs … before being lapped up by the towel riding dangerously low on his lean hips Dear God
Finding the rooreen eyes on her They flared with heat Her body sizzled as if she kissed a live wire
"What’s wrong?" he barked
"I--I" She couldn’t find her tongue
"I heard a door sla, she ripped her gaze away fro with each rushed breath
"No" She sed "Sorry Justworse"
Tears threatened again, and she didn’t want to show Ice her weakness His body ht want her, but the way he called her princess, almost a sneer … No She wouldn’t reveal her vulnerabilities and give him a reason to mock her later
Despite her resolution, a fat tear rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the inn’s black silk robe she’d wrapped around her She swiped at her wet cheek
Ice charged across the room He reached out to take her hand, then stopped before touching her, his tattooed biceps flexing with restraint Quickly, he glanced at Brariht heal hiht settled on her heart "None Were you able to reach Duke and the others while I showered?"
"I don’t dare If they’re being followed as well, any erous for all of us And I didn’t have my damn mobile with me when the Anarki attacked"
"Me, either The phone in this cottage only rings the front desk; I checked We’ll find a phone toed back "I ordered food earlier It should be here shortly"
A lovely gesture, but Bram’s condition ruined her appetite What if her brother never opened his eyes again?
Fear welled up inside her, and to her horror, fresh tears rushed She couldn’t contain the flood Her breath caught, and her vision blurred Scalding tears rolled out of the corners of her eyes She swiped at theain crying in front of Isdernus Rykard, for whom sympathy was likely as welcome as syphilis His personality often arded him as both ruthless and crazed A man like him doubtless had no patience for weepy wo ones
Sabelle slapped a hand over her mouth and raced past Ice toward the bedroom door His hot hand claerously close to his large, warm body, still beaded ater
With his free hand, he pulled hers fro at her with an expression so and puzzled "Don’t fret We will see hiht forth a fresh well of tears "How? Th-that sure--"
"Shh" He laid a soft finger across her lips
Ice’s touch on her sensitive mouth jolted her, as if her entire body was connected to her lips "Don’t think hihts would help her brotherbreath, she felt the onslaught of rily, she wiped them away "I’m sorry to be a weepyShe winced, waiting for hiainst hi her body to his with an arers in her hair A million starbursts erupted, scattered over her scalp, her very skin The sensation sank bone deep, fracturing her thoughts, her co his iain Sabelle sucked in a breath
"No apologies for tears Bonds between siblings can be strong"
He had siblings? Apparently His statement proved how little she knew of hi not to be able to read someone’s mind
"Tears won’t help now I know that," she offered "I should be planning what else I can do to help Brao froently as his rough voice allowed "My shoulders are strong Let ht of that responsibility Noe ainst her, he didn’t feel like her brother’s ene She wondered exactly who Ice was
Sabelle pulled back and stared as if she could reason him out like a puzzle "You’re awfully kind to me"