A Kiss of Fire (A Kiss of Magic #2)(9)

“I like your name,” he decided.

“But my name is for a girl, not a boy,” she pointed out. At his disappointed expression she added quickly, “But we can make it a boy’s name. What do you think of Arian?”

The boy visibly brightened, then immediately looked around with furtive eyes, as if should someone see the emotion on him they would take it away.

“I like that,” he said.

Ariana looked up at the warren mother. “This child’s name is Arian. See that everyone is introduced to him by the name.”

“Yes my lady,” the mother said with a bright smile. “He’s barely said a word to anyone since he got here. You’ve got the touch my lady.”

Ariana smiled slightly. It was one of the times where her importance had made a difference in a single life. She was glad of it. Glad the child had deemed her trustworthy enough to speak to simply because of the title she held.

“Arian,” she said, making him beam at the use of his new name, “have you got your sweet?”

He nodded and held out the hand which had it clutched so tightly it was probably going to melt.

“Why don’t you go with the other children and enjoy it?”

He shook his head. “Can you tell me another story first?”

She glanced up at the clock and then at her aide. She had not told anyone where she was going and someone might come looking for her wondering where she had gotten off to. She didn’t want anyone to worry after her.

“Perhaps just one more,” she said. She lowered into a cross-legged position and settled the child onto her lap. She began to tell him her story. It didn’t take long for the other children to notice and before she knew it they were all seated around her on the floor once more, listening to her with rapt attention.

“One more!” Arian demanded when she was through. She put him onto his feet and rose to hers, her bottom feeling a little numb for have sat in such a way for so long.

“I’m sorry I cannot. But I do promise to come visit again soon,” she said.

Arian didn’t look as though he trusted her word on that. “I will come on St. Haubruck’s Day and we will play in the snow together,” she promised him. The children clamored and cheered. Before she left she gave Arian a little hug and made arrangements for a donation to be made to the orphanage. “To be used for your St. Haubruck’s Day celebration. All the sweet drinks and cakes and favors you can manage,” she said.

“Yes my lady,” the mother said eagerly.

Ariana took her leave. She pulled her warm woolen cloak tightly closed in front of her and made certain her hood was up to shield her identity from those passing her by on the street. It was late afternoon, bitterly cold and windy. She regretted not bringing the coach with her to the orphanage, but it had been warmer and sunnier when she had struck out and she had needed the walk.

It had been thoughtless of her. Now Mariah and the guards must suffer the cold where she…she never grew cold. She could simply raise her body temperature or warm the air around her. She pulled Mariah close enough so that she could share in the warmth of her body and the air. It was no mean trick to exhibit that kind of control, to warm without catching fire. But she was more than skilled enough to accomplish it. She only wished she could do it in a wider radius, including the guards in the warmth.

They were walking down an alleyway, heading toward the main streets when someone suddenly leapt from a doorway and struck her front guard hard over the head, rendering him immediately unconscious. Ariana swung sharply around toward the second guard, only to find him under similar attack. The guard had enough warning to reach into the mind of his attacker and begin to attack his brain. The attacker cried out, his hand going to his head. But then the guard jerked as though something had grabbed him and collapsed to the ground. The attacker sagged with relief and Ariana was aware of a third man, dressed in a cloak, stepping forward. Ariana shoved Mariah away from her, struggled to free her hands from her cloak, and then created a fireball between her hands. She reached and flung it forward, but before it could hit her target the fireball changed direction and was absorbed by a fourth man in a cloak. The first cloaked man turned to face her and she thought she recognized him from somewhere. Though she couldn’t place where. He walked up to her and simply said:

“Sleep.”

Ariana felt a powerful mind breeching all of her mental defenses and a sudden wash of undeniable sleepiness cascaded over her. Her knees went weak and she began to sink toward the ground, her eyes rolling back in her head. But before she hit the ground she was caught against a powerful, hard body.

She fell asleep before she could identify who it was.




Sin looked at Lindo, who nodded succinctly. Ariana was asleep and would remain so as long as the Jadoc was in charge of her mind. Sin scooped Ariana up into his arms, emanating warmth onto her because it was so cold and now that she was asleep she would not be able to do it for herself.

He turned to face her aide.

“Her name is Mariah,” Lindo said before he could ask.

“Mariah. You have a choice. Either you stay here or you come with your mistress. The journey will be hard and long. Though I expect you’ll both spend most of it asleep. However, if you stay behind we will incapacitate you as we have done with the guards. It is a cold day to be lying unconscious on the ground.”