Burn With Me (Legend of the Sun Whisperers) Read Online Free Page A

companion shared in the delight.
    “I am, and it appears that not only do I have you to thank for helping me, but for keeping me hidden from the Raknorg as well.” He spoke slowly and formed his words carefully. Though he was familiar with their language, it had been many years since he had spoken it.
    Serra giggled, wrinkling her nose. “You talk kind of funny.”
    “Serra!” The young woman whispered harshly in the little girl’ s direction.
    Draco smiled and turned his attention back to where the brave woman still had her back pressed against the door. “I am out of practice with your language. My people use… other means of communication.” That was definitely an understatement and a discussion that could wait for later.
    He stared at her for a moment, noticing the small spark of awareness that lit her gaze before he continued. “Your kindness has saved me in more ways than I could ever hope to repay.  I am called Draco Taralundar. Who is it that I am now indebted to?” Up close, her eyes were not merely brown.  Tiny specks of gold made the color seem more like a deep bronze, like warm honey touched by sunlight.
    She stepped tentatively forward and held out her hand. Her slender fingers fit snugly within his grasp. “I’m Maddelyn Sowers. This is Serra.” The warmth of her hand prickled up his arm as she tilted her head toward the child seated at the table. The buzzing in his head increased with her touch.
    “Maddelyn. Serra. It appears that I owe you my life.” Draco reluctantly released Maddelyn’ s hand, and the buzz in his brain quieted. That need to protect them flared inside him again.  He was unused to these sudden bursts of emotion. And the distraction of sound in his brain. His injuries must still be extensive. Her dark eyes studied him intently, then widened.
    “How can you…but you were…where are the…”  She looked him up and down, unable to complete a thought for some reason. “All of your wounds. You’ re almost completely healed.  How can that be?”
    Draco peered down and realized he had not finished buttoning up the shirt he had slipped on. Faint traces of burns and scars dotted the expanse of his chest. Though he couldn ’t remember that clearly, he was sure from Maddelyn’s reaction that the wounds must have been far worse last night.
    His fingers fumbled to close the rest of the buttons of the shirt, suddenly nervous. The last thing he wanted was to frighten them both, especially after they had risked their lives to help him. He ran a hand through his unkempt hair. “I must have been badly injured when you found me.”
    Maddelyn nodded, her eyes still brimming with disbelief, her mouth hanging open.
    “I thought you were a goner, Mr. Draco. You didn’t look good at all .”  Serra’s voice trickled through the air.
    Draco smiled again. “I guess it is a good thing that I heal really quickly, then, small one.”  Serra’s pale blue eyes lit up with pleasure at his comment.
    “Yes, a good thing…” Maddelyn’ s voice trailed off softly as she continued to stare at Draco. So much for not frightening her.
    Draco cleared his throat roughly. “I guess I should also thank you for these clothes. I am sure mine were beyond repair.”
    Maddelyn blinked her eyes rapidly at him as she seemed to return to the present. “Yes, the clothes. They belonged to my brother. I’m glad they fit.” She hurried to a corner of the room and picked up a pair of boots, returning to hand them out to him. “I managed to save your boots, after a good cleaning and some repair.”
    “Again, I must thank you, Maddelyn Sowers.” Draco bent and yanked on his boots, fully aware of the two gazes trained steadily on him. “And where is it that I find myself so well taken care of?” Draco’ s memory was still a tumble of blurry details.
    “The village of Charon. What’s left of it, anyway.” 
    Draco straightened as Maddelyn answered, searching his memory for the name, but coming up