Cloudburst Ice Magic Read Online Free

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matriarch or one of her representatives?”
    “The clan’s small, so I suspect we’ll be
meeting her. Make sure you’re in your true form when we go.”
    “Will do.” While he loved being with humans
and all their brilliant colors of life, being in his own skin
relaxed Zach. “What’s her name?”
    “Icedora Mistweaver. I’ve heard she’s one of
the oldest Ice Demons outside of Europe. Been here since the Silver
Times.”
    “Since the last Ice Age? Holy shit, that’s
ten thousand years ago.”
    “Yeah. She’s seen it all.”
    “Wow.”
    “That’s the address on your phone.” Cade
pointed to a sweet little house with a two car garage and an
evergreen wreath on the door. “Think you should park in the
driveway?”
    “Yeah. Snowplows.” Zach set the parking
brake and pulled his sweater over his head. “So when do we head
out?”
    He shoved open the door and stepped into the
cold spring morning. The air here held more moisture than in
Nevada, but still carried the welcoming bite of snow and ice. Zach
scanned the neighborhood before he shucked his boots and pants. No
need to frighten the humans with his nudity.
    “As soon as you’re ready, we can head
upslope.” Cade had undressed and left his clothes in the cab of the
truck.
    “Okay.”
    Zach closed his eyes and let his disguise
fade. The air shifted around him and a sense of relief settled on
his skin as he reached his true form. He stretched his arms and
twisted his back before ruffling the short crystals on his head
with his taloned fingers. Goddess, it’s so good to be in my own
skin.
    “Looking good there, Snow.” Cade nodded to
Zach’s physique. “You’re pretty ripped. You work out more than
usual?”
    “No. Human gyms stink and I have to wear
clothes. I just spend as much time as I can climbing the crags.
Gotta keep in shape for rescues.”
    Zach reached in to throw his clothes on the
seat, but paused as a ripple of magic flowed over his skin.
Iridescence wavered in the air around the house for a moment and
Zach inhaled, searching for scents.
    “Wow, someone set some pretty powerful wards
on this place.”
    Cade narrowed his eyes and swung his gaze
around the area, before sniffing the air. “I didn’t see them when
we drove up, but yeah. Think your friend set them?”
    Zach shook his head. “No, she doesn’t have
that kind of magic. This is…earth magic. Like witches or the Morukai shamans use. They must have been here before she
moved in.”
    “She?” Cade’s generous mouth curled into a
smirk. “The friend you’re trying to rescue is a she?”
    “Yeah, you know, female of the species?”
Zach shot Cade a dry look as he shifted into his true form. “She’s
an SAR operative and just happens to have breasts.”
    “Aw, come on, Snow. There’s gotta be more to
it than that. You promised me a story and I got you the intro you
wanted. So spit it out.”
    Zach sighed as he locked the doors of his
truck. He tucked the keys under a derelict flowerpot on the front
porch and tried to find the words to explain Lily without giving
too much away.
    “I met Lily Sinclair on the slopes of Mt.
Charleston the Christmas before last and helped her recapture a
sense of purpose in her life.”
    Cade sniffed the wind and pointed toward the
forest. “The Tarn is this way.” He raised an eyebrow at Zach.
“Sense of purpose? Sounds like she was suicidal.”
    “Yeah, exactly. I pulled her out of an
avalanche chute where she was planning to freeze to death.” Zach’s
gut still clenched at the thought of Lily dying in this avalanche
chute, but he shoved the fear aside. “I gave her a chance to see
all the good she could do and find a way to drag herself out of her
death wish.”
    “Damn.” Cade shook his head, the long
crystals hanging over his shoulders tinkling as they moved. “That’s
crazy. And you pulled her back from it?”
    “Yeah.” It had been close, but he’d
convinced her to live. And then I mated her.
    “How?”
    Zach