Desert Tales Read Online Free Page B

her react. After years of carrying snow and ice inside a body not created for such things, it took far more than rocks to cause her to wince.
    Jayce, however, couldn’t see the faeries. All he saw were rocks falling. He called out from the ground where he was now kneeling, “Be careful.”
    â€œI’m fine.” She scowled pointedly up at Maili. “It’s a little unstable up there. Maybe it needs to be knocked down.”
    â€œDo you really think you can ‘knock down’ all of us, Rika?” Maili’s smile grew wide with glee, no doubt thrilled to finally get Rika’s temper stirred. “I’d love for you to try. . . .”
    Undaunted, Rika smiled at her just as she’d smiled at Keenan earlier; today, she wouldn’t object to a challenge.
    Maili stilled, unaccustomed to seeing Rika ready to fight, but she didn’t move toward Rika. As she had so many times, the solitary faery postured and antagonized, but she never actually started the competition she seemed to want.
    Rika mouthed, “You’d lose.”
    â€œC’mon, Rika. What’s say we have at it? Just us . . . and you,” Maili said.
    If she were truly strong enough to challenge Rika, she wouldn’t need to surround herself with faeries who toadied for her approval. A true contender for Alpha should be able to act as an individual, should be strong enough to be truly solitary. Maili only played at being a legitimate challenger.
    â€œRika? Do you see something up there?” Jayce asked from behind her.
    Rika held Maili’s gaze and said levelly, “Nothing important.”
    Then she turned her back to Maili and the rest of the faeries.
    â€œYou’re making a mistake,” Maili called. Rocks and a fine cloud of sand showered down around Rika.
    Rika ignored the faery and the debris, looking instead at Jayce, who had taken off his bloodied shirt, baring a well-defined chest and sculpted abs. The shirt he’d had on was balled up in his lap, and she forced herself to look at the bloody clothing instead of at his bare skin. She had to remind herself that he’d already bled because she was interested in him. She’d caused that. No good came of faeries wooing mortals. When she’d been mortal, a faery’s attention had cost her everything. Now, she’d already cost Jayce pain.
    She kept her expression blank as she calmly walked to Jayce’s side and handed him the rucksack.
    He looked at the sand in her hair and on her skin and shook his head. “You’re a strange girl, Rika.”
    She sat down near him, but not too closely. It was silly to react so strongly to the bare skin he’d exposed. She’d lived among faeries for longer than he’d lived, but she was still shy. She’d never surrendered the mortal sensibility she’d had forever ago—or maybe it was simply that she liked him. He’d certainly stripped off his shirt where she could see him before, but every other time, she’d been invisible to him. It was harder to hide her appreciative glances when he could actually see her. If he did notice, though, he didn’t remark on it.
    â€œWhen cliffs start tumbling on you, you might want to move away from the falling sand and rocks,” he said in a light tone.
    He leaned over and brushed sand off of her shoulder and biceps. It wasn’t in any way affectionate, but she tensed. She swallowed, watching his hand intently as it touched her skin. She wasn’t sure she could recall the last time anyone had touched her so casually. Keenan’s touches were never casual, nor were Sionnach’s very rare moments of contact. There was always intent, meaning, so much that was hidden under what was meant to be casual but never truly was. Jayce, however, was only being kind.
    When he withdrew his hand, she was trembling as if she were the human girl she appeared to be. Her voice came out very softly and