Heart of Fire Read Online Free Page B

silence
before he realized Haemus had not asked to stop in some time. In
fact, he could not recall exactly when the man’s chattering had
ceased. He heeled Dragon and looked back.
    Haemus was slumped unmoving over
Petal’s neck.
    * * *
    Jessalyne dreamed of freshly baked
bread, warm from the oven, and a big bowl of something hot and
savory to dip it in. She opened her eyes, unsure for a moment of
her surroundings.
    The coverlet was hers, as was the
bed. Stars sparkled before her when she sat up too quickly. She let
out a great sigh just as Corah popped her head in the
room.
    “How are you feeling?”
    “Fine. Have I been asleep
long?”
    “A while. It’s almost lastlight. Are
you hungry?” She smiled broadly. “Orit was very hungry.”
    “Orit! How is he?”
    “Perfect. Wonderful. Papa announced
a day of celebration at the lake tomorrow in your
honor.”
    “How did I get here?”
    “Orit came running home and Mama
almost fainted when she saw him. He was yelling you were sick and
needed help. We all rushed back here. Mama and I put you into
bed...”
    They had touched her.
    “...and Papa rekindled your stove
fire. Orit gathered vegetables from your garden and I made stew and
bread.”
    “That’s what I smell! I’m starving.”
Jessalyne swung her legs out of bed.
    “Mama and Papa took Orit home, so
I’m the only one here. I’ll set a bowl out for you.”
    Still in her everyday tunic,
Jessalyne hurried to the table. Her stomach growled as she took the
first bite. The vegetable stew tasted even better than it smelled.
She ate slice after slice of the hot brown bread drizzled with
honey.
    Despite weakening her, the use of
her magic to heal had left her with a great lingering peace.
Warming bath water had never done that.
    She moved from the table to her
chair near the fire. “Sit with me. Do you ever wonder what your
purpose in the realm is?”
    Corah cocked her head as she took
the other chair. “I’m cervidae. My purpose is to serve the greater
good of the herd, to watch Orit, mind my father, help my mother
with chores and in time, to be a good wife to Emmitt.”
    “Beyond that I mean. What are you
here to do?”
    Corah gave her the same quizzical
look. She shook her head. “I am doing what I am meant to
do.”
    Jessalyne started to ask again but
then just smiled. Perhaps she should adopt Corah’s view of life in
the grove. Perhaps she should concentrate on the good feelings from
healing Orit, think more about the present and less about the
future.
    “You’re a good friend. You are
indeed doing what you are meant to do.” She turned the conversation
to herbs and quizzed the girl on remedies while trying to convince
herself her simple life contained all the purpose it needed. As
much as she wanted to leave, she really had nowhere to go, and no
idea how to find whatever it was she was looking for.
     
    * * *
    “Haemus!” Ertemis wheeled Dragon
around and rode to Haemus’s side. He shouted the man’s name again.
Still no answer.
    He grabbed the man’s shoulder and
tried again to get a response. Haemus was burning up. Ertemis eased
him back. The merchant groaned. His head bobbed, chin to chest.
Blotches of red and white mottled his skin. Sweat dripped from his
forehead, and his hair stuck to his cheeks in damp wisps. “Don’t
feel sa good,” he whispered before collapsing over Petal’s neck
again.
    Playing nursemaid to some human was
not part of Ertemis’s plan. The fates must be out to get him.
Nothing ever went right in his life.
    He made a hasty camp near a large
clump of Devil’s Toothbrush. The warrior in him sought the most
protected spot at all times. Soon he had a fire blazing against the
night’s chill.
    He plucked Haemus from Petal’s back
and got him settled onto a cleared section of ground between the
fire and cluster of scrub brush. A weak moan escaped Haemus.
Ertemis tried to give him water, glad the merchant had filled his
waterskin at the last stop.
    The man sputtered and