Read Online Fantasyland 03 Fantastical by Kristen Ashley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kristen Ashley
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looked away
and tried to slide off but his arms wrapped around me again,
holding me where I was.
“Cora,” he called but I stared at the hides
to our sides.
“What?”
“Look at me.”
“Just tell me what.”
“Look at me,” he repeated on an arm
squeeze.
I looked at him and he had that blank look
on his face with his eyes active again.
“I’ll say this once and counsel you to take
it to heart. You can play your game but you don’t play me in
mine.”
“What?” I asked.
“Do not tease me.”
Oh hell.
“I wasn’t –”
“No excuses, no lies, just take that to
heart. Am I understood?”
God, I couldn’t win for losing.
“Understood,” I whispered.
His arms loosened and I rolled away.
He rolled out of the hides.
I watched him walk to the table and thought, I hate, hate, hate this fucking world and I hate, hate, hate
Noctorno Whoever-he-is.
And I hate, hate, hated them both so much, I
felt the tears spring to my eyes, I rolled to face the wall and
prayed I didn’t make any noise with my crying as I listened to him
stoking the fire.
Luckily, my prayer was answered.
* * * * *
“What are you doing?”
Noctorno was speaking from behind me.
I was at the mouth of the cave, the day had
a hint of watery sunshine which was an improvement but nothing like
the brilliant beauty of the fairytale world I woke up in two days
ago and shattered because I inadvertently caused a curse to fall on
the land.
I was also shaking out the bed hides.
“Cleaning,” I answered, not turning to him
and continuing awkwardly to shake the heavy, huge hide.
“Cleaning,” he repeated after me.
“Yep,” I said, giving up on shaking and I
decided to start beating it with my fist.
That worked. Dust flew out everywhere.
Brilliant.
“Why?” he asked.
“Why?” I asked back.
“Yes, why?”
“Because you’re tidy with your bone remains
but the rest of the place is filthy.”
“Cora, it’s a cave.”
That made me turn to him.
“I know it’s a cave, Tor. ”
I watched his mouth get tight.
Oh Lordy. For some reason, he was getting
angry.
Jeez, with him it didn’t take much and this
time I didn’t even know what I did. I could hardly be pissing him
off by cleaning, could I?
Oh well, let him get angry. I was getting
used to it.
I went back to beating.
I heard a clomp, clomp, clomp and then I
felt the velvet of Salem’s nose against my neck right before he
blew.
It tickled so much, I giggled, dropped the
hide and turned to him. His head jerked back and I lifted my hands
to his nose and held gently.
“It’s okay, boy,” I cooed.
He snorted again.
“That’s it.” I kept cooing and started to
stroke his muzzle.
He clomped a half a horse step closer.
“That’s it, you beautiful beast,” I
whispered, still stroking.
He snorted his contentment.
I smiled at him.
“Salem!” Noctorno barked, Salem pulled his
nose from my hands and looked down his massive body as my head
turned to see the big guy standing, arms crossed on his chest,
openly pissed. “Move away from, Cora,” he ordered his mount.
Salem whinnied.
“Now, horse,” Noctorno growled.
Salem blew breath through his horse lips and
clomped away.
I glared at Noctorno. “Why’d you do
that?”
“Do not think, woman, you can come between a
man and his horse,” Noctorno informed me.
“I wasn’t trying to,” I informed him right
back and I wasn’t!
“Right,” he muttered.
“Jeez!” I cried, throwing up my hands. “What
is with you?”
“I warned you not to play me for a
fool.”
“Good God, man, I was just petting your
horse!” I pointed out.
“You were playing your games,” he
returned.
“You know,” I started, “this is getting old.
The Cora of your world must be a huge freaking ass bitch to make
you think she’d use your fucking horse against you.”
“There is nothing I’d put passed you,” he
replied.
“Well, again, big guy, I am not her and I’m getting sick of you treating me like
and tried to slide off but his arms wrapped around me again,
holding me where I was.
“Cora,” he called but I stared at the hides
to our sides.
“What?”
“Look at me.”
“Just tell me what.”
“Look at me,” he repeated on an arm
squeeze.
I looked at him and he had that blank look
on his face with his eyes active again.
“I’ll say this once and counsel you to take
it to heart. You can play your game but you don’t play me in
mine.”
“What?” I asked.
“Do not tease me.”
Oh hell.
“I wasn’t –”
“No excuses, no lies, just take that to
heart. Am I understood?”
God, I couldn’t win for losing.
“Understood,” I whispered.
His arms loosened and I rolled away.
He rolled out of the hides.
I watched him walk to the table and thought, I hate, hate, hate this fucking world and I hate, hate, hate
Noctorno Whoever-he-is.
And I hate, hate, hated them both so much, I
felt the tears spring to my eyes, I rolled to face the wall and
prayed I didn’t make any noise with my crying as I listened to him
stoking the fire.
Luckily, my prayer was answered.
* * * * *
“What are you doing?”
Noctorno was speaking from behind me.
I was at the mouth of the cave, the day had
a hint of watery sunshine which was an improvement but nothing like
the brilliant beauty of the fairytale world I woke up in two days
ago and shattered because I inadvertently caused a curse to fall on
the land.
I was also shaking out the bed hides.
“Cleaning,” I answered, not turning to him
and continuing awkwardly to shake the heavy, huge hide.
“Cleaning,” he repeated after me.
“Yep,” I said, giving up on shaking and I
decided to start beating it with my fist.
That worked. Dust flew out everywhere.
Brilliant.
“Why?” he asked.
“Why?” I asked back.
“Yes, why?”
“Because you’re tidy with your bone remains
but the rest of the place is filthy.”
“Cora, it’s a cave.”
That made me turn to him.
“I know it’s a cave, Tor. ”
I watched his mouth get tight.
Oh Lordy. For some reason, he was getting
angry.
Jeez, with him it didn’t take much and this
time I didn’t even know what I did. I could hardly be pissing him
off by cleaning, could I?
Oh well, let him get angry. I was getting
used to it.
I went back to beating.
I heard a clomp, clomp, clomp and then I
felt the velvet of Salem’s nose against my neck right before he
blew.
It tickled so much, I giggled, dropped the
hide and turned to him. His head jerked back and I lifted my hands
to his nose and held gently.
“It’s okay, boy,” I cooed.
He snorted again.
“That’s it.” I kept cooing and started to
stroke his muzzle.
He clomped a half a horse step closer.
“That’s it, you beautiful beast,” I
whispered, still stroking.
He snorted his contentment.
I smiled at him.
“Salem!” Noctorno barked, Salem pulled his
nose from my hands and looked down his massive body as my head
turned to see the big guy standing, arms crossed on his chest,
openly pissed. “Move away from, Cora,” he ordered his mount.
Salem whinnied.
“Now, horse,” Noctorno growled.
Salem blew breath through his horse lips and
clomped away.
I glared at Noctorno. “Why’d you do
that?”
“Do not think, woman, you can come between a
man and his horse,” Noctorno informed me.
“I wasn’t trying to,” I informed him right
back and I wasn’t!
“Right,” he muttered.
“Jeez!” I cried, throwing up my hands. “What
is with you?”
“I warned you not to play me for a
fool.”
“Good God, man, I was just petting your
horse!” I pointed out.
“You were playing your games,” he
returned.
“You know,” I started, “this is getting old.
The Cora of your world must be a huge freaking ass bitch to make
you think she’d use your fucking horse against you.”
“There is nothing I’d put passed you,” he
replied.
“Well, again, big guy, I am not her and I’m getting sick of you treating me like
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