Read Online Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder - Free Book Online

Theobroma lump without a moment’s hesitation. An arrow’s shaft had
    pinned his tunic to a tree.
    I lost feeling in my legs. “Are you hit?”
    He ripped his shirt free and examined the skin along his right side. “No.”
    “Pretend to be,” I whispered. “Wait for my signal.”
    Sudden understanding flashed in his deep brown eyes. He broke the shaft off the
    arrow that had missed him, and swiped blood from my back. Lying down, he held
    the shaft between two bloody fingers of his left hand which he placed on his
    stomach, making it look like the arrow had pierced his gut. His right hand gripped his
    scimitar.
    Men called as they reached the jungle floor. Before they could discover me, I put
    my right hand into my pant’s pocket, palming the handle of my switchblade.
    Numbness spread throughout my torso, but the Theobroma countered the Curare’s
    effects to a point where limited movement remained. Even so, I lay still, pretending
    to be paralyzed.
    “I found one,” a man said.
    “Over here’s another.”

    “I found two,” a rough voice right above me said.
    “That’s the rest of them. Make sure they’re incapacitated before you drag them
    out. Dump them beside their companion in the clearing,” said a fourth voice.
    The rough-voiced man kicked me in the ribs. Pain ringed my chest and stomach.
    I clamped my teeth together to suppress a grunt. When he grabbed my ankles and
    hauled me through the bushes and over the uneven stones of the bank, I was a bit
    glad for the Curare in my body. It dulled the burning sting as the left side of my face
    and ear were rubbed raw by the ground.
    The Curare also dulled my emotions. I knew I should be terrified, yet felt only
    mild concern. Curare’s ability to paralyze my magic remained the most frightening
    aspect of the drug. Even though the Theobroma counteracted it, Theobroma had its
    own side effect. The antidote opened a person’s mind to magical influence. While I
    could use magic, now I had no defense against another’s magic.
    Marrok still lay where he had fallen. The loud scrape of Moon Man’s weapon on
    the ground reached me before he was dropped beside me.
    “His fingers are frozen around the handle,” one of the men said.
    “A lot of good it will do him,” another joked.
    Listening to their voices, I counted five men. Two against five. Not bad odds
    unless my legs remained numb. Then Moon Man would be on his own.
    Once the men brought Leif and Tauno to the bank, the leader of the attackers
    dropped the null shield. It felt as if a curtain had been yanked back, revealing what
    lurked behind. All five men’s thoughts were open to me now.
    Their leader shouted orders. “Prepare the prisoners for the Kirakawa ritual,” he
    said.
    “We should not feed these men to it,” Rough Voice said. “We should use their
    blood for ourselves. You should stay.”
    My gaze met Moon Man’s. We needed to act soon. I suppressed the desire to
    make mental contact with the Story Weaver. Their leader had to be a strong Warper
    to have created such a subtle null shield. There was a chance he would “hear” us.
    The crunch of gravel under boots neared. My stomach tightened.
    “I have orders to bring the woman to Jal,” the leader said from above me. “Jal
    has special plans for her.”
    Without warning, the arrow in my back was yanked out. I bit my tongue to keep
    from yelling. The leader knelt next to me. He held the arrow, examining the weapon.
    My blood stained the smooth metal tip. At least the tip wasn’t barbed. Strange I
    should worry about that.
    “Too bad,” Rough Voice said. “Think of the power you could have if you
    performed Kirakawa on her. You might become stronger than Jal. You could lead
    our clan.”
    My lower back pulsed with pain. The Theobroma was working. Another minute
    and I should regain the use of my legs.
    “She is powerful,” the leader agreed. “But I do not know the binding rite yet.
    Once I bring her to Jal, I hope to be rewarded