Read Online Forged in Ice by Alyssa Rose Ivy - Free Book Online Page B

women.”
    “Sometimes.”
    I took her hand and helped her onto my horse. “You are even more beautiful than yesterday.”
    She looked down at her chest and then back at me. “I am?”
    “Yes. You get more beautiful every day.”
    “You sound like you actually believe it.”
    “Of course I do.” I mounted my horse behind her. “I would never say it otherwise.”
    She leaned back into me. I inhaled her sweet and intoxicating scent before we made the ride over to Rawlins.
    I focused on her scent and the feel of her body against mine as we rode. Despite everything, I knew I was the luckiest man alive.
    All too soon we left the horses and started the short walk toward the garden just inside of the gate in Charleston. We left the horses in Rawlins since we were not positive how long we would be away.
    “Thanks for picking me.” Henry babbled next to me as we made the short walk to the garden.
    “You have experience in the lost world. Theoretically you should be able to blend in.” He had lived there for a year before Charlotte moved to Energo.
    I led the way back toward the garden I now knew every inch of. So many of the turning point moments of my life had been shaped by journeying through the lush flower garden.
    “Is that really the only reason you chose me?” Henry stayed behind the rest of us as I had asked him too. I wanted to ensure Ainsley’s safety.
    “Yes.” I did not have many other men to choose from, and Henry had grown on me over the years. Charlotte had convinced me to start viewing him as a younger brother, and that helped. He had grown up a lot, but there was still an immaturity to him that grated on my nerves.
    Henry fell into conversation with Talen, and I turned my attention to Ainsley.
    “You all right?”
    “I’m fine.” She adjusted her hand in mine.
    “No one is going to hurt you.”
    “I know.” She smiled in a forced way.
    “Then why are you nervous?”
    “A lot of reasons.” She made no attempt to add to her statement so I let it go. I was already learning that sometimes Ainsley appreciated silence.
    We reached the garden and followed the path through the dense and brightly colored flowers and plants.
    “What car are we going to drive?” Ainsley asked as we neared the wrought iron gate.
    “I know you are disappointed there are too many of us to fit in my Aston Martin.” I inserted my iridescent crystal key into the small keyhole.
    “I am. We could take my car if you guys are okay squeezing in.” She waited while I stepped through first. It was early evening in Charleston, and the sun was on the way down. It had taken me a dozen trips into the lost world to get used to the opposite pattern of time.
    “I will check the area around the house.” Henry jogged off to do a perimeter check. He was already proving useful since I preferred to stay with Ainsley.
    Ainsley glanced around the yard as if checking to make sure nothing had changed. Each of the live oaks with dangling moss were still there, as was the old fountain.
    “Anything is fine with me.” Talen was uncharacteristically quiet. Maybe he was less than thrilled about returning to the lost world, but my bet was it was something else.
    “You were close to your chief.” We had time before Henry finished his scouting, so I decided to ask. Losing your leader was never easy, but this seemed more personal.
    “Very.”
    “He was family to you.” He had to be. Talen was not one to get easily swayed by emotion.
    Talen nodded. “My grandfather.”
    “Your father is the new chief. So you are next in line.” Things started to fall into place.
    “I am.”
    “Yet you are coming with us?”
    “Our leaders do not stay back in battle. We have the same mentality as your people.”
    It was true. Even Charlotte would put herself in danger if the need arose. I had nearly died trying to save her because she did.
    “Still, I appreciate your sacrifice of missing any ceremonies.”
    “The safety and security of my people defeats