Read Online Ice Burns by Charity Ayres - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Charity Ayres
Tags: Epic Dark Fantas
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somewhere between surprise and discomfort. It crossed Chandra's mind that the guard had probably never had someone push so close to him in such an aggressive way. The sword at his belt and knives across his waist and arms no doubt prevented such closeness.
The guard held his ground but turned to Andre, who had risen. Chandra didn't want them to have a moment to think and turned away from both men to head down the hall.
"Hurry along Andre," she called over her shoulder. "I will need you to carry the books back for me."
Chandra slowed the pounding of her heart and thought about all of the ways that could have gone wrong. She had seen guards raise a hand to servants before for various infractions and had half expected the guard to do the same to her. Master would not be upset if it was done to maintain his order. Thankfully, she wasn't sure that the guards or even Andre realized that.
Chandra had always loved Master's study. The room was warm and inviting in dark wood tones and plush furnishings. The walls had shelves from floor to ceiling filled with books and oddities; Chandra didn't know where they all came. It was something else she had asked about. Rarely had Master even bothered to acknowledge the questions.
She moved across the room and climbed the ladder to the upper shelves of his books. The top shelf was forbidden to her as were the shelves directly behind Master's desk. No doubt that Andre had a similar knowledge of the books, so she would have to be very careful about what she took. If it came back that Master was angry that she had borrowed from his private collection, hopefully, Chandra would have learned something that assisted her magic and made it worth it. If not, she considered blaming Andre.
It isn't like he would help me if he could, she reasoned. Her chest got tight at the idea of what might happen to the manservant if Master thought Andre had directly gone against his wishes. She tried to shake it off and decided that success was the best approach because then no one would be in trouble.
"Miss, you know the top shelf is off limits," Andre's voice was one-quarter whine and three-quarters snarl in the quiet of the study. The high pitch of his childish voice made her hair stand on end.
"I know that," she said slowly and with exaggerated enunciation. "The shelf below it has some local information I want. Instead of telling me the obvious, find the books on meditation for me and put them on Master's desk. I know you won't find the exact one I want, so bring them all."
Andre made a sound that Chandra wasn't sure if it was an attempt to cover up a word or annoyance. She heard his slippered feet shuffle across the wooden floor and thick rugs. When she knew he was engaged in pulling out meditation books, she skimmed the upper shelf with her eyes and rested on a gray binding and a book without a binding that looked to be a bunch of individual items of parchment worked together and covered.
The one without the binding was only as large as her two hands put side by side, so she tucked it into her tunic, thankful for the belt at the waist to hold it in. She slid the other in between a book on the shifting land masses of the continent and another on farm rituals. She stacked them and climbed back down the ladder.
Andre's bald head had turned a pinkish color, and his lips looked white as he carried five oversized books on mediation to the desk. He set them down as she got to the bureau.
Chandra put down her stack, ensuring that the pages instead of the bindings were visible.
"I want the one with the illustrations in it," Chandra said with a wave of her hand.
Andre gave a look that would wilt a flower and carried the books back over to set down near the shelf. Chandra turned the books she had selected and opened the top book so she could skim the contents of the messy shelf behind Master's desk while appearing to read in case Andre looked up.
The tombs on the shelf were in varying colors, wear, and size. Few
The guard held his ground but turned to Andre, who had risen. Chandra didn't want them to have a moment to think and turned away from both men to head down the hall.
"Hurry along Andre," she called over her shoulder. "I will need you to carry the books back for me."
Chandra slowed the pounding of her heart and thought about all of the ways that could have gone wrong. She had seen guards raise a hand to servants before for various infractions and had half expected the guard to do the same to her. Master would not be upset if it was done to maintain his order. Thankfully, she wasn't sure that the guards or even Andre realized that.
Chandra had always loved Master's study. The room was warm and inviting in dark wood tones and plush furnishings. The walls had shelves from floor to ceiling filled with books and oddities; Chandra didn't know where they all came. It was something else she had asked about. Rarely had Master even bothered to acknowledge the questions.
She moved across the room and climbed the ladder to the upper shelves of his books. The top shelf was forbidden to her as were the shelves directly behind Master's desk. No doubt that Andre had a similar knowledge of the books, so she would have to be very careful about what she took. If it came back that Master was angry that she had borrowed from his private collection, hopefully, Chandra would have learned something that assisted her magic and made it worth it. If not, she considered blaming Andre.
It isn't like he would help me if he could, she reasoned. Her chest got tight at the idea of what might happen to the manservant if Master thought Andre had directly gone against his wishes. She tried to shake it off and decided that success was the best approach because then no one would be in trouble.
"Miss, you know the top shelf is off limits," Andre's voice was one-quarter whine and three-quarters snarl in the quiet of the study. The high pitch of his childish voice made her hair stand on end.
"I know that," she said slowly and with exaggerated enunciation. "The shelf below it has some local information I want. Instead of telling me the obvious, find the books on meditation for me and put them on Master's desk. I know you won't find the exact one I want, so bring them all."
Andre made a sound that Chandra wasn't sure if it was an attempt to cover up a word or annoyance. She heard his slippered feet shuffle across the wooden floor and thick rugs. When she knew he was engaged in pulling out meditation books, she skimmed the upper shelf with her eyes and rested on a gray binding and a book without a binding that looked to be a bunch of individual items of parchment worked together and covered.
The one without the binding was only as large as her two hands put side by side, so she tucked it into her tunic, thankful for the belt at the waist to hold it in. She slid the other in between a book on the shifting land masses of the continent and another on farm rituals. She stacked them and climbed back down the ladder.
Andre's bald head had turned a pinkish color, and his lips looked white as he carried five oversized books on mediation to the desk. He set them down as she got to the bureau.
Chandra put down her stack, ensuring that the pages instead of the bindings were visible.
"I want the one with the illustrations in it," Chandra said with a wave of her hand.
Andre gave a look that would wilt a flower and carried the books back over to set down near the shelf. Chandra turned the books she had selected and opened the top book so she could skim the contents of the messy shelf behind Master's desk while appearing to read in case Andre looked up.
The tombs on the shelf were in varying colors, wear, and size. Few
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