Read Online Knight Awakened by Coreene Callahan - Free Book Online Page B

he knew to be right. He needed his convictions. They kept him strong, and he refused to relinquish his beliefs for a lass who stirred his blood. Now all he needed to do was hold firm to the plan and stay the hell out of Afina’s bed.

    The knife in his hand stopped Afina cold. Her eyes on the wicked six-inch blade, she swallowed hard, trying to understand...
    Why was Xavian always armed to the teeth?
    It was unseemly. They were camped, for the goddess’s sake...in the middle of nowhere, far from anyone or anything, mean-looking men and a forest surrounding them. Did the man never rest? Let his guard down a bit?
    No, of course not. That would make her approach too easy.
    His strategy wasn’t subtle. It was outright obvious—bold in a way only Xavian could manage. He wanted her off balance. Comfortable enough to settle in, afraid enough to pull what little confidence she possessed from its moorings.
    Afina smoothed out a frown. But worse than all that? His tactics were working, making doubt seep between the cracks of her resolve.
    Using her eyelashes to shield her gaze, she studied him from her position fireside. Beautiful man. So unfair: his handsome looks, the soothing timbre of his voice, his decadent smell, and the alluring strength of his body. Too bad the lovely package hid a steely determination more deadly than the blades on his back.
    Well, there was naught for it. The warm comfort he wove around her could go hang itself. She must hold tight to the plan.
    Wiping her damp palms on her skirt, Afina gathered her healing satchel. She wished there was another choice. Some other way, but wishing for another path wouldn’t supply the answers she needed.
    But, goddess help her. Getting anywhere near Xavian wasn’t a good idea. She didn’t want to touch him—or feel the flutter his proximity provoked—but tending his arm presented an opportunity. One she couldn’t forego. Besides, it was useless to fight her sister’s legacy. Bianca had done her job well, instilling her with a healing spirit. And now? The dratted thing wouldn’t let her leave alone. Not until she tended his wound and made sure Xavian healed without complication.
    She squeezed Qabil’s shoulder and pushed to her feet. Wooden spoon in hand, he stopped stirring and turned big brown eyes on her. He raised both brows.
    She patted him and raised her bag. “The healer calls.”
    “Aye, my lady,” he said, his voice soft, his gaze flicking in Xavian’s direction. “My thanks for your help.”
    Afina nodded, resisting the need to sweep the curl from his forehead. He was a sweet boy; a gentle soul on the cusp of manhood. But in his eyes she recognized the ravages of horror, a banked fear she felt herself and yearned to heal. Her brow puckered as she wondered about his wariness. Boys his age should be happy and carefree. Qabil, for all his gentleness, was neither of those things.
    After a moment she gave in to the urge, reached out, and smoothed his hair back. Color swept his high cheekbones, but he allowed her touch. Leaned in the way a cat would when scratched behind the ears, almost as though he craved the tender contact.
    She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’ll return in a bit.”
    His chin dipped and, head low, the shyness he wore like a cloak returned. The submissive position knocked at her heart, and of a sudden she knew what had been done to him. He’d been beaten down...stripped of dignity and worth. Of all the thingsthat made a person strong, told them who they were and what they would become.
    Her hand clenched, working on the leather satchel as she watched him turn back to the stew. A deep sorrow filled the space between her ribs, circling her heart, before she slung the strap over her shoulder and headed toward the lip of the clearing.
    Was Xavian responsible for the boy’s condition? She hoped not, couldn’t imagine him being cruel. He’d been so patient with her, had accepted her resistance with a gentleness that both startled