Read Online The Second Life of Magnolia Mae by Angela Schroeder - Free Book Online Page A

have blacked out, and he mistook me for dead. He shoved me down the hill, probably hoping to make it look like an accident.” She could not tell him that she had died, and now she was back.
    “Who?” An edge entered his voice, an edge that sounded all too familiar, like her Jace.
    “Gordon.” His name was whispered as a chill of fear that he would reappear ran down her spine.
    “We will find him and kill him.” Hate dripped from his voice like poison.
    “You cannot. If you do, then you’ll not discover who sent him.” She shivered then moved closer to the fire to try to dry her dress and allow some warmth to enter back into her body.
    Dragoste stayed close to her, offering her his warmth.
    “Where is Bash?”
    “Alistair? He is looking for you. You did not come back. You said you were only going to be gone for a short while. He was worried about you being out in this storm on All Hollow’s Eve.” Jaceson turned his back to her and walked toward the mouth of the cave. “He may be back at the castle to see if there has been any word about you.” When he turned back to face her, she saw his eyes lock on the wounds where she could feel the warm blood oozing. With a few long quick strides, he was at the pool behind her. She heard a rip of cloth then drips of water. When he returned to her side, he handed the cloth to her so that she could clean herself. “We need to get you back to the castle. You need to be attended to.”
    He waited until she wiped the blood and mud off as best as she could, but fresh blood sprang back in its place.
    “How far?”
    “It should not take long. I will help you, m’lady.”
    She nodded and followed him out into the cold night. The rain had let up to a light sprinkle. The walk back to the castle was a slippery and tiring one. She had been through quite the ordeal, and Jaceson must have noticed her weariness because he cradled her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. She allowed her head to rest on his chest as he carried her to the castle entry grateful that he was there to help her.
    She heard shouts, feet running, and things clattering, but she was so tired she could not look up to see what was going on around her. She was drifting off when she felt the sudden warmth of being inside some place dry with a roaring fire.
    “Fetch Nonna.” Jaceson’s voice boomed. He carried her up the stairway to her chambers. The door was opened before they reached it. She opened her eyes to see a young lady in the room, rummaging about, pulling out clean dry clothes. A fire blazed hotly from the fireplace. Jaceson set her down in a large plush purple chair close to the fireplace.
    “I will be back shortly.”
    She watched as he quickly exited the room, and Nonna entered, closing the door behind her. The old woman was exactly as she had been in all the visions. Long silver hair cascaded loosely down her back and framed her kind face.
    She closed her eyes and allowed Nonna and the young lady to attend to her wounds, dress her in warm clothes, dry her hair, and help her get settled into the large bed. Dragoste stretched out next to the fire. Nonna’s soothing voice was close by, but Daciana could no longer keep her eyes open. Eyelids slid closed as if they had a will of their own, and soon sleep claimed her.
     

     
    Pain seared through her body, her eyes still closed tightly. Fear that opening them would reveal to her what she already knew deep in her soul caused her to keep them closed as she listened the quiet whispers around her.
    “She will live.” The voice of Nonna was close to her bed. She felt the old woman’s hand pat her own hand gently. “She does not give up so easily.”
    “Why would someone want to cause her harm, let alone kill her? She has never done anything to hurt anyone. She is always thinking of others, putting their needs before her own. I do not understand this.” The masculine voice sounded vaguely familiar. Perhaps someone would say his name, though