Read Online Wicked Flames (Solsti Prophecy) by Sharon Kay - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sharon Kay
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beamed that thousand watt smile.
He loved her smile and loved that he’d put it on her face. She practically radiated light, sitting there with the sun in her hair. Bright green eyes and red lips, coffee and muffins, sweet and tart. A tingling pressure settled around his chest, filling him with the need to stay close to her. And not just to do his job.
Whatever the hell that means . But for now, he’d learn to wrap presents.
C HAPTER 8
A ZAP HIT X AVIER ’ S STERNUM . He paused mid-way through typing his latest falsified lab results. Warmth spread through his chest. The communication amulet .
He’d used the amulet the other day, with perfect results—one good thing to come out of the idiot troll brothers’ visit. The amulet, hanging from a silver chain under his clothing, flared with heat whenever Elegia wanted to speak to him.
Xavier strode to his closed office door and locked it. Pulling the small sphere from his shirt, he murmured the Demonish words inscribed on it. Energy crackled in the air of his meager workspace. A circle of light appeared in front of him, about a foot in diameter. It looked like a small portal.
A few seconds later Elegia’s form appeared in miniature, within the circle. “Xavier.” Her tone was typical: business-bordering-on-animosity. Her expression looked hard enough to add warts to a toad. And he counted himself lucky for that. She often looked pissed or disgusted. And when she was enraged, perversely, she looked insanely happy. Probably thinking up ways to torture the creature who’d dared to cross her.
He bowed, as he always did in her presence. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t physically in the same room. “My lady.” He straightened up to a standing position. “It’s a pleasure to hear from you.”
She flipped a lock of blond hair out of her eyes. “How’s your work progressing?”
“Since my proposal for a new experimental filtration process was accepted, I’ve been given permission to launch the system at several facilities in the region. I’ll start with my current location and then move to the others.”
“How long will this take?”
He shifted his weight. “Initial projection is three months, consider—”
“Three months?” Even in her current tiny image, Elegia’s eyes flashed with anger. “That’s too long. Make it one.”
Xavier swallowed. “I’m expected to stay a given length of time at each facility. These humans proceed slowly and methodically, with any scientif—”
“Make up a reason to shorten your visits. Or I’ll make up a way to kill you.” Her tone didn’t change. She managed to sound almost bored.
Xavier stiffened, forcing his expression to remain stoic. Elegia couldn’t be reasoned with. He’d decided years ago that for all her intelligence, she was simply crazy. He’d seen her end scores of lives for less than this. “Yes, my lady.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Good. Start where you are, then in two days move to the next location.” She paced, the lighted circle moving with her. Lily plants filtered in and out near its periphery, telling him she was in her lab.
“Xavier, I also need you to keep your ears and eyes open.” She stopped in front of one plant and gently touched its dark petals. “There’s a nasty rumor going around the realm.”
He frowned. Elegia didn’t like surprises. Nor rumors, unless she’d started them. “A rumor?”
“Supposedly.” She widened her eyes and tilted her head, ridicule oozing from her voice and posture. “The Solsti have been seen on Torth.”
“The Solsti?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his own voice. “The mythical women? There must be some mistake. Are you hearing this from your captives? Perhaps delusion is a side effect of the extract.”
“That’s one plausible scenario. The problem is, my guards are hearing these stories before they deliver the creatures to me!” Her voice rose. “If I hear of any more captives saying ‘the Solsti
He loved her smile and loved that he’d put it on her face. She practically radiated light, sitting there with the sun in her hair. Bright green eyes and red lips, coffee and muffins, sweet and tart. A tingling pressure settled around his chest, filling him with the need to stay close to her. And not just to do his job.
Whatever the hell that means . But for now, he’d learn to wrap presents.
C HAPTER 8
A ZAP HIT X AVIER ’ S STERNUM . He paused mid-way through typing his latest falsified lab results. Warmth spread through his chest. The communication amulet .
He’d used the amulet the other day, with perfect results—one good thing to come out of the idiot troll brothers’ visit. The amulet, hanging from a silver chain under his clothing, flared with heat whenever Elegia wanted to speak to him.
Xavier strode to his closed office door and locked it. Pulling the small sphere from his shirt, he murmured the Demonish words inscribed on it. Energy crackled in the air of his meager workspace. A circle of light appeared in front of him, about a foot in diameter. It looked like a small portal.
A few seconds later Elegia’s form appeared in miniature, within the circle. “Xavier.” Her tone was typical: business-bordering-on-animosity. Her expression looked hard enough to add warts to a toad. And he counted himself lucky for that. She often looked pissed or disgusted. And when she was enraged, perversely, she looked insanely happy. Probably thinking up ways to torture the creature who’d dared to cross her.
He bowed, as he always did in her presence. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t physically in the same room. “My lady.” He straightened up to a standing position. “It’s a pleasure to hear from you.”
She flipped a lock of blond hair out of her eyes. “How’s your work progressing?”
“Since my proposal for a new experimental filtration process was accepted, I’ve been given permission to launch the system at several facilities in the region. I’ll start with my current location and then move to the others.”
“How long will this take?”
He shifted his weight. “Initial projection is three months, consider—”
“Three months?” Even in her current tiny image, Elegia’s eyes flashed with anger. “That’s too long. Make it one.”
Xavier swallowed. “I’m expected to stay a given length of time at each facility. These humans proceed slowly and methodically, with any scientif—”
“Make up a reason to shorten your visits. Or I’ll make up a way to kill you.” Her tone didn’t change. She managed to sound almost bored.
Xavier stiffened, forcing his expression to remain stoic. Elegia couldn’t be reasoned with. He’d decided years ago that for all her intelligence, she was simply crazy. He’d seen her end scores of lives for less than this. “Yes, my lady.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Good. Start where you are, then in two days move to the next location.” She paced, the lighted circle moving with her. Lily plants filtered in and out near its periphery, telling him she was in her lab.
“Xavier, I also need you to keep your ears and eyes open.” She stopped in front of one plant and gently touched its dark petals. “There’s a nasty rumor going around the realm.”
He frowned. Elegia didn’t like surprises. Nor rumors, unless she’d started them. “A rumor?”
“Supposedly.” She widened her eyes and tilted her head, ridicule oozing from her voice and posture. “The Solsti have been seen on Torth.”
“The Solsti?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his own voice. “The mythical women? There must be some mistake. Are you hearing this from your captives? Perhaps delusion is a side effect of the extract.”
“That’s one plausible scenario. The problem is, my guards are hearing these stories before they deliver the creatures to me!” Her voice rose. “If I hear of any more captives saying ‘the Solsti
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