The Blaze Ignites Read Free Page B

don’t!”
    He went stiff for a moment, looking like he
was grasping for an answer, but then finally shrugged one shoulder,
a clear indication he was about to lie to me. I’d learned that
telltale sign long ago. “Your father told me some war stories, and
the Deralilya came up a few times.”
    My eyes went wide. “What does a Deralilya
have to do with my father?” Ortheldo went pale and looked about to
panic. I looked back at Acalith, but she was gone. I looked at
Ortheldo again. “What does she have to do with my father? And if
she does have anything to do with him, how could you know about it
and not me?”
    Ortheldo shrugged again. “He just mentioned
it casually when he would tell me stories.”
    “Don’t give me that! You grabbed my arm and
looked like you were going to go mad with excitement and terror
when the Deralilya was mentioned. Why would you react that way if
my father only talked about it ‘casually’?”
    He swallowed and was silent again, as if
waiting for an answer. Then his face brightened and he shrugged his
shoulder again. “Well, the mention of the Deralilya brought back
sudden memories of him.”
    I didn’t buy one word of that. Mentioned
casually? I doubted it.
    Thinking it was safe, the rest sat back down
on the ground, Ortheldo joining them. I wanted to stay standing,
but the weight of my two-day ride was starting to hit me, so I sat
as well and glared at the entire group. “Someone better start
explaining this insanity to me.” All eyes went down.
    I waited, then shuddered from a sudden chill.
The torn and blood-soaked area of my clothing was making me cold. A
cloak was thrown over my shoulders. I looked beside me to see
Ortheldo smile gently at me. Goose pimples formed on his arms and
he pulled his sleeves down.
    I clicked my tongue in annoyance and rolled
my eyes as I moved closer to his side, putting half the cloak
around his shoulders. He smiled at me as we pulled the cloak closed
tightly around us as best we could.
    I blushed at the feel of him so close to me.
“Um . . . I’m sorry that I . . . well, for what happened in
Narcatertus. I had no right to do that.”
    “You’re sorry?” I nodded. “I’m not.”
    I glanced up at him and saw a kind smile on
his face. I quickly looked away from him without returning the
smile, then looked back. “What did my ma . . .” Something felt
wrong about saying it this way, but I had no better way to say it.
“What did my magic whisper to you in Narcatertus?”
    He was quiet a moment as he looked at me, his
eyes taking on a faraway look as if he was paying attention to
something somewhere else. I glanced at the group and noticed that
Addredoc had the same look in his eyes, as if he was seeing through
the grass he was idly picking at.
    I looked back at Ortheldo with my brows
drawn. “Is the question really that difficult?”
    He blinked and finally focused on me. “What?”
He looked away quickly. “No, I’m just a bit confused as to why you
need to ask me that.” He looked at me again. “After all, you
whispered it to me, didn’t you?”
    I flushed and looked away. “Um, well. Yes, I
suppose.” I had whispered it to him, but . . . no, my magic had
whispered it to him. “Well, I forgot. Remind me.” I looked from him
to Addredoc. Addredoc turned red and glanced nervously at Ortheldo,
then his parents, and then Rabryn, as if he didn’t know what to do.
I felt Ortheldo go rigid. Rabryn started chewing his bottom
lip.
    They were keeping something from me.
    I jumped to my feet, throwing off the warm
cloak. “I want answers and I want them now!” I screamed. My fists
were tight and my muscles ached with tension. My jaw hurt from my
teeth clenching hard enough to break. This was insane! What was the
big bloody secret? I hated it!
    Ortheldo suddenly stood, taking the position
of gentle but firm authority that caught me off guard. “I’ll only
speak to you if you calm down.” I forced myself to relax, figuring
his request was