Shield of Fire (A Bringer and the Bane Novel) by Boone Brux Page A

a simple lie? She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “I’ve always known I was different, but I never knew why.” She focused on the quivering drop of water at the end of the tap. “I thought there was something wrong with me.” She hugged her knees more tightly. “I thought the Sisters were right about me being cursed.”
    Willa’s posture stiffened. “Your sisters?” Ravyn shook her head. “Sisters from The Order of the Saints?” Ravyn nodded. “But why hasn’t Lord Blackwell explained this to you?”
    Ravyn covered her face. Shame over their deceit swamped her. She couldn’t lie to these trusting people. The muffled confession seeped from behind her hands. Surely, she had one foot in The Abyss. “We just met.”
    Silence stretched. Unable to stand the stillness, she peeked from between fingers. The innkeeper rose, and for a second Ravyn thought she was leaving the room. Instead, Willa walked to the bed where the soaps and towel lay. Was she outraged by their ruse? Ravyn held her breath, waiting for judgment.
    Willa picked up a jar, moved back to the tub, and slid the stool behind her. “Get your hair wet.”
    Ravyn quickly obeyed and slipped partway beneath the water. Like black tendrils of seaweed, her tresses floated out around her. She ignored her stinging wounds, her attention riveted on Willa’s expressionless face hovering above her. When her hair was wet, Ravyn sat up and waited, unsure of what to do next.
    Willa pressed a lump of soap into her hair and started to massage Ravyn’s scalp. She scrubbed and rinsed the muck from the long strands, speaking with only her hands, gently coaxing Ravyn to relax into her gentle touch.
    “So,” Willa said, finally breaking the silence. “Let me understand this. You and Lord Blackwell have only recently met?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’re not married?”
    “No, and my name is Ravyn not Romelda.”
    Willa smirked. “Well, there’s one lie that thankfully isn’t true.” She threaded her fingers through Ravyn’s hair, working the soap to the ends. “Knowing Rhys and seeing your wounds, I’m guessing he saved you from Icarus?”
    “Yes.”
    “And up until a few minutes ago, you didn’t know you were a Bringer?”
    “Up until a few minutes ago, I thought the Bringers were myth. Up until a day ago, I never knew the Bane existed. Then I met Icarus.” She could hear the tinge of hysteria in her voice.
    More silence stretched between them as Willa continued her massage. Finally she said, “And now?”
    Ravyn thought for a moment. No ringing revelations came to her. She should be happy that something in her life finally made sense. She should dance for joy that she was not evil, but her mind and body were too tired. Perhaps tomorrow would shed new light on what this discovery meant to her future.
    She closed her eyes. “I don’t know how I feel.” Tension flowed from Ravyn’s muscles as Willa’s fingers continued to work their magic. “I guess it makes sense. I’ve never fit in. There’s a degree of comfort knowing I’m not cursed.”
    “You’re far from that. Do you know anything of the Bringers?”
    “Only what I heard as a child. I used to picture them as angels.”
    Willa smiled. “It is a common misconception, but I think it serves the Bringers well. They’re able to remain anonymous among the common man.”
    A barb of resentment darted through her. Maybe if the Bringers hadn’t been so secretive, she could have been a part of something instead of being locked away from the world. “Why would they do that? Legends trumpet the coming of the Bringers and their vow to protect humans from the Demon Bane. Why are they hiding?”
    “Ouch.” Willa snatched her hand out of the water. “You need to calm down before you boil yourself alive.”
    Steam rose from her bath. Ravyn’s eyes widened. “Did I do that?”
    “ I have no such talent,” Willa snapped.
    “I—I’ve never heated water before.” She