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

filtered the water through her fingers, letting the droplets fall back into the bath. “That would have come in quite handy at the abbey.”
    “Your powers must be growing now that you’re in contact with another Bringer.”
    She looked at the woman. “Another Bringer?”
    “Rhys,” Willa said.
    “Rhys. Of course. That makes sense.” She paused. “He makes sense now.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Ravyn swiped at a drop of water gliding down her cheek. “The way he takes command of a situation, and the way he protected me.” She wrapped her arms around her legs again. “And how he looks.” Her gaze cut to Willa. “He even looks like a warrior.”
    Willa let out a heavy sigh. “He certainly does.” She rinsed the soap from Ravyn’s hair. “Bringers can be secretive to a fault.” Willa’s statement sounded like it came from personal experience. “Take Rhys for example,” she continued. “My family knows he’s a Bringer, and he knows that we know he’s a Bringer, but we all pretend that none of us know. It’s very civilized.”
    Ravyn nodded. It seemed instead of answers, this new revelation would only give her more questions. Her head ached. Just once she’d like some aspect of her life not to be steeped in mystery.
    “Willa?”
    “Yes?”
    “Will you tell me what you know of the Bringers?”
    Her hands stilled in Ravyn’s hair. “Ask me after you speak with Rhys. He’s the one who can give you a deeper knowledge of your people.”
    A thrill shot through Ravyn. Her people .

Chapter Seven

    Rhys eased closer, careful not to wake Ravyn. He brushed back a damp curl from her forehead. Her pallor had darkened, and pink dusted her cheeks. For the first time he noticed a sprinkling of tiny freckles across her nose. How old was she? Perhaps twenty-two or twenty-three? Young, innocent, and far too trusting, despite her show of bravado last night.
    She sighed and snuggled deeper into the pile of blankets.
    Intimacy such as this made him uncomfortable. Closeness opened the way for hopes and expectations, two things he couldn’t give. With her asleep, he’d allow himself this one moment of indulgence, but it was a moment that could go no further. He lightly rubbed his finger against her cheek, the feel of her smooth skin so foreign against his callused hand.
    Duty came first, which meant he needed to remain aloof. It had always been this way. Until now. Now he had Ravyn and all the chaos she stirred inside him. Bringer blood hummed in his veins, and being a Bringer Shield demanded he guard her from all peril. He wanted—no, needed —to protect her. No other choice existed, but in order to do that, he couldn’t get involved.
    Everything about her resonated Bringer, especially her fire, but at the same time she lacked some element of his race. For centuries the Bane had assassinated the full-bloods. Was she like him? Had she been protected for hundreds of years, safe and locked away? If so, did she know more than she was saying?
    She rolled over to face him, her eyes slightly open. He pulled his hand away.
    “Hello.” Her voice sounded sleepy and unguarded.
    “Hello.” He sat up, intent on putting distance between them.
    She smiled and closed her eyes. “Don’t go.”
    Lavender, soap, and rainwater enveloped him. Her scent. The low afternoon sun squeezed through a crack in the heavy drapes. The dusky dimness of the room and the soft pillows enticed him to lie next to her and rest. Every one of his years made themselves known, and he was more tired now than he could ever remember.
    Ravyn’s peaceful smile pulled at his weary soul. What he would give for a few hours of soft caresses. What he would risk for a few hours of freedom from duty and honor. What he would venture to not feel alone for a few precious hours.
    “You should have told me.”
    Her statement pulled him from his reverie. “Told you what?”
    “That I’m a Bringer.”
    He eased his legs over the side of the bed and stood. “Are