Page 28 of Winter's Scorching Kisses
“You still have yet to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you have her alive.” She couldn’t help the gnawing feeling that he could be lying to her. To trust a giant had to be as close to insanity as she’d ever been.
He just stared at her silently until he uttered, “When I bring you to the ice giant castle you will have all the proof you need.”
And then if it were true, she would get her sister and herself out of there faster than the ice giants would be able to blink.
“If it makes you feel any better, I thought this idea was beyond stupid.” He confessed to her out of the blue.
Adorra blinked a couple of times as she tried to figure out if she believed him or not, but as she gazed into his dark eyes, she got the feeling he wasn’t into this any more than she was. He was just the kidnapper, not the mastermind behind the plan.
He turned away from her as he tugged on the straps on his packs, tightening them down on the saddle. They were going to be setting off soon. That much was clear.
She sucked in a steady breath, her fingers trembling a bit behind her back. Soon, she would be among a whole city of ice giants. A shiver spread over her at the thought of being surrounded by so many giants. It was hard for her to imagine what it would even be like.
“How long until we get to the ice giant castle?” The real question was when would she see Jasmine again.
“A few days.” He tossed over his shoulder as he checked over the supplies on his saddle.
Days. She just hoped her courage would remain firm for such a long time. Traveling alone with a giant was courting danger.
Her eyelids closed as she steeled herself for the journey that she faced.
This wasn’t something a lady was prepared to handle in all her years of schooling, but Adorra wasn’t a normal lady raised in the court of the king. She was a woman who’d experienced her fair share of hardships, and this wasn’t about to break her.
After her parents had died, she’d taken over their land and fortune, which wasn’t common in this man driven world they lived in, but she’d surprised everyone by being more than perfect for the job. She’d had help, of course, because she’d been so young when they’d died, but she’d taken control as soon as she was old enough and kept her advisors close at hand.
Adorra did her best to think back on anything she knew about giants. She knew there were three races of giant, ice, rock, and fire. Their names had nothing to do with any elements as far as she was aware. It all had to do with their looks or where they lived, which meant she might be due for a lot colder weather.
A shiver spread through her.
Why couldn’t Jasmine be kidnapped by fire giants? At least they lived in an environment that was similar to humans. Or rock giants. The only giant people who lived in such a treacherous environment were the ice giants.
Unfortunately, Adorra didn’t know much else about ice giants other than they lived deep in the mountains, and they loved the cold weather, or more accurately cold weather loved them. There’d been some childhood stories she remembered hearing. It went that where ever an ice giant traveled, the snow would follow, but she wasn’t entirely sure how accurate the story was. For all, she knew the writer had never met an ice giant before. None of the stories about fangs and claws had been accurate.
A firm grip landed on her shoulder, shocking her out of her thoughts. Turning wide eyes behind her, she saw the ice giant standing close by. She could swear he was close enough for her to smell the sandalwood soap he must use when he bathed. It’s appealing tendrils wrapped around her.
“Come on, human.” His fingers latched onto her upper arm, causing her to wince as he dragged her across the ground to his waiting horse. But it didn’t take him much effort because she wasn’t putting up any resistance. It went against her better judgment, but she intended to behave until she knew more.
He slid a foot into one of the stirrups and hefted his other leg up and over the back of the horse. Once his butt hit the smooth leather of his saddle, he turned his obsidian eyes back to her.
“Come closer so I can swing you up here.” He commanded her as he beckoned her forward with a hand.
“On one condition.”
His mouth fell in a flat line as his eyes flashed, a spark lighting up those dark depths. He thought she was going to deny him and make his job harder.
“If you want me to trust you, then I need to know the name of my kidnapper.”
“I’m not a kidnapper.”
“Still…” He knew her name and more, but she had no idea who he was. She didn’t like him having the upper hand. Information was power, and he was yielding it expertly against her.
“Mathar. My name is Mathar.”
“No last name?”
She could see his jaw tense, and his eyes flashed again. It was weird, but he almost appeared angered about the question about his last name, or maybe he was tired of being questioned by a human.
“Mor’ie.”
