A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF Page B

of smoke and spice that clung to his clothes. There was nothing sexual about it. He wanted to comfort her, to keep her warm and safe, not try to get her out of her dress.
    But now that he knew she’d developed feelings for him, would it ever be the same? Ever since she’d broached the subject, he’d barely even touched her.
    “He’s scared of his own feelings for you.”
    She watched him as they rode. The flare of anger she’d witnessed a few minutes ago dimmed with each clop of the horse’s hooves, but his shoulders remained rigid, his gaze focused on the road ahead of them. Was there some truth to what Loku said?
    “I feel sorry for you, my little Soulbearer,” the chaos god continued. “You want a man that will never return your feelings, and you closed yourself entirely to the one man who might have loved you.”
    “Kell didn’t love me. He didn’t even say goodbye.”
    “Maybe because he couldn’t bear to be rejected by you once again.”
    Her cheeks warmed. If the earthquake hadn’t stopped them, she probably would’ve allowed Kell to continue. And then where would she be? No, it was for the best. At least now she wouldn’t have to worry about conceiving a child after she’d been cast aside by her lover.
    “Has it ever occurred to you that I can prevent that?”
    The wind rippled her cloak, sneaking in through the crevices to chill her skin. It was one thing for the chaos god to play tricks on her mind and lure her toward insanity, but when he spoke of having control over her body, a new fear crawled through her stomach. “What are you talking about?”
    “You know very well what I’m saying. It’s crowded enough with both our souls in your body. I refuse to share this space with another.”
    “Are you saying you can prevent me from conceiving?”
    “I am still a god, so remember that next time a man gets your blood pumping. You might enjoy what happens between the sheets.”
    Even if Loku could alleviate that problem, it still didn’t change the fact that she could be abandoned by a lover as soon as he tired of her. She pressed the gold pendant into her chest, the cold metal a symbol of the nights her mother spent crying over a man who’d done that to her.
    ***
    Dev followed Arden into the dimly lit common room of a roadside inn. The minute she lowered her hood, the patrons stared at her. She reached to cover her hair, but he caught her hand.
    “Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are.”
    Her lips parted, but no words came out. Even though he was ordering her around once again, his words ignited something other than anger this time. She stared at him as though no one had ever told her that before. After a few seconds, she lowered her arm and turned to the innkeeper. “I’d like to be shown to my room, please.”
    Dev stayed close behind her as they climbed the stairs. The innkeeper flattened himself against the wall when Cinder slipped into the tiny room with them, a dribble of sweat sliding along his temple. “Is there anything you need for the evening?”
    He fought a grin from the man’s reaction. These Ranellians feared anything that was unusual. “Please bring dinner up for the three of us.”
    “Three?” The man visually counted the occupants of the room as though he thought they were insane.
    “Yes, three—me, the girl, and the wolf.” Dev closed the space between them. “Unless you want the wolf to find food for himself.”
    Cinder licked his lips and stared intently at the innkeeper.
    The man nodded and made some incomprehensible gibberish before darting out the door.
    “You shouldn’t have scared him like that.” But even Arden couldn’t suppress the way the corners of her mouth rose. “You’d be surprised how quickly a town can form a mob.”
    “I do, but we’re also being escorted by the Royal Guard, and I have every faith that Ortono would step in before he let anything happen to you.” Dev removed his cloak and flung it on the bed.
    Arden’s gaze lingered