Kindling Ashes: Firesouls Book I Read Online Free PDF Page A

leaning in as she caught on to what had been said a few moments ago. “More people like me? More dragons?”
    “Yes. But I don’t understand – how did you get in contact with him? Did someone teach you?”
    “I’ve always been able to talk to him. Anyway, who’d teach me ?”
    Sarra stared at her for so long that Giselle turned her eyes to the ceiling so she could at least pretend she wasn’t the focus of so much attention.
    “Well you can talk to your dragon, right?” Giselle asked when she still got no reply. “How’d you do that?”
    “Goldsmoke. Every Firesoul yet has needed some of it to help them communicate the first few times. It depends on the dragon and the human but… no one else has made contact with their dragon without it. The dragons hibernate until the goldsmoke awakens them – but it sounds like yours never hibernated at all.”
    It was too much to take in so she asked the simplest question she could think of. “What’s goldsmoke?”
    “Gold is a magical substance for dragons – it feeds their power.”
    “In the mountains, we have a method of turning gold into a powder so fine that when you put it in fire, it goes up in smoke. Anyone nearby inhales it, and it feeds the dragons so they are strong enough to reach out. Haven’t you tried to find out who he is?” Sarra continued when Giselle did not reply. “Maybe Muire – my dragon – could help. She might remember him. There were only a few dragons strong enough to make the transition into a human.”
    She felt Voice shudder inside of her, torn between getting answers and not wanting to know. She was certain Sarra would be able to find out after that flashback, but she waited for his decision without saying a word. She couldn’t deny being curious, but it was not her choice. It was not her past being offered.
    “Voice?” she prompted, trusting that Sarra would understand the question was not for her.
    /I think we should go ./
    She stood as soon as she heard his words. Disquiet filled him and transmitted to Giselle.
    “Sorry. He says no. And we should be going.”
    “Already? But we’ve barely talked!”
    The short rest had done Giselle’s body good. She still ached all over, but it was less painful and she felt far stronger than when she’d first fallen into the room.
    “Thanks for the information.” She even offered a brief smile. “I’ll be back next week with the last delivery.”
    After that, she would never have to see the woman again. Before Sarra could say another word, she scrambled down the wall of the inn and had disappeared into the night.

CHAPTER 4
    Dr essed down in a stained cotton shirt and dark breeches, hair combed back in the merchant style, Corran was unrecognisable as the son of the Lord of Dunslade Town. Here, in an alehouse in the middle of town filled with noisy patrons, he was Corden – son of a merchant, who often visited with his lady friend Tilda.
    Corran looked away from the corner he used to sit in with Tilda and buried his head in a flagon of ale. His right arm pulsed around the scar and fresh bruises were sprouting all over his body from the beating he had received today in the arena. At least it had been the second round not the first. His father was still furious.
    In a hopeless attempt to redeem himself he had resolved to go down into town in his old persona of Corden, to try and seek out information on the Firesouls one last time. He had strong suspicions that any dragon sympathiser knew better than to come into Dunslade Town, but in avoiding his father and Huw he figured there was nothing better he could do with his time than try again. Not to mention have some ale.
    The evening was a failure. The room swayed – or was it him who was swaying? – and talk around him seemed to ebb and strengthen in volume. Corran wasn’t sure if everyone else was as drunk as him, or if it was just his ears making it seem like words were slurring.
    Downing the last of his ale, he slammed it on the