Up in Flames Read Online Free PDF Page B

long to get her strength back.
    He had a hard time imagining this weak, almost meek creature as a trained, emotionless killer.
    “If you were the chancellor’s only child, why were you made a Mundi?” Hayden asked as they slowly worked their way down the hall toward the kitchen at the back of the house.
    “When it was discovered I had the power of telekinesis, he wasn’t given a choice.”
    Hayden raised his eyebrow in surprise. “You’re telekinetic? What can you move?”
    “Most anything.” She stopped and sighed tiredly. “Except myself, unfortunately.”
    “You’re doing fine. We’ll continue when you’re ready.”
    She drew in a slow breath, then took another step forward. Hayden stayed by her side, matching his pace to hers. “Today will be your roughest. Tomorrow you’ll be a little sore. We don’t want to overload the muscles, so when I say it’s time to stop, we stop.”
    “I’m very tough—”
    “I’m sure you are, but we still stop when I say so. You may be tough, Cara, but you still have human physiology, therefore, you can be injured. We don’t want to set you back.”
    “Fine,” she growled.
    Hayden pushed the door open that led to the kitchen. Four people stopped talking and turned to stare at them in surprise.
    An older woman smiled. “She’s up.”
    Cara frowned. “I thought you said we were alone.”
    “We are—well…except for the skeleton staff. They always stay here even if the family is out.” The older woman came forward, wiping her hands on the towel. “Cara, this is Beena. She’s over the staff. Behind her is the cook, Marcel, the gardener, James, and one of the maids, Kendra.”
    “Hello,” Cara said as Hayden led her to a table.
    Cara slowly sat down and stared out the massive window overlooking the back garden. There was a lake just a few yards away, steam rising softly toward the gray sky.
    “Is that lake heated?” she asked, genuinely curious.
    “It’s heated by the thermal caves. There’s steam this morning because the temps are very cool today.” Hayden took the seat across from her and studied the gray clouds. “It’s probably going to rain.”
    “No probably about it,” Beena said as she walked over. She smiled sweetly at Cara, reminding her of an elderly grandmother. “Are you hungry, dear?”
    “Starving, actually,” Cara replied.
    “That’s a good sign,” she said, then turned to Hayden. “I know you’re hungry.”
    Hayden grinned at Cara. “She thinks all I do is eat.”
    “Uh-huh,” Beena said as she moved to grab some things from the refrigerator. “He’s been that way his whole life. Just like his father, he is always eating. I swear, I don’t know where he puts it.”
    Cara fought a grin and turned to stare out the window. She knew where he put it—in all those glorious muscles. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about that? Before, she could look at men and not feel a thing. When she looked at Hayden, she felt things she didn’t understand…things that took her breath and left her shaking. What did it all mean? She needed to get her mind off it.
    She turned back to Hayden. “How is it that a doctor is so…” She raised her hands and held them up, measuring his shoulders from a distance.
    “Built?” he asked.
    “I was going to say muscular. Even Mundi are not built like that. They’re leaner. Fast.”
    Hayden took the cup of steaming liquid Beena handed him. “Thanks, Beena,” he said, then took a sip. “And what does being a doctor have to do with the way I’m built?”
    Cara shrugged one shoulder. “Nothing, I suppose. Just all the doctors I know are thin and scholarly.” Beena set a cup before her as well. “What is this?” Cara asked as she studied the dark liquid inside.
    “It’s coffee. My mother gets it from Earth. It has caffeine, and it’s great for waking you up,” Hayden replied. “My brother and I are both addicted to the stuff, I think.”
    “I could certainly use something to wake me up.”