The Cipher by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Author:Diana Pharaoh Francis [Francis, Diana Pharaoh]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, General, Magic, Fantasy fiction, Ship captains, Nobility
ISBN: 9780451461797
Publisher: ROC
Published: 2007-11-06T05:00:00+00:00

She slowly came back to herself. It felt like she’d been floating and now was sinking back down into her body. She blinked, her eyes gritty. Above her head was an unfamiliar beamed roof. She turned her head, smelling roasting chicken and vegetables. Her mouth watered painfully. She recognized the kitchen now, the polished wood floor, the parchment-colored walls with a black-and-white tile mosaic in a liquid pattern.

“Keros?”

Her voice caught and she began to cough. She sat up. Keros appeared by her side, patting her back.

“Easy, now. Here’s some water.”

He handed her a mug and she drank greedily. Suddenly she stopped, staring at her hands. They were pink and pale, like they had never seen sun. The calluses were gone and so were the glass scars. But they were whole. Likewise, the pike wounds were gone. She met Keros’s gaze, her throat knotting.

“It appears I owe you thanks again,” she said thickly.

“And some valuable stolen jewels. Come on, you’ve been asleep since yesterday morning. You need food. Careful of those hands. They’re delicate. It’ll be a few days before you can use them much. You’ll want some gloves to protect them.”

He steadied her as she slid to her feet.

“Easy, now,” he said. Then his lip curled. “You still stink. I’m not about to try to eat with that stench. Let’s get you upstairs.”

He stopped at the counter and sliced off a hunk of bread, spreading it lavishly with butter before handing it to her. “That should tide you over.”

Lucy gobbled the bread as she followed Keros up the back stairs to a small bedroom. It was spare, with plain furniture and white linens. A serviceable pair of brown woolen trousers, stockings, and a buff-colored shirt and tunic were laid out on the bed. Beside them were a towel, a washcloth, and soap. Coal was piled in the grate and a hip bath sat before the hearth.

Keros used his majick to light the fire and heat the water so that steam curled from its surface. He retreated to the door.

“Take your time. And put your clothes in the chamber pot. Or better yet, put them on the fire and burn them.”

Lucy was more than happy to peel off her filthy clothing, wrinkling her nose at the sharp odor of urine on her trousers. She dropped them in the fire, preferring the smell of charred cloth.

She washed quickly, marveling at her hands. But soon anxiety descended. She’d been asleep a day, Keros had said. And it had taken her two nights and a day to cross Sylmont. What had happened to Sarah and Blythe and James? Were they safe? Were they free? Was the fire still raging? What about the Jutras?

She washed her hair as best she could, but it was so tangled that the comb on the night table did little good. Impatient for food and news, she abandoned the project and dressed hurriedly. She rolled up the trousers so they didn’t drag. As soon as she was ready, she returned to the kitchen.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.