The Guardian's Promise by Christina Rich

Author:Christina Rich
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

The batter sizzled as Mira poured it into a pan over the fire. Although it made her heart glad to have her hands busy, she would have much preferred something more taxing on her mental faculties. Her mind continued to wander to Ari.

She flipped the cake, taking note of the perfect golden hue, just like Ari preferred them. Ari, Ari, Ari. She thought of him much more than she should.

Mira shook her head. She had always thought of Ari, but where her thoughts once considered how to thwart his efforts when he helped her with her chores, they now moved to pleasing him with perfect cakes. Of course, those thoughts were interrupted by the renewed sensation of her hand wrapped in his. A simple, breathtaking, touch of the lips.

Heat flooded her cheeks. Incidents like that would not be repeated. She would ensure they never spent another moment alone. No more. Not even a peck on the cheek in greeting. Nothing.

“Is that cake mine?”

She squeaked. Her eyes widened in horror at the smell of charred cake. She hesitated to flip it over knowing it would not be the perfect golden-brown, but as dark as the tunnels they had traveled through for the better part of the day.

Ari moved his plate toward her. She pursed her lips wondering if she should toss it away or place it on his plate. If she tossed it aside she would have to admit that she hadn’t been paying attention to the task Ari’s mother had given her. She smiled, scooped it up and plopped it onto his plate, golden-brown side up.

She poured another helping of batter into the oil and watched as Ari sat his plate on the leather table beside the other men. Lydia set a bowl of figs and grapes in the center, along with a jug of water.

“We have only another two miles before we reach Manna.” Elam’s gravelly tone interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes, but it is over narrow mountain paths. And we would be walking in the heat of the day,” Jesse added.

“I will rest much easier when we reach Manna.” Ari broke off a piece of cake and popped it into his mouth. Mira winced. It had to taste awful. She watched in amazement as he chewed without spitting it out, or even making a face.

Lydia sat beside her and waited for the next few cakes to be finished. “I would prefer to stay here,” she murmured.

“What is this Manna?” Mira asked, having never heard of it, which puzzled her since they couldn’t be that far from her father’s house.

“It is a secret fortress,” Lydia answered.

“For the priests?” Mira asked, turning the cake.

“In a way, but not all know of its existence. Only a select few.”

“Our position has already been infiltrated by the enemy. We take a risk staying here,” one of Ari’s brothers said.

“You are right, but I think the risk is equal,” Seth, Ari’s blind uncle, added.

“But no one knows of our destination,” Jesse argued.

“And the obvious direction would be Jerusalem.

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