Free Through the Looking Glass by Rebecca Lorino Pond Page B

bones.
     
                  Jakar walked back over to her to stand in front of her. He needed to do something with this woman. Nana and Nyla had been tormenting him all morning about marrying Isobel. The two were insistent with the belief that she was the one Aslog has been waiting for. To him, the story was nothing more than an old wise tale. He would need some kind of proof that Isobel was truly who they said she was.
     
                  “Tell me where you came from,” he asked. He knew he had caught her by surprise but he wanted the truth. Her green eyes squinted up at him as he stood towering over her form huddle in the blanket. “And I want the truth!”
     
                  “What for? You’re not going to believe anything I say.” She was going to challenge him. “Besides, I already told you.”
     
                  He let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.” He sat in the chair across from her and waited for her to talk.
     
                  “Fine. Whatever! I live in city in Northern Louisiana. I went to school there and own a small bookstore. I am an only child and loved my parents. I had a fiancé until he decided to…” she stopped talking.
     
                  “Until what, Isobel? Until he decided not to marry you?” He was sorry the moment the words left his mouth. His words had cut her just the same as if he had taken a knife and cut her skin.
     
                  “No, you asshole! Until he decided to shoot my parents in cold blood! Happy?”
     
                  He felt the color drain from his face. How could he have been so insensitive? He didn’t know a thing about this woman, so what made him throw such cruel words at her? One lone tear rolled down her cheek as she sat staring at him. For several minutes, neither spoke. The silence between them was awkward but unnecessary. He knew what he needed to do, even if it was only to shut up Nana and the damn fairy!
     
                  “We have a problem here, Isobel.”
     
                  “Really? How’d you figure that out, Einstein?”
     
                  Okay, he deserved that, but who was this Einstein? He couldn’t believe he was about to agree to marry her.
     
                  “Look, Nana and Nyla believe that you are in some kind of danger and the only way to protect you is to marry you.” He watched for her reaction and wasn’t in the least surprised by it.
     
                  She jumped up and shouted at him. “You have got to be kidding me! I am not about to marry you! Protection or no protection. Why can’t you just bring me back to where you found me?”
     
                  The blanket had fallen off her shoulders and lay pooled around her feet. The thin material of his shirt was still wet on her body and stuck to her like a second skin. He could clearly see her nipples through the material as they pressed against the wet fabric. He swallowed then ripped his eyes away from her breasts.
     
                  “I cannot do that.”
     
                  “Yes you can!” she screamed at him.
     
                  “No! I cannot!” He stepped forward until he was toe to toe with her small form. He was so tempted to wrap his arms around her body to feel her warmth radiating through the wet shirt. He wanted to be the one to strip it from her body. Without realizing what he was saying to her, he grabbed her by the shoulders and spoke directly into her face.
     
                  “We will be married!”
     
                  Isobel’s face went blank. He could feel her breathing heavy as he held her arms in his hands. Her shoulders rose and fell with each breath she took causing her breasts to rise and fall along with them. He watched as her lips struggled to form the words she