Read A Kind Of Magic for Free Online

he whispered in her ear, his hot breath fanning her skin, causing it to tingle.

    What choice did she have? At least if she listened or pretended to, she might get a chance to escape. “All right.”

    As soon as the words were out of her mouth he released her. She pushed aside the fact that she missed his arms around her and concentrated instead on slowly making her way toward the door.

    “Can you take off your necklace?”
    “What?”

    “I need to destroy the stone.”

    She backed away from him and shook her head. He was nuts. “What kind of drugs are you on? This is just a stone. A harmless, meaningless stone.”

    “’Tis far more than that.”

    She had to give him credit, he stayed where he was, his arms calmly to his sides, and his voice low and soothing as if he were speaking to a wild animal.

    But something he said caught her attention. “Who says ‘’tis’ anymore anyway?”
    “What?”

    She opened her mouth to repeat her question when she spotted something on his balcony behind him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened them again. Yet, they were still there.

    Her lips tried to form the words, instead all she could do was mumble incoherently and point. Roderick looked over his shoulder and swore.

    “Get down,” he shouted as he dove at her.

    His strong arms came around her and pulled her to the ground with him. Just when she thought she would get the breath knocked out of her when he landed atop her, he deftly rolled, and she found herself on top of his chest.

    “Stay down,” he said as he moved her to the side and got to his feet.

    She watched as he disappeared into a hallway. She was about to get up and follow him when she heard scratching at the window. Slowly, Elle got on her knees and looked over the back of the couch at the three women, no birds … things … trying to get in.

    There was no mistaking what they were. Her mind was just having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Harpies were at Roderick’s window. Harpies. The kind of creatures she had read about in countless ancient Greek and Roman tales. They were mythological and not supposed to exist.

    “I told you to get down,” a voice growled in her ear.

    She let Roderick pull her back down behind the couch. “Either that drink went to my head much too fast or there are Harpies at your window.”

    “They are Harpies all right, though I have never encountered them before.” [_What? _]

    She turned her stunned gaze to him to find him shirtless and carrying a sword and flail. She wished she could gawk at his wonderful pecs but danger lurked just a few feet away.

    “Do you often carry a sword and flail?”

    He shot her a glance that screamed ‘of course’ and began to rise.

    There was no way she was staying here by herself. “Where are you going?” He knelt beside her and took her chin in his hand. “I’ve got to kill them before they kill more people.”

    “You can’t do it alone.”

    “I have to try. It’s what I do.”

    Somehow, she believed him. But that wasn’t what scared her the most. What terrified her was that he might be killed, leaving her to the mercy of the Harpies. “Isn’t there someone that can help you?”

    “They are too far away,” he said absently as he started to make his way around the couch. He stopped and turned to look at her. “They are here for you, so no matter what, don’t let them catch you.”

    “What?” she cried the same time something hit the windows and glass flew around the room.

    She heard Roderick curse again as he lunged back at her. Her eyes were glued to a long piece of glass that protruded from his left bicep.

    “Elle,” he bellowed.

    She pulled her eyes away from the glass to his face.

    “We have to get you out of here. Are you hurt?” She shook her head, unsure. “I don’t think so.” The high pitched screams of the Harpies rang around them. While Elle covered her ears, Roderick reached over and pulled the glass from