Read Anathema - The Song of Eloh Saga, Book 2 for Free Online

sweat
balled together, rolling down the sides of my neck as the poker
hovered over its target.
    I knew Mollor was waiting for the signal to
brand me. One simple word from Kandek’s lips was all it took.
    “Now,” Kandek roared. I sucked in another
breath as a cheer rose from the audience. I waited for the pain and
wished it would just be over.
    “Run,” a voice whispered in my ear as I felt
the binding cut from my wrists. “Run now!”
    I lifted my head. No one was moving, the
voices as silent as their motionless bodies. The guard’s hands were
hanging limp at his sides, no longer restraining me to the table.
The vacant stare of his eyes sent shivers through my body. Mollor’s
firebrand hovered in the air sizzling with life, quite the opposite
of his slack mouth.
    “Go, child! Run as fast as you can and crawl
out the window. We only have thirty seconds to spare.” The cloaked
figure waved his arms towards the windows.
    I slipped off the chair and ran as fast as I
could. Standing underneath the stained glass window, I glanced up
at its height. I faced a choice: either find a way up and out or
lose my chance to escape. I glanced around and saw the masses of
petrified guests. These cruel people had been here to watch my
branding. It was like a sick, disgusting sport to them.
    Without a second thought I pushed a nearby
woman off of her chair. The body slid to the floor and I slammed
the chair against the wall. After heaving myself up on the chair, I
pushed the window open and scurried over the ledge. I peered into
the bright, cloudless sky.
    Before jumping out the window, I took one
last glance in the room and saw a token, just like the one I’d
found in Ivy’s place, sitting on the table where my neck had lain.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I jumped out the window, quickly
followed by my cloaked savior.
    “Put this on.” The figure handed me a
similar cloak. “It will keep you hidden until we get back to my
house.”
    I flung the cloak around my shoulders,
buried my head in the hood and followed him into the surrounding
forest.

Chapter Four

    “Reychel, it worked! I can’t believe it
worked,” Ivy squealed as I slipped inside a house just behind the
cloaked figure. She grabbed me, pulling me into a tight hug.
    “Ivy?” I stuttered. I looked around at the
small cabin, so unfamiliar, but so warm. “What happened? What’s
going on?”
    Ivy laughed. “You’re safe. We’re safe and
we’re going to be free! Tania rescued us.”
    The cloaked figure spun around, flinging the
cloak off in a whirl. Her blonde curls danced through the air,
revealing a striking woman flashing the most infectious smile.
    “I didn’t think I could pull that one off,
but I did it.” Tania laughed, tossing the cloak on a hook behind
the door. “I’ve never gone into a room with so many people before.
Well, not hidden like that, at least.”
    I stared at my rescuer, my mouth hanging
slack. “You’re...”
    “A woman?” Tania asked, her voice lost the
deep tone and sparkled like falling stars. “The voice put you off a
bit, didn’t it?”
    “Yeah,” I said. “How?”
    “It’s part of the spell. Easy stuff.” Tania
put her arm around Ivy. “Your friend here thought I was a man too.
It’s good for the disguise. Keeps people guessing.”
    “You saved me. I’m forever in your debt.” I
slid to the floor at Tania’s feet. My second time in one day of
groveling at someone’s feet. I reminded myself not to make it a
habit.
    “You’re in no one’s debt. Not ever again,”
Tania said, pulling me to my feet. “If I have anything to say about
it, you’ll be a free woman for the rest of your life. It won’t be
easy. You have no pedigree to present, no family to live with, but
there are many of us out there and any of us will help you if you
just ask.”
    I sat down on the nearest chair. My chest
stretched tight with each breath. I supposed my heart had been
pounding the whole time, I just noticed now that things