Read Blood of the Guardian for Free Online Page A

light. What magic is this? As the lantern flickered brighter, he saw a small twig in her hand. She shook out the flame.
    “How’d you do that?” Nolan asked.
    She smiled. “The plants of our world hold all sorts of properties. One only needs to learn which ones to combine.”
    “You can make fire?”
    She shrugged.
    “Why are you here, gypsy?”
    “It’s Jezebelle,” she said as her bottom lip jutted in a pout. “If you order me around like a slave, the least you can do is order me by name.” Jezebelle closed the distance to him. “They call you Emissary. Why?” She touched his chest.
    He caught her wrist. “Why are you here?”
    “Why do you think? Isn’t it obvious?”
    He summoned his Empathy and dug into her mind. Desire lingered, but something else hid behind it, something he couldn’t quite place. “No. Why else are you here?”
    A flare of anger spiked in her emotions, as well as apprehension.
    A quick rap sounded on his door before it opened. Alec pushed inside, a deep scowl on his brow.
    “We can’t find—” He glared and crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought we had an agreement.”
    “Ah, yes, quite the agreement,” she said. “You allow me to breathe if I don’t leave the inn. I kept my part of the bargain.”
    “That doesn’t mean you disappear without telling me.”
    “You act like I’m a villain. I promised I would go on the boat, silly boy.” She feigned an expression of innocence and wrapped her hands around Nolan’s arm. Her perfume was strong—an odd combination of lavender and cinnamon. “As you see, I’m in very good hands.”
    Nolan shrugged her off. “Go with Alec.”
    The flirtatious nature in her emotions plummeted. “It’s your loss, Emissary.” She strode across the room, turned, and whipped a braided lock over her shoulder.
    Nolan remembered what Greer had shared, about Guardians being able to read minds. He didn’t trust this gypsy any more than Alcandor. She was hiding something, and doing an excellent job of it. Nolan searched in himself, focusing on his Guardian power.
    A faint voice filled Nolan’s head. “This isn’t over, freak. You will be mine.”

Chapter Six
     
    NOLAN AND KATE TRAVELED IN SILENCE back to Faylinn. They had left Renfrew earlier that morning, sending Alec and Greer on the Talasian ship with the reluctant gypsy. Alec had stabbed Nolan with a full set of imaginary eye daggers as a trio of warriors rowed him toward the Talasian ship. Nolan would have to be careful the next time they met. Revenge clung to Alec’s emotions like a second skin.
    The gypsy’s silent words from the night before kept taunting him. “This isn’t over, freak. You will be mine.” What had she meant, besides the obvious freak part? She was up to something, but he didn’t know what. At least he’d have time to figure it out before they arrived in Faylinn. He snorted. Time or space never helped him understand girls. Or worse yet, women.
    “What’s wrong?” Kat asked.
    Nolan pulled his attention from his empty plate. He’d long since finished his rations. He and Kat sat in a small clearing in the forest, at one of the many permanent encampments in Adamah. They’d stuck to the roads, though they didn’t need to. The Dor’Jan had disappeared three months ago; the soulless creatures were all but extinct. But still, running with Speed Shay was a lot safer on the paths. It kept them from tripping over random roots or stones.
    “Nothing,” Nolan answered. “Just thinking about things.”
    Their eyes met and unspoken questions passed between them. From their weeks of travel, he’d become good at reading her. And as each day passed, she’d held back her emotions less and less. The incident in her room the previous night made everything even more awkward. Today, she stared at him, her hazel eyes examining his face, expectant.
    “Not those things,” he added.
    Annoyance ticked from her emotions. “So when are we going to talk about those things ,