Read Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy for Free Online

the pulled-out desk chair.
    Syney looked at her and sat down on the bed. "Oh. Do you like it there?"
    Cass nodded. "Love it. It's like this little community. We're all...family."
    Syney looked away and stared off somewhere behind Cass. "That sounds nice." She shook her head and smiled. "I'll try to cut back on the books."
    "It's OK. Just nothing too heavy. You can't get up to the school by car—at least on the last stretch."
    "Really?" Syney asked, packing a few more books. "Why?"
    "It predates cars."
    Syney gave her an odd look.
    "There are no roads up to the...campus."
    "Oh, gotcha." She walked over to her nightstand and pulled out the blanket and the amulet.
    Cass's heart nearly stopped as Syney stuffed them into her bag. All doubts ran from her mind about Syney not being the One. She had read about the Vilori symbol and even seen it printed on scrolls, but she never had seen it actually on something. But there it was. And if she wasn't mistaken, that was the royal amulet, which had been passed down for generations and had been proclaimed as having been lost so many years ago.
    "That's a pretty necklace," Cass said, trying to mask the excitement in her voice.
    Syney glanced over at her while zipping her bag. "Thanks." She paused. "It belonged to my mother...I think. It was with me when I was found."
    "Found?"
    Syney sighed. "I don't really talk about this. But I'm adopted. My parents, the Andrews, found me in a church when I was a baby. The necklace and blanket were the only things I had with me."
    "Wow. That's a lot to handle," Cass said.
    "Yeah, I guess. I've always been OK with it. I love my life," Syney said, picking up her last bag. "I'm ready."
    Cass nodded. "OK. On the road we go."
    Syney stopped. "Oh, crap. I have to go see Jessie. I promised I would stop and say goodbye. She's a little pissed at me for leaving."
    "OK. Where is she?"
    "One house down. I won't take too long." She started down the stairs then stopped. "Do you want to come? I mean, it's OK if you don't want to. I just figured she'll see that you're pretty cool and that I'll be OK."
    A smile slowly crept up on Cass's lips. "I'd love to."
    "Great." Syney returned her smile and headed outside.
    Cass continued to smile. She was cool, and that was beyond awesome, especially coming from the prophesized Chosen One.

Weston

    Being underground made him itch. Weston Serpantino scratched at his right hand hard enough to rip skin. Not that it hurt. He was due for a good shedding. It was all this waiting around. He never had been the most patient person, but that was all he was able to do right now—wait for word that he was needed, and he
would
be needed. It had been prophesized. The second son of the fortieth king would kill the Chosen One, bringing all ideas of peace to an end. He had been bred to kill, and kill he would.
    Weston eyed the dark room with its ancient stone walls. The fortress dated back a hundred years ago; it had been built right after the separation and the start of the Great War. It had stood as a sign that their great race never would back down and eventually would win the war.
    "Your impatience is tiresome."
    Weston stopped pacing mid-step and tuned toward the booming voice of his father. "I apologize."
    Lional heaved a heavy sigh and stepped into the room, his large, broad body dwarfing his very thin son. "The time for you to go—to start your mission—will come whether or not you wear a hole in the floor."
    Weston gritted his teeth. "Yes, sir."
    His father was the greatest king the kingdom had ever seen. He was kind and gracious yet a fierce warrior and stern when it came to politics. Yet to hisson, who worshiped the ground he walked on, he was demanding and even seemed vengeful at times. For what, Weston didn't know.
    "Have you heard the latest report?" Lional asked, clasping his hands behind his back.
    Weston swallowed. "Not the latest, sir."
    "A good leader knows all that goes on in his kingdom."
    "So that he is prepared for