Read Invincible (The Aerling Series Book 3) for Free Online

rescue him. I don’t know how long it will
take. Can you…”
    “We’ll keep Hayden’s parents updated. They
told the school he has mono and might be out for a few weeks.”
    “What did you tell them about me?” Olivia
asks.
    “That the stalker had shown up again and
we sent you and Mason out of town for your protection,” her dad says.
    Looking relieved that there won’t be any
more questions from the school, Olivia turns back to me. “We need to get going,
but my Jeep is still up on the reservoir cliff.”
    “Do you need us to go get it?” her mom
asks.
    Olivia and I both grimace. “Uh,” I say,
“it’s not really drivable at this point. Bullets will do that to a car.”
    Both her parents’ faces pale at the word bullets .
Olivia’s dad manages to keep it together a little better than his wife, who
looks ready to burst into tears. “Why don’t you take my car then?” he says.
“We’ll worry about the Jeep later.”
    “Thanks, Dad, but what do we do about the
Caretakers?”
    My eagerness to get moving dulls at that
thought. What do we do about them? They’re watching the house, keeping Molly
and Olivia’s family safe. I trust them enough to do that, but do I trust them
enough to let them protect us as we search for Hayden and the Mother? If Robin
was turned by the Sentinels, who’s to say there aren’t others? Can we trust any
of them to do more than stand guard?
    “I don’t want them following us,” Olivia
says adamantly.
    “Can we protect ourselves well enough
without them?” I ask.
    One hand on her hip, Sloane says, “You and
I are more than enough to stop a few Sentinels.”
    I appreciate the confidence, but I fear it
might be misplaced. “Uh, I obviously can’t speak for you, but I’ve only got a
couple weeks of training under my belt, and combat wasn’t really part of that.”
    “You’re a Warden,” Sloane argues. “It’s
who you are. Didn’t you already fight the Sentinels to get back to the Aerling
world? You fought them more than once, right? I may not be a Warden, but I know
how to use my power to defend myself. Even your little sister does.”
    “How could you possibly know that about
Molly?” I demand. Granted, she’s right, but I never mentioned what Molly can do
back in the Aerling world.
    Sloane cocks one eyebrow at me, looking
rather smug. “Every Aerling has special skills. One of mine is seeing the
potential of other Aerlings and guiding them to reach that potential. Molly is
very strong, and her power has a destructive side that will do well when
channeled for defense. That little girl is a fighter.”
    “I am!” Molly says desperately. “I knocked
down two big Sentinels at the theater! I can help protect us, too. I promise
I’ll be super helpful. Just don’t leave me here without Mason again, please!”
    Panic lights up the expressions of almost
everyone in the group who is able to follow the conversation. Only Sloane looks
more like she is considering than worrying. She carefully eyes Molly from head
to toe. Sloane’s appraising gaze makes it pretty clear she’s about to tell
Molly she agrees with her. I have no choice but to step in and put my foot down.
    “Sloane, we’re not taking her with us.”
The finality in my voice makes her frown, but she doesn’t argue. Molly,
however, has no problem voicing her complaints.
    “You can’t leave me here,” she wails. “You
just came back! You can’t leave me again. Please, Mason, don’t leave me here. I
want to go with you, please!”
    Hefting Molly back into my arms, I try to
console her, but my hugs aren’t nearly enough. “Molly, please. I can’t take you
with me. It won’t be safe, and I have no idea how long we’ll be gone. You need
to stay here with Evie so the Caretakers can protect you.”
    “Wait, what?” Evie demands. “I’m not
staying here either! You guys aren’t running off after Hayden and whoever this
Mother lady is while I just sit here and babysit!” She glances over at