Read Legacy: The Niteclif Evolutions, Book 1 for Free Online Page B

having such a hard time holding on to the thread of conversation, like more than one thought was too much to process. Maybe he was right and I was in shock. If so, at least it didn’t hurt. And really, shock was about the only explanation for the fact that I hadn’t become either wholly catatonic or completely hysterical at this point.
    “You need to put down your natural barriers to my kind. It’s a predetermined defense for Niteclifs, as it helps to keep a wide variety of supes from toying with your mind. But you can control it or you should be able to with some practice.” He palmed the back of my head and turned it so I looked up into his face. “Right now, though, you’re locked tight as a bank vault. It’s how you’ve spanked me regarding telling you first to open the door and later to stop fighting. It’s impressive in one so young into the Change.” He grinned, gently squeezing my head. It felt good.
    “Why does the Change sound so ominous?” I have to admit I enjoyed the eased headache. Maybe he would be handy to keep around for a while. He was better than ibuprofen. And think, if I locked my keys in my car, he could automatically unlock it for me. No need for Triple A. I giggled. A dragon public service.
    “Maddy?” Bahlin looked down at me. “I don’t believe you’re going to have any choice but to let me help with the shock.”
    I guess my mental shields, or whatever it was keeping Bahlin out, were weakened by the night’s revelations because he suddenly rolled over my mind like a wave coming into shore, crashing down and spreading through the sand. I had flashes of memories, both his and mine, and it was his memory of my great-grandfather that surprised me the most. I tried to hold on to it, but it was like trying to hold water in your hands—it slips away, and you’re left with a memory. From him I got the impression of great affection and then it was gone. His darker memories, things that had nothing to do with me, moved away from my consciousness like mist and I couldn’t hold on to them either. I had a vague impression of Bahlin meditating and coming into my dreams, and an image of my own where I was standing at the stones. It was all so strange.
    I came to, if that’s what you could call it, with Bahlin holding me close to his chest, his head bent over mine, foreheads touching. It was as intimate as a kiss, this sharing of memories.
    “So.” I cleared my throat to get his attention.
    He lifted his head slowly and opened eyes that glowed a rich, icy blue. His breathing changed as if he were drawing in great lungs full of my scent.
    I briefly wondered what he had seen in my pathetic life that had wound him up so badly. “So…can you please let me go?”
    He stared at me for a moment and then seemed to shake from head to toe, like a dog exiting a body of water, bringing himself back into the moment. He stood effortlessly with me still in his arms and set me on the bed. His strength was amazing, and the fact that he made me feel petite was a total bonus. Not that I noticed too much.
    “I apologize,” he said.
    “The trip through our minds thing, is that something you normally do for people…supes…whatever?” I asked.
    “Ah, no, no it’s not. It takes a lot out of me to sift through someone’s mind and—”
    “What do you mean by that? What did you see?” I demanded, hands involuntarily parking on my hips. I know it looked silly since I was sitting, but I couldn’t figure out how else to express my indignance at his statement and if I stood it would put me too close to him.
    “About the interrupting? It really is annoying. I’ll quit if you do.” He seemed a little bit unstable as he stood in front of me. He turned and stepped around the end of the bed, walking to the desk chair and eased himself, carefully, back down. “My stones are probably black and blue, you know. You pack a mighty punch.” He grinned.
    “Stop changing the subject, Bahlin. What did you see in my