Read Sign of the Throne: Book One in the Solas Beir Trilogy for Free Online Page B

drifting lazily down to settle on the bottom of the pool.
    “Cerapops,” he said simply.
    Abby nodded. “Yeah. Cerapops.”
    “Way down,” he explained, craning his head to peer into the pool.
    “Yep, waaaaay down,” Abby agreed. She scooped up the boy and turned to see that the conversation had come to an abrupt halt. She brought Rowan over and handed him to his mother.
    “Wow. Good save,” Jon said.
    Cassandra looked from Rowan to Abby and held the toddler close. “Oh my goodness…I didn’t even notice he was so close to the edge. If you hadn’t been watching…Rowee—didn’t Mama say to stay close? You are not allowed to go near the pool without an adult—do you understand?”
    Rowan just nuzzled her shoulder with his forehead. “Cerapops?” he asked.
    “I’m on it,” Jon said, and dove into the pool. Within a few seconds, he bobbed to the surface, flopped up poolside, and sauntered back over, plastic dinosaur in hand. “Here ya go, buddy.”
    Cassandra rubbed her forehead and sighed. “This one will be the deat h of me. I’ve developed more gray hair since he was born…honestly. Thank you Abby—I appreciate your quick response.”
    “It was nothing,” Abby said. She felt embarrassed and a little bit impressed with herself at the same time.
    “On the contrary—it was something. You’re good with him. Can I interest you in a babysitting job? Starting this Friday? Good hours, and I’ll pay more than they pay here,” Cassandra said.
    “Well, sure. That would be great,” Abby said. “I could use a second job—I haven’t saved as much for college as I need to.” She had originally hoped to save enough money for college and a car, but after learning that college was going to be more expensive than she’d thought, she’d decided all the money she saved from working had to go toward tuition and books. She couldn’t even afford a clunker, not if she didn’t want to take out a loan. And it wasn’t like her parents could help her out in the vehicle department—not when they were trying to help with college and pay all their regular bills. It didn’t matter how hard they all worked—somehow it was just never enough.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     

    THE BOY AND THE SHADOWS
     
     
    T hat night, Abby had a more vivid dream than she’d had in a long time. She stood in a mirrored hall with a glass-domed ceiling. Sitting on the polished hardwood floor in front of her was a chubby toddler with pale blue eyes set in a round face, framed by jet-black curls. The boy was playing with a silver hand mirror, so entranced by its shine that he was oblivious to a pressing darkness gathering around him. The shadows began to undulate like smoke, taking on wraith-like humanoid forms with long arms and reaching fingers.
    Abby knew she should be terrified at the looming danger, but those hungry, lusting, blood-red eyes angered her. She made a decision to protect the boy, no matter the cost, and felt no fear. She planted her feet, straightened her shoulders, and prepared to fight for him. She felt a weight in her shoulder blades and realized she had pure white angel wings. She could feel the wings unfolding, stretching, with a muscular tension that made her feel strong and powerful. She heard the soft rustle and snap of the feathers catching the air like a sail as the wings stretched to their full span. Protectively, she stood over the child, the wings shielding them both from the rising darkness. Then she woke.
     
     
     
     
    Abby liked the Buchan family; the children were sweet, imaginative, and well behaved, and it was easy to engage them in activities, especially anything involving animals. The children begged her to draw countless animals from exotic locations—Kenya, Thailand, Tasmania—and would educate her with all of the facts and trivia they knew about their favorite subject. They also had a passion for sticky paste and a shimmering rainbow of glass bottles filled with glitter ( faery dust ,