Read The Living Curse: Book One of The Living Curse series for Free Online

laughed.
                  “Yeah, thanks.  That was a good dagger throw.” he responded.  No formalities could be heard in his voice, only genuine feeling.  Another silence floated among them uncomfortably, like a thick fog.  Finally, Nameh decided that it was time to have her question answered.
                  “Do I…do I know you?” she asked, not regretting how forward her question must have sounded to him.  A boyish smirk passed over his features, and the twinkle came, again, to his eyes.
                  “Well, neither of us is supposed to be here.” he said, plainly trying to confuse her.  “Actually, none of us are supposed to be here.  But somehow, I’m not surprised.” he said matter-of-factly, tilting his chin slightly upward.
                  Nameh blinked at him, not sure what his vague statements meant.  He began to walk toward them; with each step, her mark burned hotter.  Suddenly, when he was just a few feet away, the burning ceased altogether, and turned into a warming sensation that spread through her whole body.  As she glanced at the boy, he caught her eye with a knowing look.  This sense of knowing, of being inside her head, was both intriguing and incredibly frustrating.  She wondered if he had this effect on all people.  It was Mira, first, who questioned his previous words.
                  “How would you know what we are and are not supposed to do?” she said defensively, telling Nameh that she was at least a fraction as frustrated with him as she was.  With this, Mira sheathed her sword, now dripping with dragon blood.  It was times like this when she admired Mira’s forward attitude and sarcastic defenses against those who had no authority over her, something they had in common. 
                  The boy’s face was not well masked; in fact, it seemed to radiate emotion, something she had stripped from her expression many years ago.  However, the openness and truth which were held inside this emotion were almost comforting to her.  The expression now on his face was a clear declaration of the enjoyment he wrought out of keeping the girls in suspense.  Eventually, he appeared to tire of his game, and spoke again.
                  “Oh, come on.  Put two and two together.  Obviously, all of us enjoy killing monsters, and all of us are bending rules to do it.” he said slyly, his eyes narrowing.  Thoughts flickered through Nameh’s head: clearly, the boy was human, and clearly, he had knowledge of the magical world.  Finally, Nameh decided to take the bait he had so carefully laid.
                  “You are either a very clever warlock,” she paused, carefully speaking while watching his reactions, “or you are a Guardian.” she finished.  “Your subtleties point away from the eccentricities of one born into magic, so I would have to say Guardian.” she said, her words slightly twisted with a hint of sarcasm.  The boy was clearly pleased; the charming smirk returned to his face and caused soft lines to appear around his lips.  He seemed to enjoy these innocent mind games, and she had played along, for the moment.  Finally, she realized that the halls of the school were where she recognized the boy from.  There were hundreds of students, but he had a memorable face, even if she hadn’t remembered right away.  Now, she scoured her mind to recall the name that accompanied his face.
                  There was something about him that was, in the same moment, irritating and likeable.  She didn’t like it when people encroached so quickly upon her carefully guarded trust.  Mira interrupted her troubled thoughts with further questions.
                  “So, then you must go to the Academy.” she said, “Or are you a freelance Guardian?” she said sarcastically, with a wide smile.  He seemed to appreciate her joke, knowing that no