Guardian Awakening (The Guardians Series) by Michaela Rhua Read Free Book Online

others, but I could not reach my mother until it was too late. I swore that day that I would seek revenge in the very place I lost them.” With this last statement, he faced her.
    Romy stepped back, her eyes widening. He knew truth had dawned on her. She was his revenge!
     
    ***
     
    “But why me, I have lived apart from my family and the heritage they would have me embrace. I didn’t want any of that and still don’t!” Romy pleaded. She could not see how this involved her; she had done what she could to be far away from all her family’s plans and had her own life.
    “Exactly, you are an innocent just as my mother and sister were. An eye for an eye! Don’t you see?” Essen stood a few steps away near the tower of rocks. His arms by his side, feet apart, face set in a hard expression, eyes sparkling with malice, he looked like a tightly wound-up coil ready to attack. She was the prey.
    Without thinking Romy bolted, running as fast as she could through the barren forest in whatever direction her feet carried her. Her heart pounded, and beads of sweat ran down her spine; she could hear movement behind her but she did not stop. Not even branches slapping at her as she ran hindered her steps until she saw a blur in front of her and she went straight into a wall. No, not a wall but Essen. She screamed, a high-pitched scream, but nothing seemed to hear her. Essen’s arms were around her in a vice-like grip, and he threw her over his shoulders. Romy kicked and screamed, struggling as much as she could, but he did not seem to hear or feel any of this.
    “Please, Essen, let me go, please. I had nothing to do with this! Please.” Romy dissolved into tears. She had thought he was to take her back to her family, that they had finally caught up with her, but not this. It had never occurred to her that she would be the price for their sins. The unfairness of the situation hit her as Essen walked back to the rocks. She had led her own life when the pressures of what her family wanted her to become had been too much. They pushed for her to be initiated into the clan through the blood ceremony. It became the only way they would accept her. For Romy it was not what she wanted; their evil desires overrode any care or concern for others. She did not want to become like that, so she had finally walked away. But they still haunted her.
    Within a few minutes, they were back, and he unceremoniously dumped her onto the dirt floor.
    “Stay there,” he growled at her.
    “What? Aren’t you going to tie me up to stop me from running?”
    “There is nowhere to run to. I will always get to you!” Essen strode away, out of sight.
    Romy adjusted her position and leaned on the rocks, her head back and eyes closed. So this was it, the end? There seemed to be no point in reasoning with Essen; he was closed off. She heard rustling from the direction he had gone, then heavy footsteps returning. She did not open her eyes; instead she kept them tightly shut. She did not need to look at the only man who had been able to awaken her body and not make her feel like she was abnormal. Especially since he had made love to her as part of his revenge!
    “Open your eyes, Romy, and stand.” His voice was distant and cold.
    Romy opened her eyes and saw his legs right in front of her, but as her gaze wandered higher, she saw what was in his hand. The metal blade glistened in the sun, sparkling like a diamond. Bile rose in her throat, and tears streamed down her face. So this was it. Determined not to beg, she stood up on shaking legs that felt like they would buckle at any moment.
    “This was the knife that killed my mother, one of your people’s weapons. Only fitting it should end your life too.” Essen stepped forward, holding the knife for her to see. Romy saw the blade was etched with symbols she could not recognize and the handle was ornately carved with the face of a hideous creature at the hilt.
    Romy tried to lean farther back into the tower,