Above The Flames (The Flames Trilogy #1) by Cassandra Fear Read Free Book Online

kind.
    Amon closed his eyes. Will we ever be free? Really free?

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
    Almost Free
     
    Jasmine
     
    A hand shook Jasmine’s shoulder. “Jaz. Wake up.” Two hands went under her armpits, lifting her slightly from the ground. “Man. Your head is bleeding.”
    Jasmine opened her dry mouth, and then closed it. She did this a couple times, building enough saliva to swallow. “What happened? Was that an earthquake?”
    Beau’s features softened. “I think so, but I’m not sure. Never been in an earthquake. It was strange though; the ground shook really hard for a few minutes, then just stopped.”
    “Did you move me?” Jasmine asked.
    “Yeah, I heard some loud voices, so I made sure we were hidden.”
    Jasmine smacked his arm lightly. “Beau, you aren’t supposed to move someone who’s been injured. Not ever! Don’t you know that?”
    Beau leaned back. “Yeah, I know that. But those guys looked dangerous.”
    Her vision blurred, so she blinked hard, letting her eyes close tight, then she reopened them. “What guys?”
    Beau shrugged his shoulders. “What can I say? They looked human, but they didn’t. They had some weird contacts in that made their eyes red.”
    Jasmine froze, not able to even take a breath.
    “What’s wrong? You just went white as a ghost.” Beau placed his hand over Jasmine’s, but she jumped back. “Woah! Not sure what I did, but it would be nice if you told me.”
    Jasmine winced at a sharp pain in her forehead. “You didn’t do anything.”
    “Give me a break, would you. Girls don’t really pull away from me when they aren’t pissed about something.”
    “Oh, how many girls have done this to you recently, Beau?” Jasmine asked, raising her voice.
    Beau sighed. “All right, just forget it.”
    “No, I don’t think I want to.” Jasmine’s heart raced when the sound of laughter drifted over. “Okay, I’ll forget it for now ,” she whispered. “We need to get out of here.”
    “I just heard something. Stay here and I’ll go have a look.”
    Jasmine grabbed his arm. “I don’t think so. I’ll go with you.”
    “I said stay. You have a head injury. It will only take a minute.”
    What am I, a dog?
    She shifted her weight to her knees and pushed up, crouching low as she followed him. Beau didn’t notice her at first, but when he stopped and she stood so close her breath touched him, he glared back at her. He faced forward, using the base of a large tree as cover and kept his mouth shut. Good thing. I’m not his to order around.
    “You’re so damn stubborn,” he said between clenched teeth.
    Jasmine grinned. “Sure am, but isn’t that what you love about me?”
    “Yeah. Keep telling yourself that,” Beau said under his breath.
    Ouch. That stings. Jasmine’s stomach dropped, and she must have tensed because a slight pressure in her head reminded her she was still injured.
    Jasmine risked a peek around the tree. There were people tied to the trunks of four trees ahead, a man pacing in front of them with red eyes. She held her breath, trying not to make a single noise, but her hands trembled as she remembered another man with red eyes.
    She leaned against Beau, pressing her mouth to his ear. “I think they need help.”
    “Or maybe they’re the bad guys,” Beau whispered into her ear.
    Maybe they were bad guys, but Jasmine didn’t think so. For one thing, their eyes weren’t red. For another thing, they were the ones tied up.
    Jasmine placed a finger to her mouth in a shushing motion, and then pointed as a dark man came into view. He smacked the one pacing against the side of his head, and that man barely stayed on his feet. When he straightened, he ran a hand down the front of his shirt and stared as the dark man pushed past him, straight toward one of the trees. Jasmine stepped out from behind the tree, but only a little. I have to get a better look.
    The man crouched down in front of a female prisoner, his arms