Anathema (Causal Enchantment, #1) by K.A. Tucker Read Free Book Online Page B

strung together, swirling around inside my
head, repeating over and over. I nodded involuntarily. With a
satisfied nod, Caden removed his hand from my chin and turned to
face the cave entrance.
    I stood staring at his broad, muscular back,
imagining my fingers running through his hair, barely noticing the
burning against my chest as my pendant blazed …
    The temporary fog in my brain lifted. I began
tapping my fingers against my thighs in response to my growing
panic. “What do they want?” I finally whispered.
    Caden’s head whipped around, his eyebrows
furrowed in confusion as he searched my face, until his gaze landed
on my pendant. “Interesting …” he mumbled to himself. He paused.
“They want Amelie. They’re the ones who put her in the river. But
you … when they find out about you …” His eyes left the pendant and
returned to my face.
    He didn’t need to finish his sentence. I caught
the drift. “Because I helped Amelie?”
    His eyes narrowed. “You don’t know where you
are—who we are?”
    “ We’re in a cave and you’re …
homeless people?” I said.
Oh, stupid, Evangeline. That was so
insensitive.
    “ Just stay hidden and don’t say
anything. I’ll keep you safe, I promise,” Caden whispered, smiling
down at me reassuringly. Or sympathetically, because I sounded like
an imbecile.
    I couldn’t resist asking, “What’s going to
happen?”
    “ Would you shut up? Unless you want
to die tonight, little girl,” Rachel hissed through clenched teeth.
She had edged to the back wall of the cave and was now watching us
keenly.
    I blanched at the threat, my heart doubling its
pace.
    Caden reached out, his hands cupping my chin.
Again I sensed a gravitational pull toward those deep pools, only
it wasn’t nearly as strong as before. “You have to calm down.
Now.”
    I took a deep breath. I focused on his soothing
voice, the intensity of his eyes. Although my heart kept racing,
its thunderous pounding dulled to an irritating thud.
    Caden put his finger to his lips in a hushing
motion. I nodded. He turned back to the cave entrance, his feet
shifting position ever so slightly.
    I felt something boring into the side of my
face. Glancing over, I saw Rachel glaring at me sadistically, those
yellow eyes lit with some private enjoyment. I cowered within my
alcove, wishing I could turn into a chameleon and blend into the
rock. The pendant, tightly grasped in my hand now, continued to
burn hot against my skin.
     
     

4. Dead Is
Dead
     
    S o silent was their approach
that I was unaware anyone had entered the cave until I heard a new
voice. “Why, hello again, Amelie! We didn’t expect to see you
mobile so soon.” The man’s tone oozed false kindness.
    Impulsively, I peeked out from behind Caden to
catch a glimpse of the speaker, figuring the shadows and the glare
from the fire would be sufficient cover. All I saw was the back of
a snow–white head before Caden’s body subtly leaned back, forcing
me into full hiding again.
    “ Jethro,” Amelie responded, her tone
icy. “I warned you, I don’t like that river. Too murky.”
    “ Yes, I recall … I’m curious about
how you escaped, and so quickly!” Jethro’s voice grew louder and I
heard footsteps as the man walked farther into the cave.
    “ Oh, it’s my little secret,” she
responded glibly, as if joking with a friend instead of the man
who’d tried to kill her.
    “ I’m sure we can get it out of you.”
Jethro’s voice indicated a smile but his words were full of malice.
“I’m surprised to see another highly esteemed Council member here …
Rachel,” he said in greeting.
    My eyes darted to Rachel. She nodded once,
undaunted and still exuding confidence; she wasn’t afraid of
Jethro.
    “ And your brother is
uncharacteristically quiet this evening, skulking in the back
corner like that. Are you hiding something?”
    I pressed further against the wall until the
jutting stone hurt my back.
    “ Only his infatuation with