Birthright (Residue Series #2) by Laury Falter Read Free Book Online Page A

because there wasn’t any. There was, however, a book given the general title RELICUUM. Curious , I pulled it from the shelf and took a seat at the desk where, thankfully, the light was more suitable.
    It was winter in New Orleans , and cold weather had a way of creeping inside old houses. Aunt Lizzy’s being no different ; it was chilly as I sat in her study , but that wasn’t why goose bumps spread across my arms. It was the words. As I voraciously devoured them unlike any I’d ever read, they stirred within me, causing the bumpy reaction. By the time Miss Mabelle cleared her throat loudly from the doorway, I was trembling , and my stomach felt queasy.
    I didn’t even jump. Fear already had an unrelenting hold on me.
    “Could you…” My voice sounded weak, which I hated. After clearing the tightness from my vocal chords, I started again. “Could you get me a cup of something warm?”
    I expected her to retort with something callous like “Git yer own damn tea” or “Whatchoo think this is? Some café?” But she turned and headed for the kitchen, bringing back a mug of steaming, black li quid. I didn’t ask what it was; I didn’t really care at this point. Judging from the taste of it , I determined it was a custom tea mixture.
    She took a seat on the guest chair across from the desk, leaning her ubiquitous cane against the wall, and folded her hands across her protruding belly. She was waiting, staring unabashedly , until I spoke.
    I knew my voice carried a tone of rid icu le, but somehow , I was unable to control it. T he stream of words that tumbled out was candid , leaving no question as to how I felt.
    “ I had finally conceded that my relatives – the entire line of them – are witches. Took me a while , but I did it. Then , I accepted my ability to heal…” I paused , pushing back the remorse at not having acknowledged it sooner. “I’ve accepted it… accept it and use it as often as I can. I’ve also appreciated the fact that I can levitate. It’s the one gift I really enjoy exercising.” Stopping again, this time I sighed and warily dropped my head against the back of the chair. It was shaking in refusal by the time I lifted it again. “But I can’t be The Relicuum. I can’t. I’m just a fluke, an accident that happens to be more capable at healing and levitation than the rest of our world. Being more capable doesn’t make me The Relicuum.” I leaned back in the chair again, but only briefly. The nerves in my body wouldn’t allow me to stay still for very long. “No one even knows how to identify The Relicuum. They’re just assuming I’m the one.”
    She paused before answering, clearly deciding if and what to say. In perfect enunciation , as if Miss Mabelle had heard it countless times before, she proceeded to unmistakably define the person known to be The Relicuum . “Born in September , under the full moon, she will be raised without a family. Innocence will prevail , until witnessing the first death. She will reside , at one point in her life or many , within the Crescent City. Love will rescue her.” She paused to assess my reaction , though, I wasn’t certain I showed any. She continued. “Discovery is particularly dangerous for her. This is because after finding a home…her enemies will find her. From then on, only her gifts will keep her alive.”
    She stood, lift ing the thick cover of the book in front of me , and opened it to a page I hadn’t read yet. There, in the second paragraph, were the exact words she’d just spoken. I shifted uncomfortably in the desk chair … I fit that description perfectly.
    It dawned on me , if she could recount those details , I was sure there was at least one other person who could do the same. Phillip Turcott . My intuition was urgently telling me he was using those same criteria to identify and locate me at this very moment.
    I took a sip from my mug and waited for the hot liquid to leave a singed trail down my esophagus, both