By Vengeance Guided (The Lost Shrines Book 1) by Amberlyn Holland Read Free Book Online Page A

effort or his skill. Yet her manager and Nel had worked diligently to keep her as far away from him as possible.
    Her fascination with him was obvious to her two closest friends. Ill-considered, inappropriate and impossible, she couldn't help stealing a glimpse of Wyn every chance she got. And, whenever she managed to see him, he was looking right back at her.
    Each time, her heart fluttered and her pulse pounded. They'd even occasionally shared a few words together, here and there, before Nel or Keneally found something urgent for one or both of them to do. Usually on opposite sides of the manor.
    Those few stolen moments were something she looked forward to though. Something she searched out against even her own better judgment.
    Wyn never failed to make her laugh. Whenever he could, he would reach out for her. A feather-light brush of fingers on her arm. Brushing her hair from her face. A warm, unnecessary, steadying hand at the small of her back. Only twenty-five years of strength and tenaciousness kept her from leaning into the touch and purring like a satisfied cat.
    Which was why she was grateful to Nel and Keneally. As much as their interference irritated her in those moments, they were saving her from herself and her inappropriate infatuation.
    If she had met Wyn a year ago, she'd have jumped in feet first and damn the consequences. Life was meant for living and hard lessons were a part of that.
    Now, though, there were others she had to think of. Several hundred others. Even if it weren't for the betrothal mess she found herself in, Lia couldn't afford to get tangled up with a transient stranger. Tanis and the valley had to come before her own impulsive choices.
    Marta had fallen for and married an outsider. Look how that had turned out. She'd made horrible decisions based on her emotions rather than what was best for their land, leaving the people of the valley divided. Those who believed the old traditions were no longer valid against those who still believed in Liadan's family and the power of tradition. Even if they weren't so sure about Lia.
    The worst of the mistakes Marta made in her love-blind haze, as far as Lia was concerned, was the betrothal agreement. With a single stroke of a pen, she had set in motion events that could bring Hara Dale and the three surrounding kingdoms to the brink of war.
    Of course, if Lia did not look outside for a mate, that left only the men of the valley. Someone who still believed in the traditions and the gifts of her family. Someone like her father. Easily cowed by her position. A marriage that was little more than a business arrangement. Or a breeding transaction.
    Lia shuddered at the thought. No, if she managed to wiggle out of the mess with Daen, marriage and relationships were something she'd have to live without. At least until Tanis turned eighteen and took her rightful place, setting Lia free.
    For now, Lia had to avoid romantic entanglements. Her eyes, however, slipped back to a long, lean torso and smooth, strong muscles.
    Didn't mean she couldn't look, though.
    "Enjoying the view?"
    The cold, silky voice in her ear made Lia jump and start forward a little.
    A deep, fortifying breath and a roll of her shoulders steadied her before she turned to face Gui and his sneer.
    "Why, yes. I love this time of year. When the plants are flowering and everything is so green and alive."
    His lips pulled back, but no teeth showed through the thin, condescending smile. His eyes flickered to the pasture, only a few yards away, then tightened and bore into her intensely.
    "You're not fooling anyone," he said, in a low, angry whisper. "You're embarrassing yourself and your family with this ridiculousness."
    She followed his gaze to Wyn, whose attention remained on the rocks he and Danny were shifting into position. Her chin lifted, and she pulled her face into the cool mask that had recently become second nature.
    "I don't know what you are talking about but I will not put up with that