Casted (Casted series) by Sonya Loveday Read Free Book Online

bucked. Behind me, rocks were falling and smashing into one another. Plumes of dust chased us down the hollowed-out path that surely would become our tomb.
    Dagger came to an abrupt stop and set me down. It was a good thing he still had a hold of me or I would have teetered off the ledge we were standing on. The drop below seemed to have no bottom. Sweat coated my body instantly.
    Dagger spoke softly. “Trust me.”
    I nodded as he squeezed my hand. Blind faith was the only thing holding my sanity together as Dagger wrapped me in his arms and jumped into the blackness.
    Before I could scream in terror, we were standing face–to-face inside of an old barn. I leaned my head against his shoulder, willing my legs to hold me up as I rode out an adrenaline rush. I pulled in even breaths to calm my racing heart as I looked around. The ceiling was sagging and sections of boards were missing from the walls. How could this be a safe place to hide?
    “We’re not staying here. I just had to come up with a quick alternate place to go. They were a little too close for my liking,” Dagger explained.
“So Matheson’s plan didn’t work?” I asked.
    “It worked, but the Triad left a few Enforcers behind just in case. The little stunt you pulled when you hit me, alerted them that there was someone in the house still.”
    “That doesn’t make any sense!” I snapped at him.
    “You pack a hell of a punch, princess. Next time, don’t use so much power,” he said.
    “Yeah right, like my girl punch could be that bad. I admit it was a low blow, but you’re a tough guy, so it’s not like I did any damage to you.”
    Dagger looked at me in disbelief. “It wasn’t the ‘girl punch’, princess. It was the power you put behind it, that hurt.”
    “Power?” Dagger let a menacing laugh escape him. “Christ, she doesn’t even know when she’s using magic…wonderful. Just great. How in the hell am I supposed to keep her alive, let alone hidden?”
    “First of all, I don’t know what you’re going on about. Second of all, my name is Jade, not princess. Not sweetheart or honey or any other pet name you want to call me. It’s Jade, got it?” I cocked my hip to add extra emphasis. I wouldn’t tolerate being treated like some sort of school girl he couldn’t wait to shake loose from his coat tail.
    “Let’s just get one thing clear. If you use magic on me like that again, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”
    Dagger turned away from me and started walking. I watched in disbelief as he continued on without looking back. I had no choice, it was either follow him or get left behind.
    What was that all about? It’s not like I wanted to pick a fight with him. I just want the same respect from him as he gives everyone else. How is it that we brought out the worst in each other? For now, I let the thought stew. Maybe with a little more time and understanding, I could figure out why just the sight of me set his teeth on edge.
    Dagger turned and looked at me over his shoulder. “We’ve gained a little breathing room for now, but we have to keep moving.”
    I sighed inwardly as I jogged to catch up to him. If we were meant to stick it out, just the two of us for who knows how long, then I needed to bite my tongue and play nice.
    “Do you think the others are okay?” I asked.
    “I hope so. They should be at their second stop by now,” he replied.
    “Second stop?” How many stops were there before they would be safe?
    “There are numerous stops and splits happening. It will lead the Triad on a pretty good chase for a while. It also allows us to gain more ground without too much notice,” he answered.
    We exited the decrepit-looking barn into the bright sunshine. My eyes instantly watered. Across from where we stood was an abandoned-looking house. Dagger led me around the back of the house and stopped in front of a root cellar door. It looked like it was about to fall apart, but the door pulled up from the ground on